[Episcopal News Service – Linthicum Heights, Maryland] During its Feb. 5-8 meeting here the Episcopal Church’s Executive Council adopted multiple resolutions, which are summarized below.

Advocacy and Networking for Mission

Affirm the following ministries as Jubilee Ministries: St. Michael’s Community Services, Inc.; Anniston, Alabama, Diocese of Alabama; St. Andrew’s Hands and Feet Ministry, McKinney, Texas, Diocese of Dallas; The Sutton Scholars High School Enrichment Program, Baltimore, Maryland, Diocese of Maryland; Grace Episcopal Church Ministries, Haddonfield, New Jersey, Diocese of New Jersey; Holy Cross Episcopal Church, Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Diocese of Missouri; St. Barnabas Outreach Ministries, Villas, New Jersey, Diocese of New Jersey; El Buen Pastor Community Services Center, Durham, North Carolina, Diocese of North Carolina; St. Francis Episcopal Church, Dunellen, New Jersey, Diocese of New Jersey (AN021).

Approve an Advocacy and Networking initiative to facilitate dialogue and conversation among southeastern U. S. Episcopal institutions of higher learning (AN022).

Continue to support action and leadership of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation as the “salt and light of the nation in its unwavering support of the sacredness of water, land, and other resources and reminding us all of the sacred calling to faithfulness;” acknowledge participation of Episcopal Church and its ecumenical partners in the water protection actions led by Standing Rock Sioux Nation, especially the leadership of the Rev. John Floberg and the hundreds of Episcopal laity and clergy who responded to his call for support; affirm and endorse the call of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation’s leadership to a march on Washington on March 10 to proclaim “continuing concern for our sacred waters and lands as well as challenging our government to fulfill all relevant treaty obligations of the United States to all federally recognized tribes.” (AN023)

Finances for Mission

Establishes Trust Fund 1148, The Cameron Trust Fund of The Archives of the Episcopal Church (FFM055).

Establishes Trust Fund 1149, The Friends of The Archives of the Episcopal Church Trust Fund (FFM056).

Designate as a tax-deductible housing allowance for 2017 those allowances requested and presented by four clergy employees of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (FFM057).

Establish Trust Fund 1139, The Gardens of All Saints Endowment Fund, for All Saints Episcopal Church in Concord, North Carolina (FFM058).

Establish Trust Fund 1140, Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, as investment account for Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Lake Worth, Florida (FFM059).

Establish Trust Fund 1141, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church Belvedere, as investment account for St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Belvedere, California (FFM060).

Establish Trust Fund 1142, Grace Church Endowment, as investment account for Grace Church in Providence, Rhode Island (FFM061).

Establish Trust Fund 1143, All Saints Episcopal Church, investment account for All Saints Episcopal Church in San Leandro, California (FFM062).

Establish Trust Fund 1144, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Elkhorn Legacy Fund, investment account for St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church in Elkhorn, Nebraska (FFM063).

Establish Trust Fund 1145, Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, as investment account for The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, Paris, France (FFM064).

Establish Trust Fund 1146, Episcopal Diocese of California, as investment account for the Episcopal Diocese of California, San Francisco, California (FFM065).

Establish Trust Fund 1147, The Edward R. and Julia Lee Cox Williams Fund, for use of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society for care of the aged (FFM066).

Accept additional development project i.e. funding for refugee assistance not included in government contracts for Episcopal Migration Ministries, to be an additional focus for fundraising by the development office (FFM067).

Governance and Administration for Mission

Amend Executive Council and Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society bylaws for clarity and to conform to 78^th General Convention canons (GAM008).

Receive reports of Provinces II, III, IV, V, VI and IX and forward to the Executive Council for its information (GAM009).

Recognize with thanks more than 75 years of refugee resettlement work by Episcopal Migration Ministries, acknowledges that almost 60 General Convention resolutions in the last 40 years have addressed work with and advocacy for refugees, deeply mindful that the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible require us to care for the alien and for strangers; request presiding bishop, in consultation with president of the House of Deputies, chief legal officer, Executive Committee of Executive Council, Office of Government Relations and Episcopal Migration Ministries, to investigate whether it is appropriate and advisable for the DFMS to file, or intervene, in litigation in order to defend the refugee resettlement ministry of EMM and to contest the imposition of any religious test upon any refugee, asylum seeker, or other person seeking residence, asylum or lawful entry into the United States, as such tests are contrary to our faith and contrary to a good faith construction of the U.S. Constitution and governing federal law; request presiding bishop report on such investigation, along with any recommendations, to the next regular meeting of Executive Council, or to an earlier meeting of Executive Council or Executive Committee if earlier action is appropriate; regular, detailed reports of any such litigation that may be filed to be regularly and confidentially provided chief legal officer to Executive Council (GAM010).

Consent to the Joint Standing Committee on Planning & Arrangement’s selection of Baltimore in the Diocese of Maryland as site for 80^th General Convention in 2021 (GAM011).

Local Mission and Ministry

Approve series of Constable Fund grants for mission initiatives, which were not provided for within the budget of the Episcopal Church General Convention/Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (DFMS), and which have been recommended by council’s Constable Grant Review Committee and approved by council’s Joint Standing Committee on Local Ministry and Mission (LMM006).

Approve the following grants recommended by the D005 Advisory Group on Church Planting and approved for funding by Joint Standing Committee on Local Ministry and Mission (LMM007).

World Mission

Express appreciation for appointments made on behalf of the presiding bishop in recent months including the Rev. Karen King, Diocese of Chicago, Episcopal Volunteer in Mission, Msalato Theological College, Diocese of Central Tanganyika, Church of the Province of Tanzania, appointment started on Sept. 8, 2016; the Rev. Walter Roy Knowles, Diocese of Olympia, teaching assignment as Episcopal Volunteer in Mission, Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church of Haiti, appointment started on Nov. 6; Thomas McGowan, Diocese of Nebraska, Episcopal Volunteer in Mission, Diocese of the Dominican Republic, assignment began on August 1, 2016; Lucinda Mosher, Diocese of Florida, teaching assignment as Episcopal Volunteer in Mission, Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church of Haiti, appointment started June 18; Perry Alan Yarborough, Dioceses of Western North Carolina and Upper South Carolina, intern with the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations and Virginia Theological Seminary Center for Anglican Communion Studies, appointment Sept. 1 (WM013).

Express appreciation for Young Adult Service Corps appointments made on behalf of the presiding bishop in recent months including Naomi Zoe Cunningham, Diocese of Kansas, American Cathedral, Convocation of Churches in Europe, assignment began Aug. 25, 2015; Adrienne Davis, Diocese of Southern Virginia, Helpers for Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong,  assignment began Aug. 17, 2016; Alexandria Fields, Diocese of Florida, Diocese of Costa Rica, Sept. 19, 2016; Alexa Henault, Diocese of Rhode Island, Diocese of Costa Rica, assignment began Sept. 19, 2016; Tristan Jacob Nicholas Holmberg, Diocese of Kansas, second year extension, Church of the Philippines, initial assignment began Sept. 24, 2015; Mitchell Honan, Diocese of Connecticut, Diocese of Haiti, assignment began July 7, 2016; Zachary Jeffers, Diocese of Upper South Carolina, chaplaincy assistant at the Mission to Seafarers in Hong Kong, assignment began Aug. 17, 2016; Katherine Jewett-Williams, Diocese of Dallas, Diocese of Liverpool, Anglican Church of England, assignment began Sept. 11, 2016; Jourdan Johnson, Diocese of Connecticut, Diocese of South Western Brazil, appointment began Dec. 15, 2016; Jack Karn, Diocese of Vermont, Jerusalem Peacebuilders and St. George’s Boys School in the Diocese of Jerusalem, appointment started Oct. 1, 2016; Emily Kirk, Diocese of East Tennessee, Diocese of Liverpool, assignment began Sept. 11, 2016; Elijah Lewis, Diocese of Upper South Carolina,  CASB Project in Cap-Haitien, Diocese of Haiti, assignment began July 7, 2016; Kellan Lyman, Diocese of Atlanta, Church in the Philippines, assignment began Sept. 12, 2016; Rachel McDaniel, Diocese of West Tennessee, UTO-YASC intern, Diocese of North Dakota; assignment started Sept. 1, 2016; Charles Merchant, Diocese of South Carolina,  Order of the Holy Cross Monastery, Diocese of Grahamstown, Church of the Province of South Africa, departure pending due to visa issues; Wilmot Merchant, Diocese of South Carolina, a Asian Rural Institute, Nippon Sei Ko Kai, appointment began Nov. 13, 2016; Brooklyn Payne, Diocese of Missouri, Diocese of Panama, assignment began Sept. 1, 2016; James Isaac Rose, Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, second year extension, Mission to Seafarers, Nippon Sei Ko Kai, initial assignment started Sept. 7, 2015; Tristan Tucker, Diocese of Springfield,  Church in the Philippines, assignment began Sept. 1, 2016; Bryan Alexis Velez Garcia, Diocese of Puerto Rico, second year extension, Diocese of Rio de Janeiro, Anglican Church of Brazil, initial assignment began Dec. 19, 2015 (WM014).

Express appreciation for mission companions who faithfully completed their term of service including the Rev. Honey Becker, Diocese of Hawaii, manager, St. George’s Guest House, Diocese of Jerusalem, Jan. 1, 2012- Aug. 31, 2016; the Rev. Ndungu Ikenye and Rose Ikenye, Diocese of Chicago, director of the Institute of Human Resources and Leadership and professor, St. Paul’s United Theological College, manager, Institute of Human Resources and Leadership respectively, Diocese of Thika, Church of the Province of Kenya, June 1, 2006-Dec. 31, 2016; the Rev. Donnel O’Flynn, Diocese of Central New York, English instructor, Diocese of Haiti, Aug. 1, 2015- Aug. 31, 2016; Heidi Schmidt, Diocese of New York, initially assigned as HIV/AIDS program assistant, Diocese of Grahamstown, Church of the Province of Southern Africa, later as coordination of missionary work, dioceses of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, Feb. 1, 2005-Dec. 31, 2016;  Monica Vega, Diocese of New York, Diocese of New York, initially assigned as HIV/AIDS program assistant, Diocese of Grahamstown, Church of the Province of Southern Africa, later as coordination of missionary work, dioceses of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, Feb. 1, 2005-Dec. 31, 2016 (WM015).

Express appreciation for Young Adult Service Corps volunteer companions who faithfully completed their term of service including Thomas Balch, Diocese of West Virginia, Diocese of Cape Town, Church of the Province of South Africa, Sept. 29, 2015-Aug. 31, 2016; Catherine Carscadden, Diocese of Virginia, Church of the Philippines, Sept. 24, 2015-Oct. 31, 2016; Mary Grace Benhase, Diocese of Georgia, St. John’s Cathedral, Hong Kong, Aug. 25, 2015-Sept. 30, 2015; Elizabeth Martin (Eliza) Brinkley, Diocese of North Carolina, CASB Project in Cap-Haitien, Diocese of Haiti, Sept. 15, 2015-Aug. 31, 2016; Andrew James Cameron, Diocese of Virginia, St. John’s Cathedral, Hong Kong, Aug. 25, 2015-July 31, 2016; James David Fitzpatrick, Diocese of Hawaii, Diocese of Panama, Sept. 14, 2015-Oct. 31, 2016;  Alejandra Garcia-Gonzalez, Diocese of Delaware, Diocese of Costa Rica, Aug. 27, 2015-April 30, 2016; Charles Graves, Diocese of Southern Ohio, St. Paul’s Within the Walls, Rome, Italy, Convocation of Churches in Europe, Sept. 15, 2015-Sept. 30, 2016; James Anthony Guandique, Diocese of Los Angeles, Fundación Cristosal, Diocese of El Salvador, Oct. 10, 2015-Nov. 30, 2016; Timothy Gardner Hamlin, Diocese of New York, Mariya uMama weThemba Monastery, Order of the Holy Cross, Diocese of Grahamstown, Church of the Province of South Africa, Sept. 21, 2015-Aug. 31, 2016; Annie Marie Jacob, Diocese of Virginia, Diocese of Liverpool, England, Nov. 6, 2015-July 31, 2016; Kayla Massey, Diocese of Upper South Carolina, Diocese of Santiago, Episcopal Church in the Philippines, later as a UTO-YASC Intern at the Episcopal Church Center, Aug. 14, 2014-Sept. 30, 2016; Jacob Ryan Nastruz, Diocese of Iowa, Diocese of Johannesburg, Church of the Province of Southern Africa, Oct. 15, 2015-Aug. 31, 2016; Lacey Leigh Oliver, Diocese of Tennessee, HOPE Africa, Diocese of Cape Town, Church of the Province of Southern Africa, Sept. 23, 2015-Aug. 31, 2016; Eric Matthew Panter, Diocese of Texas, Church of the Philippines, Sept. 24, 2015- Oct. 31, 2016; Andrew Stevenson Russell, Diocese of Virginia and Diocese of Southern Virginia,  Carpenters Kids, Diocese of Central Tanganyika, Church of the Province of Tanzania, Aug. 27, 2015-Aug. 31, 2016; Paola Andrea Sanchez Figueroa, Diocese of Puerto Rico, St. Paul’s Within the Walls, Rome, Italy, Convocation of Churches in Europe, Sept. 15, 2015-July 31, 2016; Ellen Sofia Sandin, Diocese of Los Angeles, Diocese of Southern Brazil, Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil, Jan. 10, 2016-July 31, 2016; Rachel Lynn Schnabel, Diocese of Southwest Florida, Diocese of Brasilia, Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil, Nov. 21, 2015-Dec. 31, 2016; Katherine Elizabeth Snow, Diocese of Virginia, Diocese of Costa Rica, Aug. 27, 2015-Aug. 31, 2016; Emilie Jeannette Street, Diocese of Mississippi, El Espíritu Santo Bilingual School, Tela, Diocese of Honduras, Aug. 8, 2015-July 31, 2016; Eleanor Grace (Elly) Withers, Diocese of North Carolina, Diocese of Panama, Sept. 8, 2015-Oct. 31, 2016 (WM016).

Recognize renewal of companion relationship between Diocese of Chicago and Diocese of Southeast Mexico for an additional five years, unless extended or terminated by mutual consent (WM017).

Recognize renewal of companion relationship between Diocese of Chicago and Diocese of Renk (South Sudan) for an additional five years, unless extended or terminated by mutual consent (WM018).

Approve the Seminarian Award Grants and Young Adult Grant Awards as proposed by United Thank Offering (WM019).

Commend to every Episcopalian for study the 2013 convergence statement published by the World Council of Churches, The Church: Towards a Common Vision; that secretary of Executive Council send a copy of this resolution to all seminaries and theological learning centers in Provinces I-IX, encouraging students and faculty to study and comment on this document; that the secretary send a copy of this resolution to ecumenical officer in the dioceses; that the secretary send a copy of this resolution to the secretary of the House of Bishops, which is encouraged to study and formally respond to this important document; that the secretary be directed to post the text of the statement on the DFMS website with a provision for individuals to post a personal comment (WM020).

Express thanks and appreciation to: the Rev. Ellen K. Wondra, Chicago, Illinois; the Rev. Christopher M. Agnew, King George, Virginia; the Rt. Rev. John C. Bauerschmidt, Nashville, Tennessee; Canon Noreen Duncan, Trenton, New Jersey; Richard J. Mammana, New Haven, Connecticut; Elizabeth Ring, Portland, Maine; the Rev. Aida Consuelo Sanchez Navarro, Tegucigalpa, Honduras; the Rt. Rev. Alan Scarfe, Des Moines, Iowa; the Rev. David Simmons, Waukesha, Wisconsin; and Episcopal Church Center staff members the Rev. C.K. Robertson and the Rev. Margaret Rose for their careful, thoughtful work in drafting a proposed response to the 2013 statement issued by the World Council of Churches entitled The Church: Towards a Common Vision, a convergence statement that has been developed over the last thirty years by the World Council of Churches Commission on Faith and Order; and that the title of proposed response be changed to “A Draft of a Proposed Response of the Episcopal Church to The Church: Towards a Common Vision” and then be posted by the Secretary of Executive Council along a copy of this resolution on the DFMS website; acknowledge that the World Council has invited all member churches to respond formally to this significant document; that the secretary of Executive Council be directed to send a copy of this resolution, as well as all resolutions related to this topic, to those listed above (WM021).

Acknowledges receipt of proposed draft response from an ad hoc committee of the Episcopal Church to 2013 statement issued by the World Council of Churches entitled The Church: Towards a Common Vision, a convergence statement that has been developed over the last thirty years by the WCC’s Commission on Faith and Order; title to be changed to “A Draft of a Proposed Response of the Episcopal Church to The Church: Towards a Common Vision”; acknowledge that the World Council has invited all member churches to respond formally; council, as the body authorized to act on behalf of the General Convention between its triennial meetings, directs the secretary of Executive Council to submit this proposed, draft response to the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches along with a copy of this resolution no later than March 31, 2017, clearly noting in a cover letter that a final and definitive response from the Episcopal Church must await formal and final action by the General Convention of this Church (WM022).

Approve amended charter between the Episcopal Church in the Philippines and the Episcopal Church (WM023).

Authorize treasurer to provide a grant of up to $500,000 to sustain the ministry of Episcopal Migration Ministries during 2017; program funding for 2018 will be considered as necessary; director of EMM, with the assistance of the treasurer, to develop sustainability plan reflecting needs, critical operations and accountability for these funds; plan to be subject to the approval of the chairs of Finances for Mission and World Mission in collaboration with chair and treasurer (WM024).