A031 Translate Reconciliation Resources into Spanish
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,
That this 81th General Convention of The Episcopal Church (“TEC”) hereby strongly encourages Language Coordinator Services work with the Office of Ethnic Ministries, the Office of Racial Reconciliation, and the Executive Council Committee on Anti-Racism & Reconciliation to translate key racial reconciliation resources into Spanish that will further the Church’s efforts toward dismantling racism and achieving racial justice and healing; and be it further
Resolved, that the sum of $50,000 be set aside for carrying out this work which is figured on a per word basis.
Explanation
1 Corinthians 14:9-13 says:
“9 So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, 11 but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. 12 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. 13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.”
Why, indeed, should the Church speak to those for whom English is not their first language how will they know what we have said? How can we be one Church? As the passage says, we are called to interpret what we say.
Since English and Spanish are the most widely used languages without any doubt, their translations are incredibly crucial to the life of the Church. General Convention Resolution 1988-A035 Encourage Spanish-speaking Provinces to Translate Church Documents encouraged Spanish-speaking Provinces to Translate Church Documents. This has been found insufficient and unfair by the Church. Several General Convention Resolutions (including 2018-A070 Create New Translations of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and 2018-C024 Propose a Process for Liturgical Translations) were passed with the aim of translating various liturgical resources into Spanish. Some of this has been accomplished. However, discussions with staff at Church Headquarters have revealed that funding is insufficient to complete these translations and that none of them provide funding to translate resources around dismantling racism and achieving racial justice and healing. This resolution asks that the Church stay true to God’s teachings and its commitment to translating key documents with a focus on those related to racial reconciliation so that the whole Church can do the critical work of dismantling racism and achieving racial justice and healing.