Dialogue and debate encouraged
by Ana Watts
The appointment of a communications committee to meet quarterly and report to the bishop is the major recommendation of a task force that reviewed diocesan communications following the 2005 diocesan synod. Its findings and recommendations were presented to and approved by the 2007 diocesan synod in June.
The bishop and diocesan communications officer will both have meaningful roles in the appointment of members, and the communications officer is an ex-officio member of the committee that should include at least one member of the Administration Team of Diocesan Council, at least one representative of clergy, and other members of clergy and the laity as the bishop and the communications officer deem necessary.
The committee will, among its other duties: ensure that a wide-rage of informed opinion is reflected in diocesan communications as a way to encourage dialogue and debate; work with the communications officer to develop an annual communications plan; annually review the performances of diocesan communications organs; and advise the bishop on any broad communications issues, including new technologies for teaching and reaching Anglicans in New Brunswick.
The task-force was struck in response to a 2005 synod motion made by the Rev. Chris VanBuskirk and seconded by Debbie Ritchie. It called for a “review of the purpose, mission and editorial policy of the New Brunswick Anglican, Diocesan E-News and all other modes of public communication by the diocese.” Editorial policy in effect at that time stated: “the editor and columnists are encouraged to express responsible opinion, even if critical of church policy and procedure. Readers are invited to share opinions and views.”
The three-person task force –– Ann Deveau (chair), Kelly VanBuskirk and Andrew Cromwell –– discussed the opinion policy at length but could not endorse it unanimously. Ms. Deveau and Mr. Cromwell did not want to see strict controls on diocesan communications vehicles. In the report they said it would be “discriminatory, propagandistic and wrong to limit dialogue and debate … congregations in New Brunswick can most certainly think for themselves and make their own judgments –– and they should have that right, without ideas being suppressed for them in advance.”
The report said Kelly VanBuskirk believed “the communications vehicles of the diocese should be clearly linked with the Declaration of Principles in the diocesan constitution. ‘The declaration expresses, and binds us to, the essential beliefs of the Anglican Church,’ he said. ‘This diocese should not be in breach of its own declaration.’”
The report went on to quote him further: “all content in the diocesan media could, and should, be considered the theological equivalent of a statement the bishop would give from the pulpit” and therefore “there should be strict rules governing what is published in the newspaper and/or posted on the Web.”
Other task-force recommendations include: clear statements in all diocesan publications that they are “official ‘publications’ of the diocese but not the one official ‘voice’ of the entire Anglican church;” feedback should be encouraged trough a range of methods –– mail, e-mail, telephone, fax; and readers/viewers should be advised periodically that space is maintained for letters to the editor.
