The Consultation Platform 2009

The Consultation is a coalition of thirteen independent organizations in the Episcopal Church committed to peace with justice. We come to the 2009 General Convention in Anaheim understanding clearly that The Episcopal Church is at a watershed moment in history. Therefore, it is critical that we state the imperatives of what we believe and what we are called to do.

We affirm the goodness of all creation.

• We join our voices with God who declared of all Creation “It is very good.”

• We honor the image of God in one another and in all of Creation.

• We are inextricably linked in an interdependent web of Creation.

We have sinned and fallen short of the mark.

• We fail to recognize the image of God and the Christ in others and ourselves.

• We contribute by our action and inaction to a culture of greed, domination and violence.

• We in The Episcopal Church are complicit in this sin.

We reaffirm the promises of our Baptismal Covenant

• to continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in the prayers.

• to persevere in resisting evil and, whenever we fall into sin, to repent and return to the Lord.

• to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ. `

• to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves.
  to strive for justice and peace among all people and to respect the dignity of every human being.
  
  

Therefore, we call The Episcopal Church, gathered at this 2009 General Convention, to:

1. Continue the reformation of the Church.

• equip all the baptized for their ministry in the world and for their share in the governance and mission of the Church at every level of its life.

• remove all canonical obstacles to exercising the full baptismal ministry in the whole life of the Church.

• conform the canons to the baptismal theology of The Book of Common Prayer.

2.Maintain the historic principle of the autonomy of Provinces in the Anglican Communion

• Reaffirm that our Covenant is given by God in baptism

• Celebrate the unique character of the polity of The Episcopal Church

• Express our solidarity with the Anglican Church of Canada in their rejection of any Anglican Covenant.

3. Invest in economic justice and eliminate poverty.

• support the UN Millennium Development Goals fully, including the 0.7% allocation of government funds.

• advocate for worker justice, including the right to organize freely.

• advocate for a single-payer national health care program to ensure health care for all people.

• support equitable retirement policies in the Church

• Call for a moratorium on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids at workplaces, and in private residences

4. Repent and make reparation for slavery.

• commission a report to acknowledge this chapter in our history, describe the Church's culpability and make recommendations for restitution.

• support dioceses as they examine their responsibility and accountability for this violation of basic human rights

• support governmental legislation and restitution.

5. Dismantle racism and oppression.

• renew the call to every diocese and Episcopal seminary to mandate anti-racism training

• accomplish inclusive representation at all levels of Church leadership

• call for an end to scapegoating, discrimination and injustice against immigrants

6. End the culture of violence

• work for the end of violence against women, children, and sexual and gender minorities throughout the world.

• work to change federal budget priorities that fuel the culture of violence at the expense of health and welfare at home and peace abroad.

• include in Safe Church training an orientation to issues of domestic violence and appropriate responses.

• confess the violence inherent in using language for worship that is not inclusive, expansive, or hospitable.

• educate about human trafficking and work for its elimination.

• end the funding of violence against the Palestinian people

• reject the use of pre-emptive or preventive strike military strategy, and the current U.S. military policy of "full spectrum dominance"

7. Build a culture of peace.

• call for an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and emphasize negotiation, diplomacy and rebuilding. 

• add peace, justice, and nonviolence studies to the curricula of all Episcopal schools, colleges, and seminaries.

8. Embrace the full inclusion of all the baptized in all the sacraments

• affirm that all orders of ministry are open to all the Baptized who are otherwise qualified.

• urge clergy to refuse to function as civil magistrates in marriage and to re-affirm their authority to bless all faithful relationships

9. Save the Earth from environmental catastrophe

• mandate (or affirm) detailed energy audits and conservation measures, including recycling, in all Episcopal Church facilities and programs.

• commit The Episcopal Church to purchasing electric power from renewable sources.

• call for the federal government to fund fully its Environmental Protection Agency Superfund.

• call upon our government to commit to the Kyoto Protocols.

10.   Urge renewed attention to domestic HIV/AIDS

• advocate for extensive HIV/AIDS and sex education in public institutions, particularly for young people

• work to eliminate stigma and discrimination, the major obstacles to effective HIV/AIDS prevention and care.

• support bills requiring states to provide Medicaid coverage to all people who are HIV positive.