The Acts of Convention

Resolved, That the 73rd General Convention proclaim the first four triennia of the 21st century to be the Season of Reconciliation within the Episcopal Church; and be it further

Resolved, That the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies shall appoint a committee of ordained and lay leaders to study the scriptural and historic role of church leaders as reconcilers and [study] contemporary reconciliation and mediation methodologies developed by other denominations and dispute resolution professionals. Upon conclusion of this study, the committee shall issue a pastoral letter on reconciliation and an accompanying study guide for use by the entire Church and the Executive Council as it develops a reconciliation process; and be it further

Resolved, That the Executive Council, informed by the pastoral letter on reconciliation, by the work done by the New Commandment Task Force, and any other restorative justice work on reconciliation processes, recommend a formal process for dispute resolution and reconciliation in the church to the 74th General Convention. The process shall include, but not be limited to:

• The training of church leaders in reconciliation principles and practices;
• Ways/methods of addressing all manner of conflicts with the church (ideological and non-ideological);
• Mechanisms for accountability and oversight of this process.

The goals of this process shall be:

• Increasing the capacity of the church to practice reconciliation in the midst of profound conflicts;
• Reducing the human and financial costs associated with the resolution of conflicts.

It is intended that this process be used to address present and future conflicts in the Episcopal Church.