Adapted from the Office of Public Affairs
Bishop Stacy Sauls, Chief Operating Officer of the Episcopal Church, has announced the first recipients of the grants for Mission Enterprise Zones and for New Church Starts.
These two innovative Episcopal Church initiatives are funded through the Five Marks of Mission triennial budget, approved by General Convention July 2012. In the budget, $2 million was allotted for the work of establishing Mission Enterprise Zones and for supporting New Church Starts for the First Mark of Mission, “To proclaim the Good news of the Kingdom.”
Matching grants were available for up to $20,000 for a Mission Enterprise Zone and up to $100,000 for New Church Starts.
Thirty grants totaling $1.3 million were awarded to 27 dioceses, including one to an Episcopal/Lutheran initiative. The committee continues to meet monthly to review new applications. Application forms can be accessed here.
Applications were reviewed and considered by the Local Mission and Ministry Committee of Executive Council, serving as the review committee for the grant applications.
Grant recipients, sponsoring dioceses, and amounts
- Allston Project, Diocese of Massachusetts, $100,000
- Canton/Fells Point Mission, Diocese of Maryland and Delaware-Maryland Synod of the ELCA, $100,000
- Divine Power Yoga, Diocese of Chicago/Metro Chicago Synod, $100,000
- Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Hurricane Shelter, Sewing Clinic, Diocese of Honduras, $20,000
- Episcopal Development Agency of Thomasville, Diocese of Georgia, $20,000
- GEORGE: Center for Community—An Artist’s Space, Diocese of Olympia, $20,000
- Grace Church-Episcopal, Diocese of Oklahoma, $100,000
- Hmong Ministry Planting Initiative, Diocese of Minnesota, $100,000
- Holy Apostles Episcopal Sudanese Church, Diocese of South Dakota, $20,000
- Iglesia Santa Maria, Diocese of Arizona, $100,000
- Kairos West Community Center, Diocese of Western North Carolina, $20,000
- Korean Ministry of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Diocese of El Camino Real, $20,000
- La Iglesia Detroit, Diocese of Michigan, $100,000
- Latino Ministry Leadership Development, Diocese of Southwest Florida, $20,000
- Lawrence House Service Corps, Western Massachusetts, $20,000
- Living Our Baptismal Covenant Together, Diocese of Idaho, $20,000
- Mission Christ the Liberator (Cristo Libertador), Diocese of Dominican Republic, $100,000
- Organizing Latinos for Mission, Diocese of San Diego, $20,000
- Our Lady Of Guadalupe Episcopal Church, Diocese of Olympia, $100,000
- Reviving Cultural and Ministry Needs of the Penn Hills Area, Diocese of Pittsburgh, $20,000
- Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center, Diocese of Maine, $20,000
- St. Columba Church Replant, Diocese of Hawaii, $20,000
- St. Mary in Palms Spanish speaking ministry, Diocese of Los Angeles, $100,000
- St. Matthew’s Mission Enterprise, Diocese of Northern California, $20,000
- The Matthew 25 Project, Diocese of Los Angeles, $20,000
- Trinity Episcopal Bread and Roses Ministry, Diocese of Virginia, $20,000
- Urban Core Mission Enterprise Zone, Diocese of Southern Ohio, $20,000
- Warriors of the Dream—Transforming Violence, Building Leaders, Diocese of New York, $20,000
- Westside Ministry Partnership, Diocese of Northern Indiana, $20,000
- Young Adult Ministry Development Team, Diocese of Iowa, $20,000
General Convention resolution
General Convention 2012’s Resolution A073 established “the Mission Enterprise Fund, to be administered by a grants committee for that purpose established by the Executive Council, with $1 million for the 2013–2015 triennium.” It also states that “Diocesan Standing Committees and Bishops partner to create ‘Mission Enterprise Zones,’ defined as a geographic area, as a group of congregations or as an entire diocese committed to mission and evangelism that engages under-represented groups, including youth and young adults, people of color, poor and working-class people, people with a high-school diploma or less, and/or people with little or no church background or involvement.”
Image: Curled Up, by kakisky at morgueFile
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
