Thoughts from our Bishops and General Convention Deputies
Members of the deputation will send daily reports in order that we here at home can have a better sense of what is happening in Anaheim and, hopefully, get a little of the “flavor” of what it's like be be a deputy at the General Convention. View YouTube videos posted by our deputies and read their written reflections below. ALL of the dispatches from the Convention will be archived on this page.
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If you have an idea, a comment, a thought, a prayer… anything that you want to share with our friends in Anaheim, you can use send us an email. We can't promise a response to every message we receive, but we CAN promise that every message will be read!
A word from our Bishops
Bishop Rabb's Reflections on the 76th General Convention
We have now completed the 76th General Convention. Of the four I have attended, this one was the least contentious and in one sense the most productive for even with the most resolutions – 406 – we were able to complete action on all of them!
Of greatest significance is the adoption of the church health insurance for all clergy and lay employees. As the Diocese of Maryland is already participating, this does not change anything for us. Second we adopted lay pensions for all church employees, a major statement of justice as well as stewardship. Even with major budget restrictions, we did recommit to the Millennium Development Goals.
As co-chair of the Committee on Education, I was especially pleased that we adopted The Charter for Lifelong Christian Formation, which will be posted on the Web site in a week or so. We adopted a full revision of all of the canons under Title IV of the Canons of the Episcopal Church, which are the disciplinary canons. This represents six years of hard work. Full communion with the Moravian Church, a church with more in common with Anglicanism than is generally known, was also reached.
On the two most controversial issues: Resolution D-025, which attempted to state where we go now in light of what we did with Resolution B-033 at General Convention, 2006, I voted no. The Archbishop of Canterbury, who was with us both to speak to the international situation in regards to poverty and monetary policy and preach, asked us not to take this action. I felt, despite the statements to the contrary by both the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies that it is really “descriptive,” that it would be seen as “prescriptive,” and risk further division in the church and the Anglican Communion. Finally we simply need clarity on the ecclesiology, which is still emerging.
I did vote in the affirmative on Resolution C-056, which commits us to study and bring liturgical, biblical and theological resources to General Convention, 2012. We did not say blessings nor attempt to use the liturgy for the celebration and blessing of marriages. We do need to do the theology first. The amendments and serious work from all sides made this resolution acceptable to a majority in both houses.
I do not expect all of the Diocese of Maryland to agree with my positions, many wishing I would have voted in the affirmative on both or in the negative on both, but I wanted to put forth my reasons and we will have opportunities this fall for further discussion.
As I said at Lambeth I do not believe we have to make “false choices.” Drawing lines in the sand, easy and judgmental characterizations of others and rushing into things without doing the necessary and theological and biblical work will not serve us. It was reassuring to see the House of Bishops this year less divided and while not of one mind, much more willing to listen on one another. Much credit is due to the leadership of the Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori.
I also believe that the experience of the Lambeth Conference has shown us as bishops how crucial it is for us to be fully a part of the Anglican Communion. This does not mean, as noted earlier, that we forsake working for all of God’s people. We are in delicate times, but it is still God’s time and it is with God’s grace that we will see and know where it is our church is to be.
Faithfully yours,
+John
Video Reflections
General Convention as seen through the eyes of our deputies.
July 17
Dr. Bonnie Anderson's Closing Remarks
President of the House of Deputies, Dr. Bonnie Anderson, makes some closing remarks to the House of Deputies on Friday, July 17, 2009.
July 17
Presiding Bishop Charges General Convention
At the last Celebration of the Holy Eucharist at General Convention 2009, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori preaches about the need for Deputies and Bishops to bring the Good News home.
July 17
Resolution C061
The Rev. Adrien Dawson offers testimony on Resolution C061 on the closing day of General Convention
July 17
Resolution A142
Deputy Jean Chapman testifies to concur with a resolution from the House of Bishops on the last legislative day of Convention. Read a reflection from Bishop Rabb concerning Jean's testimony and Resolution A142.
July 17
Youth Presence Celebrated at Convention
The Youth Presence at General Convention is having a good time!
July 16
Budget Process
The 76th General Convention adopted a $141 million budget for 2010-2012 on July 16 that asks for less money from dioceses and drastically reduces church-wide spending by $23 million. Read the entire story from Episcopal Life.
The Rev. Canon Mary Glasspool says this about the budget process: "The Program, Budget, and Finance Committee appreciates that the Budget for the 2010-2012 Triennium has been passed. Deep cuts made it difficult to celebrate, but we did want to appreciate the hard work done by all."
The Presiding Bishop speakes about the Budget
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori talks about the Proposed Budget for the Triennium 2010-2012 with respect to death and Resurrection.
Bishop Drew Smith speaks about the Budget
Co-Chair of Progrma, Budget, and Finance, Bishop Andrew (Drew) Smith of Connecticut, speaks about the Proposed Budget to the Special Joint Session.
July 14
Ecumenical Visitors
An incredible number of ecumenical visitors come to the Episcopal Church's General Convention to observe and engage in conversation. The Rt. Rev. Christopher Epting, Bishop for Ecumenical and Inter-religious dialogue, introduces them in the videos below.
An Abrahamic Blessing from three Faiths
Representatives of three of the world's major Faiths: Christian, Muslim, and Jewish, offer a chanted blessing to the House of Deputies on Day 7 of the meetings of the House of Deputies.
July 12
Presiding Bishop preaches at eucharist, UTO ingathering
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori preached at the Sunday, July 12 Eucharist and Triennial Ingathering of the United Thank Offering, during the Episcopal Church's 76th General Convention in Anaheim, California. Mary Glasspool shares a behind-the-scenes look at Presiding Bishops past and present. Click here to read Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori's sermon.
July 10
The Rev. Angela Shepherd, Rector of St. Philip's, Annapolis, bears witness to what the Diocese of Maryland has done in response to the Church's mandate to resolutions from General Convention 2006.
July 10
The Diocese of Los Angeles' Children's Choir sang some rollicking hymns and anthems for Convention's Daily Eucharist on Friday, July 10.
July 7
The Maryland Deputation on the convention floor
July 8
The Rev. Canon Mary Glasspool presents the resolution from the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget, and Finance that sets Priorities for the Church in the next triennium: 2010-2012.
July 6
The Rev. Canon Mary Glasspool, chair of the deputation, introduces some of the Maryland deputies in the YouTube video below
July 7
Meet more deputies and Bishop Rabb
Written Reflections from the Maryland Deputation and ECW Triennial Delegation
July 23
View from a Lay Alternate Deputy
In addition to four lay and four clergy deputies, each diocese is allowed to send one clerical and one lay person as “First Alternates” to General Convention. This serves two purposes: 1) if a deputy cannot make the trip or becomes ill whilst attending the convention, there is an elected person in each order to fill in; 2) it also provides for some time off during what is currently a 10-day legislative calendar, for deputies to have some free time. In order to do this “switching “of credentials/badges, the deputy and alternate need to be at the registration desk before either the morning or afternoon sessions. As the President of the House of Deputies calls the house to order, (approximately 832 members), the Executive Secretary reads the number of lay and clergy deputies present and the number in each order needed to pass legislation (in most cases by a simple majority).
If you are seated as an Alternate, and want to check with a deputy in your deputation or anyone else on the floor, forget it! There are armed guards (just kidding) or volunteers from the host diocese who will quickly tell you that no Alternates can go beyond the entrance for deputies only and will gently guide you to the section reserved for Alternates. Unlike the deputation on the voting floor who all sit at assigned tables (Maryland was in front of Los Angeles and to the side of Eastern Oregon), one row for clergy and one row behind them for lay deputies, the Alternates can sit anywhere within their designated area. Therefore, you can meet new folks from different dioceses twice a day if you choose to move around. I can illustrate this with a “small world” story. The alternate seated next to me one day was from Delaware. We got to talking and it turns out he was rector of the church in the 1980s in which I grew up in New Jersey! However, it does not provide the same spirit of comradery as being seated with your deputation. You do, however, receive all the daily written resolutions and other notices. This enables you to keep up with the legislation being presented that day as well as to prepare you for the time when you switch with a deputy for a day or half-day session.
I hope this gives you a snapshot of “life on the floor” in the House of Deputies as seen from an Alternate Deputy. I was very proud to be a member of the Maryland deputation to General Convention, 2009.
David Mallery
Maryland, Province III
First Lay Alternate
July 17
Bishop Rabb's Thoughts on Resolution A142
Today, Thursday, the House of Bishops finished its work early and I went to the gallery of the House of Deputies to hear their concurrance on the resolution already passed by the House of Bishops to continue the work of anti-racism for the next three years (Resolution A142). I was so proud of Deputy Jean Chapman, the fourth youngest deputy, who was at the microphone and speaking against another resolution which resulted both in its defeat and on the adoption of Resolution A142. Thank you, Jean!
July 16
News Update from our Bishops and Deputation
July 14
News from the ECW Delegates
The UTO Ingathering Eucharist on Sunday, July 12, with the General Convention members was truly a celebration of legendary pageantry. Dance, music, colorful vestments, more than 10,000 in attendance, all presided over by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, and the two living retired presiding bishops.
Later Sunday evening singer Elisabeth Von Trapp entertained us with stories and music, and a donation was made to the Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative in New Orleans.
Monday began very early at 8 a.m. The Very Rev. David duPlantier, dean of Christ Church Cathedral, New Orleans, spoke about the Jericho project. He said, “Jericho not only builds houses, it builds homes.” Later that day Robert Radtke spoke about the good work of Episcopal Relief and Development, especially focusing on Nets for Life and the affect on avoiding the ravages of Malaria. He said, “When we give, our lives are transformed and we receive more than we give.”
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! The two United Thank Offering grant proposals submitted by your Maryland delegation and Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton to UTO were accepted. They are Turnabout Café and Bakery, a program of All Saints’ Church, Sunderland, for domestic project grant ($30,000.), and Akramamam Primary School, Accra, Ghana, proposed by Ghanaian Mothers’ Hope, Inc. and Ascension Church, Westminster, for an international grant ($40,000.).
There were 63 grants awarded for a total amount of $2,650,472.43. The money for the grants was raised by the UTO from the world-wide Episcopal Church.
In Christ’s Love,
Your ECW Delegates
Sara Brownlowe
Barbara Bonadie
Dottie Arthur
July 12
Decently and in Good Order
By the Rev. Adrien Dawson, first-time deputy
General Convention is an intense crossroad of worship, thoughtfulness, conversation, and action. Every evening when I return to our room I am physically and emotionally exhausted from hard work. But it is good work – even in my exhaustion, I find myself spiritually energized to wonder what God is doing with us? Where is the Holy Spirit leading us? How are we being drawn closer to Christ?
In order to include you in my experience of The Episcopal Church gathered at convention and invite you to engage in some of the questions and observations that are enriching and challenging my soul, here are my current reflections about convention:
IT’S A SMALL CHURCH, AFTER ALL! Every day I see people I know, or people who know someone I know, or people I’d like to get to know. Out of the cast of thousands that have gathered in Anaheim, I run into people from our diocese, people I met at seminary, at EfM training, at the Kanuga Camp and Conference Center, at Province III events, at the Episcopal Youth Event, during the search process for our diocesan bishop, and other Episcopal gatherings I cannot even remember . It is incredible to tangibly experience the community of the Episcopal Church present and engaged in the work of the church. I also see the faces of people that I don’t know personally, but whose books I’ve read, or sermons I’ve heard, or ministries I’ve admired. I have the opportunity to speak to them and thank them for the work they are doing and the way it has enriched my life and the life of the church. And finally, there are so many people I don’t know, and I have the privilege to meet them as we contribute to this incredible gathering of the church. We share our names and stories as we walk together from one meeting to the next, when we gather for worship, when we are in committees, and the brief moments we sit down to rest.
MEETING, MEETINGS, AND MORE MEETINGS… There are lots of meetings going on all the time at convention. First of all, there are committee meetings every morning, afternoon, and evening to sort out the hundreds of resolutions that have been submitted to convention. The committees are the work horses of convention. Based on their collective wisdom, the verbal testimony of people who speak before them at hearings on the resolutions and hours of behind the scenes crafting, the committees rewrite, combine, and tweak resolutions before they are submitted to either House for voting. The House of Bishops and the House of Deputies meet every day to receive resolutions from the committees, discuss them, possibly amend them, and vote on them. The House of Deputies is a large group, around 820 people plus alternate deputies and visitors. The room is large, the atmosphere is formal, the rules of order are observed and enforced, and the President of the House of Deputies (Dr. Bonnie Anderson) is a gracious but firm guide through the morass of business. There is a lot to do in a relatively small amount of time. I had the opportunity to sit in on the House of Bishops yesterday, and was surprised to discover a very different atmosphere. The House of Bishops is much smaller, about 170 people plus a few visitors. The meeting room is smaller, more intimate, and (to me) feels more closed. The bishops all know each other since they meet as a body at other times during the year. The conversation among the bishops is formal and adheres to the rules of order, but feels more like the “old boy’s network” gathered in the drawing room to put their heads together. I was surprised by this because I somehow expected the presence of women, and especially the presiding bishop to present a different tone. What I now realize is that the House of Bishops is a community built on relationships that are forged outside general convention. Their responsibilities and roles as bishops draw them together to become close colleagues in ministry no matter how diverse or different they are from one another.
GRACEFUL, GRUELING (AND TEDIOUS) DECISIONS: The resolutions before us represent the full breadth of church life. Some resolutions are simply housekeeping necessities that keep the church running smoothly: like changes in language, updating canons and other structures to accurately reflect reality. Some resolutions are a grace filled and joyful “Yes!” to the ministry the church is called to do: like supporting Episcopal Relief and Development and nets for life, stewardship of the environment, youth camps as important places for faith formation, and many more. And then there are the grueling resolutions. They are grueling because whether we pass or defeat the resolution, there will be a high price to pay. In some instances, the price is financial – how will we fund the resolution? In some instances, the price is relationships. If we pass a resolution to write a liturgy for same-sex marriage, then what relationships will be strengthened and what will be lost? If we pass a resolution to lift the moratorium on consecrating gay and lesbian bishops in committed partnerships, who might be elected bishop and what provinces in the Anglican Communion will stop communing with us? These are not the only costly resolutions before us – but their cost is felt very keenly by everyone gathered. No matter what resolutions the deputies and bishops affirm or defeat, there will be a cost to someone. This is a painful aspect of our legislative process. As a church, we are usually not in the business of breaking relationships – we seek reconciliation and resurrection. However, in this instance there seems to be no easy way forward. Someone will walk away disappointed at the least, and cut off from the church at the worst.
July 11
A note from the ECW Triennial Delegation
Our adventure continued with the ECW Triennial paying tribute to 73 Honored women from various dioceses on Friday, July 10.
The Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd II, dean of the Washington National Cathedral, visited us and spoke about the cathedral being “our cathedral” and inviting us all to come and visit on any journey to Washington, DC.
During the Friday afternoon session, a Church Periodical Club bag was sent around to collect money for “Miles for Pennies,” which will be used to buy books for children in grades K-12. We learned that there is $844.80 in a mile of pennies.
We enjoyed the UTO dinner with the powerful guest speaker, the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, bishop of North Carolina, with a commission to “go!”
Saturday morning started bright and very early with a review of the UTO Grant proposals, the results of which will be announced at the UTO presentation on Wednesday, July 15.
Our speaker was Phyllis Tickler, a very energetic lady who of women in the Bible, about whom our grandmothers never spoke. One was Tamar, who was part of the lineage of Jesus. We look forward to a busy afternoon of workshops.
In Christ’s Love,
Your ECW Delegates
Sara Brownlowe
Barbara Bonadie
Dottie Arthur
July 10
The Week in Review from the ECW Delegation
Greetings from Anaheim! We three arrived to attend the ECW (Episcopal Church Women) Triennial at various times on Monday, July 6.
Tuesday was an opportunity to go through the numerous exhibits from around the world, representing various programs and organizations. This was also a chance to network with other ECW representatives from the nine provinces of the Episcopal Church (TEC). There were a total of 270 delegates on this opening day of Triennial entitled to vote.
The General Convention opened Wednesday with a Eucharist attended by all, including bishops, clergy, laity and youth from across the Anglican Communion. The national ECW president, Kay Meyers, opened the Triennial convention. A great deal of necessary legislative business was taken care of in order for the 46th ECW convention to move forward. During our welcoming dinner later that evening, the Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris, retired bishop of Massachusetts, was introduced as the first female bishop ordained in TEC.
Thursday morning we were delighted to have as a surprise speaker the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. His talk opened with the phrase, “Hail Mary, full of grace,” and his theme expressed the fact that women carry out the goals of the Church. He was followed by Hellen Wangusa, the Anglican Observer to the United Nations, who gave a very inspiring talk about her work in the UN to better the condition of women throughout the world.
Friday morning the keynote speaker was the Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, former bishop of Alaska, currently serving as assistant bishop, ethnic and multicultural missioner, Diocese of California. His speech, “Grace is Love at Work,” was extremely uplifting. Grace is active and powerful; it moves us out into the community and the world.
Following his dynamic presentation, delegates representing the Youth Presence Community were introduced. Two of them, Jacqueline Bray, Diocese of San Diego, and Amy Esposito, Diocese of Rhode Island, spoke to us about their experiences in the Episcopal Church and encouraged us to include youth in all facets of the life of our community.
In Christ’s Love,
Your ECW Delegates
Sara Brownlowe
Barbara Bonadie
Dottie Arthur
July 7
The Maryland GC Deptutation Arrives in Anaheim
Regardless of the airline one chooses, it takes some time to fly from one coast to the other, and more time to adjust to the three-hour time difference. Deputies from the East Coast are waking up at 4:00 am and feeling very sleepy as early as 9:00 pm!
The Joint (both bishops and deputies) Standing Committee on Program, Budget, and Finance met all day yesterday (Monday, July 6) and wrestled with some of the critical issues facing everyone. We began the day by celebrating the Holy Eucharist using the scripture lessons for a Church Convention. The service was done partly in Spanish and partly in English, and I had the privilege of proclaiming the Gospel. The Gospel Lesson for a Church Convention is John 15:1-11, and I took great comfort in Jesus’ words to his disciples: I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5) And how about this for Program, Budget, and Finance struggling with how to be good stewards of the resources with which we have been entrusted: He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. (John 15:2) We have our work cut out for us, so to speak!
Today, Tuesday, we will all gather for a Joint Session of both Houses, listen to our leaders’ introductions and welcomes to General Convention, and be introduced to the Public Narrative Project – the tool we will use to have some serious discussions about the mission of the Church.
God’s Peace to all,
Mary Glasspool+
