Day 5 from Louisville! 6/27/24

Dear friends,

It was a little easier keeping track of items and events yesterday in real time, so we’ll try it again today! We’re beginning to feel the length of this week – even our beloved coffee isn’t quite kicking in with the same effect. But we power through and continue our work!

7:00am

The early risers of our deputation arrived at the House of Deputies to hear a forum of the nominees for the Vice President of the House of Deputies.

9:00am

Morning Prayer was offered in House this morning with prayers of special intention for the victims of mass shootings. Christ Church Cathedral in Louisville has been praying especially for the victims of gun violence and has created placards of names of those killed and wounded in the places within our dioceses and handed them out today. I couldn’t help but notice the reactions of our friends from North Carolina sitting to our left – a great sadness came upon their faces upon receiving the stack of placards containing the names of many who had died. Idaho had none to receive – what to say?

The Official Youth Presence!

9:52am

It’s announced we’re likely to have another evening session. We’ll see how fast business can go today.

The morning session begins with a presentation by the Official Youth Presence entitled “A Living Testament and Architects of the Future.” We were encouraged by their fervor for and love of this Church as they described their two pillars of opportunity: openness and resurrection! These impressive teenagers spoke on their hope for the future and one in which our youth are both our present and future. They implored us to create accessible liturgies for children and families, to seek more youth involvement in leadership, and to make “all are welcome” a reality. This was great to see; I am where I am now because this Church and its leaders believed in me, encouraged me, valued me, and loved me as a child, teenager, and adult. Let’s commend that same work now and always.

10:05am

Business continues with the election of the Vice President of the House of Deputies. Four are standing for this office, which assists the work of the President throughout the coming triennium:

John Floberg

Charles Graves

Ruth Meyers

Steve Pankey

The Rev. Steve Pankey from the Diocese of Kentucky was elected on the second ballot. Pankey said he was looking forward to serving God, this House, and our President and that the Church is in “exceedingly good hands” with Julia Ayala Harris, Michael Curry, and Sean Rowe. “I can’t believe I get the chance to work with them.”

10:21am

Consent Calendar #1 of the day was passed, and we then moved on to rules of order and how legislative committees work so that we might set the standard by which we operate and allow room for how the Holy Spirit might work in our midst.

All of this is being considered because of how General Convention changed during the pandemic. Instead of meeting in 2021, it met in 2022. GC80 was only four in person days, and a vast majority of its work was done virtually for safety. We have since found that some of these same virtual practices might be a good idea for the future seeing as many more members of the wider Church could participate in Zoom calls and online hearings. The committee also supported allowing for written testimony on resolutions because not all can attend in person or virtual hearings. It is the hope that we are adapting our rules for the House of Deputies to provide “unprecedented access” to the materials to be considered at General Convention to the wider church before the in person gathering of General Convention.

We also voted for some earlier deadlines, keeping legislative committees mostly online for the sake of their initial reports which will be due a week before the next General Convention. Committee work will continue on site at future General Conventions, but the hope of keeping meetings virtual is to allow for more thorough work to be done pre-convention and allowing for more time for translation of reports for the sake of our international members (which has been a challenge at times at this General Convention).

Three resolutions passed.

11:34am

A resolution requesting that future General Conventions last “not fewer than ten days” in accordance with the Guidelines set forth in Resolution 1988-A150. It was the custom of our Church to have long General Conventions – in an era without the internet, it was much more necessary to meet as long as possible in person. However, there was also a resolution in 2015 saying that General Conventions should not last more than ten days.

Friends, I’m a first-time deputy for these six days of legislation. I cannot imagine a productive scenario in which this house meets for ten straight days – this work is a great privilege on behalf of the Church, but it can be tiresome and lengthy. With the capabilities we have with online resources, it seems imprudent to gather considerably longer than we need to. The House of Deputies agreed with the committee’s recommendation to take no further action, thereby paving the way for future General Conventions shorter than ten days.

The proposed Collect for the Philadelphia Eleven

11:48am

We heard two courtesy resolutions before lunch. The first expressed gratitude for the life and ministry of the Very Rev. George L.W. Werner, the 31^st President of the House of Deputies, who died on February 6^th 2023. The second was to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of the Philadelphia Eleven, the first women ordained as priests in the Episcopal Church. George was a great champion of the role of women in leadership and ordained positions, and it was a joy to celebrate these two resolutions together. GC81 celebrated greatly by singing the doxology in affirmation! Additionally, we prayed the collect for the proposed feast commemorating the event of the ordination of the Philadelphia Eleven, and we were invited to remember joyfully the names of those women whose ordained ministry we particularly celebrate in our own lives.

12:05pm

We’re in recess til 2pm. Some of deputation will bear witness with many of our bishops and youth representatives in a march and demonstration against gun violence. I’m grateful for their witness and stand with them in spirit, but I’m going to run back to the hotel to sleep for a bit. Like I said, it’s a long week.

Editorial Note: Here’s an Episcopal News Service story on the event.

 A Prayer to Remember the Innocents

2:03pm

We’re back with a word of prayer from our chaplain: “May our words continue to be seasoned with grace and truth, soaked in the soothing aromas and fragrances of love, patience, kindness, compassion, respect, and justice.”

Another Consent Calendar passed, and we’re on to our next resolutions for business.

GC81 supported the committee recommendation to take no further action on A094 Communion Across Difference. A task force comprised of members of the Church who hold differing theologies and opinions across the breadth of belief regarding traditional marriage and marriage equality has existed since 2018 to help the Church hold this important conversation on a Church-wide level. While many in the House believe in the spirit of the conversation, the committee’s argument was well-heard. And, not all do agree with the spirit of the conversation – I commiserate with the notion that one’s belovedness and marriage which this Church has already affirmed need not be continually reexamined by those who hold a minority opinion. At the same time, I do value bringing voices and experiences together under the wide banner of Christ’s Church – we are better when we are together, but the Church’s support for marriage equality is clear.

2:31pm

Some highlights from the afternoon session:

We voted to create a comprehensive report, share resources, and build collaboration across the Church to encourage the formation of our youth members through global service and mission trips. Many testified in favor, on deputy remarking that everyone he knew who had gone on such a trip as a teenager was still active in the Church. Anecdotally, this is mostly true for me, too.

We voted to commend and extend the work of the Task Force on Imagining a Church Grounded in Social Justice as Ministry, with particular care to emphasize language which grounds this important work in the Gospel. Their work will continue through this triennium with funding already passed in the budget.

D074 Renouncing the Theology of Slavery held by the Rev. James Craik, 11^th President of the House of Deputies. With the entire deputation of Kentucky gathered at the microphone, the House learned that Craik was unanimously elected as the President of the House of Deputies and was the dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Louisville. He published a “reprehensible” pamphlet regarding slavery. Kentucky’s deputation implored the House to remember that truth-telling matters in context, and seeing that Craik’s ministry happened blocks from where our current business session is taking place, it was important for this renunciation not simply to pass on the Consent Calendar but to make time for it on the floor. Before our voice vote, our chaplain led us in prayer, becoming emotional with his tender words:

“We invoke the Holy Spirit’s breath on this day. Move your Spirit among us, filling us with your grace and clarity. Envelop our hearts and minds. May our words always continue to be open to grace and truth and stay steadfast in your love. May we always remember that we are the human family and emphasize our interconnectedness. Help us in this journey with compassion knowing that your love sustains us. We lift up this prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.”

D034 was passed with the hopes of supporting advocacy for restorative justice, reducing the number of people incarcerated, and to commit to works as a Church that affirm “that Jesus proclaimed freedom for prisoners (4:18) and promised the possibility of justice aimed at restoration even for those who murdered him (Luke 23:24).” There was some debate as to whether this and other resolutions did anything, as much of its language is in the realm of “urging” and “encouraging.” In response, a deputy spoke energetically in favor: “We need to continue to keep these things in front of people” lest we forget what we have promised as people of God, he remarked. This is always an important conversation at General Convention. For the most part, our resolutions should be clear with the action they can or hope to accomplish. But, General Convention also serves as a sort of time capsule that shows what we care about and what we use our voices to support or decry over the generations. Sometimes, taking a vocal stand is the beginning of action, and in this case, many were moved by this last deputy’s strong words.

As the afternoon continued, we voted to take no further action on a resolution about recognizing the full place of all people – especially including those with neurodivergent and intellectual/developmental disabilities – in the Church. However, the wording of the resolution was unclear in several of its statements, and while many in the House supported the spirit of its inclusivity, we took no further action.

Then, we approved a resolution to continue the Task Force on Indigenous Liturgy for the next triennium. There will be culturally-appropriate translations that will hopefully come from this work, as there are hundreds of recognized indigenous peoples who have no translations of our current prayer book to use in liturgy. Convention celebrated the long history of our indigenous friends, that they have been part of the traditions and history of the Episcopal Church since at least 1607 in Jamestown, VA.

Time for a quick recess!

4:12pm

We’re back. We’ve got coffee. And Jesus. Let’s go!

And Gay Jennings is here! Our former House President was warmly greeted as she playfully made a grab for the gavel – old habits die hard, huh? Current President Julia Ayala Harris presented Jennings with the Presidential Service Award to a round of great applause. “It was one of the greatest privileges of my life to serve as your President, and we did great work together,” Jennings fondly recalled.

We’ve been told we have a 50/50 chance of not coming back tonight (woo!), but only if we get through a lot of business. Onward we go:

Vote passes on A092 Access to ordination and deployment. Allows that no person shall be denied access to discernment process or any process for employment, licensing, calling, or deployment for any ministry, lay or ordained, in this Church because of their conscientiously-held theological belief that marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman, or that marriage is a covenant between two people. This was not an easy vote, and our deputation voted to concur only with hesitancy.

D091 on the definition of “doctrine” was another challenge – this time, we voted against. The question we struggled with as a deputation was “can the doctrinal position of a memorialized prayer book exist together with a directly opposing doctrinal position and still remain the doctrine of this Church,” especially in regard to how this Church views marriage. The word “memorialized” was introduced in 2018 to protect the status and use of the 1979 edition of The Book of Common Prayer, but in practice, we as a whole Church have yet to fully understand the ramifications of its meaning. We were concerned that this resolution could define as permanent doctrine that marriage is only between one man and one woman even though we have affirmed same-sex marriage for nearly a decade. We as a deputation hope to continue to encourage the breadth of diversity in theological belief, practice, understanding, and difference, but not if it comes at the risk of anyone’s justice, equity, and belovedness.

5:21pm

Oh look! A unanimous vote on A071 making it easier for dioceses to merge and/or reunite!

And D049 was passed to allow dioceses to elect not more than three Bishops Suffragan instead of just two. This is especially important as dioceses merge or reunite. For example, when Texas and North Texas reunited, the region of North Texas was left without the presence of a bishop, and it has not been an easy search. This resolution will allow dioceses to elect Bishops Suffragan with greater ease to adapt to new structures and realities in some of the dioceses of our Church.

5:36pm

A044 passed to develop sustainable congregational revitalization ministries especially focusing on data-driven conclusions and resources to build on best practices for congregational development and vitality.

C032 passed with overwhelming and solemn support in expressing our remorse for the role the Episcopal Church played in the “irreparable harm suffered by Indigenous children who attended Indigenous boarding and residential schools in the 1800s and 1900s.” I would encourage your prayers for this moment with the prayer written for the resolution:

Ohiŋni wičhauŋkiksuyapi kte.  "We will always remember them."

Dear Lord, Almighty God, we pray for all Indigenous children who were in residential and boarding schools in Canada and the United States.  Some died there; we ask that you give assurance to   their descendants that their souls are with you and their ancestors. Some survived there; we ask that you give your healing grace to all who endured hardship while there and are still struggling with those memories. Lastly, we ask you to help us guard our children against harm in this world. All this we ask in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.  Amen.

6:17pm

We’re off for an hour. Looks like we’ll return to finish our work after dinner!

7:15pm

We’re brought back into session to consider several more resolutions:

Consent Calendar III is adopted, and we move along.

We approved the trial use of the “Expanded Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings.” It’s an ecumenical, three-year cycle of Daily Office-style readings that follows the Sunday Revised Common Lectionary readings closely.

The House of Deputies then considered an expansive language version of Eucharistic Prayer C and approved it heartily to join the expansive language versions of Eucharistic Prayers A, B, and D that are already approved for use.

We concurred with the House of Bishops on A115 nearly unanimously to authorize alternative texts for the Good Friday liturgy which aim to offer a sensitive and pastoral lens to the story of the Passion as told in John’s Gospel. This resolution gives parishes revised choices for readings, edited collects, and a new translation of John’s Passion used in the liturgy in hopes to avoid an antisemitic theology that many have experienced with the current prayer book liturgy.

Next, we approved a resolution to remove William Porcher DuBose from the Calendar of the Church. To be on this calendar, we have agreed that people should have been, in their lifetime, extraordinary or even heroic for the sake of God’s people and the Gospel of Jesus. However, DuBose was a “committed and unrepentant” white supremacist who regularly spoke, taught, and preached about these views. He described the Ku Klux Klan “an inspiration of genius.” The committee wrote that “The Episcopal Church should not be honoring a man who saw no conflict in teaching Jesus, but believing that Jesus would somehow condone the enslaving, killing, torturing and destroying of the families of a people, slaves or free.”  

And lastly, we authorized the latest update to the lectionary for Lesser Feasts and Fasts, the larger calendar used for the veneration of the saints in our Church. The revision made sure each commemoration has four readings consistently and offered a greater variety of scripture readings to correct moments in the previous edition in which the same readings were occasionally repeated within the same week.

8:40pm

We’ll finish up our night approving two courtesy resolutions – first, expressing our gratitude to Paul Neuhauser for his 50 plus years of service on the Episcopal Church’s ethical investment committee. Neuhauser wrote the first faith-based shareholder resolution in 1971 asking General Motors to leave South Africa and convinced JP Morgan Bank to make no more loans to South Africa, “dealing a critical blow to the apartheid regime.” And second, we offered our gratitude to Steve Hutchinson upon his retirement as Canon Chancellor. Hutchinson is also a 14-time deputy to General Convention.

8:51pm

We’re outta here for the day!

Tomorrow is our last full day in Louisville. We still have a lot of work to get to, and I give thanks for your prayers for this General Convention, especially that we might have the energy to finish strong! Miss you all back home, and we’re praying for you, too!

Grace to you and peace,

Dennis