The 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church


From July 5th to the 13th, the Episcopal Church will be meeting in Austin, Texas for our triennial meeting of the General Convention (GC). Since 1795, the members of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church (that’s the legal name – we usually call it The Episcopal Church, or TEC for short), have meet in General Convention about once every 3 years to consider and debate how we understand our mission to serve God faithfully.  While our roots are from the Anglican (i.e. Church of England) tradition, TEC is elementally American in its democratic structure of governance and bi-cameral legislative process.  We have the hierarchical system of ordination with bishops, priests and deacons, but also recognize the eminent order of the laity and as such have a polity that demands input from all members.

Very similar to our national government, TEC has two houses, the House of Bishops (HOB) and the House of Deputies (HOD). The HOB consists of all bishops – including diocesan, coadjutor, suffragan and assistant (both active and retired) –  and as a membership of about 300. The HOD is comprised of deputations from the 110 dioceses of TEC (which includes several outside of the USA) and the Convocation of the Churches in Europe.  Each deputation has 4 clergy deputies and 4 lay deputies, which makes the HOD have a potential membership of 880!  Additionally, there is an Official Youth Presence, consisting of 2 youth (between 16-18 years old) from each of the 9 Provinces of TEC, for a total of 18.  The Youth have seat and voice at General Convention but cannot vote.

Usually both Houses meet separately to consider legislation (i.e. Resolutions) that have been proposed. In order for any Resolution to become and Act of Convention, it must be passed by a majority in both Houses – with the same language.  If any wording is changed, it goes back to the other House for consideration and vote.  One of the Resolutions being considered this year is the ability for both Houses to meet, debate and vote at the same time, although within their own House.  Currently we can meet and debate together but not vote.  This is important regarding the Budget specifically, allowing the legislative process to be more efficient.

There are currently 273 proposed Resolutions for the General Convention to consider this year, and that number will grow to well over 300 until 5 pm on July 6th, which is the deadline for filing a resolution.  All Resolutions are assigned to one of 24 Legislative Committees (LC). All LCs meet jointly with the cognate committees from the HOB and HOD, but vote separately (it seems confusing, but works well!).  I will be serving on the HOD LC #4 on Governance and Structure. If you are interested in following the legislative process, you can go to the Virtual Binder.

A couple of the “hot topics” this year is whether or not to start a revision of the Book of Common Prayer.  We are also considering compensation for the President of the House of Deputies, which is currently a volunteer position but has the demands of a full-time job. There is a dedicated Legislative Committee on the Church in Cuba and how they may be integrated into the governance and structure of TEC since the end of the US embargo. Our Bishop, The Rt. Rev. William “Chip” Stokes, is the Chair of the House of Bishops LC on this topic.

While General Convention is mostly a legislative meeting, it is also a meeting of the Church grounded in worship and prayer. A team of very creative people put together wonderful liturgies each day that honor the breadth and depth of our Anglican roots and Episcopal tradition.  The music ranges from traditional to contemporary to jazz to Native American.  It is inspiring to hear almost 2000 Episcopalians sing in harmony and offer familiar prayers in unison. 

In addition to the GC, the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) and the National Altar Guild are also meeting in Austin to expand the sense of a family reunion as we all come together for worship.

I am attending General Convention as a Clergy Deputy from the Diocese of New Jersey.  This is my third General Convention and I think I am finally getting the hang of it!  While it is an amazing experience, it is also a gauntlet, with very long days that are extremely busy with a LOT of sitting. And when you are not sitting, there is a LOT of walking to get around to the various venues for meetings, meals and events. 

This Sunday, July 1st, I will be offering a First Sunday School about General Convention.  Next month on August 5th the topic for First Sunday School will be what happened at General Convention!  I hope you will come to both and learn more about the wider Church and how it affects us. In the meantime I ask for your prayers for all who are meeting in Austin, that the Holy Spirit will guide our work for the well-fare of the world and the well-being of all God's children. 

In the Spirit of Truth,
Rev. Valerie+

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Christmas Poem

‘Twas a week before Christmas and all through the land The Church reminded us that the Savior’s birth was at hand. The season is not about the perfection of glitter But about a loving God who would not leave us bitter. And so God sent us the Son wrapped up like a present In the garb of our mortality, the human flesh of a peasant. The cookies may not be made, the decorations may not be hung, The cards may not be sent, the lights may not be strung. Yet let us all make the true preparations for the coming of our Savior And open our hearts and lives to the Lord’s loving favor. No more precious gift has ever been received. It is up to us to remind the world what we truly believe. Not in jolly old elves, talking snowmen or reindeer in flight But in God, who loves us with all of God's might. So stop for a moment and take a deep breath, As we await the Christ, the true conqueror of death. Let go of the need to fulfill a secular call to perfection
Read more

Give God the Glory

Reflections on Chapters 12-14 of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Years ago, I had a grandparent chargingly ask me if it was OK for her to be proud of her granddaughter, because she had been taught, “Pride goeth before the fall.”   I assured her that being proud of her grandchild was not a sin when the feeling was offered in thanksgiving of the accomplishment and not boosting up one’s own ego. “Look at what I have done,” has been the down fall of many people because they neglect or forget those that helped them achieve their goals. The Book of Acts shares story after story of the importance of acknowledging that all power and might comes from God, to whom we should offer our thanks and praise.   When our egos take over and we congratulate only ourselves for what we have done, we become idolatrous. Chapter 12 records an terrible story of King Herod’s response to the apostles.   He outright kills James and then arrests Peter, who is guarded by over 30 men. Yet, despite
Read more

A Sloppy Track

Reflections on Acts of the Apostles Chapters 15-17 This past Saturday was the 144 th running of the Kentucky Derby.   As with all outdoor events, it is at the mercy of Mother Nature, and sometimes she doesn’t seem to care that the humans prefer sunny, dry weather.   However, a certain horse named Justified was the odds-on favorite to win if it was a sloppy track.   And indeed it was.   Rain poured down for most of the day and it didn’t stop by the time the big race was scheduled to start.   The track was a sloppy as I have ever seen a horse race track be.   Justified loved it – and won. It seems counter-intuitive to me that such adverse conditions could led to victory.   What I would consider ideal conditions (sunny, warm but not hot, dry) was the complete opposite of what made Justified thrive.   The reality is that “ideal” conditions are rare – there is always something that is a bit sloppy or not exactly to our liking.   What is important is how we choose to act in those
Read more