From 2003-2008, Proclaiming Education for All (PEALL - a task force of The Executive Council of The Episcopal Church) met and worked on the fundamentals to which The Charter for Lifelong Christian Formation is based. PEALL called together a group of Diocesan Christian Educators who drafted a “Case for a Proposed Charter for Lifelong Christian Formation.”
Pursuant to the recommendations of the “Case for a Proposed Charter for Lifelong Christian Formation;” there was a meeting of the Charter Writing Team in August of 2008. These individuals (Moki Hino, Jane Cosby, Isaiah Brokenleg, Ema Rosero Nordalm, Caroline Black, Janie Stevens, Scott Evenbeck, Ruth-Ann Collins & Sarah Eagle Heart) whose diversity included age, gender, ethnicity, church geography and congregational size put forth a draft of the Charter which was presented to the Standing Commission following their gathering. Through the many works of PEALL and mandate of 75th General Convention the Standing Commission on Lifelong Education and Formation presented The Charter for Lifelong Christian Formation as Resolution A082.
The Standing Commission on Lifelong Christian Formation and Education's Blue Book Report to General Convention offered many resolutions. The introduction to Resolution A082 reads as follows:
"This Charter for Lifelong Christian Formation is dynamic. We present it to the church as it is now gathered. We advance it as a transformational vision for individuals, communities, congregations, and dioceses. We believe that mobilizing this Charter for Lifelong Christian Formation with discipline, depth, and coordination will enliven Christian mission and ministry from cradle to grave for generations to come."
The EXPLANATION is as follows:
Definition: Christian formation is the lifelong process of growing in relationship with God, self, others and all creation. In this process we are transformed into the people God wants us to be. As twenty first century Episcopalians, we still long for the inheritance common to all Christians in all times and places - to be united in Christ, who calls us in the power of the Holy Spirit to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and bodies; to love our neighbors as ourselves; and to make disciples, baptize and teach. In our Baptismal Covenant, The Episcopal Church has gracefully articulated the way in which we answer Christ's call. Life-long Christian formation describes the many processes by which we live into that covenant.
By this definition, life-long Christian formation encompasses a broad set of activities, supported by a rich array of communities, and institutions, serving people from cradle to grave. Without attempting to circumscribe the action of the Holy Spirit - who is always at work renewing the minds of Christian people - we acknowledge some common characteristics of formation ministries. Formation is unceasing - serving the individual's emerging understanding of identity, community, authority and purpose in Christ throughout their lives. Formation is dynamic - encompassing learning, action and reflection. Formation is formal and informal - informing, forming and transforming both the individual and the community. Formation is hospitable - welcoming the "new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator." (Col. 3:10).
Problem: As an institution, we have not entirely welcomed our Lord's generous invitation to grow in knowledge and love of him. Our behavior does not always reflect our heart's desire. For example, we have inadequately resourced our allocation of time, talent and treasures; we have failed to clearly articulate a vision and support for life-long Christian formation; and we have insufficiently support Christian formation in our daily lives and work places. As a church, our people suffer from a widespread knowledge of the traditions that form the foundation of The Episcopal Church. And moreover, in our post-Christian culture, Christian formation has been given significantly less priority than our other community activities. We have also experienced a failure to address the formational needs of an aging church membership. We need to address and remedy culturally exclusive teaching practices and the lack of attention to the formational needs of non-English speakers. We also need to continue our ever-growing response to stewardship of creation that merits our attention and resources.
Vision for a transformed church: We affirm that life-long Christian formation is foundational to the success of any church, and in the case for our own, is an integral part of the process by which we will rebuild The Episcopal Church. Our congregations will grow in numbers and health when they are supported by leaders - of all orders of ministry - who know their identity in Christ and are able to access their tradition for the purposes of proclaiming and living our the Gospel.
By prioritizing the Christian formation ministries of The Episcopal Church, we choose to invest in a language and practice - rooted in scripture, tradition and reason - that has the capacity to unify us in fulfilling the Great Commandment. We can make use of this common language to inform, support and reinforce healthy relationships in families and congregations. With it we can continually develop and renew those processes, programs and rites of passage that develop Christian ministers at all ages and stages. Through it we can hold each other accountable to grow in love, knowledge and depth of insight.