A035 Establish Model Policies for Anti/Racism/Racial Reconciliation Work

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,

That the 81st General Convention of The Episcopal Church (“TEC”) recommit itself to the work of the Church as articulated first in the 70th General Convention in Resolution D-113 which called the Church to address racism inside our church, within society, and in our world; and be it further

Resolved, That TEC acknowledge that the times and circumstances demand that the Church better articulate a clear and firm commitment to Dismantling Racism, Racial Healing, and Justice and Reconciliation in a manner similar to how the Church addresses the protection of children and youth (commonly referred to as “Safe Church”); and be it further

Resolved, That the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies, not later than March 1, 2025, jointly appoint a Special Task Group of five to seven persons with experience in the use and development of Model Policies for Racial Reconciliation and Healing to create a set of Model Policies for Dismantling Racism, Racial Reconciliation, and Healing that addresses the following:

  • A screening and selection process for all clergy, lay employees, and lay leaders that requires training on racial reconciliation according to the Church’s teachings
  • The articulation of behavioral standards for clergy, lay employees, and lay volunteers considering:
    1. The prohibition of offensive language or actions to people of color
    2. The prohibition of any racially derogatory materials (magazines, cards, videos, films, clothing, etc.) on the Church premises or at Church events
  • Education and training for all clergy, lay employees, and lay leaders considering:
    1. Training be completed every 3 years to keep knowledge and skills top of mind.
    2. Specialized training for those who recruit, screen, or select persons to leadership positions
    3. A mechanism to certify that clergy and lay leaders have the knowledge specified at least at the Awareness level specified by the Framework for Anti-Racism/Reconciliation Training document as approved by the Church in Resolution 2018-A044
    4. Criteria for the certification of Seminaries and schools of theological education that ensures they provide training specified at least at the Awareness level specified by the Framework for Anti-Racism/Reconciliation Training document as approved by the Church in Resolution 2018-A044
    5. Guidelines for delivering anti-racism/reconciliation training to different racial audiences as begun by the Executive Council Committee on Anti-Racism and Reconciliation as supplements to the Framework for Anti-Racism & Reconciliation Training - engaging the Office of Ethnic Ministries to develop Ethnic-oriented Supplements to the Framework for Anti-Racism Training
  • Making the current Racial Justice Audit a permanent effort
  • Identification of a diocesan Racial Reconciliation Officer who will track and possibly coordinate racial reconciliation efforts across the diocese
  • Guidelines for accountability describing consequences when responding to concerns of:
    1. Discriminatory behavior toward people of color
    2. Lack of adherence to existing racial reconciliation resolutions

And be it further

Resolved, That the creation of these Model Policies for Racial Reconciliation and Healing be completed by September 31, 2025; and be it further

Resolved, That the Model Policies for Racial Reconciliation and Healing be promulgated after they are approved by the Special Task Group; and be it further

Resolved, That the Episcopal Church Center appoint a knowledgeable person to serve as a point of contact for dioceses to obtain information about complying with the Model Policies for Racial Reconciliation and Healing; and be it further

Resolved, That not later than June 30, 2026, Guidelines for Racial Reconciliation and Healing be created by each diocese to conform to the Model Policies for Racial Reconciliation and Healing with due regard to applicable local laws on the subject matters of the Model Policies for Racial Reconciliation and Healing; and be it further

Resolved, That all dioceses annually confirm, in writing or by email or through a survey mechanism, to a designated office in the Episcopal Church Center, that the diocese's Guidelines conform to the Model Policies for Racial Reconciliation and Healing.

Explanation

Church-wide work toward racial healing begun in the 70th General Convention in Resolution D-113 has seen several resolutions at subsequent General Convention resolutions affirming the work and encouraging training of all leaders, ordained and lay. Data gathered by ECCAR as part of its mandate and by the Presiding Bishop's staff in the form of the Racial Justice Audit have found many entities within the Church doing this work. But it has, also, found many not living into those resolutions.  

Knowledge and capabilities around racial reconciliation should be as important as knowledge and capabilities around the Protection of Children and Youth (commonly referred to as “Safe Church”). If the Church is really serious about eliminating racism and healing, we should not allow anyone to be appointed or elected to a position in the Church without having the knowledge agreed upon as the Church’s teachings as described in Resolution 2018-A044 Set Essential Components of Anti-Racism or Racial Reconciliation Training. Many of the Church’s leaders such as Catherine Meeks from the Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing are frustrated by the lack of accountability for adhering to the many resolutions that have already been passed but have not been lived into. This resolution would put structure to the call for the entire church to live into these resolutions thus building the capacity of the church to truly dismantle racism and bring healing to the world. This resolution is modeled after resolutions 2003-B008 Protect Children and Youth from Abuse and 2015A073 Update Model Policies for Protection of Children and Youth and would help hold the Church accountable for the work we have said over and over again we wish to do.

The Church has broadened its focus beyond just anti-racism to racial reconciliation as described in Resolution 2018-B004 Urge Common Terminology to Describe Anti-Racism Work. This resolution moves the Church toward that broader focus.

Clergy are trained at seminaries across the country. Most seminaries have not provided sufficient training on dismantling racism, racial reconciliation, justice, and healing. Thus many clergy do not start their careers with the knowledge they need to have to support this work. This resolution would set a minimum standard for racial reconciliation training provided by seminaries at which clergy are educated.

The Episcopal Church Canon Article III requires that clergy must complete what is considered the Church's “training on anti-racism”. This means one could claim that simply by watching a half-hour online video about racism they have met this requirement. Experts in this work agree that this “one and done” approach is not sufficient to move the church forward in dismantling racism and achieving racial justice and healing. This resolution addresses this issue by requiring that the required training be more comprehensive and that training should be repeated every 3 years to maintain an appropriate level of knowledge.

The Episcopal Church Canon Article III applies only to clergy. But as identified in multiple General Convention resolutions such as 2000-B049 Require Anti-Racism Training, 2018-A045 Reaffirm and Report on Anti-Racism Training, and 2018-A015 Direct Interim Bodies to Undergo Anti-Racism Training we also need all lay leaders to have the knowledge of the Church's training on anti-racism and racial reconciliation toward dismantling racism and achieving racial justice and healing, especially those at the parish level, if we are to truly make progress. This resolution would make that requirement apply not only to clergy but also to lay leaders across the Church.