Episcopal Diocese of New York Sets Pace in Passing Slavery and Reparations Resolution

t all happened so quietly it would be easy to miss its monumental importance. Without any stated opposition, the November 19^th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of New York passed a resolution titled, "The Study of the History of Slavery in the Episcopal Church." It called upon the church’s next General Convention in June 2006 "to establish a commission to research the history of any complicity of the Episcopal Church and its several dioceses in slavery as well as the continuing legacy of any complicity." The commission, which would be appointed by the church’s Presiding Bishop, would report back to the next General Convention in 2009 as to its findings and any measures needed to repair the damage, which is the meaning of reparations.

Further, this resolution established a commission called "The Reparations Committee" to be appointed by the Bishop of New York to continue looking into the issue and impact of reparations to descendants of slavery within the Diocese of New York. This would include the history of any complicity of the Episcopal Church and its parishes and organizations in slavery, as well as the ongoing legacy of any such participation. This commission will also report its findings and propose any necessary steps toward making reparations.

As Diane Pollard, who submitted the resolution on behalf of the New York Diocesan Reparations Task Force, explained, the process began at the Episcopal Church’s last General Convention in the summer of 2003. During it, a resolution was submitted by another diocese calling for the study of the history of the complicity of the United States in the system of slavery. However, due to technical errors in the presentation, the resolution failed to win approval.

Upon their return home from the convention, several Deputies from the New York Diocese and the Bishop of New York himself, the Rt. Rev. Mark Sisk, decided to submit a resolution to their own 2003 convention calling for the formation of a task force to study the topic of reparations. The resolution passed, a task force was created, and it set about, first and foremost, to educate itself on the issue. It then reached out to members of the diocese through a very successful reparations convocation held last April at the Church of the Intercession in Harlem. This resolution was a result of the task force’s two-year study.

"I am pleased that the reparations task force was not just composed of advocates for reparations, but a number of people who represented a range of perspectives on the issue," said Brother Reginald Martin Crenshaw, Chairperson of the New York Diocesan Reparations Task Force. "Since these people, who represent the population of the diocese itself, were able to agree on a resolution that could be presented to the convention, that gives me hope that the same work can be done in the diocese at large."

As to how The Study of the History of Slavery in the Episcopal Church Resolution will fare at the General Convention, Bro. Crenshaw thinks there’s a good chance it will pass because this is becoming a much larger, more organized movement within the Episcopal Church, with support on both coasts. And – extremely important – the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church is also submitting a resolution very similar to the New York resolution. "That puts a very strong wind in its sails," he commented.

Bro. Crenshaw pointed out that, as far as he knows, the Episcopal Church is the only major denomination that’s actually working on this issue now. "I’m proud of us for doing it, and I’m proud to be part of the process of helping to facilitate the discussion, which I hope will lead to concrete action," he concluded.