The Domestic Missionary Partnership
Guidelines

January 2005; Revised September 2007

Article I:  Name

The name of the organization shall be the Domestic Missionary Partnership.

Article II: Purpose, Intention and Membership

The Domestic Missionary Partnership is an ongoing active partnership of dioceses that, by Baptism, are sent into the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Our work as partners is to share, challenge and encourage one another to deepen and expand the vitality of our mission activities.  We understand that we are accountable to the whole church for this work.

Dioceses of the Domestic Missionary Partnership see themselves as value-added resources for mission for each other and the Church.  We believe that when we are focused on vital and effective mission we are transformed by grace.  Through our annual forum and networking we provide opportunities to share experiences, accomplishments, knowledge and ideas for mission.   Partners help each other to meet the challenges in creative ways and build on their successes.

Members of the Domestic Missionary Partnership intend to challenge each other to utilize all available resources for mission.  We will create and sustain effective personnel and structures that support vital mission in congregations and in dioceses.  We will also work as partners with the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church and program staff at the Episcopal Church Center on Church activities.

The Domestic Missionary Partnership will continue to be a funding vehicle to support mission enterprises.  Our stewardship of such funds will be mission driven and will focus on helping to find resources for mission enterprises within partner dioceses.

We invite all dioceses to accept, support, and implement the purpose and intention of the Domestic Missionary Partnership and join in this partnership with us.

Partner members currently include: Alaska, Arizona, Central New York, Eastern Oregon, Eau Claire, El Camino Real, Mississippi, North Dakota, Idaho, Western Kansas, Utah, Nevada, and Navajoland.

Article III: Officers /Executive Committee

The officers of the Domestic Missionary Partnership shall be the following:

Section 1.        Officers:

1. President
2. Secretary
3. Comptroller

           
Section 2.        Executive Committee

1. The elected officers
2. Two elected advocates for mission
3. A member of TEC Center Staff

Section 3.   Elections and Terms of Office
Officers shall be elected at an annual forum occurring in the same year as General Convention and shall serve a 3-year term.  They may be re-elected.

Article IV: Support of the National Church

Member dioceses shall make every effort to pay their TEC apportionment in full each year and to collaborate for the success of the Church’s mission.

Article V:  Annual Forum

The annual forum of the Domestic Missionary Partnership shall occur during the third quarter of each calendar year.

Article VI:  Representation

A diocesan team comprised of the following individuals shall attend the annual forum of the Domestic Missionary Partnership:

1.  The Bishop and/or Bishop elect of the partner diocese.
2.  A lay leader in mission in the partner diocese.
3.  A clergy leader in mission in the partner diocese.

Elected members of the Executive Committee are considered to be one of the three representatives for that diocese during the years of their term of office.  If the Bishop is not able to attend, the diocesan representation is limited to two representatives unless the diocese is in episcopal transition, which then makes them eligible to bring a third person.

Article VII: Visitors

A diocese may invite at its own expense, visitors to participate in the Annual Forum.

Article VIII: Funding of the Annual Forum

The Domestic Missionary Partnership shall pay the transportation, room and board expenses for all diocesan representatives as specified in Article VI.

Article IX:  Mutual Accountability

Section 1.  The President or other member of the Executive Committee shall make an annual report on mission, vision, strategies and indicators of progress or success to the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church.  The Secretary will submit minutes of the annual forum to the Secretary of the Executive Council.

Section 2.  In order to ensure our mutual accountability, the Domestic Missionary Partnership requests the Executive Council to appoint one of its members as a liaison to this body.  This liaison would be invited to attend the annual forum and represent the Domestic Missionary Partnership to the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church.

Article X:  Mission Funding Guidelines

Dioceses requesting grants for mission will be expected to follow these funding guidelines:

1. Provide to the General Convention office an annual report as required by TEC.
2. Provide to the DMP at its annual meeting an oral & written report of its DMP funded mission projects.
3. DMP funding will be granted for mission projects submitted and presented to the DMP annual forum.  Grants will be awarded to projects that are mission and ministry focused and expand the capacity of the diocese to live out its baptismal call.
4. Grant requests may be made for operational or programmatic mission projects that are not associated with any base budget support of the diocesan structure.
5. Any diocese which received funding and did not utilize all of its monies during the calendar year in which it was received, will return the remaining dollars by the end of the grant year to DMP for reallocation to other partner dioceses.  Reallocation of returned funds will be determined by the Executive Committee based upon priorities established at the most recent DMP forum.
6. All DMP grants are for one calendar year period only.