Disciple: The 79th General Convention

By Christine McTaggart

The 79^th General Convention of The Episcopal Church took place July 5-13, 2018, in Austin, Texas. Over the course of 10 days, the gathering worshipped, bore public witness and took on a legislative slate that included more than 500 resolutions.

While there is a great deal more conversation to come around many of the topics and happenings of General Convention, there are lots of highlights from the triennial gathering to share now.

For more of the daily activity, we invite you to visit the 79^th General Convention page, where you’ll find links to recaps from each day, and don't forget to check out the full photo album and our video collection (with even more videos to come!).

WORSHIP

As always, General Convention was filled with awe-inspiring, spiritually renewing worship. Every day featured music that lifted the spirits of all who heard it, thought-provoking, action-encouraging sermons and the grounding liturgy that unites us all. Yet even among daily Eucharists that reminded worshippers they were in a special place, three stood out and were often heard in conversations in the convention halls.

A Liturgy of Listening

On the evening of July 4, even before the official start of General Convention, a very special service took place to bring to light the stories of those who have suffered sexual abuse and harassment at the hands of the Church. In the months prior to General Convention, survivors of these abuses were invited to submit letters and share their stories with Church leadership. More than 40 letters were received, and 12 of them were read at the Liturgy of Listening, each one in the voice of a different bishop.

No absolution was offered at the service, as its intent was to focus on confession and lamentation. It was created as a first step in acknowledging the Church’s role in stories of sexual misconduct—those shared and not shared. In anticipation of need following the service, a pastoral response team dedicated to responding to the needs of those affected by the liturgy and the #MeToo movement was on-site throughout General Convention.

Read/watch: Bishops lament and confess the church’s role in sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse

Watch: The Rev. Dr. Jeanine Driscoll serves in pastoral role at General Convention

Opening Eucharist

One of the themes to emerge and travel home from General Convention was the “Way of Love,” or practices for living a Jesus-centered life. Introduced at the Opening Eucharist in an electrifying sermon by the Most Rev. Michael Curry, the Way of Love invites practitioners to follow seven simple rules:

• Turn: pause, listen and choose to follow Jesus
• Learn: reflect daily on scripture, especially the life and teachings of Jesus
• Pray: spend time with God in prayer every day
• Worship: gather in community for worship every week
• Bless: share one’s faith and find ways to serve other people
• Go: move beyond one’s comfort to witness to the love of God with words and actions
• Rest: dedicate time for restoration and wholeness

Every worshipper in the hall received a wallet card with the rules of living the Way of Love, and information was distributed about downloading or ordering Way of Love materials, available at episcopalchurch.org.

Read/watch: Presiding Bishop Curry’s sermon

Read more: Presiding Bishop urges Episcopalians to embrace “Way of Love” for spiritual growth

An Episcopal Revival

Saturday night at General Convention was a party, indeed, with an Episcopal Revival and Texas Night hosted by the Diocese of Texas. The music was sensational, spiritual, uplifting and toe-tapping, with Presiding Bishop Curry’s sermon of love at the center. He spoke of the need for it, the key to it, the work of it and the power of it.

“The key to following Jesus, the key to being his disciple, the key to life is love, is love, is love, it’s love….And the work of love is to work to make a world with the possibility of life for all. That is the work of love.”

The crowd was riveted for the almost 45-minute sermon, moving only to jump to its feet multiple times when an “Amen” just wasn’t enough to express the feeling in the room. Spanish-language translator Dinorah Padro stayed word for word with Presiding Bishop Curry to bring the sermon to the room in two languages, even keeping pace with his energy and movement.

The revival culminated in a truly moving moment when the bishops from the Diocese of Texas laid hands on Presiding Bishop Curry to bless and pray over him, with the crowd extending their own to join in before moving to prayer stations around the hall. At an event crowded with incredible music and worship that inspires, moves, uplifts and motivates, the Episcopal Revival found a whole new level.

Read/watch: Presiding Bishop Curry’s sermon

Read more: Presiding Bishop preaches “God is love and gives life” message during Austin revival

Watch: An Episcopal Revival in Austin

More Sermons

Presiding Bishop Curry was not the only one preaching memorable sermons at General Convention. Gifted speakers from across the Church preached every day.

• The Rev. Gay Clark Jennings (President, House of Deputies)
• Andrés Gonzalez-Bonillas (Diocese of Arizona)
• The Rt. Rev. Prince Singh (Diocese of Rochester)
• The Rev. Winnie Varghese (Trinity Wall Street, Diocese of New York)
• Brother Aiden Owen (Holy Cross Monastery, Diocese of New York)
• The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows (Diocese of Indianapolis)

LEGISLATION

If worship is the grounding force of General Convention, legislation is the heart of the gathering. More than 500 resolutions were submitted to General Convention for consideration and discussion on far-ranging matters. Legislative committee meetings began at 7:30 a.m., and it was not uncommon to see them run as late as 11:00 p.m. to prepare resolutions for presentation in the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies.

The North Carolina deputation met every day for lunch to discuss and update business in committees and on the floors of both houses, exchanging stories, news and thoughts before returning to work. It is notable that every bishop and deputy from North Carolina served on a committee; none were unassigned.

Full texts and outcomes of voting on all resolutions can be found on the General Convention Virtual Binder. Read on for some of the notable legislative decisions made at General Convention (in alphabetical order).

2019-2021 Budget

The $134 million budget once again reflects the priorities of reconciliation, evangelism and creation care. The budget was presented in a joint session of the House of Bishops and House of Deputies before further discussion in the respective houses.

Cuba

In one of the more moving moments in the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies, both houses voted unanimously to pass Resolution A238 and invite the Episcopal Church in Cuba to return to the Church as a diocese after more than 50 years apart. The celebrations that erupted upon the announcement of the voting results were deafening, and emotions ran high when the Rt. Rev. Griselda Delgado del Carpio, bishop of Cuba, took to the dais to speak. Upon completing her remarks to the House of Deputies, Cuba’s delegation marker was raised and Cuba took its place. The Diocese of Cuba will be part of Province II.

Governance

Among the legislation pertaining to governance, one decision of note was General Convention’s passing of Resolution A072, giving dioceses approval to review the province where they currently reside and explore options should they wish to affiliate elsewhere.

Immigration

The topic of immigration at General Convention focused primarily on the issues surrounding the dignity of immigrants and the separation of families, thereby producing an overwhelming agreement. Three resolutions were passed, including Resolution C033, which “puts the church on record as respecting the dignity of all immigrants;” Resolution A178, which takes a stand against the separation of families, and Resolution C009, “Becoming a Sanctuary Church.”

Israel/Palestine

As expected, the conversation surrounding the Israel/Palestine conflict was emotional, conflicted and deeply felt. Fifteen resolutions were submitted on the subject, and only six reached agreement between the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies. While all agreed the violence is an “escalating humanitarian crisis,” the House of Bishops voted against the controversial Resolution D019 that would put in place a “human rights investment screen,” calling it tantamount to “divesting” from Israel.

However, both houses passed resolutions calling for the resumption of humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees (Resolution B021) and upholding the status of Jerusalem as a shared Holy City (Resolution B003). While the houses may not have been in agreement on specific steps to take regarding the Israel/Palestine conflict, they were united in the desire to see violence end, the people of both nations safe and a peaceful path forward found.

Marriage Rites

Resolution B012 was passed in both houses, giving all Episcopalians the ability to be married in their home churches with “full access to two trial-use marriage rites for same-sex and opposite-sex couples approved by the 2015 meeting of General Convention (via Resolution A054).” Resolution B012 was heavily amended and passed between the House of Bishops and House of Deputies multiple times before the final version was approved. It gives clergy access to the trial-use marriage rites for all couples (previous iterations gave them access only under the direction of their bishop); requires that if a bishop “does not embrace marriage for same-sex couples” because of a theological position, he or she will invite another bishop to provide pastoral support to couples and clergy involved; and authorizes the continued trial use of marriage rites until the next full revision of the Book of Common Prayer.

#MeToo
The #MeToo movement was a central concern at General Convention, with a particular focus on the voices of women. What began with the Liturgy of Listening continued throughout the gathering, with multiple resolutions passing both houses on subjects ranging from allowing infants on the floors of the Houses to changes to the Title IV canons. In addition, the House of Bishops adopted a covenant acknowledging the #MeToo movement and committing to seek change.

Prayer Book Revision
A substitute version of Resolution A068 was adopted to provide a path to develop new liturgies with “expansive and inclusive” language while continuing the use of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. The revised resolution now encourages dioceses to “create a liturgical commission to collect, reflect, teach and share resources [to be developed within the dioceses] with the Task Force for the Liturgical and Prayer Book Revision (TFLPBR).” The approach was put in place to address the unmet needs of Episcopalians without proceeding to a full Prayer Book revision, as it was determined the direction of such a revision still needs to be further clarified.
In addition to the liturgical development and continued prayer book usage, Resolution D078 continued the Church’s progress toward greater inclusivity with the allowance of all congregations to use alternative language for Eucharistic Prayer A, B and D from Rite II in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.

Salary for the President of the House of Deputies
While no specific salary was named for the president of the House of Deputies, Resolution B014 passed to provide “director and officer’s fees” as compensation for what was previously a full-time, unpaid position.

SOCIAL JUSTICE / PUBLIC WITNESS
Despite the record-setting legislative workload, those in attendance at General Convention found time to stand in public witness against gun violence and the treatment of immigrants.

Bishops Against Gun Violence Daily Witnesses
Every day before the start of the first legislative session, the Bishops Against Gun Violence hosted a daily witness liturgy. Each worship highlighted a specific area of gun violence, and the witness included prayer, scripture and a reflection. Both the Rt. Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple and the Rt. Rev. Sam Rodman led witnesses, with Bishop Hodges-Copple speaking on the topic of gun-related suicide, and Bishop Rodman reflecting on police shootings.
Following each service, the bishops distributed 96 wooden crosses representing the 96 people killed each day by gun violence in America. As the crosses continued to be distributed after each day’s witness, they served as an increasingly visual representation of the number of people who were killed by gun violence during the 10 days of General Convention.

Bishops Against Gun Violence Rally in the Park
On Sunday, July 8, bishops, priests, deacons and laity gathered in Brush Square Park for a public witness against gun violence. Organized by Bishops Against Gun Violence, the gathered member bishops formed a sea of red and orange, wearing stoles created especially for the occasion, and, despite the early heat, the park was crowded with witnesses. The family of Carmen Schentrup, one of the students killed February 14 in Parkland, Florida, spoke at the gathering, sharing their struggle with grief, the role of their faith and urging everyone in attendance to work to make a difference in preventing gun violence. Abigail Zimmerman, a 14-year-old advocate, also spoke. Zimmerman, along with her classmates, organized a walkout at her school and continues to work for reforms to gun control.
“I encourage all of you to make change happen,” she said. “Educate yourself, your friends. Vote. Join organizations devoted to common-sense gun legislation. Write letters. Do whatever you can to make a difference. Change must happen, and it must happen now.”

Prayer Vigil at Hutto Detention Center
Following the public witness against gun violence in Brush Park Square, a large contingent of those gathered continued their social justice witness with a trip to Taylor, Texas, to the Hutto Detention Center. Hundreds of immigrant women are being detained in Hutto, though it is unclear whether they are among those who have been separated from their families. Episcopalians gathered to worship, pray, sing and bear witness. As those gathered sang, some say there were indications they were heard by those detained inside, though the detention center was hundreds of yards away from where the faithful crowd was gathered.

OTHER NOTABLE MOMENTS

TEConversations
Four joint sessions between the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies were held at General Convention: one was the presentation of the 2019-2021 budget, and the other three were TEConversations. TEConversations were sessions that presented information and speakers on a related topic, followed by a designated time of discussion. Designed ultimately to be a series of nine conversations that can be used in congregations, the first three presented at General Convention focused on the “three pillars of the Jesus Movement”: racial reconciliation, evangelism and creation care. All of the conversations were hosted by North Carolina’s own the Rev. David Crabtree, and the Rev. Dr. Lauren Winner (St. Paul’s, Louisburg) was a panelist on the evangelism program.

Pauli Murray, Thurgood Marshall and Florence Li Tim-Oi Become Permanent Saints
Three “widely commemorated” figures in the Episcopal Church are now permanent saints: the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, Thurgood Marshall and the Rev. Florence Li Tim-Oi were added on July 13 to the Lesser Feasts and Fasts calendar.

The Rt. Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple and Deputy Alice Freeman Elected to Executive Council
Bishop Anne Hodges-Copple and deputy Alice Freeman were both elected to Executive Council this General Convention. To have two representatives from the same diocese elected in one convention is rare, yet the Diocese of North Carolina will be well represented as these two exceptional people begin their six-year terms.

Deputy Alice Freeman Recognized with ECW Distinguished Woman Award
In addition to her election to Executive Council, deputy Alice Freeman received the Episcopal Church Women’s Distinguished Woman Award for the Diocese of North Carolina. A number of friends, colleagues and fellow ECW members were on hand to help her celebrate.

General Convention in the News
If the influx of clergy collars wasn’t enough to tip off the residents of Austin the Episcopal Church was in town, the local news made sure of it, as the Church was in the news on several occasions throughout General Convention, both for its Presiding Bishop and its public witness.

Media Hub Opens Window into General Convention
The opportunity to witness General Convention as it happened was never greater than it was during the 79th gathering. The Episcopal Church and Episcopal News Service (ENS) combined communications forces to offer livestreams of special events, worship services, legislative sessions and more on the new Media Hub, with in-depth reports following on ENS hours later. All events on the Media Hub are still available for on-demand viewing.

The GC Pigeon
Folks at home might have wondered if the Texas heat had gotten to General Convention attendees with all of the talk about the “GC Pigeon” in conversation and on social media. The truth is that a chance occurrence became a local sensation and much-needed source of levity that carried through the 10 grueling days. During opening remarks to a joint session of both houses, a pigeon flew through the House of Deputies at seemingly definitive moments, as if it had something to say about the proceedings. Within minutes, the “GC Pigeon” had a Twitter account (@gc79pigeon), and a star was born.

Did You Know: 3 out of 4 North Carolina Lay Deputies are Long Leaf Pine Recipients
You think you know your deputies, until you attend the deputation dinner and learn an extraordinary fact. Deputies Joe Ferrell, Martha Alexander and Alice Freeman are all members of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine society, the highest civilian honor in North Carolina. The Long Leaf Pine is awarded to “persons for exemplary service to the State of North Carolina and their communities that is above and beyond the call of duty and which has made a significant impact and strengthened North Carolina.” Substitute a few words, and that is a perfect description of the gifts these three have shared with the Diocese of North Carolina.

FINAL NOTE
Despite its length, even this summary does not include all the notes, moments, decisions and events of the 79th General Convention. We encourage you to go deeper at bit.ly/GC79Recap, enjoying links to ever more articles, photos and videos, and we hope you will be involved in the work we, as the Diocese of North Carolina, will do in the coming years.
The 80th General Convention will take place in Baltimore, Maryland in 2021.