A067 Rebranding the Parochial Report
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring,
That the 81st General Convention commends the rebranding of the Parochial Report to the Executive Council; and be it further
Resolved, That the General Convention Office continue to work with the Executive Council and other partners to refine the parochial report form by asking better, more precise, and fewer questions; and be it further
Resolved, That the General Convention commend Bishops, Diocesan structures, lay leaders, clergy, outside organizations, and experts in the field to commence this work outside of the parochial report process, including use of Page 5 of the parochial report form to ask questions specific to the Diocesan context; and be it further
Resolved, That the General Convention commend the open sharing and collaboration of information, data, research, and findings on congregational vitality across the church.
Explanation
The Episcopal Church website describes the parochial report as a “rite of passage.” There is in the church a terror of filling out the parochial report. Some even have names for it that do not lift it up as a tool for knowing ourselves, congregations, and mission. Some make jokes about where the 3,000 in Acts were recorded.
We often begin the discourse about the parochial report with disparaging comments about numbers and their lack of importance to the Gospel mission. Yet, the goal is to make each of us aware of the good work we share in across the Episcopal Church revealing the impact we have upon the lives of our parishioners and those in the wider communities in which we find our diverse missionary efforts.
We can even envision using the process of preparing the report as a tool for enhancing a congregation’s vitality.
The Task Force to Study Congregational Vitality Indicators does not believe that we can continue to make changes without considering the message that is sent with those changes. A new concern for narrative vitality, how the church and its interdependent agencies, and our collective mission we must rethink and communicate differently about our reasons for the parochial report.
Canonically this does not require a change, but an action by the office of General Convention with the wider communications office to communicate the hope that is within us as we share with joy the good news of mission at every outpost within the church.
We recognize as a Task Force that the wider church has added to the parochial report without removing questions. One interviewee pointed out that we have been very good at asking newer more relevant questions. Rebranding will not be enough to show the wider church that structures are listening to them. We will need to address fewer, more concise, and particular questions. We understand that the State of the Church Committee is working on the next parochial report, however, the trend towards better care of time is essential. As of the writing of this report the following are required by churches and dioceses: parochial report with its new outreach section and 5th page, the racial justice audit, safe church audit, and a host of committee and task force surveys inviting church opinion. We must decrease our gathered information to those things which help us get an accurate view of the “state of the church” being mindful that the church wide, diocesan, and local congregations experience different needs for information gathering and dissemination.