XXI. Price Waterhouse Report
https://archives.anglican.ca/link/official7354
- Date
- 1979 October 29 - November 1
- Source
- House of Bishops Minutes
- Type
- Resolution
- Mover
- Bishop Gartrell
- Seconder
- Bishop Parke-Taylor
- Prologue
- The Primate invited Bishop Nock to take the Chair. In introducing the report, Bishop Nock pointed out that the responses already received could be placed in three major areas:
- 1) relationships between the national office and dioceses and parishes;
- 2) matters pertaining to Provincial Synods, jurisdiction, etc;
- 3) the Primacy and the responsibilities of the General Secretary.
- Mention was also made of the place of the House of Bishops.
- i. Relations with the House of Bishops
- At the request of the Chairman, Bishop Peers introduced this section of the report, including the recommendations. A general discussion followed in the course of which it became evident that recommendation #3 (a) and (b) were regarded as unsatisfactory because they were seen to be destructive of the leadership role of the Bishops. Particular attention was also called to the final paragraph on page fifty-four of the Report basically because of the underlying fallacious assumptions which contributed to inaccurate conclusions.
- Various questions were raised as follows:
- - If the Provincial organization, and the House of Bishops were not within the terms of reference, why are they mentioned in the report ?
- - Can the operation of the Church be assessed in the strict light of business procedures ?
- - Are business procedure criteria adequate and appropriate to us ?
- The discussion surrounding the last two questions indicated a negative response to the questions.
- Moved by: Bishop Goodman
- Seconded by: Archbishop Watton
- "That Bishops Valentine and Short be requested to prepare a statement as the response of the House and to present it to the House for approval." (See Appendix B.)
- Text of motion
- "That the House ask Bishops Valentine and Short to reproduce as accurately as possible their comments to the House relating to Section M p.54 of the Price Waterhouse report, also the recommendations on p.55, and that this House express its general agreement."
- The original Motion was withdrawn with the consent of the House and the amendment, becoming the Motion was CARRIED
- Notes
- Copies of the Statement were requested. (Appendix B.)
- Relations with the Provincial Synods
- ii. In the brief discussion of this Section of the Report, it was noted that responses had been sent in from the Provincial Synods.
- APPENDIX B
- STATEMENTS RE PRICE WATERHOUSE REPORT
- Bishop Valentine
- "In reference to p. 54, last paragraph:
- 1. While I cannot speak about "the public" -- although this may fall within the significant are of folk-religion -- it seems to me that the `church members' referred to do comprehend 'the special and sensitive place' of the House. It is precisely, perhaps, Price Waterhouse who don't comprehend it.
- 2. The paragraph refers to the 'historic role' of the episcopate giving 'tremendous authority' to its view. I am not quite sure what Price Waterhouse means by that very difficult word 'authority', but in any event, their phrasing succeeds in conveying an image that the 'authority' derives primarily, or even only, from history and consists in some sort of medieval prelacy. I would suggest that in some very important senses the authority of the House inheres in the contemporary being and nature of the church as the church constituency sees and understands itself.
- 3. I find it difficult to understand what is really meant by 'extreme circumspection', but I suspect 'evasive circumlocution'. Similarly, the phrase 'wherever possible', seems to imply that it would only in the most rare and extra-ordinary circumstances that the House would speak apart from synodical structures. I find that those two phrases in conjunction convey a sense quite alien to that of prophecy in society or even meaningful leadership within the church."
- Bishop Short
- "The House of Bishops and the Provincial Synods were not within the terms of reference set forth for the Price Waterhouse Report. One can only assume that these bodies conflict with what, in the eyes of business management, is an efficient organization. If this is true, and the general tone of the Report suggests that it is, then it is necessary to state that business management consultants are not really competent to deal with the structures of the Church; even though it must in all fairness be said that certain details of the report are most helpful.
- To one who sees the Church from the perspective of a diocesan bishop, it is questionable that the corporation model is congruous with the nature of the Church. Perhaps we are to understand from the Report that what is wrong with General Synod is that is incompatible with the work style of the board room. It is therefore suggested in effect that National Executive Council become the governing body of the Church -- small, manageable and capable of quick decisions. Such a model has no place for four Provincial Synods all enjoying some measure of autonomy, and some thirty semi-autonomous constitutional bodies. One might suppose that it is incredible that the Anglican Church of Canada is not incorporated. Yet this (from some points of view) untidy structure is the Church.
- At Lambeth Professor Charles Elliott pointed out that 'bigger is not better', and that efficiency is not the only criterion by which a structure or process is to be judged. It is simply true that the image of the large corporation is contrary to the nature of the Church, and alien to its spirit".
- Subjects
- Price Waterhouse Report
- Netten Report
- Anglican Church of Canada - Government
- Anglican Church of Canada - Structure
- Anglican Church of Canada. House of Bishops
- Leadership - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Organizational change - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Anglican Church of Canada. House of Bishops - Relations - Anglican Church of Canada. General Synod
- Valentine, Barry, 1927-2009
- Short, Hedley Vicars Roycraft, 1914-1996