Letter From Jen: Update from 81st General Convention

Update from The 81^st General Convention of the Episcopal Church (GC81)

General Convention is held every 3 years somewhere in the United States and this year it was 6 days in Louisville, Kentucky, June 21 – June 29.   It is a vital event where church leaders gather to discuss, understand, and decide on important policies, budgets, and leadership matters of the church’s future. 

Everyday there is morning prayer from 8:30 -10 am for those who wish to attend. At the prayer service it is spoken in several languages, different types of hymns and music, and a joyous time to meet and pray with others you don’t know.

The are two houses, one is the House of Deputies (HOD), which is made up of lay people and clergy from all the dioceses including international ones.  The second is the House of Bishops (HOB) which is made up of Bishops only.  There is a President, Vice President, Secretary, Parliamentarian and a few other groups helping so things run smoothly.

This year included an election of a new Presiding Bishop who will serve a term of  9 years.  On the first ballot from the HOB and confirmed by the HOD, Bishop Sean Rowe was elected to be the Presiding Bishop starting his term of service in November, 2024.

Each diocese elects four clergy and four lay; each group includes one alternate attending as well.  The group gets together eight months prior to convention and reviews what they call the “Blue Book” that has most of the legislative material and committees you can attend and provide feedback. 

Some deputies served on several GC81 caucuses such as Deputy of Color, Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) and Lesbian Gay Bi and Transgender (LGBT) groups.  There were evening meetings on those caucuses and special dinner events to gather and meet other deputies from across the countries.

During our first morning session President Julia Ayala Harris appointed 15 deputies to the Organized Business Committee, which is represented by different classes, races and ranging from first time deputies all the way up to 16 time deputies. One of the deputies appointed was Rachel Ambassing from our diocese.

During the legislative meetings the houses meet in their own prospective groups and discuss what is on their docket for the day. There will be discussions on topics and then a vote by the house  to accept with a “Yes” and move forward or a “No” and it doesn’t carry forward.

At various times during the convention there are multiple prestigious awards given out honoring those with years of dedication, exceptional leadership in service to the church and to the HOD.

A couple of the legislative committee reports have resolutions that need to be discussed, explained, and questions answered by the committee chairs and members prior to a vote from the floor.  These can be heated but never unprofessional.

Here are a few resolutions that passed:

• The Diocese of Hawaii merged with the Episcopal Church in Micronesia and will now be a much larger Diocese of Hawaii.
• Made several incremental changes to Title IV rules dealing with claims of misconduct by clergy.
• Made the Episcopal Church in Navajoland a missionary diocese.  Navajoland consists of regions in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah where the Navajo Nation is located. One of he benefits becoming a missionary diocese, Navajoland’s members can elect their own bishop while continuing to receive financial and other support from the wider church.
• Changing the marriage rites and the catechism rites to say marriage is between two people instead of between a man and a woman.

I am fortunate and thankful to have had the opportunity to be elected and served twice as a deputy at general convention.  This year’s deputation group was fantastic and fun!  We all came together to discuss some of the resolutions and people to vote for and spoke candidly with one another.  Amazing experience and hoping others will run for the next one being held in Arizona in 2027. 

In Service,

Jennifer “Jen’ Jow
Facilities & Hospitality Manager