At the Environmental Stewardship and Creativity Legislative Hearing on May 7, 2024, Kansas Bishop Kathleen Bascom spoke in favor of her proposed bill, B002, “Building a Significant Impact Ecoregion Creation Network.” gave testimony.Photo: Screenshot
[Episcopal News Service] The General Assembly's Environmental Stewardship and Creative Care Legislative Committee on May 7 heard testimony on three resolutions calling on bishops and dioceses to participate in and support the Episcopal Communion Forests Initiative, and to encourage bishops and dioceses to support local creative care. He called for the construction of a care network.
Forty-nine people attended the virtual hearings of the House of Bishops and House of Commons committees. Although the two committees are separate, they usually meet together to deliberate. If finalized, the resolution will proceed to the 81st General Assembly, to be held June 23-28 in Louisville, Kentucky.
All who testified supported the resolution. A complete list of resolutions can be found here.
Two of the resolutions, A022 “Supporting the Anglican Communion Forest Initiative” and A024 “Participating in the Communion Forest Initiative”, were adopted by the Task Force on Creation and Environmental Racism and the Global It was proposed by the Missionary Standing Committee. Both resolutions call for the Anglican Church to join the Communion Forest. This initiative is an effort to support forest protection, tree cultivation, and ecosystem restoration among states, dioceses, and congregations across the Anglican Communion.
The Rev. Nuriya Love, a priest and assistant priest for the Diocese of West Michigan, proposed combining A022 and A024.
Kansas Bishop Kathleen C. Bascom proposed B002, “Building Ecoregion Creation Networks with Significant Impact.'' The resolution calls on the General Conference to encourage and equip bishops and dioceses to work together to form strategic “ecoregion creation networks” based on common ecosystems and watersheds. The network will participate in projects aimed at slowing climate change through the preservation and restoration of local plants, agricultural systems, and food systems. Once implemented, production fellows and consultants will navigate the network, gathering data about participating members, projects and properties, and tracking progress.
The proposed budget for the implementation of the regional network is $150,000, spread evenly over three years.
“Great works have come our way. [diocese’s] Care Creation Task Force and staff,” Bascom said at the hearing. “many [the work is] It's been done through grants and eco-fellows, but I don't think much has been done consistently within the overall work and network budgets. ”
Learn more about the Diocese of Kansas' efforts to restore prairie grasses here.
The Rev. Jerry Capel, pastor of St. James Episcopal Church in Shelbyville, Kentucky, and environmental network coordinator for Province IV, said in support of B002:I speak in favor of achieving the original goal of organizing a meaningful network of ministries based on equal territory, as called for in this resolution. …As we work locally, we welcome this partnership and look forward to deepening and broadening our efforts. ”
The committee also discussed plans for upcoming budget hearings, the next scheduled for May 14. The members of the subcommittee were also finalized. The subcommittee was divided into small conference rooms.
The next public hearing on environmental stewardship and creative considerations is scheduled for May 14th. The committee will hear testimony on five proposed resolutions.
The general tournament is episcopal church. It meets as a bicameral parliament every three years and divides its powers between the bicameral parliament and the bicameral parliament. lower house And that bishop's house It is made up of members from each parish.
– Shireen Kokzan is a reporter and associate editor for Episcopal News Service based in northern Indiana. Contact her at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.
