An Important Update about the 80th General Convention
from the Rev. Canon Michael Barlowe, Executive Officer
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Dear Friends,
As we prepare for a safe and successful gathering of the 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church this July in Baltimore, I have some important information about how you will register to attend.
This General Convention and the scope of its preparations are unprecedented. From its delay by a year; to early organization of legislative committees and online meetings and hearings; to the many creative innovations my dedicated colleagues in the General Convention Office have undertaken, preparing for convention has never been more complicated and carefully considered.
Be assured, we are preparing for your safety and well-being, and this commitment has underpinned every decision. I am confident that this commitment will allow our history of gathering, discerning, and acting to continue this summer. One prime example: The Joint Standing Committee on Planning and Arrangements, which I chair, adopted a resolution related to COVID-19 vaccinations and other protocols which are currently being implemented. Another example: the scenario planning group of church leaders to examine options and safeguards, as announced at January’s Executive Council meeting.
Such commitment also means changes from past practices. The systems and processes the General Convention Office has built allow for contingencies, and have served us well as we navigated critical timelines and a constantly changing environment. One such change is for registration.
Registration for the 80th General Convention will open on Friday, March 18 and will be a two-part process. In March, diocesan coordinators, other authorized persons, and individuals who register for attending the entire convention will be able to pre-register those attending as deputies, alternates, bishops, ECW delegates, and visitors.
Then, in May, everyone pre-registered will be asked individually to submit proof of vaccination and booster against COVID-19 (or a medical exemption request) to finish their own registration for General Convention. This information will be requested through a process that safeguards privacy and follows the standards established by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Submissions of this required information in any other way will not be accepted. Further details about this process will be published before May.
Everyone attending will be required to consent to this and other policies, including the current mandate to wear masks in all meeting and public indoor spaces. If there are changes to this or other policies, the General Convention Office will communicate these as soon as possible.
Such planning builds on many years of success in creating and administering the worship, legislation, community building, education, and many other aspects of the General Convention. Amid many uncertainties and challenges, there is also much excitement, anticipation, and eagerness to gather at this July.
In closing, I applaud the amazing people with whom I serve. The staff of the General Convention Office have worked non-stop since the pandemic began: renegotiating contracts that saved the church millions of dollars in potential penalties; inventing new systems, deploying new software, and pioneering new ways of moving the church’s governance online; planning on multiple, parallel lines for contingencies; administering the day-to-day governance of the church while answering a multitude of questions – and so much more! And they have done so with the professionalism, creativity, care, and good humor that should inspire confidence. I hope you will join me in thanking them.
Faithfully,
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The Rev’d Canon Dr. Michael Barlowe,
Executive Officer & Secretary of the General Convention
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COVID-19 Policies
The Joint Standing Committee on Planning and Arrangements requires all attendees to be vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 or to have submitted a medical exemption and the wearing of masks in all meetings and indoor spaces. All attendees must pre-register first and then, starting in May, emails will be sent to pre-registered individuals to submit their proof of vaccination or medical exemption.
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Deputy Changes
If a Deputy resigns and is being replaced by an alternate and/or an alternate Deputy is being appointed, you must certify this with the Secretary of the House of Deputies (Canon I.1.1.a) which is facilitated by the General Convention Office by using this form. In most cases, this process is done by the diocesan bishop or secretary of your diocesan convention, but please check your diocesan canons first as the rules vary across The Episcopal Church.
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Photo: Mary Frances Schjonberg for Episcopal News Service |
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Nominees for the Next President and Vice-President of the House of Deputies
Friday, March 8 is the deadline for anyone who has an interest in running for President or Vice-President of the House of Deputies to submit this application to have a background check completed. You do not have to declare your candidacy and names will be kept confidential, but if you have not completed this step by March 8, you will be ineligible to be run for either office. The cost of the background check is covered by the General Convention budget. Click here for more information on the House of Deputies website about the nomination and election process.
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Resolutions and Memorials for the 80th General Convention
All currently filed Resolutions and Memorials are posted on the Virtual Binder. Click here for more information about General Convention Resolutions, Memorials, and how to search for either on the Virtual Binder.
If you do not see a Resolution listed, it is likely that the Resolution is still being processed. Submitting a resolution through the online form does not automatically make it appear on the Virtual Binder. It must be vetted first to ensure that it meets the standards outlined in the Canons, formatting by the standards outlined by the Secretary of the House of Deputies, and then referred to a Legislative Committee by the Presiding Officers of both Houses.
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Legislative Committee Hearings
Legislative Hearings, which allow anyone to register in advance to testify on resolutions being considered for the 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, began on February 17. All Episcopalians and members of the public are welcome to register to observe or testify at any of these meetings.
Note that request to observe or testify must be received at least 2-business days in advance in order to be processed.
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Photo: Mary Frances Schjonberg for Episcopal News Service |
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Please see the Legislative Committee Calendar on the Virtual Binder for a list of all currently scheduled meetings. New hearings are being added as they are scheduled.
There are two types of meetings:
- Deliberations are committee meetings that members of the public may register to observe but not speak.
- Hearings are committee meetings to hear testimony about resolutions being considered that members of the public may register to observe or to testify.
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Legislative Committee Training for Hearings
An orientation hosted by the General Convention Office for Legislative Committee Chairs, Vice-Chairs, Secretaries, and Dispatch Liaisons was held on Wednesday, February 16. If you were unable to attend and have not watched a recording of the session, please contact the GCO at gc.support@episcopalchurch.org.
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Secretariat Office Hours
Questions about Resolutions, Memorials, or something else related to the life and work of your Legislative Committee? The Secretariat is hosting open office hours via Zoom every Wednesday from 2:00 – 2:30 p.m. EST through May 25. Drop-in at any time – there is no need to register in advance.
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Joint Standing Committee on
Program Budget & Finance
Requests Feedback on 2023-2024 Budget
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The Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance (PB&F) welcomes feedback from all Episcopalians on the 2023-2024 Episcopal Church budget as received from Executive Council. Click here for a copy of the budget and click here for the feedback form. Please submit comments by Friday, April 8.
PB&F will schedule an online hearing in early May that will be open to the public. As with all online hearings, those who want to attend to observe or to testify must register at least two business days in advance. At least one in-person hearing will also be held in Baltimore. The Committee will then present its proposed budget to the General Convention on the 5th legislative day, Monday, July 11, 2022.
The Episcopal Church’s budget is for the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (commonly referred to as the DFMS). This funding structure encompasses the Office of the Presiding Bishop and their staff, the President of the House of Deputies and their staff, and the Executive Office of the General Convention as well as the offices of the DFMS that are shared by all three. (Canon I.1.8)
Budget Process
The process of creating The Episcopal Church budget begins with the Executive Council’s Joint Standing Committee on Finance (DFMS VIII.3.c and Canon I.4.6.a), which conducts its own process of soliciting information and feedback to create a draft budget that is voted on by the Executive Council. This budget is then handed to the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance that takes additional steps to solicit feedback and hold legislative hearings before it is officially presented as the proposed budget to the General Convention during a Joint Session and then voted on later in each house. (JR II.10.d and Canon I.4.6.d)
PB&F Membership and Role
The Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance consists of 27 members, all of whom are appointed. There are nine Bishops, one from each Province, who are appointed by the Presiding Bishop, and 18 Deputies, two from each Province who may be Lay or Clergy, who are appointed by the President of the House of Deputies. The Secretary of General Convention, Treasurer of General Convention, and Chief Financial Officer of the Executive Council are ex officio members, without vote. The Committee may appoint advisors to assist in its work. (JR II.10.a)
Among its duties and functions, the Committee is tasked with providing advice to the officers of the General Convention and Executive Council and to hold hearings on the budget. They may also adjust the budget prior to proposing it to General Convention, and can make adjustments to annual diocesan assessments, within the limit established by General Convention. (JR II.10.c)
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Actions of the January 2022 Meeting
of The Executive Council
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The Executive Council of The Episcopal Church met online via Zoom from Monday, January 24 through Thursday, January 27, 2022.
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Executive Council Joint Standing Committee on Mission Beyond The Episcopal Church meets with staff to discuss resolution MB033. |
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Beginning with meetings of the Joint Standing Committees of Executive Council on Monday, the Council convened in plenary on Tuesday, January 25. That morning, they heard reports from the Presiding Officers, click here for remarks from the Presiding Bishop and click here for remarks by the President of the House of Deputies, the Treasurer of Executive Council, and updates from the Chairs of the Joint Standing Committees on the work taking place that week. Council also had a LGBTQIA+ listening session with representatives of TransEpiscopal, a presentation and discussion with Dr. Brandt Lee about the bias and racism experienced by Asian American Pacific Islander people as part of the Council's ongoing conversations on dismantling racism, presentations about the 2023-24 budget and 2022 Parochial Report, and updates from staff and interfaith partners.
On Wednesday, January 26, the Executive Council Joint Standing Committee on Mission Beyond The Episcopal Church made a special motion to have the Executive Council take up resolution MB033, which was passed.
On Thursday, January 27, the Executive Council passed the following resolutions:
MB – Executive Council Joint Standing Committee on Mission Beyond The Episcopal Church
ECEC – Executive Committee of the Executive Council
FIN – Executive Council Joint Standing Committee on Finance
GO – Executive Council Joint Standing Committee on Governance and Operations
MW – Executive Council Joint Standing Committee on Mission Within The Episcopal Church
The next meeting of the Executive Council will be April 20-23, 2022, in a hybrid format of online via Zoom and in-person in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Executive Council Role and Membership
The Executive Council serves as the governing body of The Episcopal Church between sessions of General Convention, charged specifically with executing the program and policies adopted by Convention (Canon IV.1.a). They also serve as the board for the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (Canon III, Article II) and the Executive Office of the General Convention (Canon IV.1.a).
The Executive Council is composed of 20 members elected by the General Convention (four bishops, four priests or deacons, and 12 lay persons) and 18 members elected by the Provincial Synods (one clergy and one lay person per province). The Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies serve ex officio as Chair and Vice-Chair of Executive Council. Also serving, ex officio, but with no vote, are the Secretary and Treasurer of the General Convention, the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, and the Chief Legal Officer of the Executive Council. (Canon IV.1.d).
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2022 Parochial Report Format Approved
During the January 2022 meeting of the Executive Council, the Rev. Chris Rankin-Williams, chair of the House of Deputies Committee on the State of the Church, presented and spoke with Council members about revisions to the Parochial Report to be made for information collected for the 2022 calendar year. Click here to view the new or revised questions for both quantitative and qualitative data being collected.
Sections being revised or having new questions added for the congregational report include:
- Membership, Attendance and Services, with additions or changes to information about demographics, in-person and online service numbers, types of services, languages used, and faith formation offerings and participation
- Question about challenges and opportunities in 2022
- Question with regards to racial justice and reconciliation
- Revisions to the existing section on Outreach Ministries and Volunteer Activity of the Congregation
- Questions about Episcopal Asset Map participation and roles of those who participated in the completion of the report
- Questions related to Finance and Stewardship
The Parochial Report, in accordance with Canon I.6.4, is developed by the House of Deputies Committee on the State of the Church, authorized by Executive Council, and overseen by the Executive Officer of the General Convention.
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Reminders about the 2021 Parochial Report
Questions and login assistance
Congregations can contact their diocese or the General Convention Office for assistance with accessing the site and filling out the report. The General Convention Office has a dedicated email and telephone line for the Parochial Report at pr@episcopalchurch.org and 212-716-6159.
Dioceses have until May 1st to review and finalize Parochial Reports to the General Convention Office.
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Staff of the Executive Office of the General Convention |
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