R08-08 A resolution concerning economic justice work in the Episcopal Church (to be submitted to the 2009 General Convention)
Resolved, that the Diocese of Southern Ohio, through its Deputation, support the submission of the following resolution to the 76th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, meeting in Anaheim, California, July 2009:
Resolved, the House of _______________ concurring, that the General Convention affirm and adopt the following actions as the policy and program for Economic Justice of The Episcopal Church during the next six years.
1. The Episcopal Church shall urge Episcopal congregations to continue to engage in the acts of mercy and justice in which many congregations and Jubilee Centers participate. The goal of such activities should be to find ways of ending the increasing disparity that exists between social classes in our world.
2. The Episcopal Church shall urge each Episcopal congregation to fully and wholly know its neighbors, to develop relationships with the disenfranchised in their community, knowing people by their names, and to form a local partnership with an agency that is working with people of little income or resources.
3. The Episcopal Church shall continue and deepen its advocacy and shall urge its dioceses and congregations (in concert with the Episcopal Public Policy Network) to advocate for legislation which provides adequate levels of support and opportunities for all people.
4. The Episcopal Church shall urge dioceses and congregations to promote and participate in church-based community organizing whereby people of the local community exercise the power of numbers and conviction to bring their needs to the attention and effective action by elected officials and governmental bodies.
5. The Episcopal Church shall support and participate in and shall urge dioceses and congregations to support and participate in various models through which low-income people can take control of their own lives and meet their own needs: models such as community development corporations, housing corporations and cooperatives, and small business development.
6. The Episcopal Church at every level shall be encouraged to make loans and deposits at a level of one to ten percent of its financial assets to community development financial institutions (community loan funds, community development banks and credit unions, and micro-loan business funds) to support local community development, and, where helpful and necessary, to create such a financial institution themselves.
7. The Episcopal Church shall develop at the national level a community development loan fund which is open to deposits from Episcopal dioceses, congregations, organizations and members with a goal of becoming a $24 million fund that will support the “community-controlled economic development programs of the disadvantaged” (quoted from the Economic Justice Resolution of the 1988 General Convention).
8. The Episcopal Church shall fund the Episcopal Network for Economic Justice at a level of $100,000 per year for the coming triennium so that it can continue and increase its mission of supporting and assisting economic justice work at every level of the Church and can help implement the ministry envisioned in this resolution.
Presented by:
The Rev. Richard Burnett, Trinity, Columbus, Chair, The Social Justice and Public Policy Network
Contact: r-burnett@trinitycolumbus.org
EXPLANATION
The House of Bishops, in their paper “Economic Justice and the Christian Conscience” published in October, 1987, called for a fundamental reordering of human values “if we are to have any hope of challenging society’s present enchantment with overweaning individualism, human avarice and social irresponsibility.” They went on to say that
"The moral imperative for Christians is not so much to offer simple answers to the paradox of a prosperity that generates poverty but rather to seek understanding of how the growth and extent of such poverty constitutes both a moral contradiction and a systemic social flaw that serves to undermine the very prosperity which helped create it. The special challenge to Christians is to commit themselves to a process of informing the conscience of society at large about this paradox and to suggest a variety of ways by which individual Christians in their personal activity and their church in its corporate life can witness."
On the basis of this statement the House of Bishops voted to encourage dioceses to bring forward to the 1988 General Convention resolutions for action on economic justice.
In response to the Bishops’ call, the Diocese of Michigan brought the resolution “Taking Action for Economic Justice” to the 1988 General Convention in Detroit, significantly impacting the justice ministry of the Episcopal Church at that time. The resolution was passed by the Convention, and many dioceses and parishes took up the banner. Some started community loan funds and credit unions or placed money in already existing investment vehicles. Others created housing development corporations to create low income housing throughout the country. Still others created business incubators and micro-enterprise funds for small business development.
As congregations and dioceses adopted this program, the program itself broadened in scope:
1) Church people involved in service ministries to the poor were often called to an advocacy ministry: to join their voices to those of the poor to demand increased and more effective government and agency services.
2) Congregations joined church-based community organizations through which neighborhood people developed the power to improve their neighborhoods and the services the government provides to them.
3) The Church participated in efforts to obtain an increase of the wages of lower-income workers through living wage ordinances in local communities, an increase of the minimum wage, and ultimately the unionization of low-income workers.
In doing this ministry, participants discovered that community investment and community development were not as easy as they sounded. They learned that they also needed public support and that they needed to do serious advocacy with state and national governments to get that support. They needed to overcome divisions based on race, class, ethnicity, urban, suburban and rural differences. They needed to reach for new levels of cooperation and collaboration. In 1996 they founded the Episcopal Network for Economic Justice to provide the leadership, technical assistance and support their work required.
Recently a call was raised for a revised and strengthened economic justice resolution to respond to the pervasive economic crisis, moral contradictions and systemic social flaws we are experiencing twenty years later. Our economy has not been kind to working people and lower income people. Changes in the world economy are literally changing the way we do business. Despite a rising productivity, the wages of working people have not risen for more than 20 years. Factories and businesses have been moved overseas, contributing to an untenable unemployment rate here at home. The safety net that was designed to provide lower income people with basic necessities while they prepared to join or rejoin the workforce has been seriously weakened. The mortgage foreclosure crisis has deeply challenged the recent trend of irresponsible and unregulated lending. We find ourselves mired in a financial crisis that includes both decreases in income and increases in prices, putting the squeeze on many Americans.
The Episcopal Network for Economic Justice (ENEJ) asks The Episcopal Church to enact a new economic justice resolution appropriate to this decade. A background paper Twenty Years Later, available at the website www.enej.org, recognizes the complexity of the current economic crisis. It describes seven current trends -- each with serious ethical implications -- that affect all of us: globalization of the economy, multinational corporations with limited local or national accountability, the Iraq/Afghanistan wars and the increase in militarization, immigration struggles, environmental degradation, reduction of government services, and the reduction of moderate and middle class income and wealth. The document calls upon the Church to respond both with its prophetic voice and with its action to the deepening economic crisis in which our nation and our world find themselves. The Church may be the only institution that can credibly challenge economic policies which are based solely on market solutions without consideration of the human and environmental costs of our decisions.
The ENEJ requests increased resources and increased commitment to assist the Church to rise to the challenge of the current economic crisis. This resolution particularly addresses the rise in poverty and the decrease of economic opportunity in this country.
The Episcopal Network for Economic Justice is a membership organization that arose out of the work that followed the Episcopal Church’s implementation of the 1988 “Michigan Plan”, Taking Action for Economic Justice. The ENEJ consists of individual, congregational and diocesan members. Members work both within the Church and in interfaith coalitions to promote economic justice in their respective communities. The ENEJ, with some support from the national Church, has provided educational materials, technical assistance, and ministry models to Episcopalians engaged in a broad array of economic justice activities. These activities include the formation of credit unions and other wealth-creating programs, organizing and advocating for economic justice, and supporting local worker justice campaigns. Educational materials of the ENEJ include the “Economic Justice How-To Manual” with units on family-friendly public policies, community investment, globalization and the plight of low-wage workers. There are also six educational modules available on various aspects of economic justice, prepared with the assistance of the United for a Fair Economy. The ENEJ materials place major emphasis on the theological and biblical foundation of economic justice ministry.
Impact on God’s vision in the Diocese of Southern Ohio: This resolution is a call to more active engagement in prophetic ministry. It has implications for Christian formation and discipleship and promotes our concern for social justice.
Budget Impact: The resolution calls on the national church to commit $100,000 per year to this ministry.
Program Impact: The program advances the work of the Social Justice/Public Policy Network and would strengthen the work of ECSF and parish outreach.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
R08-7 A Resolution Establishing a Sunday in Lent as “Episcopal Relief and Development Sunday”
Resolved, that the Diocese of Southern Ohio annually dedicate, as selected by the Bishop Diocesan, any of the first three Sundays in Lent as “Episcopal Relief and Development Sunday” and that congregations and individuals be encouraged to support Episcopal Relief and Development’s life-saving work through prayer and a special offering that will help heal a hurting world, and be it further
Resolved, that the Diocese of Southern Ohio, through its Synod Delegates submit the following resolution to be considered and adopted by Province V, and be it further
Resolved, that the Diocese of Southern Ohio, through its Deputation support the submission of the following resolution to the 76th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, meeting in Anaheim, California, July 2009:
RESOLVED, THE house of _(Deputies or Bishops)______________concurring, this 76th General Convention of The Episcopal Church dedicate any of the first three Sundays in Lent as “Episcopal Relief and Development Sunday” and that congregations and individuals be encouraged to support Episcopal Relief and Development’s life-saving work through prayer and a special offering that will help heal a hurting world.
Presented by:
Jon B. Boss, ERD Diocesan Fund Coordinator, 76th General Convention Deputy & Province V Synod Delegate
Contact: jbboss@fuse.net
Richard E. Tuttle, Associate ERD Diocesan Fund Coordinator
Paul Rank, Chair, The National and World Mission Commission
Explanation:
In 2008, the Presiding Bishop designated the first Sunday in Lent as “Episcopal Relief and Development Sunday” and as an annual celebration of Episcopal Relief and Development’s role in our collective mission to seek and serve Christ in all persons.
The Episcopal Church’s ongoing commitment to fight poverty and disease around the world is lived out in a variety of ways. Advocacy with our government for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals is one vital way. Another is through the ministry of Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD), which, as the relief and development arm of the Episcopal Church, works globally to alleviate hunger, fight disease, and strengthen communities. Formerly known as the Presiding Bishop’s Fund for World Relief, this major outreach arm of The Episcopal Church began with an idea suggested by members of the Diocese of Southern Ohio during World War II in response to the refugees displaced by the devastation underway in Europe.
Impact on formation and mission in the Diocese of Southern Ohio:
The 131st (2005) Annual Convention designated the last Sunday after the Epiphany as “Appalachian Ministries Sunday.” Designation of any of the three following Sundays as “Episcopal Relief and Development Sunday” helps reinforce annually that our call to help others is both nearby and far away.
Financial and Program Impact Summary:
Budgetary Impact: No cost to the Diocesan Operating Budget. Congregations that choose to use the Sunday Bulletin Inserts provided by Episcopal Relief & Development will have a small cost associated with duplicating those inserts.
Program Impact: Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) enjoys the routine support of many individuals and congregations in our diocese each year. As expected, the number of contributors increases significantly in times of national or international tragedies due primarily to the publicity of those events, and the awareness that Episcopal Relief and Development is “our” way of responding to those needs. That is the “relief” side of ERD’s ministry. The other is “development’ and much of that focus is on a response to the Millennium Development Goals. Sustained effort by ERD at “healing a hurting world” requires sustained financial support. An ERD Sunday provides an opportunity to reinforce that need, and to reinforce that ERD’s work is not just responding to emergencies. The ERD Diocesan Fund Coordinators are responsible for keeping our congregations informed, and for coordinating with the work of the National and World Mission Commission
Resolved, that the Diocese of Southern Ohio annually dedicate, as selected by the Bishop Diocesan, any of the first three Sundays in Lent as “Episcopal Relief and Development Sunday” and that congregations and individuals be encouraged to support Episcopal Relief and Development’s life-saving work through prayer and a special offering that will help heal a hurting world, and be it further
Resolved, that the Diocese of Southern Ohio, through its Synod Delegates submit the following resolution to be considered and adopted by Province V, and be it further
Resolved, that the Diocese of Southern Ohio, through its Deputation support the submission of the following resolution to the 76th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, meeting in Anaheim, California, July 2009:
RESOLVED, THE house of _(Deputies or Bishops)______________concurring, this 76th General Convention of The Episcopal Church dedicate any of the first three Sundays in Lent as “Episcopal Relief and Development Sunday” and that congregations and individuals be encouraged to support Episcopal Relief and Development’s life-saving work through prayer and a special offering that will help heal a hurting world.
Presented by:
Jon B. Boss, ERD Diocesan Fund Coordinator, 76th General Convention Deputy & Province V Synod Delegate
Contact: jbboss@fuse.net
Richard E. Tuttle, Associate ERD Diocesan Fund Coordinator
Paul Rank, Chair, The National and World Mission Commission
Explanation:
In 2008, the Presiding Bishop designated the first Sunday in Lent as “Episcopal Relief and Development Sunday” and as an annual celebration of Episcopal Relief and Development’s role in our collective mission to seek and serve Christ in all persons.
The Episcopal Church’s ongoing commitment to fight poverty and disease around the world is lived out in a variety of ways. Advocacy with our government for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals is one vital way. Another is through the ministry of Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD), which, as the relief and development arm of the Episcopal Church, works globally to alleviate hunger, fight disease, and strengthen communities. Formerly known as the Presiding Bishop’s Fund for World Relief, this major outreach arm of The Episcopal Church began with an idea suggested by members of the Diocese of Southern Ohio during World War II in response to the refugees displaced by the devastation underway in Europe.
Impact on formation and mission in the Diocese of Southern Ohio:
The 131st (2005) Annual Convention designated the last Sunday after the Epiphany as “Appalachian Ministries Sunday.” Designation of any of the three following Sundays as “Episcopal Relief and Development Sunday” helps reinforce annually that our call to help others is both nearby and far away.
Financial and Program Impact Summary:
Budgetary Impact: No cost to the Diocesan Operating Budget. Congregations that choose to use the Sunday Bulletin Inserts provided by Episcopal Relief & Development will have a small cost associated with duplicating those inserts.
Program Impact: Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) enjoys the routine support of many individuals and congregations in our diocese each year. As expected, the number of contributors increases significantly in times of national or international tragedies due primarily to the publicity of those events, and the awareness that Episcopal Relief and Development is “our” way of responding to those needs. That is the “relief” side of ERD’s ministry. The other is “development’ and much of that focus is on a response to the Millennium Development Goals. Sustained effort by ERD at “healing a hurting world” requires sustained financial support. An ERD Sunday provides an opportunity to reinforce that need, and to reinforce that ERD’s work is not just responding to emergencies. The ERD Diocesan Fund Coordinators are responsible for keeping our congregations informed, and for coordinating with the work of the National and World Mission Commission
R08-6 Resolution supporting debt relief of developing countries as outlined in the Jubilee Act on World Debt
Resolved, that the 134th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio supports efforts to alleviate world debt in developing countries as proposed in the legislation of United States House of Representatives Resolution 2634 called the Act for Responsible Lending and Debt Cancellation which passed the House of Representatives in 2008, and be it further
Resolved that we urge that this or similar legislation be adopted in both Houses of the U. S. Congress and be signed by the President of the United States, and be it further
Resolved that we call upon the Secretary of Convention to notify the President and all Ohio Representatives and Senators representing the geographic boundaries of Southern Ohio of our action, and be it further
Resolved that we urge Southern Ohio Episcopalians and congregations to join us in this action by notifying their congressional representatives of this endorsement.
Presented by:
The Rev. Richard Burnett, chair Social Justice and Public Policy Network
Paul Rank, chair, National and World Mission Commission
Contact: paulrank@cinci.rr.com
Explanation: Today, well-governed poor countries are paying back debts that cripple their efforts to fight poverty and disease. In fact, the world’s most impoverished countries spend more than $100 million each day in debt payments to wealthy governments and financial institutions. In countries where the majority of the population lives on less than $1 per day, this money should be spent on clean water, basic health care, and education, not sent to the world’s wealthiest financial institutions. Without debt relief, reaching the millennial development goals is virtually impossible.
Since 1994 the Episcopal Church has been advocating for debt relief through resolutions in General Convention and the Executive Council.
The Jubilee Act in the US Congress is a bipartisan bill that begins the process of canceling debt to the world’s poorest countries. It calls on the U.S. government to negotiate an international agreement that would cancel debts owed to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The large profits and permanent assets of these institutions will allow them to cover this cost without any impact on the institutions’ ability to continue fighting poverty in the world. The Act would also cancel the debts owed to the United States government. Before receiving debt relief, these countries would be required to demonstrate good governance, sound fiscal policy, and transparency and pledge to use the money for the critical needs of citizens.
Impact on formation and mission in the Diocese of Southern Ohio: The Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio has strongly advocated for the Millennium Development Goals. This resolution is a necessary step to meeting these goals.
Budgetary Impact: This resolution has no impact on the budget of the Diocese.
Program Impact: This resolution supports the Diocese’s advocacy of the Millennium Development Goals. Effort to encourage congregations to raise the issue of the Jubilee would strengthen the diocese’s mission in supporting the MDG to eradicate poverty.
Resolved, that the 134th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio supports efforts to alleviate world debt in developing countries as proposed in the legislation of United States House of Representatives Resolution 2634 called the Act for Responsible Lending and Debt Cancellation which passed the House of Representatives in 2008, and be it further
Resolved that we urge that this or similar legislation be adopted in both Houses of the U. S. Congress and be signed by the President of the United States, and be it further
Resolved that we call upon the Secretary of Convention to notify the President and all Ohio Representatives and Senators representing the geographic boundaries of Southern Ohio of our action, and be it further
Resolved that we urge Southern Ohio Episcopalians and congregations to join us in this action by notifying their congressional representatives of this endorsement.
Presented by:
The Rev. Richard Burnett, chair Social Justice and Public Policy Network
Paul Rank, chair, National and World Mission Commission
Contact: paulrank@cinci.rr.com
Explanation: Today, well-governed poor countries are paying back debts that cripple their efforts to fight poverty and disease. In fact, the world’s most impoverished countries spend more than $100 million each day in debt payments to wealthy governments and financial institutions. In countries where the majority of the population lives on less than $1 per day, this money should be spent on clean water, basic health care, and education, not sent to the world’s wealthiest financial institutions. Without debt relief, reaching the millennial development goals is virtually impossible.
Since 1994 the Episcopal Church has been advocating for debt relief through resolutions in General Convention and the Executive Council.
The Jubilee Act in the US Congress is a bipartisan bill that begins the process of canceling debt to the world’s poorest countries. It calls on the U.S. government to negotiate an international agreement that would cancel debts owed to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The large profits and permanent assets of these institutions will allow them to cover this cost without any impact on the institutions’ ability to continue fighting poverty in the world. The Act would also cancel the debts owed to the United States government. Before receiving debt relief, these countries would be required to demonstrate good governance, sound fiscal policy, and transparency and pledge to use the money for the critical needs of citizens.
Impact on formation and mission in the Diocese of Southern Ohio: The Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio has strongly advocated for the Millennium Development Goals. This resolution is a necessary step to meeting these goals.
Budgetary Impact: This resolution has no impact on the budget of the Diocese.
Program Impact: This resolution supports the Diocese’s advocacy of the Millennium Development Goals. Effort to encourage congregations to raise the issue of the Jubilee would strengthen the diocese’s mission in supporting the MDG to eradicate poverty.
R08-5 A resolution to adopt principles of just and environmentally sustainable community economic development.
Resolved, that the Diocese of Southern Ohio, gathered in the 134th diocesan convention, adopts the following principles of environmentally sustainable community economic development:
1) Development strategies should focus on workforce development, local small business formation, and strengthening local food systems and family farms. Strategies that depend on resource extraction are not sustainable and should be discouraged. Strategies that depend on outside business attraction should not be given a priority.
2) Development must be accountable to the democratic process. “We the people” must have a central role in making decisions that affect our lives and livelihood. Development decisions should be made in the light of day, with transparent procedures, and public hearings. Elected officials should be responsible to the needs and concerns of constituents, especially the most vulnerable among them.
3) Development should not pose excessive risks to the environment or adversely affect the health of people and other living things.
4) Development should benefit the poorest members of affected communities and lead to shared prosperity. A living wage, fair working conditions, and the rights of labor, including the right to organize, should be respected.
5) Development decisions should pay special attention to the impact on Appalachian communities, communities of color, and other vulnerable communities, and be it further
Resolved that the Diocese of Southern Ohio commends the document “Just, Reasonable and Environmentally Sustainable Economic Development in the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio" as the beginning point for a developing conversation about environmentally sustainable community economic development.
Presented by:
The Rev. R. William Carroll, Good Shepherd, Athens
Contact: gsrector@gmail.com
The Rev. Robert D. Hughes, non-parochial priest, The University of the South
The Rev. David McCoy, retired priest
The Rev. Richard Burnett, Trinity, Columbus
The Rev. Paula Jackson, Our Savior, Cincinnati
The Rev. John Paddock, Christ Church, Dayton
Appalachian Ministry Commission
Explanation: The seventh of the Millennium Development Goals calls us to “promote environmental sustainability.” Further, General Convention Resolution D066 (2003) endorsed the statement of the Global Anglican Congress in Johannesburg, which among other things calls upon “secular and Church leaders, lay and ordained, in all parts of the Anglican Communion to place the planetary crisis at the highest level of their concerns” and for “public policies that reflect the principles of sustainable community.” Still further, the Diocese of Southern Ohio at our 133rd diocesan convention adopted R07-6, which calls for the development of principles of environmentally sustainable development with a special emphasis on “Appalachian communities, communities of color, and other vulnerable communities.” These sustainable development principles are in accord with best practices of organizations working in the field. They also embody principles entailed by our baptismal covenant.
Impact on God’s vision in the Diocese of Southern Ohio: This resolution further specifies what is stated in an abstract way in R07-6, adopted by the 133rd diocesan convention. It gives guidance to the people, bishops, and clergy of Southern Ohio, both for public policy work and in making economic decisions that may affect development.
Budget Impact: There is no direct budget impact. Abiding by these principles might have an indirect impact on future budgets.
Program Impact: Presumably, there will be some, as decisions are made and advocacy undertaken in light of these principles. The principles do not, as written, call for any specific program impact.
Resolved, that the Diocese of Southern Ohio, gathered in the 134th diocesan convention, adopts the following principles of environmentally sustainable community economic development:
1) Development strategies should focus on workforce development, local small business formation, and strengthening local food systems and family farms. Strategies that depend on resource extraction are not sustainable and should be discouraged. Strategies that depend on outside business attraction should not be given a priority.
2) Development must be accountable to the democratic process. “We the people” must have a central role in making decisions that affect our lives and livelihood. Development decisions should be made in the light of day, with transparent procedures, and public hearings. Elected officials should be responsible to the needs and concerns of constituents, especially the most vulnerable among them.
3) Development should not pose excessive risks to the environment or adversely affect the health of people and other living things.
4) Development should benefit the poorest members of affected communities and lead to shared prosperity. A living wage, fair working conditions, and the rights of labor, including the right to organize, should be respected.
5) Development decisions should pay special attention to the impact on Appalachian communities, communities of color, and other vulnerable communities, and be it further
Resolved that the Diocese of Southern Ohio commends the document “Just, Reasonable and Environmentally Sustainable Economic Development in the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio" as the beginning point for a developing conversation about environmentally sustainable community economic development.
Presented by:
The Rev. R. William Carroll, Good Shepherd, Athens
Contact: gsrector@gmail.com
The Rev. Robert D. Hughes, non-parochial priest, The University of the South
The Rev. David McCoy, retired priest
The Rev. Richard Burnett, Trinity, Columbus
The Rev. Paula Jackson, Our Savior, Cincinnati
The Rev. John Paddock, Christ Church, Dayton
Appalachian Ministry Commission
Explanation: The seventh of the Millennium Development Goals calls us to “promote environmental sustainability.” Further, General Convention Resolution D066 (2003) endorsed the statement of the Global Anglican Congress in Johannesburg, which among other things calls upon “secular and Church leaders, lay and ordained, in all parts of the Anglican Communion to place the planetary crisis at the highest level of their concerns” and for “public policies that reflect the principles of sustainable community.” Still further, the Diocese of Southern Ohio at our 133rd diocesan convention adopted R07-6, which calls for the development of principles of environmentally sustainable development with a special emphasis on “Appalachian communities, communities of color, and other vulnerable communities.” These sustainable development principles are in accord with best practices of organizations working in the field. They also embody principles entailed by our baptismal covenant.
Impact on God’s vision in the Diocese of Southern Ohio: This resolution further specifies what is stated in an abstract way in R07-6, adopted by the 133rd diocesan convention. It gives guidance to the people, bishops, and clergy of Southern Ohio, both for public policy work and in making economic decisions that may affect development.
Budget Impact: There is no direct budget impact. Abiding by these principles might have an indirect impact on future budgets.
Program Impact: Presumably, there will be some, as decisions are made and advocacy undertaken in light of these principles. The principles do not, as written, call for any specific program impact.
R08-4 A resolution concerning ministries in sustainable agriculture and strengthening local food systems.
Resolved, that the Diocese of Southern Ohio, gathered in the 134th diocesan convention, commits itself to developing stronger local food systems, by encouraging people to purchase locally grown food, and be it further
Resolved, that all Southern Ohio Episcopalians, congregations of the diocese, and other diocesan entities who hold land (both in urban and rural places) be encouraged to cultivate it in an environmentally sustainable manner and to dedicate a fixed percentage of their acreage or crops to feeding the poor in their local community, and be it further
Resolved, that an electronic copy of this resolution be sent by the secretary of convention to all wardens and clergy of the diocese and that vestries and mission committees be asked to consider what they might do in response.
Presented by:
The Rev. R. William Carroll, Good Shepherd, Athens
Contact: gsrector@gmail.com
The Rev. Robert D. Hughes, non-parochial priest, The University of the South
The Rev. David McCoy, retired
The Rev. Richard Burnett, Trinity, Columbus
The Rev. Paula Jackson, Our Savior, Cincinnati
The Rev. John Paddock, Christ Church, Dayton
Appalachian Ministry Commission
Explanation:
The seventh of the Millennium Development Goals calls us to “promote environmental sustainability.” Further, General Convention Resolution D066 (2003) endorsed the statement of the Global Anglican Congress in Johannesburg, which among other things calls upon “secular and Church leaders, lay and ordained, in all parts of the Anglican Communion to place the planetary crisis at the highest level of their concerns” and for “public policies that reflect the principles of sustainable community.” Still further, the Diocese of Southern Ohio at our 133rd diocesan convention adopted R07-6, which calls for the development of principles of environmentally sustainable development with a special emphasis on “Appalachian communities, communities of color, and other vulnerable communities.”
Many of us help God feed the poor in our communities. We have noticed that there is a crisis as soaring food prices combine with a weak economy. This resolution calls us to take the further step of strengthening our local food systems, which refers to the economic system (including a system of labor) around the planting, growing, harvesting, production, marketing, distribution, and sale (or barter or gift) of food. Our current food system is petroleum-based, depending on massive, unsustainable inputs of energy from non-renewable sources in the form of oil for transportation and petrochemical fertilizers. This resolution calls on us to begin creating an alternative, which is both cheaper and in better agreement with our obligations to the earth and to future generations. It specifies both urban and rural places, because there are innovative efforts to start community gardens in the front yards of foreclosed homes.
Impact on God’s vision in the Diocese of Southern Ohio: This resolution further specifies what is stated in an abstract way in R07-6, adopted by the 133rd diocesan convention. Strong local food systems are a key component of any sustainable economy. This also helps us meet our baptismal obligations to those who lack their daily bread.
Budget Impact: There is no direct budget impact. There may be implied costs to shifting the use of parish and diocesan land toward local food production.
Program Impact: The program impact moves existing ministries dealing with hunger in the direction of a more systemic approach.
Resolved, that the Diocese of Southern Ohio, gathered in the 134th diocesan convention, commits itself to developing stronger local food systems, by encouraging people to purchase locally grown food, and be it further
Resolved, that all Southern Ohio Episcopalians, congregations of the diocese, and other diocesan entities who hold land (both in urban and rural places) be encouraged to cultivate it in an environmentally sustainable manner and to dedicate a fixed percentage of their acreage or crops to feeding the poor in their local community, and be it further
Resolved, that an electronic copy of this resolution be sent by the secretary of convention to all wardens and clergy of the diocese and that vestries and mission committees be asked to consider what they might do in response.
Presented by:
The Rev. R. William Carroll, Good Shepherd, Athens
Contact: gsrector@gmail.com
The Rev. Robert D. Hughes, non-parochial priest, The University of the South
The Rev. David McCoy, retired
The Rev. Richard Burnett, Trinity, Columbus
The Rev. Paula Jackson, Our Savior, Cincinnati
The Rev. John Paddock, Christ Church, Dayton
Appalachian Ministry Commission
Explanation:
The seventh of the Millennium Development Goals calls us to “promote environmental sustainability.” Further, General Convention Resolution D066 (2003) endorsed the statement of the Global Anglican Congress in Johannesburg, which among other things calls upon “secular and Church leaders, lay and ordained, in all parts of the Anglican Communion to place the planetary crisis at the highest level of their concerns” and for “public policies that reflect the principles of sustainable community.” Still further, the Diocese of Southern Ohio at our 133rd diocesan convention adopted R07-6, which calls for the development of principles of environmentally sustainable development with a special emphasis on “Appalachian communities, communities of color, and other vulnerable communities.”
Many of us help God feed the poor in our communities. We have noticed that there is a crisis as soaring food prices combine with a weak economy. This resolution calls us to take the further step of strengthening our local food systems, which refers to the economic system (including a system of labor) around the planting, growing, harvesting, production, marketing, distribution, and sale (or barter or gift) of food. Our current food system is petroleum-based, depending on massive, unsustainable inputs of energy from non-renewable sources in the form of oil for transportation and petrochemical fertilizers. This resolution calls on us to begin creating an alternative, which is both cheaper and in better agreement with our obligations to the earth and to future generations. It specifies both urban and rural places, because there are innovative efforts to start community gardens in the front yards of foreclosed homes.
Impact on God’s vision in the Diocese of Southern Ohio: This resolution further specifies what is stated in an abstract way in R07-6, adopted by the 133rd diocesan convention. Strong local food systems are a key component of any sustainable economy. This also helps us meet our baptismal obligations to those who lack their daily bread.
Budget Impact: There is no direct budget impact. There may be implied costs to shifting the use of parish and diocesan land toward local food production.
Program Impact: The program impact moves existing ministries dealing with hunger in the direction of a more systemic approach.
R08-3 A Resolution Concerning Health Care
Resolved, this 134th Convention of the Diocese of Southern Ohio supports health care reform that incorporates the following principles:
~ Health care including mental health care should be available to all persons in the United States;
~ Access to health care should be continuous;
~ Health care should be affordable for individuals, families, and businesses;
~ National and state health care policy should be affordable and sustainable for society;
~ Health care should enhance health and well-being by promoting access to high-quality care that is effective, efficient, safe, timely, patient-centered and equitable;
~ Health care providers should not be expected to assume a disproportionate share of the cost of providing health care; and be it further
Resolved, that this Convention will support:
~ Reforms consistent with the Principles, including measures that promote fairness and affordability, and improve efficiency;
~ Measures that provide financial support for insurance coverage and health care;
~ Funding and policies that reflect shared responsibilities among public and private interests, including individuals, families, business, health care providers, insurers, and government;
~ Measures that improve access and quality and promote efficient and effective use of the health care dollar;
~ Accountability and transparency in health spending; and be it further
Resolved, that this Convention refer this Resolution to the Social Justice and Public Policy Network Committee to advise the Diocesan Council – as the convention between convention – and the bishops on the status of health care legislation and to advise whether particular legislation should be considered for endorsement.
Presented by:
Frederick J. McGavran
Contact: fmcgavran@fbtlaw.com
Ascension & Holy Trinity, Wyoming
Christ Church Cathedral, Cincinnati
Church of the Good Shepherd, Athens
The Rev. Roger Greene, St. Timothy, Anderson Township
Paul Rank – St. Timothy, Anderson Township
The Rev. Paula Jackson, Church of Our Saviour, Mount Auburn
Explanation
Americans pay more for health care than people in any other Western country, but private and public sources do not provide health care including mental health care for all persons in the United States. We are unique in funding health care in large part through employer provided insurance. At the same time, health care for government employees, including members of the United States Congress, is funded directly by the federal government.
The Ohio Hospital Association reports that according to federal government estimates, about 45.7 million Americans lack health insurance and 1.2 million Ohioans are uninsured. Many businesses cannot economically provide health insurance to employees, and persons outside the labor force may not have access to employer policies. As a result, tens of millions of people do not have regular access to health care. In far too many instances, people can only obtain health care at ruinous expense. Many providers are not adequately compensated for their services for uncovered persons, thereby placing an unfair burden on providers and increasing the cost to persons who do have health care coverage.
Despite the enormous expense of the current health care system, quality of care for many persons is declining. One recent study shows that children are at risk of losing health care when their parents lose or change jobs. Another study shows that children without continuous health care coverage have unmet health care needs similar to the chronically uninsured. In Ohio the infant mortality rate for African American children approaches that of third world countries. Nearly everyone can tell some horror story about health care from the perspective of patients, family or friends, or from the perspective of physicians, nurses, hospitals, staff, and other providers.
Impact on God’s Vision in the Diocese of Southern Ohio
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ healed the sick, and commanded us to do likewise. Our Church and our Diocese have long been aware of the health care issue, and have taken action to promote reform. The Episcopal Church has asserted the right of all individuals to health care (1991-A010), called for a system of universal access to health care (1991-A099), adopted Church Principles on Access to Health Care (1994-A057), created an Association of Episcopal Health Care Groups and Individuals (2000-A079) and reestablished a Standing Committee on Health Legislative Action Taken ((2003-A124).
The Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio has expressed its support for comprehensive medical benefits for all workers (R01-01).
Most Americans and Ohioans are aware that there is a health care crisis that, if unresolved, will continue in a downward spiral as access to health care and quality of care decline, and cost dramatically increases. A number of proposals are being made to address the health care crisis. We believe that it is necessary to state our support for the principles and types of reforms stated above as guidelines for legislators and policy makers.
We are also aware that reform of health care in Ohio and the United States is enormously complex, and that meaningful proposals will not probably be made until after the national elections in November 2008. We therefore believe that this Convention should refer this Resolution to the Social Justice and Public Policy Network Committee to follow proposed legislation and advise Diocesan Council, the bishop and the diocese on the status of health care legislation, and advise whether particular legislation should be considered for endorsement. If meaningful legislation is not introduced at the state or federal level, the Committee should advise Diocese Council, the bishops and Convention so that it may take appropriate action.
Financial and Program Impact Summary
Budgetary Impact: Negligible. Members of the Committee attend meetings at their own expense. Most communications will be electronic.
Program Impact: Short-term implementation is letter writing by the Secretary of the Convention to convey the Resolutions to Southern Ohio’s Congressional Delegation, Ohio state legislators that represent the geographic boundaries of Southern Ohio, the President and the Governor. Longer-range impact will be through the Committee, the Diocese and the next Convention, and by congregations informing themselves on these Resolutions and health care reform. These Resolutions are within the spirit of the Millennium Development Goals, which seek health care for all people.
R08-2 A resolution to support the Health Care for All Ohioans Act
Resolved, that the Diocese of Southern Ohio, gathered in this 134th diocesan convention, declare its support for the Health Care for All Ohioans Act, SB 168[1] & HB 186[2] [Links to complete text below]; and be it further
Resolved, that all Southern Ohio Episcopalians be encouraged to contact the Governor and their Ohio House and Senate members who represent the geographical bounds of the Diocese of Southern Ohio to ask them to support passage of the Health Care for All Ohioans Act; and be it further
Resolved, that the Secretary of this Convention send copies of this resolution to the Governor of Ohio and to all members of the Ohio Legislature.
Presented by:
The Rev. John S. Paddock , Christ Church, Dayton
Contact: johnpaddock@mac.com
Explanation: There is a crisis in health care in this land. We have the most expensive health care system in the world while the World Health Organization ranks us 37th in the world based on our outcomes (70 criteria are measured to determine outcomes, including longevity, infant mortality, access to care etc.). In Ohio, more than 1.3 million citizens (one of every nine people) are currently without health insurance. According to the Institute of Medicine, two Ohioans die every day from treatable illnesses, and thousands more suffer and live with impairments from untreated diseases, injuries, and lack of prenatal health care. Prior to the current home loan crisis, it was estimated that medical bills contributed to one-half of all bankruptcies. And the rapidly rising cost of health insurance is certainly creating increasing burdens on our congregations and is taking money away from mission and ministry.
Both SB 168 and HB 186 are still in committee. Legislators need to hear from Ohioans that health care for all is a priority for people of faith and that we expect them to move this legislation forward.
Highlights of the Health Care for All Ohioans Act
Issued by the Single-Payer Action Network Ohio (SPAN Ohio)
The Health Care for All Ohioans Act, referred to here as “the Plan,” provides coverage for the full range of inpatient and outpatient hospital care, preventive care, mental health, vision, hearing, prescription drugs, dental, emergency services, rehabilitation services, hospice care, home care, health maintenance care, medical supplies, and all other necessary medical services as determined by any state licensed, certified, or registered health care practitioner. It provides timely emergency health care services in each county, including hospital care and triage, and necessary transportation in each county to access covered health care services.
2. Coverage will be provided regardless of income or employment status and there will be no exclusions for pre-existing conditions.
3. There will be no premiums, copayments or deductibles.
4. Patients will have free choice of health care providers and hospitals. People who today lack coverage will be able to see doctors and other providers when needed, and will benefit from preventive care and early intervention.
5. Payments to health care providers for all covered services will be made from a single public fund, called the Ohio Health Care Fund. The Plan will be funded by payroll taxes paid by employers not to exceed 3.85%; a gross receipts tax on businesses not to exceed 3%; income tax increases limited ONLY to those earning more than the Social Security tax cap, which in 2007 was $97,500 annually; a 5% surtax on adjusted gross income over $200,000; $11.6 billion in administrative cost savings; and funds from government sources.
6. Since health care bills will be paid from a single public fund, insurance companies will no longer have a role in the system and the billions of dollars in profits they take from it will go instead for patient care.
7. Workers under collective bargaining agreements will enjoy the same benefits as everyone else. If benefits under these agreements are less than what the Plan provides, employers must pay the cost of increasing benefits to the level of the Plan, with the employers paying all the premiums, copayments and deductibles; or the employer and the union may renegotiate and begin coverage under the Plan immediately. The Plan will automatically cover workers when their collective bargaining agreements expire.
8. Public employers — on a state, county, school district and municipal level — will pay much less for employees’ health care coverage than they do today, since their payroll tax for health care will not exceed 3.85% of the total payroll. Public employers would not pay a gross receipts tax. Most private employers, who today provide benefits, will also save because the combination of the payroll tax and the gross receipts tax will be less than what many of these employers pay today for health care coverage for their employees.
9. Workers employed by health insurance companies and others who lose jobs as a result of the changes brought about by the Health Care For All Ohioans Act will receive, at public expense, retraining and financial assistance for up to two years in an amount not to exceed $60,000 per year. Many of these workers will be able to find employment in the public sector implementing the new Plan.
10. There will be a marked reduction in physicians’ costs for billing since payment for services rendered will come from one public fund, not from hundreds of private insurers. Payment will be guaranteed from that public fund. Malpractice insurance will also be less expensive since medical bills will no longer be part of jury awards.
Impact on God’s vision in the Diocese of Southern Ohio: This resolution promotes our commitment to the baptismal covenant to “seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself,” and striving “for justice and peace among all people, and respecting the dignity of every human being.” This resolution addresses four of the eight Millennium Development Goals regarding reduction of poverty, child health, maternal health, and HIV/AIDS. Adoption of the Health Care for All Ohioans Act would promote better stewardship by reducing the costs of health care and thereby expanding the number of resources available to both individual Christians and to the Church for mission and ministry.
Budget Impact: The budget would be negligible for adopting the resolution. The budget impact from adoption of the Health Care for All Ohioans Act would be substantial reductions in health insurance costs for both the Diocese of Southern Ohio and for her congregations. As an example, Christ Church, Dayton, is spending $30,729 annually for health insurance. Under the Healthcare for All Ohioans Act, we would spend an estimated $7,222.
Program Impact: There will be no impact on programming for simply adopting the resolution. Adoption of the Health Care for All Ohioans Act would allow more resources for diocesan and congregational programming.
[1] For complete text of the bill, go to http://legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_SB_168
[2] For complete text of the bill, go to http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_HB_186
Resolved, that the Diocese of Southern Ohio, gathered in this 134th diocesan convention, declare its support for the Health Care for All Ohioans Act, SB 168[1] & HB 186[2] [Links to complete text below]; and be it further
Resolved, that all Southern Ohio Episcopalians be encouraged to contact the Governor and their Ohio House and Senate members who represent the geographical bounds of the Diocese of Southern Ohio to ask them to support passage of the Health Care for All Ohioans Act; and be it further
Resolved, that the Secretary of this Convention send copies of this resolution to the Governor of Ohio and to all members of the Ohio Legislature.
Presented by:
The Rev. John S. Paddock , Christ Church, Dayton
Contact: johnpaddock@mac.com
Explanation: There is a crisis in health care in this land. We have the most expensive health care system in the world while the World Health Organization ranks us 37th in the world based on our outcomes (70 criteria are measured to determine outcomes, including longevity, infant mortality, access to care etc.). In Ohio, more than 1.3 million citizens (one of every nine people) are currently without health insurance. According to the Institute of Medicine, two Ohioans die every day from treatable illnesses, and thousands more suffer and live with impairments from untreated diseases, injuries, and lack of prenatal health care. Prior to the current home loan crisis, it was estimated that medical bills contributed to one-half of all bankruptcies. And the rapidly rising cost of health insurance is certainly creating increasing burdens on our congregations and is taking money away from mission and ministry.
Both SB 168 and HB 186 are still in committee. Legislators need to hear from Ohioans that health care for all is a priority for people of faith and that we expect them to move this legislation forward.
Highlights of the Health Care for All Ohioans Act
Issued by the Single-Payer Action Network Ohio (SPAN Ohio)
The Health Care for All Ohioans Act, referred to here as “the Plan,” provides coverage for the full range of inpatient and outpatient hospital care, preventive care, mental health, vision, hearing, prescription drugs, dental, emergency services, rehabilitation services, hospice care, home care, health maintenance care, medical supplies, and all other necessary medical services as determined by any state licensed, certified, or registered health care practitioner. It provides timely emergency health care services in each county, including hospital care and triage, and necessary transportation in each county to access covered health care services.
2. Coverage will be provided regardless of income or employment status and there will be no exclusions for pre-existing conditions.
3. There will be no premiums, copayments or deductibles.
4. Patients will have free choice of health care providers and hospitals. People who today lack coverage will be able to see doctors and other providers when needed, and will benefit from preventive care and early intervention.
5. Payments to health care providers for all covered services will be made from a single public fund, called the Ohio Health Care Fund. The Plan will be funded by payroll taxes paid by employers not to exceed 3.85%; a gross receipts tax on businesses not to exceed 3%; income tax increases limited ONLY to those earning more than the Social Security tax cap, which in 2007 was $97,500 annually; a 5% surtax on adjusted gross income over $200,000; $11.6 billion in administrative cost savings; and funds from government sources.
6. Since health care bills will be paid from a single public fund, insurance companies will no longer have a role in the system and the billions of dollars in profits they take from it will go instead for patient care.
7. Workers under collective bargaining agreements will enjoy the same benefits as everyone else. If benefits under these agreements are less than what the Plan provides, employers must pay the cost of increasing benefits to the level of the Plan, with the employers paying all the premiums, copayments and deductibles; or the employer and the union may renegotiate and begin coverage under the Plan immediately. The Plan will automatically cover workers when their collective bargaining agreements expire.
8. Public employers — on a state, county, school district and municipal level — will pay much less for employees’ health care coverage than they do today, since their payroll tax for health care will not exceed 3.85% of the total payroll. Public employers would not pay a gross receipts tax. Most private employers, who today provide benefits, will also save because the combination of the payroll tax and the gross receipts tax will be less than what many of these employers pay today for health care coverage for their employees.
9. Workers employed by health insurance companies and others who lose jobs as a result of the changes brought about by the Health Care For All Ohioans Act will receive, at public expense, retraining and financial assistance for up to two years in an amount not to exceed $60,000 per year. Many of these workers will be able to find employment in the public sector implementing the new Plan.
10. There will be a marked reduction in physicians’ costs for billing since payment for services rendered will come from one public fund, not from hundreds of private insurers. Payment will be guaranteed from that public fund. Malpractice insurance will also be less expensive since medical bills will no longer be part of jury awards.
Impact on God’s vision in the Diocese of Southern Ohio: This resolution promotes our commitment to the baptismal covenant to “seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself,” and striving “for justice and peace among all people, and respecting the dignity of every human being.” This resolution addresses four of the eight Millennium Development Goals regarding reduction of poverty, child health, maternal health, and HIV/AIDS. Adoption of the Health Care for All Ohioans Act would promote better stewardship by reducing the costs of health care and thereby expanding the number of resources available to both individual Christians and to the Church for mission and ministry.
Budget Impact: The budget would be negligible for adopting the resolution. The budget impact from adoption of the Health Care for All Ohioans Act would be substantial reductions in health insurance costs for both the Diocese of Southern Ohio and for her congregations. As an example, Christ Church, Dayton, is spending $30,729 annually for health insurance. Under the Healthcare for All Ohioans Act, we would spend an estimated $7,222.
Program Impact: There will be no impact on programming for simply adopting the resolution. Adoption of the Health Care for All Ohioans Act would allow more resources for diocesan and congregational programming.
[1] For complete text of the bill, go to http://legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_SB_168
[2] For complete text of the bill, go to http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_HB_186
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