In the year 2000 at the United Nations Millennium Summit, all of the member nations of the United Nations pledged to achieve eight specific global development goals by the year 2015. The 192 countries, including the United States, committed themselves to the following eight goals:
These are the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s)
In 2003, at its 74th General Convention, The Episcopal Church endorsed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for the first time. At the 75th General Convention in 2006, The Episcopal Church adopted the MDGs as a mission priority for the coming triennium and endorsed a new partnership between The Episcopal Church and ONE. ONE is the US component of the worldwide campaign to promote the realization of the MDG’s . Episcopals for Global Reconciliation (EGR) is a grassroots member’s organization doing the same. So, as Episcopalians, we are now being challenged to become ONE Episcopalians. If you have noticed someone wearing a plain white band on their wrist, they are someone who has made a pledge to be a ONE Episcopalian.
What does it mean to be a ONE Episcopalian?
Put as simply as possible it means that The Episcopal Church, the Dioceses of The Episcopal Church, the Parishes within those dioceses, and the members of those parishes are all corporately and individually being challenged to commit .7% of their income to projects which are helping to fulfill the Millennium Development Goals AND also to lobby their government to fulfill its commitment to these goals. Many experts believe that we now have the resources, knowledge and skills to eradicate extreme poverty. It is now simply a matter of having the will.
The Episcopal Church made its commitment in 2006 by setting aside a .7% line item in its budget. Our Diocese of Southwestern Virginia has also made a budgetary commitment of .7%. Individual members of Trinity have made a personal commitment to become ONE Episcopalians. Trinity as a parish has not yet made this commitment, but it will be discussed again in the coming stewardship and budgeting process.
Why would we want to make this commitment?
We are called as Christians to love and serve God and to love and serve our neighbor. It’s not a difficult concept, but putting it into practice can be challenging. A commitment to participating in the realization of the MDGs is a way we can join with each other in the God’s mission for us.
How are we responding to this challenge at Trinity?
Over the past several months, there have been articles in this newsletter introducing you to the eight Millennium Development Goals. Beginning in October, we will begin to observe MDG Sunday on the second Sunday of each month. Each month, starting with October, one of the MDGs will be presented through a newsletter article, a bulletin insert, and an informational display. Contribution envelopes will be available on that Sunday for special contributions to a project that is working to realize the goal being presented. These contributions from you as individuals will be matched by outreach funds which the Vestry has committed to this purpose. We hope that through this process, Trinity will move toward a commitment of .7 % of its budget annually and become a ONE Episcopalian Parish.