Resolution 1:
Assessment Formula Task Force
Last Update: October 21, 2025
Status
The 176th Convention, meeting on October 18, adopted this resolution as presented.
Resolution Text:
Resolved, That the 176th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of California establishes an Assessment Formula Task Force to work in collaboration with the Executive Council and Finance Committee to evaluate the current diocesan assessment formula and to propose a revised assessment formula and/or assessment methodology;
Resolved, That the Assessment Formula Task Force will consist of at least nine members appointed by the Bishop, including representatives from congregations of diverse sizes, means, and geographic locations, as well as members with financial and canonical expertise, striving to be to be equitable, transparent, sustainable, and supportive of the shared mission of the Diocese and its congregations;
Resolved, That the Assessment Formula Task Force is directed to seek input from congregational leaders and diocesan bodies throughout its process; and
Resolved, That the Assessment Formula Task Force, in collaboration with the Executive Council, will present its final report to the 177th Convention of the Diocese, to include a proposed assessment formula and/or assessment methodology for review and adoption by the Convention and submission to the Finance Committee by April 1, 2027 in accordance with Canon 18.02(e) for use in calculating assessments for fiscal year 2028.
Explanation:
This resolution is offered in the belief that The Episcopal Church, including the Diocese of California, is committed to mutual support and generosity, recognizing each congregation’s financial stewardship as a faithful response to God’s abundance, strengthening all members of the Diocese to participate more fully in God’s mission in the world.
The resolution addresses long-standing concerns about the fairness and transparency of the current diocesan assessment formula. It calls for the creation of a representative Assessment Formula Task Force that will work closely with the Executive Council to lead a thorough and consultative review process. The resolution affirms the vital role congregations play in equipping their members to carry out God’s work in the world, advancing the diocesan mission of compassion, justice, and spiritual vitality across the diverse communities of the Bay Area. The goal is to develop an assessment formula and/or assessment methodology that both reflects the varying capacities of congregations and sustains the ministries of the Diocese.
Fiscal Impact:
This resolution would have no impact on the 2027 budget. The impact on the 2028 budget will depend on the findings and recommendations of the task force and the resulting actions taken by the 2026 and 2027 Conventions.
Submitted by:
Paul Fromberg – St. Gregory of Nyssa, San Francisco (contact: paulfromberg@saintgregorys.org); Lori Walton – St. James, Fremont; Hannah Cornthwaite – Holy Innocents, San Francisco; Phil Brochard – All Souls, Berkeley; Liz Tichenor – Resurrection, Pleasant Hill; Sarah Stewart – St. Paul, Burlingame; Will Scott – St. Anselm, Lafayette; Laura Eberly – St. James, Oakland.
“The resolution addresses long-standing concerns about the fairness and transparency of the current diocesan assessment formula.” Would the resolution benefit from clarification about where the concerns come from (such as particular clergy, or particular congregations)?
Could the resolution clarify what a “representative Assessment Formula Task Force” is, and how it might “work closely with the Executive Council to lead a thorough and consultative review process”? How would that process differ from a thorough and consultative assessment review undertaken in 2022, which showed that DioCal assessments are generally comparable across similar dioceses?
Does the Resolution presume that no “thorough and consultative review process” exists currently?
I think it is important work to produce data on the issue of whether our assessments are excessive or disproportionate or not, and to publish the data for all in the diocese.
Doing so will should address narratives (referred to as “long-standing concerns” in the resolution) of too-high assessments that contradict the 2022 study conducted by the Treasurer through the Executive Council, which indicted that assessments are in the mid-range of similar dioceses, and that the diocese is too reliant on assessments.
The work of the task force should also include identifying diocesan income and fundraising options that will feasibly replace any assessment reduction so as to avoid the burden on missions and smaller churches as a result of assessment relief for better-resourced parishes.
In terms of how “representative” this task force is, , the resolution should state specifically in the first paragraph that the task force will include *equal numbers* of representatives from each of:
-mission congregations
-parishes higher income (establish a threshold)
-parishes of lower income (establish a threshold)
-representatives from each deanery
Will all members be clergy in charge of congregations as the resolution sponsorship indicates, or will it include a balance of lay and ordained members?
Specifying guidelines for inclusivity would ensure objective perspectives.
I agree about the need for data. Would that be one of the roles of this task force? Or who would assemble that information?
A question has been raised about whether this resolution is redundant in view of a similar provision in the Strategic Vision Plan (SVP). After careful consideration, the Committee on Resolutions has concluded that the resolution is not redundant because (1) the SVP is a plan, not an instruction from the Convention, (2) the resolution, if adopted, would provide clear support from the Convention, and (3) the resolution includes additional instructions about the composition of the task force not found in the draft of the SVP that was available to the committee.