B001 Experimental Creation Care Language for the Baptismal Covenant
Resolved, the House of ________________ concurring,
That the following two alternative additions to the Baptismal Covenant will be made available for trial use in the Episcopal Church following General Convention 81 in Louisville, Kentucky in June, 2024:
1) Will you strive for justice and peace among all, and respect the dignity of the Earth and of every human being.
I will, with God’s help.
2) Will you strive to safeguard the integrity of God’s creation, and respect, sustain and renew the life of the Earth?
I will, with God’s help.
And be it further
Resolved, that dioceses of the Episcopal Church will report to the Standing Committee on Liturgy and Music regarding the trial use of the alternative expressions for the Baptismal Covenant by April 2027; and be it further
Resolved, that the Standing Committee on Liturgy and Music will include a report and recommendation on the suggested language for the Baptismal Covenant in its Blue Book report before General Convention 82.
Explanation
The Baptismal Covenant of the Episcopal Church has shaped a myriad of people to be justice-minded, rooted in our living Savior Jesus Christ, since its introduction as part of the Book of Common Prayer 1979. There is a growing awareness that our commitment to justice includes the life of the whole family of God, all of life on Earth.Our commitment to repentance, a spiritual process that fits us for the work of justice, also commits us to revision of our liturgical resources to fit our current needs while staying in harmony with our tradition.
Thus, this resolution seeks to allow the Church to experiment with proposed additions to the Baptismal Covenant that expand our understanding of justice to encompass what is commonly called eco-justice.