President's Blog

These are tough times for everyone. I’m hopeful but realistic about the prospects for 2009.

In these difficult times, our challenge is to create abundance out of scarcity. If only the Episcopal Church had the child from the parable of the loaves and fishes running Episcopal Relief & Development, we would be a lot better off! He knew how to get things done.

Except for a miracle (and I pray for them daily), how do we go about doing the greatest good for the greatest number at the lowest possible cost?

One of the tools that we use is a decision-making matrix (stop snickering) that was used in a church strategic planning process a few years ago. It was designed by Sithole Mbanga from South Africa. I find it a very useful way to sort through options about how we are to “feed the 5,000” and I share it in the hope that it will help others.

One takes a list of options (in our case program proposals) and rates each one on a scale of 1 to 3 on complexity and 1 to 3 on impact, (with 1 being low and 3 being high).

So, when looking at a set of program proposals we ask ourselves, “How complex is this program?” We then grade it low, medium or high complexity

Then we ask ourselves, “What kind of impact will this program have?” We define impact by a variety of measures, but among the most important is sustainability and numbers of people reached. We then grade it low, medium or high impact.

Once each program has a complexity rating and an impact rating, we chart each program into the matrix. If a program is rated as high impact and low complexity it goes into quadrant 1. If a program is rated high impact, and high on complexity we assign it to quadrant 2, and so on.

Pretty soon it is clear which programs are “must do”, which are “long-term pilots”, which are “let’s keep thinking about it” and which are “don’t do it.”

Interestingly enough there seems to be a high correlation between those projects that are complex and those that are expensive. In our experience complexity and impact don’t often go together either.

Once we’ve done this exercise, we are able to know very quickly what we should do and it makes it a lot easier to create abundance out of scarcity.

Last week I reflected on the power of hope in our lives. Today, as I watch the news from Gaza and the Land so many of us call Holy, we all need to reinforce that hope with prayer.

Sitting beside my desk is The Episcopal Church’s Book of Common Prayer which offers a number of prayers for us to say as we join with our brothers and sisters the world over to work and pray for peace:
• Collect for Peace (Morning Prayer; p. 99)
• Prayer for Peace (Prayer #4; p. 815)
• For Social Justice (Prayer #27; p. 823)
• In Times of Conflict (Prayer #28; p. 824)

In addition, one of my colleagues, Luke Fodor, offers these words:

Gracious God of every tribe and nation, your justice is manifest in peace, reign in the hearts and minds of all people: softening the bondage of hatred and retribution; strengthening those who work for concord, and comforting those who mourn the loss of life and community. In your Holy Land, Lord, give your mercy and grace to all who suffer. All this we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For information about how Episcopal Relief & Development is responding to the crisis in Gaza, please visit our website. Make a contribution by clicking on the Donate Now button.