​A response to the draft budget of The Episcopal Church for the 2019 – 2021 Triennium

A response to the draft budget of The Episcopal Church

for the 2019 – 2021 Triennium

Forma is a network of Christian formation leaders in the Episcopal Church. Our mission is to celebrate, equip, support and connect leaders who form followers of Jesus. Our members are living witness to The Jesus Movement. We, Christian formation leaders, are following Jesus into loving, liberating, and life giving relationship with God, with each other, and with the earth. We are inviting those to whom we minister to join the movement with us.

With this in mind, the Forma board has embraced the Jesus Movement as we have proceeded with our own organizational discernment and visioning. We believe that God’s people learn to be reconcilers, stewards, and evangelists through Christian formation. So, we have set a trajectory for the themes of our next three conferences based on the pillars of the Jesus Movement – Reconciliation in 2018, Evangelism (and liturgy) in 2019, and Environmental Stewardship in 2020. Forma is working to equip our leaders as reconcilers, stewards, and evangelists so that they are prepared to form followers of Jesus.

With deep gratitude, in the last triennium, Forma received a grant from The Episcopal Church. This funding enabled us to grow our work of resourcing and advocating for formation and lay professionals. We are glad to see that The Episcopal Church Center Formation Department has been financially supported within the proposed budget for the triennium. We applaud the deeply prayerful work done by the Joint Standing Committee on Finances for Mission.

While we are delighted by the emphasis on ministry with youth and young adults within the Formation Department, as advocates for lifelong formation, we desire to see a more robust focus on formation across the lifespan. The value of formation for youth and young adults is indeed unquantifiable. Yet, we know people are also formed as Christians in childhood and later adulthood. There is not support for that work at the denominational level because of a decline in funding for formation with children, adults, and older adults. To be clear when the denomination speaks of Formation it is most often in reference to formation with youth and young adults. We hope to see the work and funding of Formation expand to meet the needs of the church so that we can continue in the work of teaching, training, and mentoring across all stages of life.

We encourage an additional triennial grant to Forma, in addition to the current budget allocated to The Episcopal Church Center Formation Department, so that we may continue to strengthen our work in lifelong Christian formation. As noted above, the current funding for Formation is directed to youth and young adult ministry. Forma is able to bridge this gap and address the needs for lifelong formation development within The Episcopal Church, but only with robust funding.

We also request full funding of the General Convention Children’s program by the provision of further funding in the General Convention Office line 283, 284, 285b Meeting of the General Convention. At the 75th General Convention in 2006 in Columbus, Ohio, Resolution D058 passed and directed:

“That the Joint Standing Committee on Planning and Arrangement be directed to make age-appropriate care and educational programs available for children birth to age 12 available for the duration of the 76th General Convention and all future General Conventions; and be it further resolved that all dioceses and provinces be encouraged to provide similar services for conventions and synod meetings.”

Deputies, Bishops, and volunteers, along with many others who make the work of General Convention functional rely on the children’s program to enable their full participation. The current funding level of the Children’s program is $25,000, while the actual cost of providing a program is $50,000. In order to provide this program, the Formation Office must rely on grants including funding from the Constable Fund. Individuals with children already have additional expenses related to attending convention with children, an undue burden is placed upon these individuals with an underfunded children’s program.

Forma invites you, as a formation leader or lay professional, whether volunteer or paid, to respond to the the draft budget of The Episcopal Church for the 2019 – 2021 Triennium. Responses are due by January 10. The draft budget and a link to the survey soliciting response can be found here. The portion of the draft budget regarding formation can be found on page 28 in lines 62-71.

Here is why your response matters:

1. The Episcopal Church needs to hear the voice of its formation and lay professionals.
2. The budget of The Episcopal Church shows what is valued by the denomination and to some degree dictates where the church spends its time and energy.
3. Formation leaders and lay professional are the eyes and ears of the church, working directly with the people of the church. As such, you are uniquely position to give voice to the concerns and needs of those with whom you minister.
4. The Episcopal Church as a denomination is funded by diocesan assessment, which in turn is funded by congregational assessment, which is in turn funded by your contributions and tithes. The budget of The Episcopal Church operates by funding from it’s membership – you.

Below you will find some talking points which may be helpful in formulating your response as an advocate for lay ministry. To read about Forma’s position on these issues, refer to the official statement.

• The draft budget funds the Episcopal Church Formation Department at the level requested by its staff. Please acknowledge your approval and thanks for this in your response.

• Funding for formation is limited to formation for youth and young adults. Please provide feedback on your (experiences, concerns, and desires) that funding be extended to reflect and support lifelong faith formation.
• There has been a continual decline in funding of formation for children, adults, and older adults at the denominational level. Please speak to the implications of this in your context.
• Forma addresses the gap in support for lifelong formation and as such encourages an additional triennial grant to continue this work. Please offer examples of the way in which Forma supports and extends your ability to facilitate formation in your context.
• Additionally, the Children’s Program at General Convention is not fully funded. While few of us may actually attend General Convention, the funding of the Children’s Program helps to ensure that a broad demographic of Episcopalian voices are present and heard. Please include this request in your comments.

Thank you for taking the time to respond. Forma is a grassroots, member organization and we take our role of advocating for our members and for formation and lay professionals seriously. It is only through your voice, participation, and support that we are able to achieve this. If you are interested in learning more about Forma’s advocacy work, please contact [email protected]

• Category: Form(ed) | The Forma Blog