The Task Force for
Re-Imagining the Episcopal Church (TREC) met July 12-13 at the
Maritime Institute of Technology in Linthicum, Maryland. The following
is a report on their work:
"Since our initial meeting in February, we have been working in smaller groups to
1) ensure that all of our members have a common understanding of our current structures, governance and administration;
2)
research both successful and unsuccessful attempts at large-scale
change in other Christian traditions, in our own history as The
Episcopal Church, and in other kinds of organizations, and consult with
individuals who helped lead those efforts;
3)
develop a common understanding of the central marks of Episcopal
identity from the vast work that has already been done in that area; and
4)
establish the building blocks for a broad churchwide engagement process
that we believe will be a critical piece of our work. We heard reports
from each of these smaller working groups. Two of the groups offered
written reports, and those are available on our website (www.reimaginetec.org) or here.
Our greatest challenge
so far has been developing a common understanding of the proper scope
of our mandate. We are very conscious of the extraordinary energy and
consensus demonstrated by the 77th General Convention about the need
for bold and large-scale change in our church. Our work thus far has
consisted of vigorous and Spirit-filled conversations about the best
ways The Episcopal Church might begin to affect the kind of change that
was called for and needed, and what specific areas in our common life
are most in need of the kind of reform that convention called for."
