Care with the Blue: Joint Standing Committee on Finance for Mission.

Continuing my series on the Blue Book, let's turn to the Executive Council (EC) Joint Standing Committee on Finance for Mission.

Summary of the Report

The mandate of this Committee is "to focus on finance and development for mission, including resource development and oversight. They work closely with the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget, and Finance, the Joint Audit Committee of EC and the Treasurer of the Episcopal Church.

A big part of their work during this triennium was implementing best practices for proposing a budget and also coming up with financial estimates for a budget proposal. They moved the framework of the bishop from The Five Marks of Mission to the Jesus Movement (the term of choice for our Presiding Bishop). They also led EC to call together a subcommittee to Review Grant Processes that worked on how EC should work through competitive grant applications and awards. 

This Committee also did traditional finance committee work like reviewing financial statements and monitoring and recommending adjustments to the budget.

Reacting to the Report

It might seem like there is not much to say on a report like this, but I am one of those odd clergy that believe finance committees that are responsive to the mission of the church are an essential aspect of ministry. From what I can see, this committee did the work it needed to do in ensuring the budget followed the mission (and not the other way around). 

Further, their work in competitive grant applications and awards is truly important for EC. My own parish was the recipient of a Mission Enterprise Zone grant for 2017, 2018, and 2018, one that is helping to fund a half-time Associate Rector who is Latino and cultivating our parish El Corazón Latino Ministry Initiative. That grant was a part of a significant chunk of the budget set aside for church planting and mission enterprises. In the previous triennium (2013–2015), $1.8 million was set aside for this work (roughly 1.6% of the total budget). The current triennium is operating off of a budget that set $5.8 million aside for this work (roughly 4.5% of the total budget, a 222% increase from the previous triennium).

As a MEZ leader through El Corazón, I've been blessed to attend Genesis conferences which have brought together all grant recipients. I cannot even describe how humbled I am to be in a room with these people—they represent the best the Episcopal Church is and can be when it comes to evangelism. They are my rockstars.

However, it was a rocky and difficult road to get nearly $6 million in grants awarded. EC had to create a different process from the previous triennium and determine how best to evaluate and award those grants. They got it done—much to their credit—but creating more structure around this ministry will hopefully streamline this process in the future, enabling grant applicants to know clearly what is expected and enabling the EC to expeditiously consider those grant requests so that on the ground mission and evangelism can get going.

Great work by this Committee. I have a hunch that though this report is one of the smallest in the Blue Book, they will continue to have a tremendous impact upon the current and future of The Episcopal Church.

Note: You can click here for a list of all Blue Book Reports & Resolutions that have thus far been reviewed.