The Acts of Convention

House of Bishops

The House of Bishops Committee on Environmental Stewardship and Care of Creation presented its Report #13 on Resolution A030 (Create Task Force on Climate Change) and moved adoption of a substitute.

Bishop Sauls moved to postpone to a time certain.

Motion carried

Consideration postponed

[Ed. Note: Debate resumed on Resolution A030 on the morning of the Fifth Legislative Day.]

The House of Bishops Committee on Environmental Stewardship and Care of Creation presented its Report #13 on Resolution A030 (Create Task Force on Climate Change) and moved adoption of a substitute.

Original Text of Resolution:

(A030)

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 78th General Convention of the Episcopal Church call upon the Executive Council to create a task force to begin to create resources for parish and diocesan use that will equip faithful Christians to respond pastorally and materially in their local context.

The Task Force is asked to report back to the 79th General Convention on its progress and to share what is already happening at the local and diocesan levels in The Episcopal Church.

Committee Substitute:

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, that the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies, shall appoint a Taskforce on the Stewardship of Creation composed of one person from each Province by April 1, 2016. Each Provincial member of the taskforce shall convene, in their respective Province Regional Consultative Groups (hereinafter, “RCGs”) on the Stewardship of Creation. The RCGs shall develop parish and diocesan resources designed to support local ecologically responsible stewardship of church-related properties and buildings. Each RCG shall be comprised of no fewer than five experts in areas of environmental sustainability appropriate to the demographic, ecological, cultural and geographic specifics of each region. These should include, but not be limited to, consultants in food and water security, property development, alternative energy, and engineering. Each RCG will also include theologians, educators and liturgists to provide resources in education and formation. These RCGs shall:

1. Compile and develop theological and formational material for teaching the theology of stewardship of creation;

2. Create networks designed to share ideas and information for practical application among the regions, such as sustainable development and green conversions of church- related properties, including without limitation, energy audits, solar conversions and other alternative energy, community gardens, and development of fallow property;

3. Be available for consultation to the Dioceses and Parishes.

The Task Force on the Stewardship of Creation shall create a structure for allocation of money to fund RCG initiatives at Parish and Diocesan levels within a year of the 78th General Convention, and serve as the granting body; and be it further

Resolved, that $700,000 be allocated for this purpose, which includes the $500,000 already allocated to the Fifth Mark of Mission, so that $100,000 will be available for the support of the RCGs themselves, and $600,000 be available to provide direct grants to Dioceses and Parishes in the implementation of these programs and support of measurable pilot projects. Of the $100,000 funding the RCGs, $40,500 is to be allocated for the Task Force meetings. Recognizing that this is new work, and a newly formed taskforce, they shall convene in person for their initial meeting, and thereafter determine their needs for future meetings, with funding available for them to meet once yearly. The remaining $59,500 is to be used for regional meetings of the RCGs according to regional needs. The 78th General Convention requests the Presiding Bishop appoint a staff person from DFMS to support the Task Force, and the RCGs as necessary; and be it further

Resolved, that the Task Force shall report back to the 79th General Convention on the progress and ongoing results at the local and provincial levels.

The Rt. Rev. Marc Andrus, Bishop of California, moved to amend the resolution.

Proposed Amendment:

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, that the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies, shall appoint a Taskforce on the Stewardship of Creation composed of one person from each Province by April 1, 2016. Each Provincial member of the taskforce shall convene, in their respective Province Regional Consultative Groups (hereinafter, “RCGs”) on the Stewardship of Creation. The RCGs shallthe Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society is directed to implement a program to develop parish and diocesan resources designed to support local ecologically responsible stewardship of church-related properties and buildings. The program shall be implemented in cooperation with an Advisory Council on the Stewardship of Creation composed of one person from each province by April 1, 2016. Each province member of the Advisory Council shall convene, in their respective provinces, Regional Consultive Groups ("RCG's") on the Stewardship of Creation. Each RCG shall be comprised of no fewer than five experts in areas of environmental sustainability appropriate to the demographic, ecological, cultural and geographic specifics of each region. These should include, but not be limited to, consultants in food and water security, property development, alternative energy, and engineering. Each RCG will also include theologians, educators and liturgists to provide resources in education and formation. These RCGs shall:

1. Compile and develop theological and formational material for teaching the theology of stewardship of creation;

2. Create networks designed to share ideas and information for practical application among the regions, such as sustainable development and green conversions of church- related properties, including without limitation, energy audits, solar conversions and other alternative energy, community gardens, and development of fallow property;

3. Be available for consultation to the Dioceses and Parishes.

The Task ForceAdvisory Council on the Stewardship of Creation shall create a structure for allocation of money to fund RCG initiatives at Parish and Diocesan levels within a year of the 78th General Convention, and serve as the granting body; and be it further

Resolved, that $700,000 be allocated for this purpose, which includes the $500,000 already allocated to the Fifth Mark of Mission, so that $100,000 will be available for the support of the RCGs themselves, and $600,000 be available to provide direct grants to Dioceses and Parishes in the implementation of these programs and support of measurable pilot projects. Of the $100,000 funding the RCGs, $40,500 is to be allocated for the Task Force meetings. Recognizing that this is new work, and a newly formed taskforce, they shall convene in person for their initial meeting, and thereafter determine their needs for future meetings, with funding available for them to meet once yearly. The remaining $59,500 is to be used for regional meetings of the RCGs according to regional needs. The 78th General Convention requests the Presiding Bishop appoint a staff person from DFMS to support the Task Force, and the RCGs as necessary; and be it further

Resolved, that the Task ForceAdvisory Council shall report back to the 79th General Convention on the progress and ongoing results at the local and provincial levels.

The Rt. Rev. Samuel J. Howard, Bishop of Florida, moved to amend the resolution.

Consideration of the resolution was tabled for technical issues.

[Ed. Note: Debate resumed on Resolution A030 in the afternoon of the Fifth Legislative Day.]

Continuation of Debate on A030

The House of Bishops Committee on Environmental Stewardship and Care of Creation continued its Report #13 on Resolution A030 (Create Task Force on Climate Change) and moved adoption of a substitute.

The Rt. Rev. Samuel Howard, Bishop of Florida, moved to amend the resolution.

Proposed Amendment:

Add "...representing the diversity of scientific opinion on issues of climate change and global warming."

The question was called.

Motion carried

Debate terminated

A vote was taken on the amendment.

Motion defeated

Amendment defeated

The Rt. Rev. Marc Andrus, Bishop of California, moved to amend the resolution.