Connecticut Bishop Andrew Smith, the vice chair of PBF, predicted the constrained budget and asked witnesses to tell the members why their program should be included in the church-wide budget rather than being funded at another level of the church and how it fits into the proposed ministry priorities for the 2010-2012 period.<\/p>\n
Those priorities are: networking the members of the body of Christ; alleviating poverty and injustice; claiming our identity; growing congregations and the next generations of faith; and strengthening governance and foundations for ministry. The House of Deputies has approved the list and the bishops are considering the resolution.<\/p>\n
The committee, along with close to 275 observers, joined in listening to nearly 50 people spend two minutes each trying to answer the committee’s questions and convince them of the importance of their programs. The first two witnesses, David Early and Steve Holst, used sign language to ask the committee to continue the church’s support of the Episcopal Conference of the Deaf. Other Spanish-speaking witnesses addressed the committee through interpreters.<\/p>\n