Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,

That the General Convention Office Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (DFMS) shall conduct a feasibility study, using an outside consultant to the extent practical, of the steps, resources, and time necessary to establish a fund to pay some or all of the pension and health plan obligations of clergy and lay professionals deploying to historically predominantly non-white and small congregations, particularly to congregations whose economic viability has likely been impaired by historic discrimination; and be it further

Resolved, That for the purposes of this resolution, the term “small congregation” shall mean congregations whose annual pledge and plate income is in the lowest 20% of congregations in their diocese, and which are without other significant sources of income; and be it further

Resolved, That the study estimate the funding needed to pay the annual estimated benefit obligations of 100, 500, and 1,000 clergy and lay professionals to deploy to such less affluent or historically non-white congregations, as well as the estimated funding needed to permanently endow such a fund for each of those increased deployment levels; and be it further

Resolved, That study results be provided to Executive Council by September 1, 2023 2025 and published that month. ; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention request the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance to consider a budget allocation of $20,000 for the implementation of this resolution.