Doctrine Draft - NEEDS INPUTS & DECISION
Hello all,
I've completed a revised & condensed DOCTRINE draft for you to review. HERE IT IS.
Please read this document from top to bottom. The context of "purposes this doctrine serves" at the top of the doc is important.
First: What inputs do you have? Let's have DISCUSSION here on Loomio. I will remain project manager of this doc, and attempt to incorporate your inputs from discussion.
This is also an ideal moment to call in advisors for their inputs, too! I've started an advisory list and can manage outreach/communications about this.
Then: When we are ready to adopt this doctrine we should, as soon as possible. We are already incorporated as a church and soon will sign a lease. We simply need to make a formal decision (vote) as steering committee to adopt the doctrine. This could happen on Loomio or in a meeting.
Note: This Loomio thread is about adopting the initial doctrine, which is somewhat urgent and definitely important to our status as a church entity.
Completing this step is separate from the need for a policy or procedure in our bylaws establishing how future congregations/members/board should go about making changes to the doctrine. That "need for a policy" already has a Loomio decision associated with it linked here: https://www.loomio.com/d/6kyNA0YM/need-a-doctrine-formal-adoption-process
Please let me know if you have any questions!
C.
Caroline Savery Fri 30 Sep 2022 1:02AM
Thanks for the feedback Bobbie! Love your suggestion of developing more language around pro-equity congregation and practicing of recognizing/redistributing power. I'm sure there's a lot of existing congregations with language and norms around this that we could draw upon. I welcome anyone's initiative to develop their own contributions to the doctrine, so long as it merges in with what's there! :)
Caroline Savery Fri 30 Sep 2022 1:02AM
I just finished sharing our Doctrine Draft to the relevant advisors on our list: Roshan, Katherine, Alex and Sean. They have commenter privileges on the doc, and instructions on how I want to receive their feedback.
If there's anyone else you'd like to send the doctrine to for feedback, please go ahead. I can share my email template for the message if you want. Just please make sure you add any relevant advisors to this spreadsheet for our collective reference. Thanks! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11Jnh9IytpnId2pMOY2iea95NU2_ohBm8UdHx6Pl1bsA/edit?usp=sharing
Drew Hornbein Mon 3 Oct 2022 11:43PM
Absolute amazing comment from Alex:
I'd encourage something here on your relationship to the land you're working on and how you are aligning yourselves with the spiritual warfare that has been happening there, particularly since the wars of colonization that led up to the 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty. I'm curious what, if any, alignment with the spiritual initiatives of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe are connected to the work you're doing. My sense is that there is plenty of resonance between permaculture discourses and the practices of the Indigenous people of this land, but I don't know enough detail about either to be able to make a case. I also think about Denver's history as a waystation for Black fugitives of the settler plantation economy in the US South and if this work has any specific resonances with, or claims to lineage relationships with any of that vibrant living history.
I've added a section in the tempo and scale document about the land. I think we should hold a very radical angle on the "spiritual warfare" aspect.
Bobbie · Tue 27 Sep 2022 9:26PM
I loved reading this! Some of the concepts are new to me but upon researching, they all felt very right on. This feels very solid and well written, very aligned with my personal "doctrine" so to speak, and I think it achieves the goals/purpose laid out. I wonder if there is something missing that could get more directly at the concept of being a pro-equity congregation? Something about recognizing and redistributing power. Not sure what exactly though.....