Resolution #4: 

Status

The 175th Convention passed this resolution as presented on Saturday, October 26, 2024.

Resolved, That the 175th Convention of the Diocese of California joins the 81st General Convention of The Episcopal Church in celebrating and supporting the ministry of deacons and especially the ministry of the Association of Episcopal Deacons (AED), as reflected in General Convention Resolution D023-2024;

Resolved, That this Convention strongly encourages the congregations of this diocese to support the work of AED by paying for membership in AED for each of their assigned deacons during 2025; and

Resolved, That this Convention requests that the Executive Council of the Diocese and its Committee on Program and Budget include support for AED in the diocesan budget, starting with fiscal year 2026, by paying for membership in AED for each of the active and retired deacons canonically resident in the Diocese of California.

Explanation:

The 81st General Convention passed Resolution D023 (https://www.vbinder.net/resolutions/653?house=HD&lang=en), which states in part: “That the Convention encourage individuals, congregations, seminaries, dioceses, and jurisdictions to support the work of AED by becoming members, participating in its conferences and activities, and engaging the work of diakonia in their own contexts.”

AED (https://www.episcopaldeacons.org/) is a membership association within The Episcopal Church whose mission is to increase the participation and involvement of all baptized persons in Christ’s diaconal ministry. This organization provides valuable resources for deacons that would otherwise not be available. (It should be noted that, historically, most deacons have been nonstipendiary or have received only nominal stipends; paying professional dues on their behalf would be a good way to support our deacons in their ministry.)

We are calling on the Diocese of California to help AED in their work of promoting and supporting deacons and their ministry. AED’s financial resources are limited, since most of its funding comes from membership dues. One way for the diocese to support AED is to ensure that all our deacons have a membership in the organization. Currently, membership is $100 per year for deacons under the age of 72 and $50 per year for deacons over the age of 72.

Submitted by: The Rev. Jon Owens, Christ Church, Sausalito

Endorsed by: The Diocese of California Council on Deacons; Deacon Pam Jester, All Saints’, San Leandro