Keller was responding to a bi-lined article in the Oct. 3 edition of TLC by the Very Rev. Kevin Martin, Dean of St. Matthew's Cathedral, Dallas, who opined that when the initial report was presented to Executive Council, it received a generally favorable response with only one negative vote. "Some thought it was too broad and sweeping. Some thought it too definitive and practical. More important, the member of the council who voted against it and called it 'an evangelical Trojan horse' set out to derail the initial report."

Martin went on to write that because of his (Crew's) political clout, he was able within 24 hours to reverse the initial acceptance of the report and use a technicality to table any action. Martin did not name Crew as that person, but Keller did.

"Bishop Griswold and Dean Warner decided that this initiative should not be sabotaged by a parliamentarian maneuver. They overrode the council, and expanded the task force to 66, including younger voices and voices of gay and lesbian persons," wrote Dean Martin.

"Although the initial task force was racially and culturally diverse, our leaders believed it was not the right kind of diversity."

In his letter, Keller stated there was tremendous excitement about 20/20. "General Convention adopted 20/20 as its number two priority of the 2000 to 2003 triennium. As stated in the article, Dr. Crew undercut the will of General Convention, the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies."

Keller noted that the leaders of 20/20 included Bishop Keith Ackerman, Bishop Gethin Hughes (San Diego ret.), Fr. John Guernsey and many very committed clergy and lay people. "The energy and hard work of the Commission and the Task Force, and the product we produced, are beyond anything I have ever been involved with in my Church life.

"The 20/20 initiative was an incredible vision, which I believe was stamped out by the political will of one member of Executive Council. As a result, as noted by Dean Martin, instead of doubling the Church we will be lucky to only lose half of our membership. That is quite a legacy."

HOWEVER, in an e-mail to Virtueonline, Crew flatly denies the charges and said he strongly supported the 20/20 initiative. "The Task Force had outstanding members from all "sides" in the Church. The 20/20 initiative is important to the vitality of The Episcopal Church. The outstanding goals of the 20/20 Task Force played an important role as we shaped budgetary criteria during my six years on Council (2000-2006).

"I wish that Bishop Hughes and Richard Kew had been more effective when the Task Force reported to Executive Council at our meeting in Salt Lake City (2002?). Richard went well over his time limits when in the National Concerns Committee and then repeated himself almost verbatim when he went overtime to the full Council (one-fourth of whom had already heard him).

"Neither Richard Kew nor Bishop Hughes gave much time to the two women of color whom they brought with them from the Task Force.

"Nor were Richard Kew and Bishop Hughes specific about how they would use the large amount of money they wanted Council to fund and leave completely to their discretion. Nor did they envision integrating their plans with the program staff of the Church Center.

"I respect Dean Kevin Martin as a pioneer in understanding church growth. He and Ted Mollegen both spoke for the Task Force at our meeting. I do not know Mr. Keller.

"Although only one of 40 voting members, at the end of the Salt Lake City meeting, I voted with the overwhelming majority of Council in strong support of the 20/20 initiative. At that time, over forty dioceses had also adopted the goals of the initiative."

Keller responded to Crew's take and said this: "I was at a meeting in late 2001 where Dr. Crew was present. At a reception at that meeting I heard Dr. Crew tell another well placed member of the TEC hierarchy "I smell a rat and I'm going to kill it." In reading Dr. Crew's comments, he is technically telling the truth. He did not single-handedly kill 2020, he just killed the funding which was, indeed, in violation of General Convention's mandate that 2020 was to be the #2 budget priority for 2000-2003."

FOOTNOTE: Bishop Ackerman is now a visiting bishop from the Diocese of Bolivia and Chairman of Forward in Faith while the Rt. Rev. John Guernsey is a bishop with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) as a bishop for congregations in America under the Church of Uganda. The Rev. Richard Kew has moved back to England where he works at Ridley Hall, Cambridge.

END