18 Projects Benefit from Venture in Mission
Episcopal News Service. June 12, 1980 [80214]
Greenwich, Conn. -- With a burst of applause and a caution that there is still a lot to do, the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church has committed over $500,000 to 18 Venture in Mission projects.
The projects range from domestic congregational evangelism through reconstruction of the Uganda Church. The largest single item is for support of the Appalachian Peoples Service Organization, while the bulk of the money -- nearly $200,000 -- reflects projects associated with a special Venture trust established for urban work in the Dioceses of New York and Long Island.
Under the Venture procedures, projects which have already been accepted in principle are reviewed by Church officers and Council members who work with both the designees and the donors in determining the immediate need. All the funds expended were from designated gifts or pledges to Venture projects.
In presenting the resolutions, Council member Mrs. Carter C. Chinnis told the 44-member Council, meeting at Seabury House near here, June 4-6, that $81 million had been pledged so far to diocesan and national Venture goals with approximately $30 million of that designated for national goals. She said those results came from 48 dioceses while another 35 would still have campaigns under way by the end of this year.
After the Council had quickly and enthusiastically passed the funding resolutions, Presiding Bishop John M. Allin rose to ask for continued help. "We need to hold up the fact that there are still many projects to be provided for, " he said. "I'm thinking specifically, as one example, of the $9 million proposed for work on the urban crisis. We need to get the word to all that there is still an opportunity to empower and to do something."
Those projects approved for funding are:
- Regional Strategies for Ministry -- APSO -- $53,440.11 for budget support for established programs;
- Navajo Transit system, the Navajo Area Mission -- $24,025 for reservation-wide bus transit system; monies used to repay loan in federally shared project;
- Ministry and Mission in Changing Urban communities -- $25,000 from the Diocese of Ohio to support Episcopal Urban Caucus development program;
- Isolated Professionals in Small Communities -- $5,900 to the Resource Center for Small Churches to seed a major research project;
- Resource Center for Small Churches -- $3,500 for office equipment;
- Cultural Ministry project, Diocesan Church of St. Ann & Holy Trinity, Diocese of Long Island -- $10,000 from the Astor trust to support cultural, regular Church ministry in Brooklyn. The Astor trust is restricted for use in the five boroughs of New York and run by an advisory committee of New York and Long Island diocesan officials in collaboration with Church Center officials;
- Industrial Area Mission, Brooklyn -- $20,000 a year for three years from the Astor trust for ecumenical revitalization project based on proven industrial mission activities;
- Mission Team Project, South Bronx, Diocese of New York -- $35,000 a year for three years to support a full time mission team of three clergy who will work with the archdeacon in bolstering work of South Bronx parishes. Financed through the Astor trust;
- Institute for Church Growth -- First receipts from a congregational renewal proposal which has received pledges for full funding of $125,000 over the next three years;
- Stimulating Congregational Investment in Evangelism -- this $720,000 proposal has received pledges of full support and is expected to receive $180,000 this year to undertake a wide-based evangelism effort by the Church Center Evangelism and Renewal office;
- The Church's New Teaching Series -- $27,000 as repayment to advance funds for support of this project which the Council made from its Constable Fund;
- Locally based Education of Laity -- $4,404.59 from Diocese of New York to National Institute for Lay Training;
- St. Luke's International Medical Centre, Tokyo -- The Dioceses of North Carolina ($10,272.38) and Central Pennsylvania ($8,000) have made the first payments on pledges totalling $50,000 toward this $100,000 medical expansion program;
- Community Conference Center, Juba, Sudan -- the Diocese of Pennsylvania has contributed $16,100 toward this Partners in Mission proposal to provide a residential conference and education center;
- Trust Fund for Nicaragua -- The Diocese of South Carolina has contributed $83,560.53 to establish this trust, the income of which will be used for health and education facilities in Nicaragua;
- Diocese of Damaraland -- $20,600 received from the Diocese of Alabama will be designated for work in the Church in Namibia-Southwest Africa;
- Somalia and Zimbabwe -- $30,000 from the Diocese of Southwest Florida will be divided between relief and resettlement projects in Somalia ($20,000) and Zimbabwe ($10,000). This is part of a $100,000 grant for work among hungry and oppressed people that the Diocese has made; the remaining $70,000 was designated for Uganda.