84th Convention confirms commitment to health, mission (cont'd)
The bishop also called his flock “to a year of personal prayer”—“Pray
regularly, personally, and corporately for the unity, mission, and faithfulness
of the Church.”—and challenged every congregation “to be able to report progress
in the commitment of .7% support of the Millennium Development Goals” (MDGs), an
eight-pronged initiative built around the goal of eradicating, by the year 2015,
extreme poverty in the world.
The MDGs were also the focus of a resolution adopted, calling on the diocese to
affiliate with the ONE Episcopalian campaign, part of a nationwide movement
unfolding under the banner “The Campaign to Make Poverty History.” The same
resolution also charged Diocesan Executive Council with developing “appropriate
programs, in concert with parishes and persons, to support the Millennium
goals.”
Other resolutions adopted by convention concern membership of the diocesan
Standing Committee; financial reporting; support for mission congregations; our
reaffirmation of “the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral [1886, 1888] as a sound
expression of our unity in mission, generosity of spirit, and joy in our common
life” and of “our commitment to ‘read, mark, learn and inwardly digest’ (BCP,
pg. 236) the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments in such a way that
they may ‘be ready to make a defense for the hope that is within us’ (1 Peter
3:15), to ‘do the work of an evangelist and to carry out our ministry fully’ (2
Timothy 4:5b)”; and ongoing support for young adult ministry. In this final
resolution Archdeacon Byrd was recognized and thanked “for his contributions to
this ministry and for showing the face of Christ to many young adults throughout
the Diocese.”
"I feel blessed," Bishop Henderson remarked at the close of convention. "We have
met to worship God, to seek renewal, to allocate our resources for the mission
of the Church—all in the atmosphere of a family reunion—this part of the family
of God. I'm convinced the convention sends a two-pronged message: We are
committed to the orthodox faith of the Church—its study and practice—and while
we continue to be involved in the prayerful study of the pressing issues of our
time—we will not be deterred from the mission of the Church. For us that means
growth in faithfulness to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. And by
means of restructuring the way we do ministry, we are empowering and enabling
the ministry of the baptized in new and more effective, more widespread
involvement. The resolutions which were presented to the convention—those which
passed, and those which failed—all reflect that dual message."