General Convention has not even officially opened yet--but you would hardly be able to tell by the energy and passion heard in today's PB&F Hearing. If you have not had the chance to see the video--check it out here. It is quite a range of voices all standing up giving witness to the world's most poor and vulnerable, and our commitment as a church to the ongoing work with the MDGs. Additionally, this was an exciting and historic witness as it was the beginning of a coalition forming with EGR, ERD and ECW.
A few highlights of testimony for you today, here reprinted with permission not only to share--but for you to please continue to share. PLEASE, share our words with everyone who has ears to hear.
From Kay Meyers, President of the Episcopal Church WomenEpiscopal Church Women have been doing and living into the Millennium Development goals since our very inception with the beginning of the domestic and Foreign Missionary Society and the Women's Auxiliary. We have expanded our hearts and minds through participating in recent years in the United Nations Committee on the Status of Women and beginning to attack the cessation of Human Trafficking and Genital Mutilation and other horrifying atrocities.
And Devon Anderson, Executive Director of EGR
We are the largest network in the church representing thousands of women in the pews on every level of the church. Our national budget comes mostly from them and 17% of it currently goes to meet the MDGs. AND on top of that, they individually and in parishes, dioceses, convocations and deaneries and provinces give far more in money as well as in time, prayer and energy. We are working toward 0.7% line-item for each entity within the network.
On behalf of Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation I am standing in solidarity with Episcopal Relief and Development and the Episcopal Church Women to advocate for the top priority of global mission and the MDGs.
There is a great saying of which I am fond: Never waste a crisis. We are feeling the constraints of the global economic crisis on every level of the church. And no one is exempt from having to make heart-wrenching choices. But we also have an opportunity to define ourselves as Christians in the midst of that crisis. We have before us nothing less than a defining moment.
The MDGs have been our #1 budget and programmatic priority for the past triennium. Your leadership in 2006 was the spark that literally set the church on fire. We have started to build momentum. We have started to learn how to translate national goals to local action. Because of this momentum, we should make every sacrifice to invest in building on this initial foundation and sharing this learning for other mission imperatives.
We need your leadership again to model that despite every reason not to, despite every competing interest – it is time to recommit to the poorest of humanity and to keep going at full throttle, and not back away. For these reasons I am asking that MDGs be designated a priority among priorities for the triennial budget.
Thank you.
