House of Deputies

The House of Deputies Committee on Evangelism presented its Report #6 on Resolution B011 (Special Missionary Initiative) and moved adoption with amendment.

Original Text of Resolution:

(B011)

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the Presiding Officers, Executive Council, and staff of The Episcopal Church Center, the standing committees of the Church, the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund and the Church Pension Fund, in coordination with the Bishop of and Diocese of Louisiana develop a strategy for a model missionary initiative, including both evangelism and service, for the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Area (New Orleans, North and East Shore), to support overall church evangelism and the 20/20 goals, while providing a model and a test-bed for organization in areas of natural disaster or economic impoverishment; and be it further

Resolved, That the office of Evangelism at The Episcopal Church Center develop a recommended structure and a time line for implementation of said strategy. The initiative should consider: organization and methods, identification of resources, periodic sharing of progress and lessons-learned; it should also consider relief and development projects, new church planting and the revitalization of existing congregations, by providing leadership formation and training for personal and congregational evangelism and service with diverse populations including, among others, young adults, ethnic and racial populations, and new immigrants and persons affected by manmade and natural traumatic events. The officers, council and staff shall recommend quantitative measures of accountability for mission performance; and be it further

Resolved, That the Church Center head of Evangelism report the findings and recommendations of this initiative to the Executive Council annually at the Council’s third meeting each calendar year, beginning in 2007 for one triennium; and be it further

Resolved, That every diocese and congregation be encouraged to participate in this endeavor by supplying mission teams to enable implementation of this Special Missionary Initiative; and be it further

Resolved, That all Convention, Church, and Executive Council offices and agencies plan a portion of their budget to support this initiative in the next Triennium; and further, that the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance consider a budget allocation of $100,000.00 per annum to provide an officer for three years to coordinate implementation of this initiative.

Committee Amendment:

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the Presiding Officers, Executive Council, and staff of The Episcopal Church Center, the standing committees of the Church, the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund and the Church Pension GroupFund, in coordination with the Bishop of and Diocese of Louisiana develop a strategy for a model missionary initiative, including both evangelism and service, for the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Area (New Orleans, North and East Shore), to support overall church evangelism and the 20/20 goals, while providing a model and a test-bed for organization in areas of natural disaster or economic impoverishment; and be it further

Resolved, That the office of Mission Evangelismat The Episcopal Church Center develop a recommended structure and a time line for implementation of said strategy. The initiative should consider: organization and methods, identification of resources, periodic sharing of progress and lessons-learned; it should also consider relief and development projects, new church planting and the revitalization of existing congregations, by providing leadership formation and training for personal and congregational evangelism and service with the diverse populations of the regionincluding, among others, young adults, ethnic and racial populations, and new immigrants and persons affected by manmade and natural traumatic events. The officers, council and staff shall recommend quantitative measures of accountability for mission performance; and be it further

Resolved, That the Church Center head of Mission Evangelismreport the findings and recommendations of this initiative to the Executive Council annually at the Council’s third meeting each calendar year, beginning in 2007 for one triennium; and be it further

Resolved, That every diocese and congregation be encouraged to participate in this endeavor by supplying mission teams to enable implementation of this Special Missionary Initiative; and be it further

Resolved, That all Convention, Church, and Executive Council offices and agencies plan a portion of their budget to support this initiative in the next Triennium; and further, that the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance consider a budget allocation of $100,000.00 per annum to provide an officer to be based in Louisiana for three years to coordinate implementation of this initiative.

Motion carried

Resolution adopted with amendment

(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message #211)