Long

At the Spring 2001 meeting, the EAM Board of Governors approved a by-laws change to elect up to three at-large members to the Board to ensure balanced geographic and gender representation and enable the Board to select members with specific skills that might be needed at a particular time. New members will be selected at the September 23-26 Board meeting in Charleston, West Va.

BEQUEST TRIGGERS NEW PLANNING PROCESS

Another item on the agenda was long-range planning, especially in light of a large bequest that the Board earmarked for program (mission and ministry work). Walter Davis, trainer and organizer for the Southern Empowerment Project in Maryville, Tenn., served as consultant. Davis led the Board through a process of looking at changes in the region and our communities, deciding what was most valued about EAM, and what Board members would like to see EAM do or be in the future.

From this work emerged three priorities in addition to the ongoing items such as work camps, clearing house for information, public policy work, education, and communication. Those priorities are advocacy, work with small churches/congregations/clusters/regional ministries and youth mentoring and leadershipdevelopment.

EAM will hire a consultant to collect information and design a process whereby EAM deals with public policy issues. A draft of this process will be brought to the September Board meeting for discussion, as will some possibilities for youth mentoring and leadership development.

Pat Ellertson has been asked to do another book for EAM, this one to follow-up on the
six regional ministries showcased in "Distinctive Thumbprints in Regional Ministry."Each of the six has undergone major changes in the four years since the initial visits.

CENTRAL TIER MEETING

EAM's Central Tier, comprised of representatives from the Dioceses of Southwestern Virginia, Lexington, Southern Ohio, and West Virginia, will meet at John XXIII Pastoral Center in Charleston, West Va. on September 10-11, 2001. The Tier meetings provide an opportunity for the dioceses to share information and resources, elect Board members, set priorities to be taken to the Board of Governors, and do joint ministry planning.

DIOCESE OF EAST TENNESSEE

Much has happened since the Diocese of East Tennessee's Appalachian Ministry Task Force has been working. Two members of the group, Harry and Patty Chase, spearheaded the effort to activate the task force because of the work they do with low-income housing in Anderson and Campbell counties. Patty coordinates the school supplies program for a local non-profit and asked the Task Force to help get the Episcopal Church involved in collecting and distributing the supplies.

Last year more than 400 book bags filled with school supplies and more than $4,000 in cash were given out in Campbell country for use by children who cannot afford school supplies and clothing. The Task Force hopes to collect at least this amount for 2001.

In addition, because of the Chases' work with groups coming into the region on mission trips, and Harry's chance conversation with Jim Hudson of Grace Church, Chattanooga, at the Diocese of East Tennessee Annual Convention, a group of carpenters from Grace has been helping work teams from the Reformed Church to convert an old day-care center into a housing facility for visiting work groups. Hudson and his group have traveled all over the world helping to build churches and other structures.

The Task Force has taken several tours to sites in Campbell County to find out more about the needs in the area and to establish relationships with community area ministries.

Congregations are being offered new opportunities to learn about conditions in the more rural parts of the diocese and how they can address the needs of people in the region. This, in turn, gives them new opportunities to live out the Gospel in their communal life and worship. The Task Force has published a Directory of AppalachianMinistries that outlines ways of getting involved.