Jubilee Ministry

A social justice ministry of advocacy and service for the poor and oppressed. It is a network of parish and diocesan Jubilee Centers throughout the Episcopal Church. It was established by an act of the 1982 General Convention as “a ministry of joint discipleship in Christ with poor and oppressed people, wherever they are found, to meet basic human needs and to build a just society.” The term “Jubilee” means the fiftieth year. It is derived from Lv 25:10, which says that the fiftieth year shall be a jubilee: “you shall return, every one of you, to your property and every one of you to your family.” One of its major ministries is to locate and affirm as Jubilee Centers those congregations, including ecumenical clusters, already directly engaged in mission and ministry with poor people. The experience of ministry with poor people is used to help other parishes become Jubilee centers. It has a variety of other advocacy programs, and publishes a quarterly called Jubilee Journal. The Jubilee officer of the diocese is appointed by the diocesan bishop. Jubilee programs vary according to the needs of the local community. See Jubilee.