Explanation

This resolution was submitted by the Diocese of Arkansas after having been adopted at its 151st Diocesan Convention in February 2023. The resolution directs the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church to do the difficult and discerning work of planning for our future as a denomination, just as dioceses and congregations have had to engage the difficult and discerning work of identifying ministry priorities with finite resources. With over $400 million in endowments, The Episcopal Church presently has an annualized budget of $50 million, $28 million of which is made up by diocesan commitments. We recognize that a shift of this magnitude would have significant ministerial and managerial implications for the larger church, which is why we ask for it to be phased in over the next several years. We believe keeping more resources at the diocesan and congregational level better enables us to share the Good News of God’s love for all.

The current assessment rate for dioceses in The Episcopal Church is 15% on income from two years prior. In 2023, the Diocese of Arkansas’s assessment based on that rate was $203,069.40. By contrast, a 10% assessment of the same period would be $135,379.60. The difference, $67,689.80, would make a significant and measurable impact on diocesan and congregational ministries in our diocese. The same would be true for dioceses across the church.