Overview: The 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church

From YourSITE.com

The Advocate July - August 2006
Overview: The 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church
By Kay Collier McLaughlin
Jul 28, 2006, 12:44

839 elected deputies.
306 elected alternate deputies.
230 bishops.
365 members of the Episcopal Church Women.
17 official youth representatives.
Volunteers. Vendors. Media. Visitors.
It’s the triennial general Convention of the Episcopal Church – one of the five largest conventions in the United States.

Convention-ese might be said to be the official language. MDG’s. D022. A1123. C018. “Traces.” UTO. U2charist. 26. Translation runs something like this: Millennium Development Goals. Resolutions regarding the MDG’s – or efforts to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by the year 2015. “Traces of the Trade, a documentary from the deep North,” a documentary by Katrina Browne, descendent of the largest slave trading family in the U.S. Resolutions on monetary and non-monetary reparations to descendants of the victims of slavery, and endorsement of principles of restorative justice. $2,419,628.54 in United Thank Offering Grants to ministries in Africa, Asia/ Pacific, Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, South America, Jerusalem/Middle East and the United States. Global warming — a deeply moral and spiritual issue. HIV/AIDS. Small Churches. Youth. College Ministry. Young Adults.

The list of areas of concern to the Episcopal Church and corresponding actions of General Convention is long. The legislative summary may be read at www. episcopalchurch.org/3577_76451_ENG_HTM.htm. It covers 25 pages.

The majority of legislation was not in the headlines of local newspapers, or covered by TV news or talk shows. The real business of the Episcopal Church, as it is lived out in daily worship and Bible Study, prayerful voting, inspired music and preaching and building relationships across diocesan and theological lines is not the stuff that sells papers or draws viewers.

It IS the story of the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church. So is the election of “26” — the Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori to be the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. And so are the “Windsor Resolution” hearings, discussions and votes. Part of the story. Not the whole story.

For nine jam-packed, Spirit-filled, wearying days, the bishops of the Episcopal Church come to the designated site as a part of the regular triennial meeting which occurs during their episcopate, but is not the focus of their episcopate. The elected deputies and alternates, chosen to serve as legislators who conduct the triennial business of the church in an unwieldy body of nearly 900 individuals, 1/3 of whom change each meeting, came – and worked.

It is a story with many, many parts:

Men, women and young people — Episcopalians all — wheeling gigantic convention notebooks across walkways, down escalators and through convention corridors, water bottles in hand.
Bishops in purple baseball caps, embroidered with their consecration numbers.
Windsor Committee Chaplain Sandy Wilson’s prayer: “Come, Holy Spirit, Come. Make us a church so salty and so yeasty that we would be missed if we were not around — an open, caring, sharing church – where the Holy Spirit is not a party symbol, but a wind and fire in everyone.”
The Rev. (Senator) John Danforth calling on the Presiding Bishop’s Forum on a Reconciled World to decide “should the Episcopal Church be part of the problem or part of the answer?” “I believe you believe with me that ours is a special call to a ministry of reconciliation.”
A young African American boy — part of the official Youth Presence — telling the House of Bishops how he was transformed from a bored acolyte who didn’t much know or care why he was in church, to a passionate young leader by his work at Barnes Mountain, Ky., as part of the Provincial Youth Event.
Official press briefings — diocesan media working shoulder to shoulder with the Associated Press, USA Today, New York Times, CNN, NPR.
Non-official “News conferences” – where the fringes – right and left — give their reactions to the actions of Convention...and the life of the Church.
The U2charist, and the Integrity Eucharist, the Exhibit Hall – where the breadth of this branch of the Anglican Communion can be seen; felt; experienced.
Election Day Eucharist — and the band with borrowed instruments and clothing (they made it from a holdover in Houston; their personal effects did not) leading the congregation in joyous singing of “Just a closer walk with thee” and “Amazing Grace,” as the Bishops depart to be sequestered at Trinity Church.
The electricity of the standing room only crowd when the words were spoken — “On the fifth ballot, the Rt. Rev. Katharine…” The rest is history...and future.
Welcoming Stacy, Ginger, Andy and Mattie to the Diocesan Gathering after the election—pride; love; joy.
Bishop Michael Curry in front of the Convention logo, “Grow in Hope,” telling a reporter: “Every now and then, Pentecost sweeps through this Church – and that’s what happened Sunday.”
The last Wednesday — the “diverse center finds it voice.” One of the many, a 31-year-old priest, says: “I am tired of being bullied about by the ends of this House. The choice of some in this House would be schism. I refuse it. I refuse it.”
Bishop Katharine, a tiny speck in red, at the podium in the vast worship space, speaking … “We children can continue to squabble over the inheritance. Or we can claim our name and heritage as God’s beloveds and that name – beloved, with the whole world.”

Our Bishop and our deputies have experienced the 75th Convention in their own work, and perspective. Turn the page. Hear their stories, and allow each one to assist in describing and defining what took place for the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, as the 75th General Convention did its work in Columbus, Ohio, June 13- 21, 2006.

The 75th General Convention is history. The work of unity — of staying the hard course in the center – of standing up and being counted with the young priest who will not be bullied – is just beginning.