Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

I like to know how things work. From an early age, I learned if I had a basic understanding of this, I made better decisions.

This practice led me to my first – and only – computer-programming course. It was in the early 80s, computers were becoming an office staple and ‘computer error’ was a common refrain when something didn’t go as expected. I wasn’t buying this excuse, so enrolled in a course to learn how a computer worked – and where the likely source of these errors lay.

Flash forward to 2003 and my first General Convention of the Episcopal Church. I had press credentials, responsibility to set up media opportunities for representatives from Episcopal Divinity School, and no clue about how our church was governed. Working at a seminary, there was a course I could take. It made such a difference: it was my first General Convention and I was able to explain the what, why, and how not only to secular media, but also other Episcopal media.

As congregational leaders you have responsibility related to the governance. And, while governance – or polity as it is often referred to within the Church – may not make your ‘top 10’ list of the most interesting topics, a working knowledge of how the Episcopal Church works may prove to be helpful, especially in understanding how decisions are made at the diocesan and denominational level – sometimes described as a cumbersome and messy process.

For the next two months, ECF Vital Practices and Vestry Papers will offer articles and resources related to the way we govern ourselves as congregations and as a denomination. Our May content includes:

• “Our Story” by Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook explores the roots of our democratic style of governance and invites us to consider ways to balance an organization’s need for order with its equally important need for creativity and risk-taking.
• A large number of Episcopalians have roots in another Christian faith. In “ ¿De Arriba o de Abajo?” (“From Above or Below?”), Alberto Cutié shares key differences in governance between the Episcopal and Roman Catholic churches. Available in both Spanish and English.
• “Being on the Same Page” by Ron Pogue, reminds us of the value of our congregation’s governing documents and how they can be a useful tool for decision making.
• In “Knowledge is Power,” William Doubleday introduces congregational leaders to the resources available to them in Canon 7: Of Business Methods in Church Affairs.

I invite you to add to this content by sharing your stories and resources related to congregational governance in the Your Turn section and by posting comments related to our articles, blog posts, or other content.

Faithfully,

Nancy

Nancy Davidge 
Editor, ECF Vital Practices

Fun fact: Did you know? The Episcopal Church’s General Convention is one of the largest legislatures in the world.