The Acts of Convention

House of Deputies

The House of Deputies Committee on Racial Justice and Reconciliation presented its Report #26 on Resolution D004 (A Resolution for Continued Funding of The Beloved Community) and moved adoption of a substitute.

Original Text of Resolution:

(D004)

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,

That the 80th General Convention request that the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance allocate $2.0 million for the triennium for the continued implementation of additional work of organizing our efforts to respond to racial injustice and grow a Beloved Community of healers, justice makers and reconcilers for the implementation of this resolution; and be it further

Resolved, That such monies shall again be utilized exclusively to make grants to agencies and dioceses and other affiliated entities of The Episcopal Church for the establishment of such programmatic activities aimed at addressing the issue of Racial Reconciliation. Such activities may include, but not be limited to, speaker series, sacred conversations, Racial Reconciliation Workshops, and other activities that promote the purposes of this resolution; and be it further

Resolved, That this General Convention direct, consistent with established policies and procedures, that The Executive Council shall again be charged with the establishment of all criteria, and procedures associated with the awarding of such grants, and that such criteria and procedures be established as soon as practical, after the conclusion of this 80th General Convention such Committee or Office that Executive Council shall designate with implementation of the grants shall have published the criteria and be ready to accept applications submitted for such grants, and that the entities receiving such grants shall report back to the Committee or Office that Executive Council shall have designated on the usage of its grant, and that the Executive Council shall report back to the General Convention in 2024 on the usage of the $2.0 million allocation; and be it further

Resolved, That the Joint Standing Commission on Program Budget and Finance consider a budget allocation of $2,000,000 for the implementation of this resolution.

Committee Substitute:

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,

That this General Convention recognize the need to continue existing Beloved Community work in the upcoming two years alongside the work that may be underway to establish an Episcopal Coalition for Racial Equity and Justice dedicated to the long-term work of becoming the Beloved Community, as proposed in Resolution 2022-A125 by the Presiding Officers’ Working Group on Truth Telling, Reckoning, and Healing; and therefore be it further

Resolved, That this Convention direct the continuation of the Presiding Officers’ Advisory Group for Beloved Community Implementation, with members appointed by the Presiding Bishop and President of the House of Deputies, to oversee this biennium’s Beloved Community work in coordination with Executive Council and the staff of the Episcopal Church Center and also with the new Episcopal Coalition for Racial Equity and Justice as it is established, and to report on this work to the 81st General Convention; and be it further

Resolved, That this 80th General Convention request that the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance allocate $550,000 for the biennium of 2022-2024 for continuing current efforts to respond to racial injustice and grow a Beloved Community of healers, justice makers and reconcilers, and that such monies be utilized to:

• Make Beloved Community grants to agencies and dioceses and other affiliated entities of The Episcopal Church for the establishment of programmatic activities aimed at addressing the issue of racial reconciliation, such as speaker series, sacred conversations, racial reconciliation workshops, and any such activities that promote the purpose of this resolution, with $450,000 allocated specifically for these grants;
• Plan and host Building Beloved Community conferences, with a biennium budget of $100,000;
• Engage conversations with ethnic ministry groups, interim bodies and other church organizations to dialogue about the specific ways systemic racism influences and afflicts ability to participate in building the Beloved Community through their ministries (with the understanding that funds and staff to support virtual meetings is already embedded in the Ethnic Ministries and Racial Reconciliation budgets, and that the General Convention Office can also support virtual meetings with interim bodies);

and be it further

Resolved, That the Joint Standing Commission on Program Budget and Finance consider a budget allocation of $550,000 for the implementation of this resolution.

Motion carried

Substitute resolution adopted

(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message #150)