Convention resolution follow-up resources

145th Convention (2019)

R2019-02   Call to Respond to the Opioid Epidemic

The Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships has published The Opioid Epidemic Practical Toolkit: Helping Faith-based and Community Leaders Bring Hope and Healing to Our Communities, available at  The toolkit includes a wide range of practical steps congregations can take including hosting recovery support groups, providing education, offering training programs, supporting families, preventing abuse and addiction, forming community partnerships, and much more.

SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration offers an Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit(available in English and Spanish) which includes facts on opioid use disorder, essential steps for first responders, information for prescribers, safety advice for patients and family members, and recovery for overdoses.  Go to

A new Ohio resource is RecoveryOhio, “working to create a system that helps make mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment available to Ohioans in need” and other information on State initiatives at

R2019-03   Recommitting to Support of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals

The 2020 Mission Share Budget includes an annual commitment of 0.7% of the budget to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.  This money is set aside for grants to congregations and individuals for work that is directly related to the Goals and will result in long-term transformation of communities utilizing indigenous leadership.

For information on Diocese of Southern Ohio grants in support of congregational involvement in global mission and ministry go to  

For general information on the SDGs see

The 2018 General Convention on the Episcopal Church reaffirmed commitment to the UNSustainable Development Goals in the following resolutions:

B025    Water as a human right

GOAL 6 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is: CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION –Clean, accessible water for all is an essential part of the world we want to live in. For information on this and the other Sustainable Development Goals visit

For information on lead in drinking water, including how to test your water, go to

For maps of watersheds and aquifers in Ohio visit

For information on Ohio groundwater quality visit

B027    Gender Inclusivity in Climate Change Advocacy

GOAL 5 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is: GENDER EQUALITY — Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.  Resolution B027 calls the church to act in recognition that women are on the front line of climate impact and to be involved in responses to disasters and humanitarian emergencies.  It further calls for a recommitment to the SDGs.

For information on the impact of climate change on women go to  or to

C008    Advocacy for Creation Care

This resolution encourages the use of a web-based tool to support healthy, sustainable choices.

For an example of a tool created by the Diocese of California visit

C064    Support of Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in Opposing Enbridge Line #3

This resolution calls for continued Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery.

For information on the Doctrine of Discovery visit

An excellent book on the topic is Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery by Mark Charles and  Soong-Chan Rah.

For information on opposition to the Enbridge Line #3 visit

A018    Episcopalians participating in the Paris climate agreement

For information on the Paris climate agreement visit

For information on energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy, contact the Rev. Craig Foster or Ohio Interfaith Power and Light at  Or Green Energy Ohio at

D009    Christian Principles for Responding to Human Migration

The Episcopal Church has a video, introduced by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, in which five bishops share how their dioceses are engaged in immigration ministries.  See

Also visit the Episcopal Migration Ministries website to see how the church is responding to the needs of refugees and immigrants

R2019-04   Repair America’s Safety Net

The Office of Government Relations Episcopal Public Policy Network provides information and policy recommendations on issues addressed by General Convention resolutions.  See

The Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) is a coalition of organizations and individuals committed to ending homelessness and to promoting decent, safe, fair, affordable housing for all, with a focus on assisting low-income and special needs populations.  For more information go to

For information on the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit and the Child Care Credit see

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio partners with policymakers and other stakeholders engaged in the policymaking process to provide an independent and nonpartisan analysis needed to create evidence-informed state health policy.  Papers on a wide range of health care issues are available at

The Poor People’s Campaign is working to raise awareness on and advocate for policy changes that will repair the safety net for the poor.  A major initiative in Ohio is voter registration and participation emerging from the recognition that policy change begins with the election of representatives who share the values of those actively engaged in the political process through their votes.  For additional information go to