|
Rose made one change to the resolution passed in other dioceses before bringing it to the floor in Georgia, moving the proposed timeline from 2030 to 2033, in order to give the next Presiding Bishop their full tenure to reduce the budget to accommodate a reduction of 33% in this revenue source. The Diocese of Oklahoma also adopted that change in their convention resolution in response to the version Georgia approved. Rose said, “I’m extremely pleased to see that the time frame of our specific resolution has been adopted, which called for a 9-year transition to a 10% ask, instead of the model resolution which had requested a 6-year transition.”
In a debate during our convention in November, speakers in favor of the resolution noted the goal of forcing a conversation about what needs to happen at the churchwide level by considering reducing this important source of funding for the denomination. Those who spoke against adoption raised concerns about what might no longer be possible for the whole church with such a significant drop in funding.
An Episcopal News Service (ENS) article on the decision by the committee on structure and governance to send a simplified resolution to the floor of the General Convention, has comments by the Rev. Patty Downing of the Diocese of Delaware, who also chairs Executive Council’s Joint Budget Committee. She told ENS that setting an assessment rate of 10% would not produce enough revenue to fund the churchwide governance and ministry structures currently in place. She added that this may create an opportunity to take a hard look at “the alignment of mission, ministry and resources.” Downing said, “It’s pushing the church to actually have the conversation.”
The churchwide committee reduced the resolution to a single resolve: “That the 81st General Convention of The Episcopal Church direct the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church to lower diocesan assessments to 10% by 2033.”
This is the second time the Diocese of Georgia has asked The Episcopal Church to make this change. In 2013, our convention unanimously approved a resolution to make the tithe the standard for assessments. Serving as a clergy member of the churchwide budget committee from 2012-2015, Bishop Logue successfully worked with many others to lower the assessments from 18% to 15% in 2015.
Rose said he is encouraged by the current resolution that our church will not only pass this proposal but also, “begin to engage in the harder discussion of what exactly our priorities as the Episcopal Church are regarding mission and ministry, evangelism and justice, church governance and social witness." He added, “The window of opportunity to deliberately make these choices and have these discussions will not be open forever. I’m ever hopeful that our church will prayerfully discern how the Holy Spirit continues to move among us and lead us to live faithfully in this day and time.”
| 
