The Acts of Convention

House of Bishops

Original Text of Resolution:

(A034)

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That to achieve the goal of doubling the baptized membership of the Episcopal Church by the year 2020, the Executive Council invest in diocesan and congregational mission and evangelism with 10% of the aggregate income of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society derived from diocesan support and investment income. Funds will be dispersed equally to the Provinces. This funding shall be employed by the Synod of each Province to create a provincial mission and evangelism incubation center that will provide for initiatives in:

• Creative strategies for evangelism;
• Prayer and spiritual development;
• Recruiting and equipping innovative leaders;
• Strengthening congregational life.

Priority will be given to proposals that focus on people who were born after 1964 and/or are people of color. The center will also foster networking, communication, and training for evangelism within the Province. The Synod of each Province will determine its own goals in accordance with the four purposes contained in this resolution. The Executive Council of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society will evaluate each Provincial center in terms of progress toward the achievement of its goals according to the following questions:

• Creative strategies for evangelism, to be evaluated by asking, "What is the rate of growth in membership and average Sunday attendance?"
• Prayer and spiritual development, to be evaluated by asking, "Is more time spent in prayer?"
• Recruiting and equipping innovative leaders, to be evaluated by asking, "Will our leadership ethnically, racially, and in age profile look like the national population in 2020?"
• Strengthening congregational life, to be evaluated by asking, "Is there more ministry and mission?"

This evaluation will be the basis for each subsequent triennium's funding.

Committee Substitute:

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That in order to be a healthy, dynamic, and inviting church and to achieve the goal of doubling our baptized membership by the year 2020, the 73rd General Convention direct the Executive Council to set as a priority the appointment of a task force on "2020, A Clear Vision," with the advice of the Standing Commission on Domestic Mission and Evangelism. The task force shall prepare a plan to implement the vision, to include:

• Creative strategies for evangelism;
• Prayer and spiritual development;
• Recruiting and equipping innovative leaders;
• Strengthening congregational life;
• Focusing on youth and campus ministries.

Special emphasis shall be given to:

• Recruiting, educating, and training evangelists and church planters who were born after 1964 and/or are people of color;
• Training of lay and ordained leaders in second language skills and cross-cultural sensitivity;
• The plan shall include a detailed system for evaluation, review, and accountability; and be it further

Resolved, That the task force include substantive and creative means of financing this evangelistic vision as an investment in the future of Christ's Church, utilizing such sources as:

• The Alleluia Fund (A036);
• The General Church budget;
• Unrestricted investment return;
• Matching funds.

It is the expectation of the 73rd General Convention that the aggregate of funds from these and other sources will equal at least 10% of the aggregate income of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society derived from diocesan and investment income; and be it further

Resolved, That the task force present a detailed plan by July 1, 2001 to the Executive Council, which shall begin implementation of the plan and report on its progress to the 74th General Convention; and be it further

Resolved, That the 73rd General Convention direct that the sum of $75,000 be appropriated from the general budget, for the expense of the task force.

Motion carried

Substitute resolution adopted

(Communicated to the House of Deputies in HB Message #132)