The Bishops serving specific areas of the Diocese will call regular meetings of all the Hispanic congregations and ministries in those areas for mission planning and implementation.
Each Bishop will designate five representatives from his or her respective area to serve on the Hispanic/Latino Commission. At least two representatives from each area will be members of the lay order of ministry. The representatives will serve one-year renewable terms, at the Bishop’s discretion, and have seat, voice, and vote at Hispanic/Latino Commission meetings. In September of every year, each bishop will publish in writing a list of the voting representatives from his or her area and send it to the office of the Archdeacon.
The five representatives from each area of the Diocese will meet regularly for communication about mission. This body will be the Hispanic/Latino Commission. It will plan any Diocesan-wide gatherings of the Hispanic/Latino congregations and ministries for communication, education, and celebration. It will seek ways of supporting and furthering Hispanic/Latino ministry in the Diocese.
All clergy and laity of the Diocese of New York engaged in or investigating Hispanic/Latino Ministry have seat and voice at meetings of the Hispanic/Latino Commission.
The Hispanic/Latino Commission will meet at dates, times, and locations determined by the fifteen voting representatives (five from each area of the Diocese.)
Leadership of the Hispanic/Latino Commission, including the chairing of meetings, production of agendae, and keeping of minutes, will rotate annually between the three areas of the Diocese, in the following order: Mid-Hudson, Region II, New York City. The program year begins in September and runs for twelve months.
(Region II representatives will chair the year beginning September, 2004.)
At the September meeting of every year, each Region will present to the Commission, in writing, a strategic action plan for the coming program year.
The Archdeacon will be present at meetings of the Hispanic/Latino Commission.
His role is to represent the Bishop and to facilitate the flow of information between the Hispanic/Latino Commission and the Bishop (and other Diocesan entities.)
The Congregational Life and Mission Committee of Diocesan Council will administer
an annual process to construct a budget “asking” for Latino ministries as well as a process for the allocation of the Hispanic/Latino Ministry line of the Assessment Budget. The voting representatives of the Hispanic/Latino Commission will serve as the sole voting members of the allocation process. Both the budgetary askings and the allocation decisions must be approved by the Congregational Life and Mission Committee before being considered as final. (Separate guidelines have been approved for both the asking and allocation processes.)
