Murder in Charleston: The Episcopal Church is Responding (and needs your help)

I didn’t know what would happen after I wrote my post, I just knew I had something to say.

Then readers acted.

More than 450 of you shared the post on social media. That hardly ever happens, so when it did I paid attention. People reached out to me with their ideas and their desires. I can tell you for sure: The Episcopal Church is responding.

Here’s what I’ve seen and know (please recognize that this is not comprehensive):

Black Lives Matter signs have sprouted up all over this General Convention thanks to the organizing work of the Rev. Mike Kinman, author of the Exodus 3 Moment post that inspired mine. In the photo below I did a bad job counting – there were actually 11 or 12 signs visible from just that one spot. In a room devoted to legislation where signs are to be minimal, this is no small thing. Mike put out his own money to make this happen. Please add your money to his – I did.

A courtesy resolution offering condolences to Mother Emanuel AME has passed the House of Deputies. This was made a priority by everyone involved. In order to have a completely new resolution pass either House this early, it has to be something that everyone agrees is important. Everyone agreed. Because it was a courtesy resolution it is not numbered and I am so far unable to locate the text.

[UPDATE: St. Andrew’s great intern Amanda Henes located the text. It is here.]

A resolution to create a youth ministry curriculum has been proposed. Here’s the key language as far as I am concerned:

Resolved, That the Officer for Youth Ministries and Missioner for Racial Reconciliation partner with other church offices and organizations as appropriate to commission a gospel-centered, Internet-integrated, action-oriented, anti-racism youth ministry curriculum for congregations throughout The Episcopal Church, including those not in the United States, to be provided in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole;

The hearing on this resolution will be held today at 2:15 MDT. Your prayers are requested. I am very hopeful about this resolution and very grateful to Andrea McKellar, a first-time deputy from Charleston, South Carolina who made it a personal priority to file this legislation. I think we share the sense that even though this resolution is not enough, it is something, and it is important. Read more from her here.

A resolution to send a delegation to the meeting called by the AME has been proposed. I also heard through the grapevine that we would have done this anyway. But I am grateful for this resolution, also proposed by Andrea McKellar.

A resolution to engage more fully in racial reconciliation, to gather anti-racist practitioners online for mutual learning, and to create a youth ministry curriculum has been proposed. This resolution has a number of aims and asks for a larger funding appropriation. The question with this resolution is whether it will get to the Program, Budget & Finance Committee in time. It hasn’t yet been assigned to a legislative committee.

My email tells me that an anti-racism resolution written by the Legislative Committee on Social Justice and US Policy was filed late last night. It hasn’t yet hit the system, been assigned a number, or had the text published. The biggest concern with this resolution, which I am hearing seeks to appropriate $1.2 million for the work, is that it will arrive to Program, Budget & Finance after the budget is pretty much complete.

On the positive: many people are working together to craft a way that The Episcopal Church can more clearly act against the sin of racism in a world still plagued by it. On the not-so-positive: the reality is that The Episcopal Church’s structures and processes mean that a quick and comprehensive response is impossible.

And here’s what I want you to do.

Last night the Presiding Bishop, the Most. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, testified to the Governance and Structure Committee on the role of Presiding Bishop. She made it absolutely clear that in her eyes, the entire staff of The Episcopal Church reports to her.

So I have written Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori a letter. Here it is:

June 26, 2015

Dear Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori,

I am appalled and embarrassed that the Episcopal News Service still has not published a news story about the Episcopal Church’s immediate and urgent response to the shootings in Charleston. Any rational person could only draw the conclusion that the church did not care about the murders of nine fellow Christians engaged in prayer and the study of Scripture, who were killed in a coldblooded act of racial terrorism which this church deplores. But in fact multiple individuals throughout The Episcopal Church responded quickly and clearly to these murders. Any site funded by the church with the aim of delivering news to the church in a timely fashion should have reported on this fact.

Yesterday you told the Legislative Committee on Governance and Structure that “the Presiding Bishop is accountable for the performance of the staff ultimately.” I understand that the role of the Presiding Bishop is under discussion. However, given that you see yourself as accountable for the actions of your staff, I am writing to you directly to ask that you make it a priority in the transition between your episcopacy and that of your successor to review this department’s priorities and efficacy in achieving them.

Your sister in Christ,

Nurya Love Parish

I invite you to share your thoughts with the Presiding Bishop regarding this matter. This is the link to email Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.

In other news:

• The resolution for Digital Evangelism that I interviewed Jake Dell about has passed committee and is headed to the floor.
• A member of the Environmental Stewardship and Creation Care committee is writing a guest post on the work of that committee. Between testifying for the Christian Formation committee on the need to review Episcopal Elections, and being present for the Structure committee (and testifying) I did not manage to get there yesterday! I am embarrassed but it is true. Look for that hopefully later today depending on my access to wifi. The food ministry resolution I interviewed Sarah Lawton about received a hearing yesterday evening.

So things are in motion. Follow #GC78 on Twitter for more. The wifi during the day is very, VERY limited which means that blog updates are tough.

Please pray for the church.