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We have 2 guests online| Transforming TEC-ECP relations from "COVENANT" TO "COMPANIONSHIP" |
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On the eve of its autonomy in May 1990, the Episcopal Church in the Philippines entered into a Covenant with The Episcopal Church [TEC], then known as ECUSA or the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A. The Covenant, approved by both churches in 1988, defined the relationship between the two churches after the ECP achieves autonomy and until such time that it becomes financially self-supporting. On December 31, 2007, the annual grant subsidy of TEC to the ECP finally ended and so the Covenant was also deemed concluded.
At its 75th General Convention in 2006, TEC approved a grant of $100,000 for the years 2008 and 2009, after the conclusion of the annual subsidy, as its additional contribution to the ECP Centennial Endowment Fund. These amounts were then used as matching funds for endowment funds of local congregations.
At the meeting of the Joint Committee on the Philippine Covenant [JCPC] in March 2008 in Manila, the ECP appealed for a final extension of the grant of $100,000 for the next triennium, 2010 – 2012. However, at the next meeting of JCPC in March 2009 in San Francisco, the TEC panel informed the Committee that TEC is projecting a deficit of $14 million for the next triennium as a result of the global economic meltdown and therefore does not have the capacity to positively respond to the ECP request. At that recent meeting, JCPC acknowledged that the ECP-TEC Covenant has been finally concluded and that its work has been completed with the ECP’s attainment of financial autonomy manifested in the conclusion of the annual TEC grant subsidy in December 2007. Consequently, the ECP would no longer be a “covenant church” but a regular Anglican church partner of TEC. As the Committee however listened to the ECP’s story on how it was able to become financially autonomous, there emerged a desire to see this experience shared with TEC’s overseas dioceses and/or covenant churches. An idea for a special bilateral relations between TEC and ECP that goes beyond the erstwhile “covenant” framework or model germinated and finally a consensus was made to develop this proposal into a relationship within a “companionship” model. This would be a trailblazing move as both the TEC and ECP presently does not have such kind of relationship with any partner church. Establishing such “companionship” will have to be approved by both TEC’s General Convention and the ECP’s Provincial Synod. A draft resolution to this effect for submission to the (then) forthcoming TEC General Convention was approved by the Committee.
With regard to the non-consideration of the ECP’s request for the extension of the $100,000 annual grant, it was agreed during the said JCPC meeting that this may actually be the “breaking point” for the fund-based relationship that has long characterized TEC-ECP relations. Out of this “breaking point”, the true “companionship” model would then arise as the partnership is moved to the level of programs, dioceses, parishes and institutions rather than mainly relying on TEC’s national budgeting process . The ECP was challenged to bring its story of faith and mission to these levels and initiate a momentum for more “grassroots” relationship. The 76th General Convention where the Prime Bishop was invited as an official foreign guest would be the starting point to explore possibilities for such relationship.
What subsequently happened in General Convention as a follow up to this new direction of relations is contained in the report-sharing entitled “ECP: THE GIVING CHURCH”. |