| Convention Issues Youth Mission Funding Challenge | | Print | |
In what many will recall as the most significant occurance of this year's Diocesan Convention, delegates put their money where their mouths are and raised $2,009 to provide seed money for youth mission work throughout the diocese in the coming year. 
One of two resolutions to come before Diocesan Convention on Saturday, October 31 directed Diocesan Council to add at least $2,000 to the diocesan budget to "provide seed money for further mission trips and support ongoing youth mission work throughout the diocese." Those who rose to speak to the resolution supported the idea of youth mission, but several questioned the wisdom of adding another expenditure line to an already tight budget. Then the Rev. Leon Mozeliak (Trinity, Hamburg), rose to speak. Noting that $2,000 wasn't really that much money, he glanced around the room and said "if all of us just took a ten dollar bill out of our wallets right now, we could fund this." When the vote was called shortly thereafter, the resolution passed nearly unanimously and Convention moved on to additional business. Then lay delegate Al Price (St. Peter's, Eggertsville), requested a point of personal privilege. Holding up a basket, he challenged all members of Convention to put their money where their mouth was with regard to the youth mission funding vote. "It's really just a drop in the bucket," he said. "We can do this!" Moment laters, lay delegate Ward Caldbrick (St. Peter's, Harris Hill) also requested a point of personal privilege. "Our table has already raised $240, and we challenge every other table to match that!" Part way through the working lunch a short time later, it was announced that Convention could meet the funding goal if just $175 more was collected. In short order a grand total of $2,009 had been collected, and it was suggested that Diocesan Council find a way to match those funds when the 2010 budget is finalized early next year. |