June 13, 2003
by Sarah T. Moore

The largest number of resolutions from a standing commission directly related to the theme of the General Convention, "Engage God's Mission," come from the work of the Standing Commission on Domestic Mission and Evangelism (SCDME). Each of those resolutions challenges the church to awake from its dormant status quo and move boldly into a swirling world.

"We need to be standing at the intersection of our communities, not hiding out in the corner," says Sarah Lawton, vice chair of the commission and chair of its 20/20 Strategy Group responsible for hammering out the resolutions coming before convention.

"It's an exciting time in the life of the church," echoes the Rev. J. Anthony Guillen, rector of All Saints in Oxnard, California, also a member of the Strategy Group. "The 20/20 vision is an exciting vision about proclaiming the gospel and bringing the unchurched into this wonderful church we have kept a secret so long. And, yes, we've kept it a secret. And that's no longer a way to operate."

The commission is proposing new operating instructions by placing 26 resolutions before General Convention. They see it as a place to start.

Capturing the spirit

"General Convention is not the be-all and end-all," cautions Lawton. "I hope the spirit of this will be captured and laid out by bishops, and lay leaders will be caught by these."

Guillen adds, "In a very exciting way, I attribute it to a real movement of the Holy Spirit. We had to be shaken a little, and finally made aware - or allowed ourselves to be aware - of the presence of an emerging church that looks and feels and sounds very different from the church I came into 25 years ago."

The 26 resolutions summon the church to examine its life, ministry, and leadership training, and make dramatic shifts to relate to a multicultural, multilingual country, waning church membership, lost youth and young adult members, new international geographies, new economic realities, swerving domestic demographics, and the immediate need for a fresh generation of leaders.

"How do you turn a big ship in 20th century waters that's headed in new directions in a very new world? "asks Lawton. "How do you create a church in the 21st century? How do we raise up leaders for that time? Perhaps the greatest gift we can give to the church is leaders at the local level."

Lawton said that she is convinced that "leadership is at the center of it." A mother of two young children, who works in an interdenominational nonprofit agency helping Salvadoran refugees in San Francisco, she says that "part of what the commission realized in undertaking this task is that it is our job to propose legislation on the national level, but the success has to catch fire at the local level."

It's local, it's technology, it's culture

As a result, resolutions speak to the local congregation, dealing day in and day out with cultural and technological explosions in its midst. The commission has put forward resolutions which provide practical steps the church must take to keep pace with spiraling changes, a younger populace, and at the same time speaking with a relevant Christian voice.

"For instance, when we think of multicultural we often think of multiethnic," says Guillen, who notes he was appointed on the church's Executive Council "as part of the emerging church, the new multicultural church we joyously represent. But youth is sort of a culture. It's an area we have failed in. We abandoned the youth years ago, campus ministries and such went by the wayside. In some ways, the way chaplains and youth ministers did ministry years ago is not the way we do it today. We have to train people, provide funding so we can attract some of these youth ministers from this different culture that is out there. They speak a different language, have different leadership, music, vocational discernment. I find it extremely exciting."

Nine resolution areas

The 26 resolutions fall into nine clearly defined areas, sounding a wake-up call to Episcopalians: leadership; spirituality, prayer and worship; research; new congregational development; vital congregations; the next generation; communication; funding; and reporting.

The resolutions call for funding training for a youth minister in each congregation and a ministry on college campuses; expanding leadership training for those under 35 to include internships, mentoring, service projects, multi-cultural experiences, and contemporary second language training; moving toward debt free education for clergy vocations; moving Commissions on Ministry to recruit, not just be gatekeepers; and seeking entrepreneurs and risk-takers among the brightest and best for ordained ministry. The proposed resolutions challenge the church to create contemporary liturgies, music and prayers that fit today's culture and push for resources to help dioceses plant new churches.

20/20, a 'clear vision'

These resolutions emerge after five years of work by the Standing Commission on Domestic Mission and Evangelism and two groups it created: the 20/20 Task Force and a 20/20 Strategy Group. The Rev. John A. M. Guernsey of Virginia is commission chair.

The creation of the task force followed a mandate by the 73rd General Convention in 2000 to address these areas of the church's future: to shift from "maintenance" to "mission," from status quo to venture. By responding to such changes, the church intends to double active participation in the church by 2020, not just for numbers sake, but to fulfill the promise each Episcopalian agreed upon at baptism - to be disciples who make disciples of Jesus Christ.

Bishop Gethin Hughes of San Diego led the task force that, within a year, presented its report to the Episcopal Church's Executive Council. That report recommended the creation of a small working group, the 20/20 Strategy Group, to provide the unfolding vision with specific future guidelines.

The Strategy Group was diverse and paired new voices with seasoned leaders. They reported they "sought not to offer so many right answers but to offer support to mission that is defined and generated from the context of local conditions."

A first step in January 2002, was to follow the lead of the Diocese of Texas which has provided Clear Vision conferences for its members and diocesan leaders across the country for the past several years as a way of "transforming the church." The strategy group, chaired by Lawton with co-chair the Rev. James Cooper of Florida, invited a diverse group of 65 mainly young leaders to Camp Allen, Texas. These voices became a program team to examine the nine areas from which the 26 resolutions emerged.

While refining proposals from that Camp Allen meeting, the 12 leaders of the Strategy Group hoped to inspire some dioceses to address change immediately. Concurrently, they formed resolutions that point to institutional paradigm shifts, funding, and action.

Nearly a dozen outstanding congregations exhibiting risk-taking, growth and leadership will be showcased at General Convention as part of "Engage God's Mission" message.

The 26 resolutions

The Standing Commission on Domestic Mission and Evangelism, with the support of the 20/20 Strategy Group, proposes 26 resolutions to be considered by General Convention in these areas:

Leadership: Nine resolutions are presented, aimed at seminaries and diocesan schools for ministry to examine curricula and design new resources specifically looking at issues such as diversity, conflict, anti-racism, change management, intercultural leadership, intercultural field education and required competency in a contemporary language other than English. One recommends allocating continuing education monies to clergy and congregational leaders to study change and renewal. A resolution asks that the church seek new ways to recruit leaders and help those discern vocational calling; another seeks commissions on ministry to intentionally create vocational discernment committees to serve ethnic groups present in their midst but not represented in leadership. Resolutions address paying for seminary education, developing "exciting" internships and leadership development for 18-35 year olds, allocating monies to fund campus ministries, and partnering with the Fund for Theological Education (FTE) leadership search project.

Spirituality, Prayer and Worship: Four resolutions address concerns for providing worship relevant to the times, languages, and cultures. These include a resolution to provide resources on websites for seekers outside the Episcopal Church on topics related to the faith; development of Spanish music resources, creation of fresh liturgies and music reflecting multi-sensory, multicultural and multilingual music; and to post on the website mission-based prayers and liturgical resources to support the 20/20 vision.

Research: Current, accurate and thorough research data is needed to help congregations, dioceses and church-wide agencies expand and diversify their mission. Changes need to be made in parochial reporting systems and clear reporting of average Sunday attendance statistics. One resolution asks that church canon be amended so that both clergy and lay leadership share in the compiling the parochial report and require approval by a congregation's leadership body before filing. This intends to engage more of the congregation's leaders to review membership data and address its meaning for mission and membership.

New Congregation Development: The Episcopal Church has not been a leader in planting new congregations that, data suggests, represents the greatest source of growth for denominations. One resolution addresses radical change in the Episcopal Church's approach to new church development if the church is serious about doubling church attendance by 2020. This includes identifying church-builder leaders with appropriate skills and personalities, network exchange of success stories, training and mentoring for laity and clergy, and establishing a project-specific research/resource bank to support new church plants on the local level.

Vital Congregations: Three resolutions suggest each congregation conduct an annual review of its common life, that each diocese takes on a mission perspective, and that the Episcopal Church Center staff continue to provide resources to the whole church for transformation.

Next Generation: Three resolutions touch on the aging of the church and the demographic shift to a younger world. It is one area where the commission challenges the church to a large financial commitment: $4 million to fund training leadership for youth initiatives. Underlying is the concern that the church must continue and expand to be a voice for transforming the world into a just, peaceful place reflecting God's hope for humanity. To do so means leadership, mentoring, and commitment to and by younger generations. These resolutions include training of leaders for children, youth, young adults, and on college campuses, including asking convention to authorize $4 million over the next three years for such initiatives with provincial and diocesan matching funds. A resolution specifies the use of technology to reach the younger generations, as an essential relational tool for future generations. A third recommends that deputies from this age group, particularly reflecting multicultural and multilingual cultures in our midst, be elected as deputies to the church's decision-making assembly of future General Convention.

Communications: Four resolutions concern church-wide communications, including the role of technology to increase church membership. The church must continue to develop and maintain dynamic, interactive, user-friendly websites. A proposed resolution directs development of a national advertising campaign, including radio and television, urging congregations to train its members in welcoming newcomers and incorporating them in their midst. Church-wide publications should be multilingual and a strategy to move in that direction be undertaken the next triennium; and that, beginning Epiphany 2004, dioceses should provide opportunities for members in their churches and regions to tell stories of faith to inspire others and reinforce Christian life.

Funding: The Domestic Mission and Evangelism Commission supports two resolutions from the Commission on Stewardship and Development recommending the establishment of an Office of Mission Funding and Development and urging a fund (such as the Alleluia Fund) be put in place in each diocese to be used as a source to fund 20/20 initiatives.

Reporting: The commission directs one resolution at itself: that it be required to report back to the Executive Council and the Episcopal Church at large how the church is faring and living into new ventures outlined in the 20/20: A Clear Vision.

Episcopal News Service
Sarah Moore is director of communications in the Diocese of Hawaii. She is a member of the ENS news team covering the 74th General Convention in Minneapolis.