The 213th Annual Council - Diocese of Virginia

Resolutions
Resolved, that the 213 th Annual Council supports the work of the Hispanic/Latino Task
Force in developing a Five-Year Strategic Plan to be presented at the 214 th
Annual Council; and be it further
Resolved, that the 213 th Annual Council directs the Hispanic/Latino Task Force to present
its Five-Year Strategic Plan to the Executive Board during the year 2008.
R-5a Native Americans in Virginia
As adopted by the 213 th Annual Council.
Resolved, that the Diocese of Virginia meeting in Reston, Virginia January 25-26, 2008,
stands with our Native American brothers and sisters in the Commonwealth of
Virginia and supports the resolution from the New Jamestown Covenant Summit
of the Episcopal Church which met in Williamsburg, Virginia November 1-3,
2007, calling upon the Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations in
Washington, D.C. and the Bishops and Episcopalians of the Dioceses of Virginia,
Southwestern Virginia and Southern Virginia to call upon their elected officials
in support of the federal tribal recognition of the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, the
Monacan Indian Nation, the Chickahominy Tribe, the Eastern Chickahominy
Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe and the Nansemond Tribe; and be it further
Resolved, that we call upon the Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations
and the bishops and Episcopalians of the Dioceses of Louisiana, Long
Island, Georgia, Atlanta, Hawaii and Fond du Lac to advocate in their
respective spheres of influence for the federal tribal recognition of the United
Houma Nation of Louisiana, the Shinnecock Tribal Nation of New York, the
Southeastern Cherokee Council Inc. of Georgia, the Native Hawaiian Nation
and the Brothertown Nation of Wisconsin; and be it further
Resolved, that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Episcopal Church’s Office
of Government Relations in Washington, D.C, the bishops of the Dioceses of
Louisiana, Long Island, Georgia, Atlanta, Hawaii and Fond du Lac, Senators
Warner, Webb, Dorgan and Governor Kaine, and a courtesy copy be sent to
the Episcopal Native American Ministries Office.
R-6 Payday Lending
As adopted by the 213 th Annual Council.
Whereas, God calls us to compassion; to alleviate the suffering of the poor; to speak up for
those who have no voice; and to protect those who live closest to the edge; and
Whereas, our faith compels us to connect our values with the moral issues of the day,
leading us to abhor usury, to turn away from greed and to reject profiting
from another’s vulnerability; and
Whereas, we believe that reducing or eliminating poverty is a faithful mandate, that
creating opportunity for all people is an achievable goal, and that predatory
payday lending undermines our values and our mission; and
Whereas, the 2002 Payday Loan Act provides a special exemption for this one industry
from Virginia’s usury cap law; now therefore be it
Resolved, that the 213 th Annual Council of the Diocese of Virginia expresses its deep dismay
at the usurious practices of the payday lending industry and the exemption
granted this industry by Virginia’s General Assembly; and be it further
Resolved, that this 213 th Annual Council calls upon the people of this Diocese to contact
their senators and representatives in the Virginia General Assembly and urge
them to cap these small loans at thirty-six (36) percent.
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The Diocese of Virginia t Journal of the the 213 th Annual Council