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Executive Council awards 2023 Constable Fund, Roanridge Trust grants

March 1, 2023
Office of Public Affairs

Editor’s note: This release was updated on 3-8-23 to reflect corrected funding and recipient totals.

The Episcopal Church Executive Council approved the awarding of seven Constable Fund grants and eight Roanridge Trust grants—together totaling $487,678—at its February meeting. The Joint Standing Committee on Mission Within The Episcopal Church and two grant review committees made the recommendations.

Constable Fund grants focus on mission initiatives that fall outside the church’s budget, with an emphasis on religious education. Roanridge Trust grants support leadership development in small towns and rural communities.

Recipients of the 2023 Constable Fund grants, totaling $245,729:

  • Christ the King Center—Education and Training Initiative, Episcopal Diocese of Albany, $20,000: Support for educational and training programs to assist parishes in their work and ministry, enhanced by filming, editing, and creating a web-based resource library.
  • “The Philadelphia Eleven,” Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations, $45,000: Provides funds to finish and release this feature-length film that tells the story of the women ordained as priests in Philadelphia in 1974.
  • Tri-Faith Emerging Clergy Seminar, Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska, $20,000: Supports an initiative to provide multifaith conversations and collaborations among emerging religious leaders modeling the importance of interfaith relationships.
  • Boys Home, Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, $20,000: Supports development of a pilot character development program for youth throughout the diocese and beyond.
  • Trinity Spiritual Center, Southport, Connecticut, $45,000: Supports the continuing creation of a new model of education geared toward “nones,” the fast-growing segment of U.S. residents who don’t affiliate with a religion.
  • Bishop Kemper School for Ministry, Episcopal Diocese of Western Kansas, $5,729: Supports creation of libraries to support leadership formation.
  • Diaconal Formation Pilot Process and Platform, Province VIII, $90,000: Supports creation of an affordable, accessible, adaptable, and scalable online process for individuals to prepare for diaconal ministry and build a platform for sharing resources before and after deaconate ordination.

Recipients of the 2023 Roanridge Trust grants, totaling $241,949:

  • Episcopal Diocese of Arizona, $7,400: Supports bilingual, bicultural, youth, young adult, and adult formation and evangelism at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Bisbee, with St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Douglas.
  • Episcopal Church in Colorado, $45,000: Supports the establishing of a faith formation program for adults in rural Colorado, focusing on young adults who feel disenfranchised from religious institutions.
  • Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, $44,170: Supports the strengthening and sustainability of local congregations by creating community and collaboration between lay leaders and clergy serving congregations in geographical constellations.
  • Episcopal Diocese of Northern California, $13,400: Supports a new church model called The Playground, where community is gathered and formed at a play area and café on church land with a monthly dinner.
  • Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan, $28,500: Supports visitors weekends, where participants from throughout The Episcopal Church and beyond are immersed in a time of shared ministry ecclesiology, personal reflection, theological discussion, and strategic visioning.
  • Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota, $58,479: Provides funding assistance to help with stabilization and growth in processing routine payments, filing forms, and other administrative tasks.
  • Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii, $20,000: Supports development of a three-year program toward education, training, and organizing a collaborative to provide increased food security and disaster readiness for rural communities in central Oahu (St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church).
  • Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, $25,000: Supports a curriculum review, cohort program development, facilitators, and underwriting costs to help equip a new generation of lay preachers and worship leaders at Stevenson School for Ministry.

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