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[Back to index of February 2008 articles] Diocese Renews Partnership With ESM By Lucy Chumbley
The Diocesan Council voted unanimously to extend its partnership with Episcopal Senior Ministries for another three years at its Jan. 15 meeting. The original covenant, which ESM's executive director Joseph E. Resch Jr. likened at the time to a "renewal of vows" between the two organizations was approved by the council and the ESM Board in January 2005. It was designed to rekindle the relationship – now in its 85th year – between the two entities, which agreed to work more closely to promote and expand Episcopal ministries, services and advocacy for seniors, family members and caregivers in the diocese. Canon to the Ordinary Paul Cooney described the covenant as "kind of a road map" designed to intensify and broaden the level of work carried out by both organizations. Since 2005, Cooney said, he and Resch have met every two months or so to discuss shared initiatives. Both organizations have benefited from the closer ties: ESM has served as the diocese's primary aging information resource and the diocese has promoted ESM as its coordinating agency for senior ministries. As part of this expanded relationship, ESM also was asked to provide recommendations for an ‘Aging Agenda' for the diocese in the coming decades. To prepare the report, Resch said, consultant Anne Werner Richardson spoke with the offices on aging in all jurisdictions of the diocese, met with the directors of area senior service communities and agencies, compiled demographic data and surveyed approximately 325 people from 33 parishes. Survey respondents identified their primary aging concerns as their physical and mental health, along with the rising cost of healthcare, the fear of isolation and a desire to maintain independence, he said. Based on the data collected, the Aging Agenda sets out four areas for the diocese to focus on in the future: developing more affordable housing and support services for seniors; expanding affordable community-based services for those who wish to remain in their homes; increasing its capacity to recruit, coordinate and manage volunteer programs and services; providing education and fostering program and fiscal development. "All of these recommendations were designed to leverage the resources we have or can get hold of," said Resch, who noted that ESM also has entered into a partnership with the Transitional Housing Corporation and is actively seeking land for affordable housing. Having an Aging Agenda is vital, Resch said, as by 2020 the number of people over the age of 60 in the geographic area of the diocese will have increased by about 50 percent. The cost of housing and healthcare is on the rise, and the caregiving workforce is projected to decrease. Obesity and stress-related health issues are mounting, and the expectations of the next generation of older adults are higher than those of previous generations, he added. "Our board has accepted the Aging Agenda report and is very excited about it," he said. Now that the diocese has followed suit, the two organizations will begin to implement this agenda in 2008. In other matters the council: * Created two new panels: The Committee on Millennium Development Goals and the Committee on Affordable Housing. * Heard a proposal for a diocesan Task Force on the Historically Black Congregations. This came in response to an earlier proposal from the Rev. Carleton Hayden to form a Task Force on Black Congregations in response to two General Convention resolutions on slavery reparations (A123 and A127) and a 2007 Diocesan Convention resolution that called for a study on the impact of slavery in the diocese. The Diocese of Washington has seven historically black congregations, founded between 1867 and 1930: St. Mary's, Foggy Bottom; St. George's, D.C.; St. Luke's, D.C.; St. Philip's, Anacostia; St. Philip's, Baden; and Calvary and Atonement in the District. St. Monica's, another historically black congregation on Capitol Hill, recently merged with the neighboring parish of St. James'. "It's very clear we're going to learn a lot by studying and working with the black congregations in this area," said Bishop John Bryson Chane, describing the preliminary discussions as "stimulating and empowering." The council will consider a formal charge for the group at its March meeting. * Heard an update from Cooney on the merger of two Capitol Hill congregations, St. Monica's and St. James', which officially joined forces in late December. "All the indications are quite positive," Cooney said, noting that there has been a "good presence of St. Monica's people at worship." The parish is now officially known as the Parish of St. Monica and St. James. [Back to index of February 2008 articles]
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