EPISCOPALIANS WARY OF CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000100380025-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 9, 2010
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: May 4, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/09: CIA-RDP90-00806R000100380025-2
RUTLAND HERALD (VT.)
1. MAY 1980
Episcopalians teary Of CIA
BURLINGTON Represen-
tatives at the annual convention of,
the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont
took a firm stand Saturday agaainst
the Central In ence Agency's
use of Church workers- ?. for ? in-
had been approached. by an in- ' peace, called for at-home recon-
telligence agenhwho requested he. ciliation among all persons to
provide-: the -agency.---with . ?in~ . offset the current politcal climate
formation. The. minister told the of "tension and a war-like spirit."
convention it wasvhis experience It, too, was approved.-
They alto expressed concern about operations. Y=,,?? ~# ..
the possible cutoff of-the, federal '',,,The convention feint crucalt.
d b
,food stamp program-.. {
The convention unanimously
endorsed a resolution denouncing
the use of church workersas"'un-
dercover.agents or., information
sources for CIA-activities and
asked Vermont's' Congressional
delegation to propose an amend- forthe diocese. '%
ment to a Senate bill that would
liberalize the charter fFthe spy
agency.
The proposed charter would
loosen restrictions on covert "ac-. ,
tivities,. as'well as use of-jour-
nalists,'academicians and church
personnel in intelligence gathering
operations. .
One. minister, whose name-was
ndt -available, -said: during{the
discussion of theresolutfon tha he
that churchworkers notbe use
y
the CIA--or- other intelligence
organizations- to pre ve.athe
"climate- of confidential y' "sof-
In his keynote address, the Right
Rev. Robert S. Kerr; Bishop of
Vermont,, told the 'convention,
"Charity at --a distance is not
enough,"-and challenged -the
diocese not only to provide
financial, ' help but to = sponsor
refuge families. = _ , k
In response to the possible?cutoff
of federal food stamps beginning
June 1, the convention passed a
resolution that pointed out the duty
to -support the hungry- with foo9
shelves and money
fered by- the church and fits
workers, said Christine4;Hemen-
way, communications coordinator
"There Is a. separatiod-af clburch
and state, and than separation
must be respected andithe. con-
fidence- must. not be ;.violated,"
Hemenway said.
rrr
Despite the-possibility'that the
CINmight use-church-.workers to
good ends, Hemenwayr said the
convention'sifeeling -was`that the
'1664 doesnotustify themeans.'.'
Another resolution,-"; on --world
and food,- a workshop- on
ecumenism and the bishop's call to
respond to, the --needs ~ of - the
homeless,- hungry 'and'.confused
people in the world set the tone-for
annual convention; which; `met
Friday and-Saturday at St, Paul's
Cathedral in Burlington. 'J
that it Is. better nobto become in, Resolutions on peace, -hunger
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/09: CIA-RDP90-00806R000100380025-2