[Episcopal News Service – Linthicum Heights, Maryland] During its Nov. 15-18 meeting here,

The Episcopal Church’s Executive Council adopted multiple resolutions, which are summarized below.

Courtesy resolution

* Gratefully acknowledge the work, diligence, reliability and broad knowledge of the General Convention exhibited by General Convention Office staff member Cheryl Dawkins, both during its triennial meetings, and in the intervening three year periods; give thanks for her over 45 years of ministry and service to The Episcopal Church; resolution is “adopted in gratitude for her presence, life, and work among us.”

Advocacy and Networking for Mission

* Affirm Jubilee Ministries, including Canterbury House Episcopal Campus Ministry, Houghton, Michigan, Diocese of Northern Michigan; St. Elizabeth’s Essentials Pantry, Portland, Maine, Diocese of Maine; St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Spokane, Washington, Diocese of Spokane; Ministry with the Aging, Charlottesville, Virginia, Diocese of Virginia; St. John the Baptist Ministries, Orlando, Florida, Diocese of Central Florida; Domestic Outreach Ministries Buck Mountain Episcopal Church’ Earlysville, Virginia, Diocese of Virginia; Church of the Good Shepherd, Knoxville, Tennessee, Diocese of East Tennessee; St. John’s Episcopal Church, Marysville, California, Diocese of Northern California; St. Nicholas’ Episcopal Church, Paradise, California, Diocese of Northern California; St. George’s Episcopal Church Community Outreach, Bradenton, Florida, Diocese of Southwest Florida; Wonderful Days Preschool, St. James’ Episcopal Church, Marietta, Georgia, Diocese of Atlanta (AN001).

* Express sorrow and grief for those who died, those injured, and those for whom peace has been shattered by the recent acts of terrorism in Paris and Beirut; receive the challenge extended by Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe Bishop Pierre Whalon; accept the exhortation of American Cathedral in Paris Dean the Very Rev. Lucinda Laird; challenge Episcopalians “to turn to Jesus and pray for guidance, wisdom, and courage as we seek God’s path of grace and peace even in the darkness of this current moment; as an act of prayerful remembering recommend to all Episcopal Church congregations of the use of “A Litany of Peace in the Holy Land” during Advent 2015 (AN002).

* Affirm racial reconciliation and justice to be a primary focus of the work of The Episcopal Church and the council in the 2016-2018 triennium; “that our commitment to racial reconciliation be reflected in the distribution of the treasures of our church, especially the financial resources of our church during this triennium” (AN003)

* Express deep appreciation to Dr. Keri Day “for her moving and challenging words regarding racial justice and reconciliation and her commitment” to racial reconciliation and justice; that at its first meeting council “commit[s] ourselves to the hard work of education and transformation, cultural sensitivity and modeling racial justice and racial reconciliation work as a Gospel mandate” (AN004).

Advocacy and Networking for Mission and Finances for Mission

* Establish Executive Council Economic Justice Loan Committee to be responsible for overseeing the assets set aside by General Convention and Executive Council for loans that support greater economic justice by enhancing people’s ability to improve their economic well-being and empowering the powerless and oppressed; committee is to be made up of a minimum of five persons nominated by the presiding officers and appointed by council from the Executive Council Investment Committee, Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility and other appropriate persons; committee to report to council at least annually through Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility or Investment Committee; loan criteria are to be approved by council (AN-FM007)

* Establish Executive Council Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility to be responsible for researching social responsibility records of corporations whose stock is held in DFMS portfolios and recommending courses of action based on the positions established by General Convention and council; membership will consist of nine members, including at least one bishop, one priest or deacon and one lay person; one member of council’s Joint Standing Committee on Finances for Mission, one member of the Investment Committee, and one member of council’s Joint Standing Committee on Advocacy and Networking for Mission; members to be jointly nominated by presiding officers and elected by council (AN-FM008)

Finances for Mission

* Rename Trust Fund 1074 Trinity Episcopal Church Unrestricted Music Fund (2014) as the Dennis G. Case Music Fund (2014), fund belongs to Trinity Episcopal Church, Staunton, Virginia (FFM001)

* Establish Trust Fund 1121, Robert and Orlean Holsinger Property Fund, as an investment account for Trinity Episcopal Church in Staunton, Virginia (FFM002)

* Establish Trust Fund 1122, Episcopal Diocese of Lexington, FBO Northern Kentucky Reserve, as an investment account for the Episcopal Diocese in Lexington (FFM003)

* Establish Trust Fund 1123, Episcopal Diocese of Lexington, FBO St. Martha’s Growth, as an investment account for the Episcopal Diocese in Lexington (FFM004)

* Approve revised official travel guidelines for the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (DFMS) (FFM005)

* Establish Trust Fund 1124 as an investment account for the Diocese of Nebraska (FFM006)

* Establish Trust Fund 1125, Brotherhood of St. Gregory Benevolent Trust, be established as an investment account for BSG Benevolent Trust in South Salem, New York (FFM007)

* Authorize deputy chief operating officer and director of mission to use income distributed during 2016 from Trust Fund 809, up to $339,817.76, for educational and theological programs (including continuing education and individual scholarships) as recommended by the Commission on Theological Education for Latin America and the Caribbean (CETALC) at its meeting in Bogota, Columbia, in August 2015; disbursement conditional upon the receipt of appropriate documentation to secure financial and operational accountability acceptable to director of mission and treasurer (FFM008)

* Extend thanks to those who have included The Episcopal Church in their wills and recognize their generosity, including Elizabeth T. Bell Charitable Remainder Trust, Ellen T. Brown and The Trustees of the Episcopal Fund of the Diocese of New Jersey (former Church of the Holy Communion, Fair Haven, New Jersey) (FFM009)

* Establish Trust Fund 1126, Diocese of West Missouri – Botswana, be established as an investment account for the Diocese of West Missouri in Kansas City (FFM010)

* Establish Trust Fund 1127, Henry and Catherine Barclay Endowment Fund, as an investment account for Trinity Episcopal Church in Saugerties, New York (FFM011)

* Establish Trust Fund 1128, Guy W. Sackett Endowed Trust, as an investment account for St. George Episcopal Church in Jacksonville, Florida (FFM012)

* Establish Trust Fund 1129, Sackett Projects Fund, as an investment account for St. George Episcopal Church in Jacksonville, Florida (FFM013)

* Elects members of the Executive Council Investment Committee, including David Alvarez Roldan, Puerto Rico; Michael Kerr, Virginia, the Rt. Rev. Rodney Michel, Pennsylvania; the Rev. Deacon Waring Partridge, The Virgin Islands; Maibeth Porter, Alabama; Ronald Radcliff, South Carolina; Dena Frith Moore, Virginia; Owen D. Thomas, New York; member of FFM (to be appointed); Kurt Barnes, treasurer (FFM014)

* Set the dividend rate for 2016 for the DFMS trust fund portfolios available to support the operating budget of DFMS at $1.01 per share based on 5.0% of the average yearend market values of the portfolio for the five years ending 2014; set the dividend rate for 2015 for trust funds in the DFMS endowment portfolio that are not available to support the operating budget of DFMS at $1.01 per share based on 5.0% of the average yearend market values of the portfolio for the five years ending 2014 (FFM015)

* Accept audited financial statements covering fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 (FFM016)

* Accept recommendation of Joint Audit Committee of the Executive Council and the DFMS and approve appointment of Grant Thornton, LLP, to audit all accounts under the management or control of the council and the DMFS for year ending December 31, 2015 (FFM017)

* Elect Joint Audit Committee of the Executive Council and the DFMS members including

Diocese of Texas Bishop Suffragan Jeff W. Fisher, Michele Racusin (Diocese of San Joaquin), Delbert Glover (Diocese of Rhode Island), G. William Haas (Diocese of New York), Bryan W. Krislock (Diocese of Olympia), Nancy Koonce (Diocese of Idaho) (FMM018)

* Approve 2016 housing allowances for clergy employees of DFMS, pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 107 and Internal Revenue Service Regulations S1.107 (FFM019)

* Approve creation of a Sub-Committee on Review of Grant Processes to review current processes and recommend to council any changes or additions deemed advisable; to be appointed jointly by the presiding officers of two members each from the Joint Standing Committees on Finances for Mission and Governance and Administration for Mission, one member each from the Joint Standing Committees on Advocacy and Networking for Mission, Local Mission and Ministry and World Mission; sub-committee would sunset upon completion of its assigned duty; member of the finance office will provide staff support for the work (FFM020)

Local Mission and Ministry

* Acknowledge that Executive Council Committee on Indigenous Ministries has terminated due to the sunset provisions of council’s by-laws and Rules of Order; thank all those who participated on the committee for “their faithful efforts in addressing the ministry needs of Indigenous faith communities’; state intent to create a body to assist in promoting the development of indigenous (native American) ministries; in order to help council discern he proper way to form such a body request that presiding officers appoint ad hoc committee with representatives from Finance for Mission, Advocacy and Networking for Mission, and Local Ministry and Mission to confer with bishops of Navajoland, North Dakota, South Dakota and Alaska, and with presiding officers or representatives, and make recommendations to next meeting council (LMM001)

World Mission

* Ratify election of Rosalie Ballentine, Sophie Hollingsworth, David Killeen, John A. MacKinnon and Laura Ellen Muglia Episcopal Relief & Development board members in the class of 2018 (WM001)

* Approve the 2016 United Thank Offering Grant Focus and Criteria (WM002)