1
Slavery and Racial Reconciliation
2 Protection of Groundwater as a Public Trust Resource and Part of Earth's
Cycle Necessary for All Life
3 Diocesan Assessment
4 A Resolution Establishing Minimum Clergy Compensation
5 A Resolution to Establish a Process for Determining
Minimum Clergy Compensation
6 A Resolution to urge the communities
of the Abrahamic religious traditions to work for the establishment of
a just and lasting peace in the Middle East
1 Slavery and Racial Reconciliation
RESOLVED, That the 174th Convention of the Diocese of Vermont concur with Resolution A123 of the 75th General Convention of The Episcopal Church in its declaration that the institution of slavery in the United States and anywhere else in the world, based as it is on ownership of some persons by other persons, was and is a sin and a fundamental betrayal of the humanity and dignity of all persons who were involved, a sin that continues to plague our common life in the Church and our culture; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Diocese of Vermont commit to initiate a comprehensive program of collecting and documenting the extent to which (a) the Diocese of Vermont may have been complicit in the institution of slavery and in the subsequent history of segregation and discrimination, (b) Scripture may have been used by members of the Episcopal Church in Vermont to support the institution of slavery, and (c) the Episcopal Church and its parishes in Vermont derived economic benefits from the institution of slavery; and be it further
RESOLVED, That this Convention direct the Dismantling Racism Commission to take the lead in this effort, and direct the Diocesan Council to monitor the program and report to the 175th Diocesan Convention about the progress of this collection and documentation; and be it further
RESOLVED, That this Convention commit our Diocese to mark the commencement of this program with a Service of Repentance on or near a Day of Repentance to be designated by the Presiding Bishop.
EXPLANATION
(1) In Resolution A123 passed at the 2006 General Convention of The Episcopal
Church, the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops concurred in expressing
regret that (a) The Episcopal Church lent the institution of slavery
its support and justification based on Scripture, and (b) after slavery
was formally abolished, The Episcopal Church continued for at least
a century to support de jure and de facto segregation and discrimination.
The resolution also states that The Episcopal Church apologizes for
its complicity in and the injury done by the institution of slavery
and its aftermath; we repent of this sin and ask God’s
grace and forgiveness. An obvious way for our diocese to respond to this General
Convention resolution is to learn and acknowledge how the Diocese of Vermont
was complicit in this sin and to join with the presiding bishop and other people
in The Episcopal Church in formal acts of confession and repentance.
(2) In 2007, our diocese will begin celebrating the 175 anniversary of the formation of the Diocese of Vermont and the election of the Rev. John Henry Hopkins as the fist bishop of the diocese. As we remember the contribution that Bishop Hopkins made to the diocese and the wider church, it is appropriate that we gain a clear understanding of his position regarding slavery and the role he had in The Episcopal Church’s response to the institution of slavery.
(3) On March 25, 1807, the British Parliament passed the act to abolish the slave trade. In the coming year, the bicentenary of that act will be celebrated in many parts of the Anglican Communion. This is an appropriate time for Episcopalians in Vermont to study the history of the slave trade and how we benefited from it. As the United Kingdom’s “Set All Free” working group on the Bicentenary states, “The Church was part of the problem centuries ago, and needs to be part of the solution today.” History shows that Christian scriptures were used to justify the enslavement of millions of Africans, and individual Christians and Churches benefited financially from the slave trade.…The bicentenary offers the Church a wonderful opportunity to finish off the good work started by William Wilberforce and others, who, in their efforts to end slavery, failed to dismantle the structures and systems that oppressed Africans. As a result we live in a world that is blighted by racism, fear, and ignorance.”
(4) There are many resources available for parishes and individuals to use in doing the kind of historical research and spiritual reflection that is called for at this particular time in our history.
Sponsored by the following members of the Diocese of Vermont Deputation to General Convention: Anne Brown, the Rev. John Morris, Peter Galbraith, the Rev. Diane Root, Tom Little, Stan Baker, and the Rev. Lee Crawford; by the following members of the Dismantling Racism Commission: the Rev. Nancy Vogele, Margy Zabriskie, Blanche Cooper, Naima Wade, Constance Quimby, Laura Chase; and by the Rev. Thad Bennett.
2 Protection of Groundwater as a Public Trust Resource and Part of Earth’s Cycle Necessary for All Life
RESOLVED, That the Diocese of Vermont express support to appropriate legislative committee chairs and to the Governor of Vermont for efforts to create maps of Vermont's groundwater resources; and be it further
RESOLVED, That this Convention express support to appropriate legislative committee chairs and to the Governor of Vermont for the concept of groundwater as a public trust resource; and be it further
RESOLVED, That this Convention encourage parishes and members to understand where their water comes from to the extent possible, and to understand factors that influence its quality and quantity.
Proposed by: The Earth Care Circle of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul
EXPLANATION
Groundwater
is an aspect of God’s Creation under threats of contamination and
depletion. Clean, healthy water is essential for human health and for
ecological health as well. Water should be considered a part of the commons,
accessible to all for the common good, rather than a product sold for
profit. Diversion of groundwater for profit is already occurring
in Vermont, depleting the water resource for others whose wells and springs
are going dry, and degrading a trout stream nearby. Lack of knowledge
of groundwater availability can lead to its depletion when too many people
draw upon the same aquifer or source of groundwater.
Act 144 (H. 294 passed by the Vermont Legislature in 2006) establishes an interim groundwater withdrawal permit program to regulate commercial and industrial groundwater withdrawals over 50,000 gallons a day, creates a task force charged with making recommendations on whether groundwater should be declared a public trust resource, and urges the State to obtain funding for groundwater mapping from the US Geological Survey and EPA. Both House representatives from Randolph were among the majority supporting this legislation. Passing this resolution would help move the process forward by showing that our Diocese supports the concept of groundwater as a public trust resource.
RESOLVED,
That the 174th Convention of the Diocese of Vermont adopt the following
recommendations from the Diocesan Assessment Task Force effective January
1, 2007:
1. That Parish Support for Diocesan Ministry is assessed at a rate of
15% of net operating income with a 10% cap on annual increase for any
congregation.
2. That assistance to congregations from the diocese for their operating
budgets is excluded from the calculation, so that the assessment is based
on line A of the Parochial Report.
3. That congregations may take up to 5 years to complete the transition
to this new formula.
Proposed by: Diocesan Council
EXPLANATION
In 2005, with
the endorsement of the Diocesan Council, the Bishop appointed a Diocesan
Assessment Task Force to consider all facets of and options for a fair diocesan
assessment formula. The current formula was established by Diocesan Convention
twenty years ago. The brackets (4) have not been changed since 1987 and the
rates have not been changed since 1992. The appointment of the Task Force
was announced at Diocesan Convention and the Task Force began meeting in
January 2006.
Several guiding principles emerged for the formula including: that it is simple and fair, avoids “bracket creep,” avoids large year-over-year increases, maintains diocesan missions and programs, is based on available and audited data, and provides for an adequate transition for congregations.
The approach taken by the Task Force involved reaching out to congregations for their input, reaching out to other dioceses for their formulas and building mathematical models to study the impact of various formulas on local and diocesan budgets.
The recommendation from the Task Force is that we move from a “bracket” approach formula with variable rates and no “cap” on yearly increases, to a “flat rate” approach that includes a year to year “cap” on the amount of financial support a congregation is expected to contribute to the Diocesan Budget.
In order to provide an adequate transition for those congregations whose assessment would increase under this formula, the Task Force recommends a five year period be provided during which congregations may continue to pay their assessment based on the “old” formula. As with the previous formula, the calculation of assessment in the new formula is based on operating income, however the Task Force recommends that parish operating income received from diocesan sources, such as grants, not be included when calculating “net operating income.” This means that line “A” of the Parochial Report and not line “B” would be the figure used when calculating the assessment.
4 A Resolution Establishing Minimum Clergy Compensation
RESOLVED, That the 174th Convention of the Diocese of Vermont approve the recommendation of the Diocesan Council that the minimum full time stipend for clergy in the Diocese of Vermont be increased by 3.5% for the year of 2007 to $34,332, and that travel allowance be reimbursed at the current IRS standard.
Proposer: Diocesan Council
EXPLANATION
Canon 6.7
of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, requires that Diocesan Council review
the minimum stipend for full-time equivalent clergy and the travel allowance,
and make recommendations to the Convention. Such a minimum shall be binding
on all parishes and missions upon ratification of the Convention. A 3.5% increase
reflects the average of the current Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) of the
Northeast Urban Index and the United States All Cities index.
According
to the Church Pension Fund (“The 2004 Church Compensation Report,” reflecting
2004 data) the national average median compensation for full-time Episcopal
clergy was $60,000, up from $58,818 in 2003. This figure includes cash stipend,
fair-rental value of housing, utilities and payment of one-half of the Social
Security/Medicare (SECA) tax.
Approval
of this resolution will change the Beginning Level, Type II minimum cash stipend
from $33,171 to $34,332, thus raising the minimum full-time compensation package
to approximately $48, 046 [$34,332 cash stipend, plus housing and utilities
of $10,300* (at 30% of cash), plus SECA of $3,414 (at 15.3%/2 of cash, housing
and utilities.)]
*This figure
is based solely upon the Church Pension Fund formula for calculating housing.
It may in fact not reflect an accurate amount based on the actual expenses
for housing and utilities in Vermont.
5 A Resolution to Establish a Process for Determining Minimum Clergy Compensation
RESOLVED,
That the 174th Convention of the Diocese of Vermont recommend to the
congregations of the diocese the adoption, within the next five years,
of the following norms for determining minimum clergy compensation:
• that
cash compensation be based upon credited years of service in church ministry
as established by the Church Pension Fund employing the Schedule of Mandatory
Minimum Cash Salaries (see below),
• that
the Mandatory Minimum Cash Salaries be adjusted annually to reflect the
Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) based on an average of Consumer Price Index
(CPI) of Northeast Urban Index and the United States All Cities Index as published
by the U.S. Department of Labor, or as determined by Diocesan Council
pursuant to diocesan Canon 6.7 [portion in italics added as an amendment].
• that
in addition to the cash salary, an annual housing equity allowance of
at least seven percent (7%) of the Year 1/Level 1 from the Schedule of Mandatory
Minimum Cash Salaries be provided for those clergy living in church furnished
housing;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That comparative information on compensation and benefit levels and practices among the parishes be available and be provided annually to the Bishop and the Diocesan Council. The Diocesan Council shall report to Convention on the compliance with existing standards, and may initiate conversations with any parish vestry in the Diocese, when, in the Bishop's discretion, this is deemed advisable.
Proposer: Diocesan Council
EXPLANATION
Canon 6.7
of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, requires that Diocesan Council shall
review the minimum stipend and travel allowance of the Clergy* of the
Diocese and shall recommend the same to Convention with regard to proper support
of the [ordained] ministry.
This resolution
seeks to provide for justice and equity for ordained priests in a system
within which one does not normally work to get an increase in pay.
This resolution
would replace the current compensation minimums based on Church Types
with a schedule based on a combination of years of ordained service and
the annual budget of the parish divided into two Levels. We believe that this
is a more equitable way to compensate clergy since there is no provision in the
current system to guarantee increases in clergy salaries that recognizes additional
years of experience or that rewards merit.
Clergy living
in a rectory do not acquire equity in the property over time. An annual
equity allowance of 7% of the minimum for Year 1/Level 1, would yield
a sum that would offset, either partially or totally, the cost of a down payment
for a house. The housing equity allowance amount for 2007 would be $2,403. The
method for disposal of this allowance would be left to the discretion of the
cleric so that it may be used in the way most beneficial to the cleric.
Regarding
the publication of compensation information, to successfully implement
a diocesan-wide standard of clergy compensation it is necessary that
compensation information be available to the Diocesan Council so that it can
address any instances of non-compliance. This information can also be useful
to parish vestries as they work toward bringing their compensation package into
compliance, or as they enter into a discernment process to call a new priest.
The Diocesan
Council recognizes that meeting these standards will present significant
challenges to some parishes. Yet it is our hope that each parish will
examine not only their ability to pay their clergy, but also consider the financial
welfare of their clergy.
* References
to "clergy" in this resolution and in the Canons refer primarily
to ordained priests in paid church positions, since in the Diocese of
Vermont, deacons do not generally receive stipends.
Schedule of Mandatory Minimum Cash Salaries for 2007 #
Years of
Ordination Level
1* Level
2**
1 $34,332 $38,647
2 $34,881 $39,265
3 $35,439 $39,893
4 $36,006 $40,531
5 $36,582 $41,180
6 $37,167 $41,839
7 $37,762 $42,508
8 $38,366 $43,188
9 $38,980 $43,879
10 $39,604 $44,581
11 $40,238 $45,294
12 $40,882 $46,019
13 $41,536 $46,755
14 $42,201 $47,503
15 $42,876 $48,263
16 $43,562 $49,035
17 $44,259 $49,820
18 $44,967 $50,617
19 $45,686 $51,427
20 $46,417 $52,250
#The annual increase in minimum cash salaries represents an increase
of 1.6%
*Level 1 represents parishes with annual budgets below $143,000.
**Level 2 represents parishes with annual budgets of $143,000 and above.
These two
Levels were established based on the four parish Types approved by the
2004 Convention.
Annual Cost
of Living Adjustments for 2004-2007 have been applied to the old Type
II and Type III to come up with the parish budget figures for the new
Level 1 and Level 2, respectively.
6 A Resolution to urge the communities of the Abrahamic religious traditions to work for the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East
RESOLVED, That the 174th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont urge that the religious communities whose members are involved in the wars in this troubled region come together to express, in action, compassion for thevictims of these conflicts, and to work together that there may be established a lasting peace among the peoples of the Middle East; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we petition governments, other parties that are organized to wage these wars, and the United Nations, to call for an international conference, whose goal will be to develop and provide for the enactment of a plan for a just, comprehensive peace in the Middle East; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we request Christians, Jews and Muslims to pray without ceasing, and to work in practice to bring about such a conference and to envision other actions that can tend to bring about a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.
Proposers: Boris von York and Richard Hunter, St. Mark's, Springfield
EXPLANATION
The Middle East is the area of the world where these three religions,
which share a common (Abrahamic) heritage, originated. In spirit at least,
this resolution also applies to all other areas, distant from the Middle
East, where these three traditions interact in conflict.
Christians understand that to remain silent when a wrong is being done is to share in the doing of that wrong. Further, the wars in the Middle East create many innocent victims. For our passive support of these wars and our refusal of active resistance to them we stand under the judgment of God. Further, it is Christian teaching that love casts our fear. Finally, Christ calls upon his people to be peacemakers.
