10/26/2010

The Resolve for a Haitian Solidarity Initiative

The resolution for the Haitian Solidarity Initiative was approved by Executive Council Monday, October  25th.  Here it is:

 
FFM-032
Resolution


TO:         Executive Council
FROM:     Standing Committee on Finances for Mission
DATE:         October 25, 2010
RE:         Haitian Solidarity Initiative

Resolved, that in solidarity with and in support of our bothers and sisters in Christ, the Executive Council reaffirms its commitment to initiate a fundraising appeal to begin rebuilding the infrastructure of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti with a goal of at least $10 million for the initial phase; and be it further

Resolved, that this appeal supports the priorities articulated by the leadership of the Diocese of Haiti and involves the grassroots participation of all Episcopal communities of faith at every level of the Church, including provinces, dioceses, congregations and other institutions and organizations; and be it further

Resolved, that the Executive Council authorizes the retention of the Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF) to coordinate this appeal; and be it further

Resolved, that the Executive Council and its individual members support this appeal through prayer, financial contribution, and the identification and recruitment of volunteers and donors.

 The campaign will get under way in full force following the identification and recruitment of volunteers and the preparation for a church wide appeal calling on every member of every Episcopal Church community to join in on this offering of compassion, solidarity and hope.

The Executive Council at its closing worship this afternoon received pledges and checks from all who were present, making that contribution the first response to this Initiative from an Episcopal Church community of faith.  Hopefully we can know the size of that gift and take it as a sign of things to come.






5 comments:

  1. Thanks for this. The general public would welcome a thorough and transparent account of what is going on at Executive Council and what the PB's obscure but blunt remarks portend/refer to. The press releases have been intriguing but very hard to decipher. AJM

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  2. Borrowing Millions of dollars, mortgaging 815, squabbling with Sherrod amidst murmurs of No, Council and Staff clearly at odds over financial management -- and this is just what has been 'reported' publicly (requiring decoding for all that). Of course it is important to support Haiti -- unless the only real reason to do so is to change the subject and appear to be healthy when every indication is otherwise. Is TEC headed for financial collapse? Who will give a true statement of events? That is a Christian duty. AJM

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  3. We are not changing the subject. This resolution came out of another resolution Council passed in February. To be so cynical about our reaching out to TEC's largest diocese is disappointing. 'None are so poor they cannot give; none are so rich they cannot receive.' Even when in debt, one should still find the means by which to reach out to those less fortunate.

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  4. Great.
    Now can we have the story on the millions that could have been spent to help Haiti? Mortgaging 815, squabbling between Treasurer and Committee on Finance, PB and Deputies, etc. etc.
    TEC sounds in very bad straits and it would be good if this was honestly communicated and explained.
    AJM

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  5. Any quick look at the diocesan pledging shows that only 40 dioceses pay on the order of 20%; about the same number pay half of that; a large number pay very little, and some have large income and are not 'conservative' (PA, TX). Three conclusions may be drawn. 1) there is a loss of confidence in TEC and esp in the idea of a 'national church' dispensing programs, etc; 2) income has not stagnated, it has fallen, and precipitously, since 2009; 3) TEC is not hierarchical in any obvious sense, hence dioceses do what they please with impunity when it comes to bottom line. Also, one can see that there is resistence to the PB as metropolitical Premier; from the deputies and from members of Council. Is this due to her 'style' (scolding the Council's committee on finance) or is it part of the hope for a new TEC that even she resists? And where will the money come to pay off the borrowing that is being undertaken to pay off lines of credit, given the above? I'd conclude that things are not going well at all. Does 'going nimble' entail moving out of Manhattan and into Des Moines? Just what is happening? AJM

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