More than 400 clergy and lay delegates convened in Reston, Va., Feb. 2-3, for the annual council of the Diocese of Virginia. The governing body of the diocese had passed what will perhaps become the most important resolution in its history and certainly the one which will have the most dramatic impact on the future of the church in Virginia.

Resolution R-1, passed with unanimous support, calls for a diocesan-wide capital and planned giving campaign to greatly expand the mission and ministry of the church. The campaign will support four bold initiatives: strengthening existing congregations, expanding youth ministries, expanding outreach to local and global neighbors in need, and establishing new churches in the diocese. Not undertaken lightly, the decision to move forward with the campaign followed a year-long period of prayer and discernment in which Bishop Peter James Lee wrote to all members of the diocese asking for their prayers and feedback with regard to this opportunity.

While no dollar goal has been set, the resolution outlines $53 million in needs including $20 million for the church planting initiative. This initiative was inspired by an unprecedented act of faith: In 1999, Bill and Alice Goodwin of St. Stephen's Church in Richmond made a $10 million dollar challenge grant to the Diocese of Virginia. They pledged to match every dollar spent on church planting up to $10 million. Because the Diocese of Virginia is home to an area of exponential population growth in Northern Virginia and given that 30-35 percent of the people living within its boundaries are unchurched, Bishop Lee views church planting as one of the major diocesan priorities for the next 10 years.

Historically, council has used its voice to address urgent social issues and this year was no exception.

In response to the alarmingly high divorce rate, one resolution calls for ecumenical partnerships to expand programs aimed at strengthening marriages. Another also addresses marriage, calling upon individual parishes to begin prayerful discernment and dialogue around General Convention's controversial legislation known as D-039. This ruling acknowledged life-long committed relationships outside of marriage, set forth expectations for fidelity and mutual respect in all relationships and calls for pastoral ministrations to these couples.

Council also passed a resolution calling for a moratorium on the death penalty in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Virginia General Assembly is currently considering bipartisan proposals calling for such a moratorium in the state, which has one of the highest execution rates in the country. A copy of the resolution was forwarded to the governor, attorney general and all members of the Assembly with a letter containing an urgent plea from the bishop to halt the executions in Virginia prisons.

The diocesan operating budget of nearly $4.6 million was approved unanimously.