Full Legislative History
Resolution Number: 2015-A012
Title: Continue Diocesan Mission Enterprise Zones
Legislative Action Taken: Concurred as Amended
Final Text:

Resolved, That the Church celebrate and continue the good work initiated by GC2012-A073 to Establish Diocesan Mission Enterprise Zones, defined as a geographic area, as a group of congregations or as an entire diocese committed to mission and evangelism that engages under-represented groups, including youth and young adults, people of color, poor and working-class people, people with a high-school diploma or less, and/or people with little or no church background or involvement; and be it further

Resolved, That the Church honors the holy experiments emerging throughout the Church – experiments that are building partnerships, expanding the language of ministry, creating new ways to engage the people of God, harvesting and sharing learnings, and lending courage to those leading new ministries and lowering the cost of failure; and be it further

Resolved, That the 78th General Convention continue to fund the start-up of Mission Enterprise Zones including New Church Starts from the 2012-2015 triennium with a significantly increased budget allocation over the initial grant funding; and be it further

Resolved, That in the coming triennium, dioceses are encouraged to apply for one of more Mission Enterprise Zone matching grants to facilitate and support the development of Mission Enterprise Zones including New Church Starts with exceptions to the requirement for diocesan matching funds in cases of diocesan financial limitations; and be it further

Resolved, That applications for partnership and funding from these new ministries will be discerned, supported and called by the existing Mission Enterprise Zone leadership (established in A073, GC2012) and grant discernment process in the next triennium; and be it further

Resolved, That the Church continue to develop the Mission-Centered Episcopalians web-based sharing platform and to bring together mission developers for a face-to-face gathering where they can share best practices, upholding ministry leader wellness, mutual guidance and support, and sharing of stories, resources, and prayer; and be it further

Resolved, That Bishops and other diocesan leaders be encouraged to share what they are learning from the Mission Enterprise Zones in their Dioceses, specifically in the disciplines of: a.) financing and sustaining these experiments, b.) adapting liturgical practices for increased missional impact, c.) exploring new processes for mentoring and training emerging leaders in situ, and d.) blessing our diocesan families by more readily incorporating these non-traditional faith communities with seat and voice as discerned by the leadership of that Mission Enterprise Zone or New Church Start; and be it further

Resolved, That the 78th General Convention request that the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget, and Finance allocate not less than the three million dollars designated in the EC draft budget for 2016-18 to continue funding the start-up of Mission Enterprise Zones including New Church Starts to implement this resolution during the 2016-2018 triennium.

Citation: General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Salt Lake City, 2015 (New York: General Convention, 2015), pp. 329-330.