episcopal church social issues

Convention urged parish support and sponsorship of resettlement of Indochinese refugees (1979) and Haitian refugees (1980). The 1991 Convention expressed dismay over increased police violence against a number of groups, including gay and lesbian people. Bradley Hauff, Episcopal Church missioner for indigenous ministries. See also “Marijuana.”, The 1983 and 1985 Conventions registered opposition to “efforts of the United States government to overthrow the Nicaraguan government.”, The 1981 Convention called on the President and Congress to propose to the President and the Politburo of the U.S.S.R. “an immediate mutual freeze on the testing, production, and deployment of nuclear weapons, and of missiles and new aircraft designed to deliver those weapons.” Convention resolutions in 1983 called upon the two governments to negotiate similar freezes on laser and particle beam satellites and weapons systems, and on biological weapons. When appropriate, the Church will also express its views on a particular issue through the submission of a response to a Government consultation. (See also Police Violence, Hate Crimes. eNews. In 1992 the Convention decried “those laws and regulations which deny farmworkers the same rights, benefits, and compensation afforded other laborers.”. This is done through legislative advocacy, writings and event participation. The 1981 Convention recorded its “strong, resolute support” of the principle of entitlement — “that Americans are entitled by law and right to a certain basic standard of living (food, clothing, shelter, legal representation, health care, education)” — and called for its implementation at every level of government. We are partnering with Lawyers and Collars, to teach public faith engagement for church leaders as a prayerful presence at the polls. Taxation for Social Improvements Conventions on several occasions have urged Churchpeople “to recognize and accept the need for increased taxation” by the federal government and/or by New York State in order that certain social improvements being advocated by Convention might be made possible. Chicago Studies in the History of American Religion 13. Social Issues. In progressive steps, Convention urged that Church bodies use stockholder voting rights, the placement of bank accounts, the selection of contractors, and the selection of suppliers to advance such goals as equal opportunity in employment and in housing, an end to apartheid in South Africa, ghetto self-improvement, and protection of the environment. In 1992 the Convention called for the amnesty for all “Puerto Rican prisoners of conscience (as defined by Amnesty International) and political prisoners” as well was for advocates of independence in exile, as a show of good faith in the process of self-determination for Puerto Rico. Andrew’s Episcopal Church As an ever increasing number of people use and prefer digital communication, it is essential that the church be present in this mission field. Congregations and Churchpeople were urged by the Conventions of 1978, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, and 1986 to initiate and support feeding programs for the hungry in their communities, and to contribute to the Presiding Bishop’s Fund for World Relief to help feed the hungry in other countries. A 1983 Convention resolution called for New York City executive and legislative action to halt all single-room occupancy hotel conversions and all condominium conversions; to increase the number of tenants needed for co-op conversion to 51%; to set new requirements for renovation and for new construction to ensure the inclusion of low- and moderate-income units, and priority for displaced tenants; and speed the process through which abandoned buildings are taken over. [The Episcopal Church’s term for this role is “Poll Chaplains.”] The goal is to provide a calm and loving presence in way of love, the way of peace, the way of justice, and the way of reconciliation that is affirmed on Election Day. The Convention (1994) called for cooperation with the New York State Department of Education in developing literacy programs in schools and communities. “Christ Church Episcopal in Plano, Texas, for example, is one of the largest Episcopal churches in the country. Those presented below stretch back over the course of some years, during which emphasis may have changed, but principles have not. “It’s all about love,” Curry said. Also, Episcopal seminaries enroll and generally fund students from around the Anglican Communion. Those differences now have them on the verge of a … We invite you to learn more about the Episcopal faith and its place in the spectrum of Christianity, and visit one of our 144 congregations. The church has lost over $111,000 of its pledge and plate income since 2015, accounting for an inflation-adjusted 21.68 percent of its purchasing power. Our Christian Call to … The Social Creed. "Produced for The Department of Christian Social Relations of The National Council of the Protestant Episcopal Church." Official church statements or responses are generally made through the issuing of press releases, or in comment or opinion expressed by one of the seven Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church. In 1983, 1985, and 1987, the Convention recognized “with love and compassion the tragic human suffering and loss of life involved in the AIDS epidemic;” called upon the federal government to release “much needed monies for research into the cause and cure of AIDS and to the care of people with AIDS;” affirmed that AIDS was to be viewed as a concern of Christian people, calling for their ministry and their intercessory prayers; and repudiated any and all statements which “condemn or reject the victims of AIDS” or label AIDS as “God’s punishment upon gay men.” In 1987, Convention recorded its opposition to routine or mandatory HIV Antibody Testing of “our most politically vulnerable populations” or as a condition of “employment, insurance, housing, medical care, or any other form of discrimination.”, Convention in 1965 recorded its conviction that “alcoholism is an illness of mind, body, and spirit,” called upon its clergy to equip themselves to “take their place with Alcoholics Anonymous and the medical profession in a combined healing ministry to alcoholics,” urged all Churchpeople to help develop “within the Church and the community the healing environment within which alcoholics may be helped to recover,” and called upon government at all levels “to appropriate the funds needed to establish and maintain adequate programs for alcoholics’ rehabilitation.” In 1988, the Convention recognized that the same understanding and healing ministry should be extended to all chemically dependent persons, including drug abusers, and to their families. It is a mainline Christian denomination divided into nine provinces.The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church is Michael Bruce Curry, the first African-American bishop to serve in that position. Increased funding of the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) was voted by Convention in 1987 and again in 1990. Taking up Presiding Bishop Curry's charge for Episcopal faith communities to live out our public witness and sacred values, From the Pew to the Public Square provides quick coaching in moral agency, discernment, and decision making for social and community social change. Recent resolutions may be found using the links to the right of the page. Join local and regional Episcopalians doing justice work – and our special guest, the legendary civil rights veteran and "long-distance runner for justice" Ms. Ruby Sales. Currently there are at least 73 Lutheran-Episcopal shared parishes across the country, such as Epiphany Lutheran-Episcopal in Valdez, Alaska which has been a joint congregation since 1978, pre-dating the full communion partnership by two decades. While our beautiful Church, school and grounds are temporarily closed—it is my hope that you will have to opportunity to explore our website and learn more about our community. The pressing areas of social justice, multiculturalism and ethnic ministries were all examined during the committee’s three-year study of how the Episcopal Church can better equip itself and minister effectively in multiple social contexts in “these deeply troubled and divisive times,” the committee’s report states. Support was voted for a comprehensive New York City housing code centrally administered; for urban renewal “based on considerations of further social justice as well as improving the municipality’s physical plant and economic vigor;” for a moratorium on the demolition of sound housing structures that might be rehabilitated; for repeal in New York City of the Vacancy Decontrol Law and the Maximum Base Rent Law; for a variety of laws and programs designed to spur rehabilitation of old housing as well as construction of new; and for a variety of laws and programs seeking to enforce or foster integration in housing and urban renewal. in JSTOR; Kirkpatrick, Frank G. The Episcopal Church in crisis: How sex, the bible, and authority are dividing the faithful (Greenwood, 2008). The Episcopal Street-Action Handbook. The 1983 Convention noted the use of the AIDS crisis to “perpetuate prejudice and to fan hatred against gay men?” and rejected seeing AIDS as “God’s punishment upon gay men and others as put fort by proponents of the New Right and the sects.” The 1988 Convention requested the Bishop to appoint a task force on sexuality, heterosexism and homophobia. Each called on Churchpeople (in the words of the 1984 resolution) “to establish a continuing relationship with their senators and representatives at both state and national levels, to remind them that feeding hungry people and eliminating the causes of hunger at home and abroad is a constant concern; and (in the words of the 1982 resolution) should be “a major priority of our government.” (See also Advocacy.). In broad terms in 1960, in more concrete terms in 1965 and 1978, and in very specific terms in 1985, Convention has declared its support of those working to end “South African racist policies,” called upon the federal government to seek multilateral cooperation in an embargo on arms and oil shipments and on scientific and cultural exchange, and called for withdrawal of U.S. investments in South Africa, finally urging massive disinvestment (private sector and New York State) and the adoption by Congress of major sanctions. Click Here for More. Historical Magazine of the Protestant Episcopal Church 45.3 (1976): 253–274. To pursue justice, reconciliation, and peace. It also gave support to “increased appropriations for rehabilitation services to prepared the prisoner to re-enter society, such as educational projects aimed at making all inmates at least functionally literate.” In 1975, it urged “the development of a new approach to crime and punishment designed to rehabilitate, wherever possible, and to provide humane control in other cases.”. Convention resolutions in 1973, 1975, and 1990 have reaffirmed this stand. 27. Social Media Policy—St. But living out the Christian faith in witness and mercy while honoring the governments and rulers set in place can sometimes be tricky business. The 1982 Convention affirmed its support of the Rt. Thursday, Nov. 19 at 5-6:30 PM EST - Register here. Adults should not submit “friend” requests to minors or youth. It also urged the President and Congress “to revise the rules and laws governing the granting of refugee status so that people fleeing countries like Haiti will be treated like refugees instead of criminals.” In 1974, Convention urged that political refugee status be granted to 400 Haitians then being detained in Florida and facing possible deportation. “We’ve been seeing that love even in this time of a horrible, painful pandemic; a horrible, painful time of a racial reckoning; a horrible, painful time of national divisions and polarizations.” Melanie Mullen The ECW Social Justice Facebook page is a repository of the social justice ministries of all Episcopal Church Women. The Episcopal Church has been on the forefront of social justice issues, including the full incorporation of LGBTQ persons. To pursue justice, reconciliation, and peace. Affirming that the “maintenance of free elementary and secondary public schools of the highest quality should continue to be the main objective of local, state, and federal governments in their educational policies,” the 1961 Convention called for federal financing of high quality public education “where local or state financing is demonstrably inadequate.” Convention in 1964 urged the State Legislature to “raise the ceiling in the state aid formula to at least the state-wide average expenditure per child.” It called on the people of the Diocese to “recognize and accept the need for increased state taxation if the urgent needs of our public education system are to be met.” A 1978 resolution of Convention called for the development of classroom teacher accountability where pupils’ performance fell short of expected levels. On social issues, Potter was a moderate within the Social Gospel spectrum. The Oxford movement in the Church of England, which emphasized the Roman Catholic heritage of the church (High Church), became influential in the Episcopal Church in the 1840s.Though it enriched the worship services and spiritual discipline of the church, it caused considerable controversy, because many Episcopalians preferred to emphasize the Protestant heritage (). Issues, Priorities and Advocacy. Patrick Maines is a recently departed member of the Episcopal Church, and the former president of The Media Institute, one of the country’s leading First Amendment think tanks. The Episcopal Street-Action Handbook, CONTACT: Youth may not be able t… Convinced that workers were exploited and concerned about class alienation, he was an early and consistent defender of unions; he saw no alternative to capitalism, however, and stressed "stewardship" by the wealthy (for their own good as well as the relief of the poor) and mediation between capital and labor. 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