Full Legislative History
Resolution Number: 2003-A029
Title: Commit to Open Dialogue on Issues Facing the Church and Society
Legislative Action Taken: Concurred as Amended
Final Text:

Resolved, That the 74th General Convention of The Episcopal Church commit itself to foster moral deliberation on social questions, seeking to be a community where open, passionate, and respectful deliberation of challenging, contemporary issues is expected and encouraged; engage those of diverse classes, genders, ages, races, disabilities, engaging cultures, sexual orientation, and perspectives so that our limited horizons might be expanded and our witness in the world enhanced; address the issues faced by the people of God, in order to equip them for their discipleship and citizenship in the world; and be it further

Resolved, That in addition to the curricula identified and developed in accordance with Resolution A009 of the 73rd General Convention which provide guided conversation around sexual orientation, in particular "Room for Grace Dialogue", the 74th General Convention direct the Peace and Justice Ministries Office and Ethnic and Women's Ministries and, where appropriate, the Committee on Anti-Racism of the Executive Council and other groups to collaborate in further developing models and trainers, lay and ordained, to guide conversations on difficult issues facing our church and societies today and to promulgate their use; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention request the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget, and Finance to consider a budget allocation of $28,000 for implementation of this resolution, including $6,000 for planning the process and printing materials, $20,000 to bring trainers from dioceses and provinces together to learn the process and $2,000 to sustain the process.

Citation: General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Minneapolis, 2003 (New York: General Convention, 2004), p. 630f.