2012 General Convention Wrap-up
Thank you for the trust you put in the Forma board to represent you in the wider Church, and in particular at the recent 77th General Convention in Indianapolis. We advocated for specific legislative priorities and represented Forma to our Church and its guests. On advocacy, I attended as the primary Forma representative and testified at numerous budget and legislative committee hearings. Debbi Rodahaffer (past president of Forma) and Vicki Garvey (current Forma secretary) advocated for formation in their roles as deputies and members of the Education Committee. Forma also hosted a booth with information, a banner, and giveaways. I, Lyle SmithGraybeal (Forma president), Laurie Bailey (Forma treasurer), and other Forma members shared information about Forma, advocated for legislation and the budget, took memberships, encouraged people to attend the 2013 Tapestry Conference, and networked. Forma also sponsored a reception for Forma members, an event that will be expanded at next General Convention. Back on our advocacy efforts, the following items related directly to the ministry of Christian formation, and these are the results: The Budget The Office of Lifelong Christian Formation and Vocation was allocated $2,875,394 for the 2013-15 triennium, down about 6% from the previous three years. This is a HUGE accomplishment! Going into General Convention, the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget, and Finance (PB&F) presented a Formation and Vocation budget line that slashed funding by 90%. As you may remember, shortly before General Convention, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori introduced a budget that reflected the Five Marks of Mission and restored the formation office funding. While the Presiding Bishop normally does not introduce a budget, this action was necessitated by the disjointed budgeting process that led up to General Convention. Prior to Convention, Forma endorsed the efforts of the Presiding Bishop and, on the first day of hearings, PB&F adopted the Five Marks of Mission budget rationale. Forma representatives are told that Forma’s endorsement was a key factor in its adoption. Resolutions A046—Commend Continued Development of Lifelong Christian Formation passed. This resolution commends (1) Forma for our work in developing and supporting lifelong Christian Formation in The Episcopal Church, (2) the ministry of educators and formation leaders particularly as they continue to lift up The Charter for Lifelong Christian Formation adopted at the 76th General Convention, and (3) the use of certification and continuing education for formation leaders at all dioceses and congregations. This includes existing education and certification programs at Virginia Theological Seminary, Seminary of the Southwest, General Seminary, and other entities as well as the certification process Forma is working to establish. A047—Develop an Electronic Learning Community passed unanimously in the Education Committee but was tabled in the House of Deputies. It was not brought up for a vote. The proposal had support but the funding part of the resolution made it in-actionable. The Forma board will be in conversation with the Formation and Vocation staff and others at The Episcopal Church Center beginning in mid-August to discuss how this proposal might move forward in the absence of specific funding. A041—Equipping the Baptized, and three other related resolutions (A042, A043, A044) were rejected. These resolutions would have amended the Constitution and Canons, the governing documents of the Church, to bring them in accordance with the theology of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, which makes baptism the means by which we are made full members of the Church. The passionate conversation among Bishops, Deputies, and others sparked by these resolutions suggests that the Rite of Confirmation and other ways in which adults prepare for leadership in The Episcopal Church will continue in an intentional and vigorous manner during the next triennium. You can read more about General Convention and these resolutions at Building the Continuum. Again, thank you to Forma members, for your prayers and support. Your membership and enthusiasm allow us all to hold high the vision and mission of lifelong Christian formation in The Episcopal Church. — Wendy Claire Barrie, Forma Vice President