People from around our diocese who share my passion for the Millennium Development Goals and the way they help frame the twin issues of Christ-centered transformation and mission, asked to be kept informed of all things MDG at Convention. The Big Debate, of course, centers on whether or not the national church will retain the Goals as a program and budget priority as it has since 2006. There have been meetings about the matter, and people have been very verbal in their disappointment that the church, still officially known as the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, would seriously consider making such cuts.
General Convention has only been open for a few days. I parse the words of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson in order to determine what they really think about the MDGs as central to the national budget. Here's what I've come up with thus far: Don't know.
Our leaders are careful with their words. In her opening on Tuesday, the PB spoke about the Episcopal Church being in (financial) crisis, how General Convention is "always a time of decision making", and how "we may revisit conversations of the last General Convention." Underlying all of those debates, she said, "will be the reality that we do not have the same kind of financial resources to address them that we had three years ago – that is another kind of crisis, both local and global."
She continued, "The temptation for us here will be to see one small part of God’s mission, the part each one of use holds most dear, as the overarching reason for this church’s existence. The reality is that God’s mission will continue, whatever we do here, but it may not advance as effectively or penetrate as widely in the next few years if we get selfish or miss the mark. There are aspects of mission that are more appropriate and effective at the congregational and diocesan level."
Yesterday, in her sermon at the convention's first community Eucharist, she couldn't have been clearer about the church's priority: "The heart of this church will slowly turn to stone if we think that our primary mission work is to those already in the pews inside our beautiful churches, or to those at other altars. We are in cardiac crisis if we think we can close the doors, and swing our incense and sing our hymns, and all will be right with the world. The heart of this body is mission – domestic and foreign mission, in partnership with anyone who shares that passion."
In her opening address, Bonnie Anderson spoke of the essentialness of the MDGs: "One of the toughest things about these tough times is that we can’t hide from them. Our technology enables us to see and to know not only how we are effected, but how the global economic crisis is disproportionately affecting the poorest people in the world.
"It is within our reach to do something about it and THAT is the toughest thing about our times. As economist Jeffrey Sachs said as he stood on the chancel steps of St. Mark’s Cathedral in Minneapolis, ”For the first time in the history of the world, we have the resources, the technology, and the capacity to wipe extreme poverty off the face of the earth. The only thing we lack is the will.
"Some of us have the will. Over 50% of our approximately 7,000 congregations have embraced the Millennium Development Goals as a mission focus. 82 of the 110 dioceses have sacrificially pledged 0.7% of their diocesan budgets toward global poverty eradication and the MDGs. In 42 countries, Episcopal Relief & Development has touched the lives of 2.5 million people.
"The vision of building the “Beloved Community” in the Diocese of Louisiana, for example, has been embraced by over 100,000 volunteers and a $10 million dollar investment from contributions made to Episcopal Relief & Development for this purpose which has conservatively produced 20 times that amount in benefit to the community. Many of us are responding to God’s call to mission, but what if ALL of us did it? What if all of us did it as if our lives depended on it? Think of it!!"
Round and round we go. Their emphasis was clear. We must respond to crisis by continuing to "care for the most vulnerable." How that gets done is the question.
Stay tuned.