December 2021 Newsletter
The General Convention Office
Wishes You a Merry Christmas
The General Convention Office will be closed from Thursday, December 23 through Sunday, January 2 for the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

During this time, the staff of the General Convention Office will not be available, but the gcoffice@episcopalchurch.org email will be monitored in the event of an extremely urgent matter.

The staff of the Executive Office of the General Convention wishes you and your loved ones a blessed Advent season, joyous Christmas, and prosperous and healthy 2022.
COVID-19 Vaccine Resolution Passed,
Proof of Vaccination and Masks Required for All 80th General Convention Attendees
The Joint Standing Committee on Planning and Arrangements, during their December 9, 2021 meeting over Zoom, voted to approved a policy which requires proof of vaccination for COVID-19 for all bishops, deputies, guests, staff, volunteers, vendors, and other attendees at the 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church. There is a provision to submit proof of a medical exemption from the vaccination mandate. Additionally, all attendees will be required to wear a mask in all public spaces and meetings, regardless of vaccination status.

Click here to read the full text of the resolution.

In its Canonical mandate, the Joint Standing Committee on Planning and Arrangements, after having made a site selection, is to, “proceed to make all reasonable and necessary arrangements and commitments for that meeting of the General Convention” (Canon I.1.14.c). The Committee will continue to evaluate the ongoing situation with the COVID-19 pandemic and adjust safety guidelines and protocols in consultation with the General Convention Office, Baltimore Convention Center, and other national, state, and local officials.
Diocesan Secretaries of Convention
Electing Deputies to the 81st General Convention in 2024

Dioceses need to plan to elect, certify, and report their Deputies to the General Convention Office at least one year prior to the first legislative session of the next General Convention (HOD III.A.1).

For the 81st General Convention, taking place in Louisville in 2024, the deadline will be June of 2023. The General Convention Office will send a reminder with links to certify new Deputies or make a change to your deputation.
Legislative Committees
for the 80th General Convention
Using Microsoft Teams

All Legislative Committees are using Teams for their work. For those who have been on a Legislative Committee in the past, this is replacing the use of the Extranet for communication and file sharing.

Need some help using Teams? Click here for a training video created by the General Convention Office specifically for Legislative Committee members. All resources related to using Teams can be found on the Microsoft Teams Training Materials page of the GCO website.

Are you getting notifications from Teams?

To ensure that you aren’t missing anything your Legislative Committee is sharing over Teams, the General Convention Office recommends all Legislative Committee members take a moment to review their notification settings.

The GCO suggests the following settings on a web browser or desktop app to ensure you are receiving notifications for all activity, but you are welcome to tailor those to fit your needs.

1. When logged into Teams, click on the profile icon in the top-right corner and select “Manage Account”.
2. Click on “Notifications” in the left side-bar. We recommend setting your notifications as follows:
a.  Missed activity emails: Once every hour
This means that if you are not logged into Teams and active, the system will send you a notification of missed activity after an hour. That will act as a reminder to login and check for missed activity.

b. Teams and Channels: All activity
This will ensure that you receive notifications for all activities, not just messages that you were tagged in or threads you have been active in.

As you live into the system, you can continue to make adjustments to your settings. For technical questions, please contact the GCO support email at gc.support@episcopalchurch.org.  
Schedule for Electing a new President
and Vice President of the House of Deputies
The Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, President of the House of Deputies, has announced the schedule for electing a new president and vice-president of the House of Deputies, including when to submit applications and requirements for background checks. Both President Jennings and Vice President Byron Rushing will have served the maximum three terms in these positions.

In accordance with the Canons, the president and vice-president must be from different orders (one clergy, one lay), so a president is elected first and a revised list of eligible candidates is then presented for electing a vice-president (Canon I.1.b).

For more details and a complete schedule of the election process, please see the article Electing the Next President and Vice President of the House of Deputies on the House of Deputies website. 
Exhibit at General Convention
If your group, organization, or business is interested in being an exhibitor at the 80th General Convention taking place July 7 - 14, 2022 at the Baltimore Convention Center, please note that space is limited and over two-thirds of floor space has already been reserved. Many organizations that have not already registered for exhibit space will be doing so in January 2022 when their new budget year begins. If you're able to reserve now, don't delay!
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry leads a revival service during the 79th General Convention in Austin, Texas, in 2018. Photo: Mike Patterson/Episcopal News Service

Please visit episcopalgc.fernexpo.com/2022 for more information, including pricing and how to register. Discounted rates may be available to groups affiliated with The Episcopal Church and other nonprofit organizations.

Fern Exposition has been designated to manage registration, logistics, and oversight of the exhibit area. For exhibit-related questions, please contact episcopalexhibits@fernexpo.com.
Staff of the Executive Office of the General Convention
Useful Links

News for Bishops and Deputies

Resources on The Archives of The Episcopal Church
Reports to the General Convention (also known as The Blue Book - for the current edition, click here)
Constitution and Canons (use only for prior editions - to copy/quote the current edition, click here)


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