Subfonds - Diocesan Expansion Planning Committee sous-fonds

Pursuant to the recommendation of the Stewardship Committee and resulting from extensive discussion on the subject of Church expansion, it was resolved by the 58th session of the Synod, May 1959 "that this Synod approves the appointment ...of a Diocesan Expansion Planning Committee" [DEPCO]. Bishop Gower, acting with the guidance of the Diocesan Executive Committee, appointed Mr. Geo. C. Bradley to chair the new committee which consisted of nine laymen. The terms of reference were as follows: to make a survey and to present recommendations regarding the expansion and advancement of the work of the church in newly settled areas or in growing communities in the Diocese. As the terms of reference encompassed such a broad area of study, the Expansion Planning Committee decided to direct their first major efforts towards the study of expansion in the newly settled and growing areas. At its first meeting the Diocesan Expansion Planning Committee decided that competent laymen should be selected from each Deanery to assist in the work. Each member of the DEPCO Committee acted as a liaison between the central committee and the church expansion sub-committee. Planning for church expansion was to be projected over fifteen years, until 1975. This involved an estimate of population growth and a study of the parish boundaries. The condition of each parish was examined, including general spiritual health, the condition of its buildings, clergy resources, need for new parishes in the Deanery, and cost estimates. Other subjects, such as administration and stewardship, discussed by various committees are included in the report under the section "General Recommendations" (section H).