Resolution List
R-1 Final | R-2 Final | R-3 Final | R-4 Final | R-6 Final | R-8 thru R-23 Original

Resolution R-1: Global and Local Mission Support

CONCERNING; Global Reconciliation and 0.7% giving for international and local development towards supporting the Millennium Development Goals

1. RESOLVED, that the 2006 Diocesan Convention of the Diocese of Lexington affirm and embrace the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals

   (MDGs) that pledge to:

   1. eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
   2. achieve universal primary education
   3. promote gender equality and empower women
   4. reduce child mortality
   5. improve maternal health
   6. combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
   7. ensure environmental stability, and
   8. develop a global partnership for development;

   and be it further

2. RESOLVED, that this Diocese of Lexington, as a part of fulfilling its mission to "reconcile all people to God and each other in Christ," and in accordance with the challenge set forth by the 73rd and 74th General Convention (2000 and 2003) and the 1998 Lambeth Conference:

   1. commits to begin in 2007 to give 0.7% of the annual diocesan budget
   2. to fund international development programs
   3. challenges all communities of faith in the Diocese of Lexington to give 0.7% of their budgets to international development programs,
   4. challenges all Episcopalians in the Diocese Lexington to give 0.7% of their income to international development programs,

   and be it further

3. RESOLVED, that the Bishop of Lexington designate the Diocesan Justice and Peace Commission, whose charge will include (but not be limited to)

   1. making informed recommendations to the Bishop and Executive Council about the disbursement of the 0.7% funds.
   2. building an accessible database of and facilitating connections among all ministries in the diocese engaged in world mission and international development.
   3. providing opportunities for education about and engagement with works of global reconciliation - including using our connection in the Anglican Communion to build relationships with people and communities in the developing world,

   and be it further

4. RESOLVED, that all Episcopalians in the Diocese of Lexington are encouraged to contact their elected representatives urging them to support the United States' government's fulfillment of its commitment to funding international development aid at 0.7% of U.S. GNP; and that the Secretary of Convention shall write the President of the United States and each of the members of the U.S. Congress representing the State of Kentucky, that the Diocese of Lexington, meeting in Convention, urges them to support the United States' government's fulfillment of its commitment to funding international development aid at 0.7% of U.S. GNP.

RATIONALE

Every day more than 60,000 people worldwide die needlessly because food and basic health care is not available to them. Of those, 30,000 are children. That’s one child dying needlessly every three seconds. Four children have died preventable deaths in the time it took you to read this paragraph and by the end of this convention, 55,200 children will have died needlessly.

Our humanity tells us it shouldn’t be this way. An amazing coalition of development economists, world leaders, teachers, businesspeople and many, many others, tell us it doesn’t have to be this way. The Gospel tells us that we are the ones who need to make sure it isn’t this way any longer.

During September, 2000 all the nations of the world pledged support to the Millennium Development Goals, a mutually agreed upon structure for them to join together and practically address the eight biggest threats to human security in the world today.

The U.S. government fails to meet a 30-year-old international goal of giving 0.7% of GNP to international development assistance and is last in giving among the 20 richest nations (at 0.14% of GNP … and lest we think personal and corporate philanthropy makes up the difference, that figure only rises to 0.19% when you factor in non-governmental U.S. donations[1]). The Episcopal Church can lead by example in contributing 0.7% of annual budgets to international relief and development, as directed by Lambeth 1998 and General Convention 2000 and 2003 - all of which challenged the church to fund international development at 0.7%.  It is especially appropriate at this time, when both our nation and our church are experiencing strained relationships with our sisters and brothers around the globe, that we commit in a tangible way to works of love, mercy and reconciliation on a global scale.

The existence of a Justice and Peace Commission in our diocese will considerably further this work and deepen it beyond the important initial financial level.  Many congregations and individuals are currently engaged in ministry in the developing world, yet communications among these ministries are sporadic.  The Justice and Peace Commission will work to forge connections among ministries, provide easy plug-in for interested Episcopalians and highlight where that gaps are for people or communities who want to start something new.  It will also allow us to interface with larger organizations in the church who are trying to database nationally

The Justice and Peace Commission would also prevent this from becoming a line item in our annual budget without our personal engagement.

[1] Alkire, Sabina and Newell, Edmund. What Can One Person Do? Church Publishing Co., 2005. p. 58.

References for additional information:

United Nations Millennium Campaign Against World Poverty,  www.millenniumcampaign.org

Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation,  www.e4gr.org

Respectfully submitted,
Justice & Peace Commission
Dr. Austin Tuning, Chair