The Acts of Convention

House of Bishops

The House of Bishops Committee on Social and Urban Affairs presented its Report #18 on Resolution C049 (Renew and Strengthen Economic Justice Ministry) and moved adoption with amendment.

Original Text of Resolution:

(C049)

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 76th General Convention shall urge each Episcopal congregation to know where the marginalized of their community live and work, have a relationship with one or more poor families in their community, know people by their names and form a local partnership with an agency that is working with low-income people; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention shall urge each Episcopal congregation to begin or continue to engage in the traditional acts of mercy in which many congregations and Jubilee Centers participate: food pantries, clothing closets, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and other programs; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention shall continue and deepen its advocacy and shall urge dioceses and congregations (often in concert with the Episcopal Public Policy Network) to advocate for legislation that provides adequate levels of support and opportunities for low-income people; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention shall urge dioceses and congregations to promote and participate in church-based community organizing whereby people of the local community exercise the power of numbers and conviction to bring their needs to the attention of and promote effective action by elected officials and governmental bodies; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention shall support and participate and shall urge dioceses and congregations to support and participate in various models through which low-income people and their co-workers can take control of their own lives and meet their own needs: models such as community development corporations, housing corporations and co-ops, small business development and land trusts; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention encourage at every level loans and deposits at a level of one to ten percent of its financial assets to community development financial institutions (community loan funds, community development banks and credit unions and micro-loan business funds) to support local community development, and, where helpful and necessary, shall create such financial institutions themselves; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention direct development at the national level of a community development loan fund that is open to deposits from Episcopal dioceses, congregations, organizations and members, with a goal of becoming a $24 million fund that will support the “community-controlled economic development programs of the disadvantaged” (quoted from the Economic Justice Resolution of the 1988 General Convention); and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention request the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance to consider a budget allocation of $300,000 to fund the Episcopal Network for Economic Justice at a level of $100,000 per year for the coming triennium so that it can increase its mission of supporting and assisting economic justice work at every level of the Church and help implement the ministry outlined in this resolution.

Committee Amendment:

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 76th General Convention shall urge each Episcopal congregation to know where the marginalized of their community live and work, have a relationship with one or more poor families in their community, know people by their names and form a local partnership with an agency that is working with low-income people; and be it further

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 76th General Convention direct the Executive Council to develop a strategic plan with clear designation of authority and accountability to address issues of domestic economic justice and report back to the 77th General Convention; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention urge each Episcopal Congregation to build relationships with and among the marginalized of their community as well as form local partnerships with agencies that work with low-income people; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention shallurge each Episcopal Congregation to begin or continue to engage in the traditional acts of mercy in which many congregations and Jubilee Centers participate: food pantries, clothing closets, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and other programs; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention shallcontinue and deepen its advocacy and shall urge dioceses and congregations (often in concert with the Episcopal Public Policy Network) to advocate for legislation that provides adequate levels of support and opportunities for low-income people; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention shallurge dioceses and congregations to promote and participate in church-based community organizing whereby people of the local community exercise the power of numbers and conviction to bring their needs to the attention of and promote effective action by elected officials and governmental bodies; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention shallsupport and participate and shall urge dioceses and congregations to support and participate in various models through which low-income people and their co-workers can take control of their own lives and meet their own needs: models such as community development corporations, housing corporations and co-ops, small business development and land trusts; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention encourage at every level loans and deposits at a level of one to ten percent of its financial assetsto community development financial institutions (community loan funds, community development banks and credit unions and micro-loan business funds) to support local community development., and, where helpful and necessary, shall create such financial institutions themselves; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention direct development at the national level of a community development loan fund that is open to deposits from Episcopal dioceses, congregations, organizations and members, with a goal of becoming a $24 million fund that will support the “community-controlled economic development programs of the disadvantaged” (quoted from the Economic Justice Resolution of the 1988 General Convention); and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention request the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance to consider a budget allocation of $300,000 to fund the Episcopal Network for Economic Justice at a level of $100,000 per year for the coming triennium so that it can increase its mission of supporting and assisting economic justice work at every level of the Church and help implement the ministry outlined in this resolution.

Motion carried

Resolution adopted with amendment

(Communicated to the House of Deputies in HB Message #81)