The Acts of Convention

Whereas, immigration from Asian countries has increased the numbers of Asian people seeking a new life in the United States since the revision of the United States policies on immigration in 1965; and

Whereas, the churches in the major metropolitan areas of our country face new opportunities for mission and evangelism among these newcomers; and

Whereas, a concern for ministries to Asian and Pacific Island people was expressed by the bishops, clergy and laity in the Eighth Province of this Church through the response of its Program Planning Council in directing its Provincial Representative, the Rev. Canon John H.M. Yamazaki of the Diocese of Los Angeles, to present to the Executive Council the cry of need for new ministries to the Chinese throughout the United States that it heard from the Rev. Canon James Pun, Director of Chinese Ministries in the Diocese of California; and

Whereas, the Executive Council staff provided assistance to an ad hoc committee to present a proposal for the funding of a ministry to Asian and Pacific Island people, such as the Chinese, Filipino, Hawaiian, Japanese, Korean, Samoan, and Southeast Asian people, through the General Church Program Budget; and

Whereas, the 64th General Convention of the Episcopal Church in reaffirming ministries to racial and ethnic minority persons to be a part of the total mission of the Church, did become the first major church to recognize the importance of this new national ministry by its adoption of a triennial budget which enabled the Asiamerica Ministry to come into being and to become a reality in the life and work of the dioceses of California, Chicago, Hawaii, Long Island, Los Angeles, New York and Olympia through the establishment of Episcopal Asiamerica Strategies Task-Forces on the local and national level of the Church; and

Whereas the Executive Council program under the leadership of the Rt. Rev. Richard B. Martin, Executive for Ministry has included the work and support of the Asiamerica Ministry to assist the dioceses to work as partners-in-mission on the local and national level of the Church in order to strengthen existing work and to offer new ministries, and to represent the concern for such ministries in relation to the Anglican dioceses in Asia and Canada and also with other churches in the United States; and

Whereas, the dioceses working in partnership through the Asiamerica Ministry are attempting to assume greater financial responsibility for ministries to Asian and Pacific Island people by also involving local parishes in efforts to provide these ministries where often there is a need for persons to minister in a different language and with persons of a different culture; now, therefore be it

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, that the 65th General Convention continue to affirm that ministries to racial and ethnic minority persons are a part of the total mission of the Church, recognizing that there are gifts which come to all of us through the sharing of the diversities of language and culture; and be it further

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, that the 65th General Convention receive the appended report of the Asiamerica Ministry and continue to support through the General Church Program Budget the efforts to provide assistance to dioceses and the Asian and Pacific Island people in maintaining partners-in-mission relationships to plan and share resources for ministry through consultations and conferences, and by working in a partners-in-mission style with the Anglican dioceses in Asia through the Executive Council's Office for National and World Mission.