The Acts of Convention

House of Deputies

Original Text of Resolution:

(B015)

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That this 72nd General Convention direct the Executive Council to develop and implement a new unified, comprehensive and coordinated communications strategy for mission and ministry which would include all the current tools of communication, as well as emerging ones, and be it further

Resolved, That this strategy be developed and implemented in consultation and partnership with Staff of the Church Center, Provincial and Diocesan Staff communicators, and other Church agencies involved in the development of communications for mission and ministry; and be it further

Resolved, That the Staff of the Church Center be equipped and trained in new technologies to make the Church wide ministries more accessible to the broader membership, and be it further

Resolved, That an amount of $60,000 be included in the budget for the development of educational materials that would assist the membership in understanding media in all its forms, and be it further

Resolved, That Executive Council, along with the Staff of the Church Center, explore the use of emerging information technology and the equipment that would assist the church in its mission and ministry; and be it further

Resolved, That an amount of $150,000 be included in the budget to support training programs that will identify and train regional facilitators who will provide guidance in the selection, purchase and use of compatible equipment for all levels; and be it further

Resolved, That General Convention mandate that the Executive Council present a continuing communications strategy to the General Convention in the year 2000, and include provisions for implementation of this strategy in the proposed budget for the next triennium.

Proposed Committee Substitute:

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in this time of revolutionary technologies, this 72nd General Convention urge the comprehensive use of print, video, audio, digital, and other communications media to disseminate information and build community within the Church itself; and be it further

Resolved, That this 72nd General Convention direct the Executive Council to initiate the development, implementation and assessment of a unified, coordinated communications strategy for mission and ministry, to include:

-- Use of current and emerging tools of communications;

-- Initiatives to develop and implement this strategy in partnerships with the staff at the Church Center, Episcopal Communicators, provincial and diocesan staff communicators, other Church agencies involved in communications, and outside experts in the field;

-- Establishment of an accountable oversight team, charged with managing the requirements and recommendations of this Resolution, establishing and monitoring benchmarks to assess the effectiveness of this strategy, and reporting to Executive Council within the revised structure of the Church;

-- Coordination of existing capital plans for information systems hardware and software at the Church Center;

-- Training for the effective utilization of these new technologies by Church Center personnel; and be it further

Resolved, That appropriate expenditures be made in the coming triennium to facilitate this strategy, including:

-- An amount not less than $60,000 to be allocated from funds budgeted for the communications area, to develop and distribute educational materials to assist diocesan and parish leadership understanding media in all forms;

-- An amount not less than $150,000 to be allocated from funds budgeted for the communications area, to provide consultants to assist in the implementation of this strategy, and guidance in the selection, purchase, and use of all the tools of communications at each level of our Church;

-- A matching grant pool, established by Executive Council and funded from existing trust, restricted, or reserve resources, for use by dioceses as demonstration or start-up grants consistent with this strategy; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention mandate that the Executive Council present a continuing contemporary communications vision to the 73rd General Convention, including provisions for implementation in the proposed budget for the next triennium.

Debate followed on Resolution B015.

Deputy Crew of Newark moved an amendment.

Proposed Amendment:

In the first Resolved clause, third bullet, after "team" add "to include both church employees and other Episcopalians who are nationally recognized in the field of new and emerging technologies, which is".

Debate followed on the Crew amendment to the substitute.

The question was called to terminate debate on the Crew amendment and original motion on the substitute for Resolution B015.

Motion carried

Debate terminated

A vote was taken on the Crew amendment to the substitute for Resolution B015.

Motion carried

Crew Amendment adopted

A vote was taken on the substitute as amended for Resolution B015.

Motion carried

Substitute resolution adopted

(Communicated to the House of Bishops as HD Message No. 155)