General Convention attracts media eye

From staff and wire reports

The 74th General Convention had as its theme, “Engage God’s Mission: Receive, Repent, Reconcile and Restore.”

However, two other actions were most in evidence: Respect and Restraint. As those who were witness to the convention held July 30 - August 8 in Minneapolis attempted to summarize its extraordinary events in conversation and in coverage, these words arose with great frequency.

A media blitz had set expectations and nerves on edge, but the Church gathered in convention interspersed prayerful dialogue and intense listening with frequent pauses for worship, always seeking God’s guidance. There was little sense of hurry and no feeling of hostility. And as it made the hard decisions, the church grieved for the pain some expressed.

Through leaders’ eyes

As the 10 days of General Convention began, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold reminded deputies, bishops and visitors in his opening address to see its events in perspective. “I think it is important that we remind ourselves that the church is always, in some sense, becoming the church and is continuing to grow toward maturity in Christ,” he said. “Therefore, anything we do or decide is partial and incomplete, though we hope and pray that it reflects something of the truth into which the Holy Spirit is always seeking to guide us. My prayer is that this convention will be part of a continuing process of discovery and growth.”

And in his sermon at the closing worship, Griswold asked the question, “What has this convention been about, and what do I take away? This 74th General Convention has been about love. It has been about love at work in a community that heretofore had been able to live with both/and realities and now was forced to make an either/or decision.

“And yet, in doing so, something has happened that is larger than any one perspective or even the decisions this convention has made. Paradoxically, our differences writ large have stripped us of our facile civility and plunged us into the vast sea of the divine agape. That is not to say one position is right and the other wrong. It is to say that God in Christ is with us.”

Griswold said he was struck at the daily Eucharists by the variety of experiences and expressions as people gathered around the tables, a sight that gave him “an incredible strength and joy despite the difficulties of some of the decisions we have had to make and the painfulness some of these decisions have caused within the community.”

Some of those decisions – including the consent to the election of the church’s first openly gay bishop and recognition that some dioceses currently experience liturgies for same-sex unions – have sparked concern and anxiety not only in the Episcopal Church but among the primates of the Anglican Communion. Griswold said he had responded to these concerns by notifying Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams that he was willing to discuss the convention’s actions with the primates and that Williams has sent an invitation to the primates to meet in London Oct. 15-16.

In his closing remarks to the House of Deputies, its president, the Very Rev. George Werner, offered an example of what he called the “remarkable” treatment of the church in the press, quoting an editorial in the Dallas Morning News.

“We have been struck by the calm and deliberative process the Episcopalians followed in reaching their conclusion,” he read. “The discussions among the clergy and laity were marked not by cheap name-calling but by honest soul-searching. And yes, there is division. But the common bond of faith took precedence.”

The editorial concludes: “Perhaps their thoughtfulness and mutual respect for one another on this issue will have a positive impact on how all of us Americans carry on our larger societal debate. At least we hope so.”

Such sentiments, Werner said, have been “echoed not just in the United States but across the world.” Werner emphasized his commitment to the Episcopal Church as it continues to evolve. “With God, there is always more. With Scripture, there is always more. That’s why we need each other so much.”

About the convention

The General Convention is the governing body of the Episcopal Church; it includes the House of Deputies, which has more than 800 members – up to four clergy and four lay persons from each of 109 dioceses – and the House of Bishops, which comprise nearly 300 active and retired bishops. Convention meets every three years for a ten-day legislative session. Its powers are established by the first article of the church’s constitution. Responsibilities for bishops and deputies include:

• Adopting legislation
• Amending the Book of Common Prayer, the constitution and the canons
• Adopting a budget for the upcoming triennium
• Electing people to various offices and committees.

Ministry

Based on the idea that ministry is grounded in the baptismal covenant, the House of Bishops and House of Deputies passed a series of changes to Title III canons, which govern lay and ordained ministry.

By unanimous vote, the bishops adopted an omnibus resolution from the Standing Commission on Ministry Development that overhauls canons. Presented with a resolution heavily amended by the legislative committee on ministry, the bishops proposed 16 amendments to seven of the nine canons in the title, adopting 12 that deal with access to ministry (canon 1), Eucharistic ministers (canon 4), criteria for nomination for ordination as deacon (canon 6), letters of agreement and assignment of deacons (canon 7), postulancy requirements and the standing committee’s role (canon 8), notification of the election of rectors and letters of agreement, the rector’s control of church facilities and limitations on ministry for retired priests (canon 9).

The SCMD revisions are designed to streamline discernment, candidacy and ordination; promote the importance of formation of all baptized members; clarify the types and functions of licensed ministries; and create a single canon for priesthood.

Although the most controversial measure – direct ordination to the priesthood – had been rejected by the bishops earlier in convention, the SCMD resolution will have major implications for the chief forces guiding ministry development: diocesan commissions on ministry, standing committees and bishops.

Two dioceses received

The dioceses of Puerto Rico and Venezuela were admitted to the Episcopal Church in Province IX. Other dioceses in that province are Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador Central, Ecuador Littoral and Honduras.

After the House of Bishops concurred with the House of Deputies by means of a resounding “yes” voice vote, the room burst into laughter as Bishop Julio Holguin of the Dominican Republic sang “Alma Llanera” (“Flatland’s Soul”), generally considered to be the second Venezuelan national anthem.

Consent to bishops

Ten dioceses elected bishops within 120 days prior to General Convention, and the church canons require that elections in that time frame receive the consent of convention. The church honored the decision of nine dioceses, but when the spotlight shown on the election of a bishop coadjutor in the Diocese of New Hampshire, it paused, and the world’s media collectively held its breath.

The House of Deputies prayerfully debated consent to the election of the Rev. Canon V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay priest to be elected bishop. In a vote by orders – one lay and one clergy vote per diocese, with divided deputations counting as “no” – Robinson was affirmed.

East Tennessee voted “yes” in both orders. This means at least six deputies – three lay and three clergy – voted “yes,” while as many as one lay and one clergy may have voted “no.”

Allegations of sexual misconduct delayed consideration in the House of Bishops. Griswold appointed Bishop Gordon P. Scruton of Western Massa-chusetts to investigate two claims: One questioned Robinson’s involvement in a Web site that ultimately linked to an adult-content site, and another was based on an e-mail from a Vermont man claiming the bishop-elect had inappropriately touched him some years earlier.

The next day, Scruton told the bishops, “there is no necessity to pursue further investigation and no reason on these grounds to prevent ... going ahead” with the process.

In a process that included prayer, table discussions, a period of individual discernment and what the presiding bishop called “gentle conversation,” diocesan bishops voted in favor of consent.

Bishop vonRosenberg voted “no.” For more on his reasoning, please see his Aug. 6 pastoral letter.

Immediately following the announcement, 19 bishops advanced to the dais. Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh read a statement rejecting Convention’s action and resolving to seek guidance from the Anglican Communion.

“I hope my dear brothers, before you go, that we can all pray together,” responded Griswold, suggesting “Ubi Caritas,” the sacramental hymn whose first line translates as “where charity and love are, God is there.” A moving harmony, at once peaceful and painful, arose from the hall in a reaffirmation of bonds the bishops share.

After the New Hampshire deputation introduced its new bishop in the House of Deputies, the Rev. Kendall Harmon of South Carolina and more than two dozen deputies said they were rejecting the consent and were inviting others to sign the statement that Harmon had drafted. Some removed their name badges and left the hall.

“We are not leaving the church. It is rather this church which has left the historic faith and has fractured the Anglican Communion,” Harmon said.

Elections

Executive Council will seat two new bishops, and it will have six new lay and two new clergy members. From Province IV, those members are: Bishop Stacy F. Sauls of Lexington, R.P.M. Bowden of Atlanta and Josephine H. Hicks of North Carolina.

One clergy and one lay deputy from each of the nine provinces were elected to the Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop. Griswold’s term ends in 2006. Vince Currie Jr. of the Central Gulf Coast and the Rev. (Elizabeth) Claiborne Jones of Atlanta are the Province IV committee members. One bishop from each of the provinces also will sit on the committee; Province IV sends Duncan Gray III, bishop of Mississippi.

Budget

Deputies and bishops unanimously approved a budget of $146,395,000 for the coming triennium, including $5.3 million for youth and young adult ministries. Please see the Bishop's reflection for more on the budget.

20/20 vision

The ambitious plan to double the size of the church by the year 2020 was reflected in many resolutions.

Episcopalians should see efforts to plant churches spurred with partnership money for dioceses and congregations – especially those reaching out to underserved areas, diverse populations and urban areas; publications in multiple languages; and leadership programs and internships for young people, the No. 1 priority group for the church.

Social issues

The church will continue dialogue on racism, and one measure requires completion of anti-racism training within a year for people seeking election or appointment to several standing commissions, other committees of Executive Council, related boards and auxiliary organizations. Another measure recommends that diocesan conventions nominate candidates for General Convention deputations to incorporate next generations and the multilingual, multicultural character of communities.

Other legislation calls for the development of a program to combat racial profiling and to push for repeal of mandatory federal sentencing guidelines.

The convention asked the Theology Committee of the House of Bishops to prepare a study on new warfare situations that may not be adequately addressed by the “just war theory,” including non-declared wars, asymmetric warfare, pre-emptive strikes, invitations to intervene by legitimate foreign authorities, international terrorism without boundaries and other forms of military intervention unimagined in the past.

A measure to continue dialogue on the ordination of women failed. The original resolution requested $50,000 to conduct a national conversation on women’s ordination focusing on a report by the Task Force on Women’s Ordination, which visited the three dioceses of the Episcopal Church whose bishops do not ordain women – Fort Worth, San Joaquin and Quincy. Instead, the convention passed a resolution giving thanks “for the work of the Holy Spirit within our communion through the life-giving ministry of ordained women.”

Same-sex blessings

While liturgies blessing same-sex unions are celebrated in some areas, the church is not ready to authorize creating common liturgies for such services, the convention decided.

Deputies concurred with bishops in adopting an amended resolution recognizing “that local faith communities are operating within the bounds of our common life as they explore and experience liturgies celebrating and blessing same-sex unions” and to include the “compilation and development by a special commission organized and appointed by the Presiding Bishop of resources to facilitate as wide a conversation of discernment as possible throughout the church.”

Scientific concerns

The convention grappled with the ethics of the emerging science of genetics. It commended a study, “A Christian Response to the New Genetics,” and called upon provinces and dioceses to encourage local education and discussion of biomedical ethics. The convention also acknowledged potential benefits of genetic testing while affirming that it is not morally acceptable to engage in reproductive cloning.

Ecumenical matters

The convention authorized continuing dialogue with the Moravian Church in America. It also called for continued and strengthened dialogue between Christians and Muslims.

The Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations also is to study the Reuilly Accord of 1998, which was signed by the French Reformed Church, the French Lutheran Church and the Church of England, for a report to the 75th General Convention in 2006.

Ad campaign approved

The convention approved the launch of a $1.5 million national ad campaign, and it directed the national church center to prepare materials in other languages and to provide closed captioning for the deaf and hearing impaired.

Looking ahead

The convention approved Columbus, Ohio, as the 2006 convention site.

Diocesan Communication Director Sharon Rasmussen contributed to and edited this story from Episcopal News Service stories by Sarah T. Moore, Sharon Sheridan, David Skidmore, Richelle Thompson and James Thrall.

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