Five resolutions before General Convention could determine the future of the Episcopal Church throughout the Anglican Communion. Not one of these resolutions has to do with Windsor, episcopal pastoral oversight or human sexuality.

Instead, they deal with missionaries, mission trips and cross-cultural education. They are resolutions – A113, A114, A115, A116 and A117 – that expand our missionary presence throughout the world, a presence that incarnates the relationship between our churches and those overseas.

The House of Deputies already has passed some of the resolutions, and the Bishops are likely to follow suit. What’s still needed are dollars.

Some of the money would go for our Appointed Missionaries and Volunteers for Mission (approximately 80 in 30 countries) who face increased health-care, travel and insurance costs (A113).

There’s a need to fund mentoring and pastoral care for our Young Adult Service Corps members. Also, the Standing Commission on World Mission wants to increase the number of YASC missionaries from 10 to 15 each year (both A114).

More educational materials are needed for preparing missionaries (A115). More funding is sought for short-term missions (A116). And there is a call for providing cross-cultural and international opportunities for our seminarians (A117).

There have been rumblings from across the Communion that one reason we are having problems talking to each other is because we don’t understand each other. The presence of our missionaries overseas builds the relationships we need in order to live together in communion.

Our missionaries are our ambassadors on the ground, providing the face and heart of the Episcopal Church to the rest of the world. Living on the front lines of this church’s relationships with the rest of the Anglican Communion, these missionaries deserve all the support the Church can provide.

We must find a way to add to the triennium budget the funding needed to increase our missionary presence – $4,223,000. Our relationships with our Anglican sisters and brothers around the world could depend on this.