[Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs] At the October meeting, the Episcopal Church Executive Council approved grants totaling $421,000 for church planting and Mission Enterprise Zones.

Resolution D005  and Resolution A012  approved by General Convention in July 2015 authorized new funding for church plants and Mission Enterprise Zones throughout the Episcopal Church. Newly created grants have been and will be awarded to dioceses exploring possibilities for new initiatives or expansion. The funding also calls for the creation of a community of practice for equipping the church with resources for assessment, coaching, networking, and the sharing of best practices.

Grants
The 11 initiatives approved include two new church plants, four hybrid church plants/Mission Enterprise Zones, three Mission Enterprise Zones, and one discernment grant.

Listed by category, grants were awarded to:

New Church Plants
• Grovetown Episcopal Mission, Diocese of Georgia and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA); $100,000
• Bethesda Episcopal Church, Diocese of Central Florida; $100,000
Total for category $200,000

Hybrid Church Plants/Mission Enterprise Zones
• Justice, Healing and Reconciliation Center, Diocese of Iowa; $75,000
• Table 229, Diocese of Minnesota; $20,000
• Church at Crossroads, Diocese of Michigan; $25,000
• St. John’s Ohio City, Diocese of Ohio; $31,000
Total for category $151,000

Mission Enterprise Zones
• Appleton Episcopal Ministries, Diocese of Atlanta; $20,000
• South Sudanese Congregation, Diocese of Virginia; $20,000
• Teens of Santa Cruz County, Diocese of El Camino Real; $20,000
Total for category $60,000

Discernment Grants
• Evangelizando con Los Lencas//Evangelizing with the Le Lencas, Diocese of Honduras; $5,000
• Kairos West Community Center, Diocese of Western NC; $5,000
Total for category $10,000

Next deadline
Applications will be reviewed as they are received until all of the funds have been granted.  Application, guidelines and information are available here.

More information about each of these new ministries is here.

Detailed info in the new plants can be found here.

For information, contact the Rev. Mike Michie at mmichie@episcopalchurch.org.