July 12, 2022: Final report | |
Faces of 2022: The 80th General Convention | |
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Above: Nearly 40 of the bishops and bishops-elect – about 30% – meeting in Baltimore are women. Two of them, both pictured front and center, were elected in the Diocese of Los Angeles: Mary Douglas Glasspool, now bishop assistant in the Diocese of New York, and Diane M. Jardine Bruce, now bishop provisional in the Diocese of West Missouri. Photo: Miguelina Espinal Howell
At right: Gay Clark Jennings, outgoing president of the House of Deputies, hands the gavel to her successor, President Julia Ayala Harris. Jennings is the first ordained woman to hold the post; Ayala Harris is the first woman of color (Latina) and the youngest PHoD at 41. The new vice president is Rachel Taber-Hamilton, a Native American of the Shackan First Nation. For the first time both presiding officers of The Episcopal Church are people of color; for the first time the elected leaders of the House of Deputies are both women. Photo: Scott Gunn
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Bishops of color – almost half of them women – gather with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, first African-American and first person of color to hold the post. He will complete his nine-year term late in 2024; his successor will be elected at the 2024 General Convention, to be held in Lexington, Kentucky. | |
The newly formed LGBTQ Caucus of The Episcopal Church meets for the first time at the 2020 General Convention in Baltimore, Maryland. | |
Chaplain Lester Mackenzie honored at final worship
President of the House of Deputies the Rev. Gay Jennings on July 11 honored the Rev. Lester V. Mackenzie at Morning Prayer worship on the final day of the 80th General Convention, meeting in Baltimore.
"If I could sing, I'd sing 'You are My Sunshine,'" Jennings told Mackenzie, who has served as the deputies' chaplain since 2015, each of the three conventions at which she has presided, she said.
Presenting Mackenzie, rector of St. Mary's Church in Laguna Beach in the Diocese of Los Angeles, with the House of Deputies medal, Jennings thanked him for his upbeat and positive spirit, his drum-playing, and for leading the house in worship. The house responded with a standing ovation.
— Reported by Pat McCaughan
Photo: Rachel Nyback
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Larsen elected to court of review, bishops' disciplinary board after a fall sends her home from Baltimore
Julie Dean Larsen, vice chancellor of the Diocese of Los Angeles, had an unexpected trajectory at her second General Convention as a deputy; she had to return home after the first day due to a broken jaw suffered in a fall on the way back to the hotel after the evening legislative session.
Fortunately she was accompanied on that walk by Deputies Ivan Gutierrez, Antonio Gallardo, Kelli Grace Kurtz and Rachel Nyback. It's also fortunate that the University of Maryland's Shock Trauma Center was nearby.
"I learned a couple of things," she wrote in an email to The Episcopal News. "When you have a 'trauma' you go to the trauma center of a university — the ER —because they check all systems quickly. And when you think it's nothing and reject an ambulance as silly, you also want Ivan and Antonio to walk you back and convince you to get stitches, Kelli Grace to bring you ice, the bishop to appear and confer and lead prayer, and Rachel to stay with you all night (being ever so nice and persistent with the medical staff) to take care of you and make decisions.
On the following morning, first alternate Andy Tomat was seated as deputy in Larsen's place. "I am thankful Andy was there," wrote Larsen, "and Rachel managed all my transfer materials, personal items, packed my bags, came back after a few hours of sleep and prayed some more for me." Larsen flew home on Sunday, accompanied by a niece, to seek further treatment.
At that day's House of Bishops session, Nyback reported, "Julie was elected to the Court of Review for Clergy. But then they had an error and we had to redo the election. Julie was then elected as the lay alternate to the court of review."
She also was elected as a lay member on the Disciplinary Board for Bishops.
Larsen is philosophical about both her mishap and her elections. "I am sorry I missed three exciting days of convention," she wrote. "Being elected and then un-elected to the court of review would have been something to see."
| Above: Julie Dean Larsen, waving from back center, has lunch with several other members of the L.A. deputation on July 8 – before the Fall, as it were. Photo: John Taylor | |
'New wineskins': New deputies Andy Tomat and Rachel Nyback recall convention experiences
Andy Tomat was elected and initially attended the 80th General Convention as an alternate lay deputy before rather suddenly being seated as a deputy after an accident sidelined colleague Julie Dean Larsen.
Tomat had taken part in the deputation's pre-convention meetings and he'd done his homework, but found there still was much to learn.
"At the first deputation meeting they told newbies like me, ‘Don't worry – all this will be clear – after you experience your first convention,'" he told The News. "And they were right!"
Tomat and fellow first-time deputy the Rev. Rachel Nyback were both impressed by the diversity of the convention, as well as its focus on effective ministry, emphasized by new House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris in her sermon based on Jesus' metaphor of new wine requiring new wineskins.
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"I felt like our deputation encapsulated that," Nyback, rector of St. Cross Church, Hermosa Beach, told The Episcopal News. "We had senior members to guide us and a new crop of deputies, myself included, to begin to take our place in the councils of the church. I was deeply proud that our deputation reflected the diversity of our diocese."
Other new deputies from the L.A. diocese were the Rev. Antonio Gallardo, Ivan Gutierrez, and the Rev. Kelli Grace Kurtz. They were joined by veterans Jim White and Dan Valdez, both of whom were recognized at the final session as "senior deputies." Kurtz, already attending the convention as first alternate clergy deputy, was seated in place of the Rev. Canon Melissa McCarthy, deputation chair, who had to skip the meeting due to an unexpected medical condition that, while not serious, kept her at home for a few days of recuperation. White served as chair in her stead.
Tomat, who is treasurer of the Diocese of Los Angeles, was encouraged by the convention's willingness to hone new tools for ministry and governance even as it respects and honors its past.
"I was confirmed into the Episcopal Church in 1979 and my first priest was Rev. Betty Bone Schiess (one of the Philadelphia Eleven) so I never understood what the ‘big deal’ was about the 1979 prayer book and female priests," Tomat wrote in a note thanking his fellow deputies for helping him navigate the process. "So I was glad that my first CG was where ‘new wineskins' for prayer book revision, budget process refinement, online pre-convention legislative meetings and special rules for more efficient sessions were adopted. It will be interesting to hear how the old and new traditions will be blended together at future conventions."
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One aspect of the work done at convention had particular personal meaning for Nyback.
"My highlight came on the last day when ... we approved Navajoland being able to elect their own bishop, rather than it being appointed," said Nyback. "Back in my teen years when I did provincial youth work I got to know several youth from Navajoland. I was thankful for the connection and stunned to learn as an adult that they didn’t have autonomy over their leadership. I didn’t know words like colonialism then, but I do now. I’m thankful the church has corrected this wrong. A deputy from Navajoland stood up and spoke to this moment for their diocese. I was proud to be part of the convention that made this happen."
—Janet Kawamoto
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PHOTOS: At top: During a post-convention stroll in Baltimore, Andy Tomat takes a selfie with his high school classmate, Bishop of New Hampshire Rob Hirschfeld. Above right: Dan Valdez stands to be honored by outgoing President Gay Clark Jennings as a "senior deputy," one of those who have served at seven or more meetings of General Convention. Andy Tomat, a first-timer, looks on from left. The president also recognized Jim White of the L.A. deputation as a senior deputy. (Photo: Fennie Chang) Above left: Rachel Nyback is pictured during a July 8 lunch with members of the Los Angeles deputation. (Photo: John Taylor) | |
Reflection: Covid compliance, good work in the world, and increased diversity
By Hsin-fen (Fennie) Chang
What impressed me most during this four-day General Convention was that the strict Covid-19 guidelines were amazingly followed through by all the attendees of the convention, which would have been impossible without the love of Christ that enabled us to seek the good of others even by sacrificing our personal comfort and convenience, such as wearing masks throughout the entire convention, doing a self-administered rapid Covid-19 test each day, etc.
All the sermons preached during the worship called us to follow the way of Jesus as the true foundation of everything we plan and do in this world. In fact, during this General Convention, all we did throughout the legislative sessions truly responded to the message we received by fully cooperating to follow rules of procedure and putting Christ's love into action. Again, this would not have been possible without our faith in Jesus and love for one another.
Of course, another impressive and memorable moment was when the former president of the House of Deputies (the first ordained woman priest holding this position) handed the gavel over to her successor, who has now become the first woman of color elected to chair the House of Deputies. Being able to witness such a historical moment made me feel so honored and encouraged!
Meanwhile, being in the General Convention, I realized there was only a very small number of deputies who were Asian descents. Although the General Convention today is a lot more inclusive and diverse than decades ago, in terms of the voices representing AAPI, I personally feel that we still have a long way to go. However, being able to be part of the deputation of our diocese to participate in the General Convention this time and to bring my voice there as an Asian descent, I’ve truly felt honored and thankful!
— The Rev. Hsin-fen (Fennie) Chang is a first-time clergy deputy to General Convention from the Diocese of Los Angeles.
| Above: Fennie Chang receives Eucharist on July 10 at General Convention. Photo: Keith Yamamoto |
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80th General Convention wrap-up: shortened, masked, tested, legislated
By Mary Frances Schjonberg
[Episcopal News Service – Baltimore, Maryland – July 12, 2022] The 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church is one for the history books, and not just for the decisions made but also for how the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way the church conducted its business.
The July 8-11 gathering – postponed a year because of COVID-19 and shortened from eight days – conducted what Presiding Bishop Michael Curry had referred to during the planning process as “matters essential for the governance and good order of the church.” Still, 412 resolutions were filed for consideration.
Legislative committees acted online most of the resolutions before gathering in Baltimore. That cleared the way for the House of Bishops and House of Deputies to devote the in-person gathering only to legislative floor sessions. They passed most of the resolutions in batches through consent calendars. Bishops and deputies had floor debates only on more controversial measures or on actions that they wanted to raise to greater prominence.
The streamlined convention had been scheduled to run until 5 p.m. EDT but both houses finished their work before 1 p.m. on July 11.
Among those essential actions, the bishops and deputies passed a $100.5 million budget for the next biennium (the 81st General Convention is scheduled for the summer of 2024), approved the first reading of a constitutional change to clearly define the Book of Common Prayer, continued the church’s commitment to reckoning with it history of racism, elected Julia Ayala Harris to succeed the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings as House of Deputies president and the Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton as vice president, and agreed to the reunification of two dioceses in Texas.
Read more here.
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Julia Ayala Harris implores Episcopalians to continue charting a new course
By Pat McCaughan
[Episcopal News Service – Baltimore, Maryland] Preaching during Morning Prayer on July 11, House of Deputies President-elect Julia Ayala Harris heralded the 80th General Convention’s election of two women of color to be its presiding officers, and urged worshippers to continue examining faith norms, systems and structures, “because The Episcopal Church has so much to give to the world.”
“People are looking for acceptance, belonging, healing and wholeness,” she said in a pre-recorded sermon greeted with applause. “When we are at our very best, we can share that with the world. This week, The Episcopal Church committed itself and its resources to the reckoning with its past, in order to create a more just, inclusive and authentic future.”
Referring to the July 10 election of the Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton as vice president of the House of Deputies, she added: “This week The Episcopal Church elected a vice president who is an Indigenous woman, during a time when we are reckoning with our Indigenous boarding school past.”
A day earlier, deputies elected Ayala Harris — “a little brown girl” — as president, she said.
Read more here. A video of Ayala Harris' sermon is here.
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Bishops close convention with climate emergency statement ahead of Lambeth
By Egan Millard
[Episcopal News Service – Baltimore, Maryland] The House of Bishops issued a statement during the final day of the 80th General Convention naming the climate crisis as the overarching issue that affects all the other issues of social justice that convention has considered.
The “Mind of the House” statement – which is not a resolution and carries no legislative weight – puts humanity’s failure to avert environmental catastrophes in stark theological terms. Its full text is included at the end of this article.
“Climate change and environmental degradation are manifestations of our turning away from God,” the statement reads. “The effects of this willful separation from God resonate across our collective lives: All areas of justice are either worsened or made better depending on the health of the planet.”
The statement, crafted by a group of about two dozen bishops and deputies, names environmental stewardship as “our first vocation, made explicit in the first chapter of the first book of the Bible,” and selfish abuse of creation as the first sin.
“It is no surprise that once Adam and Eve surrendered to temptation and sought to grasp divine knowledge, to idolize and center the self over all else, that the whole creation began to suffer, and humanity along with it. Sin flowed forth in estrangement, exile, and eventually violence and death,” the statement reads.
“This ancient pattern of separation and sin is ours today. We crave and hoard what we do not need. We take and grasp what does not belong to us. We burden and dominate what was meant to be free. As a result, the planet and our most vulnerable neighbors suffer. This flows from our failure as human beings to live as the people made in image of God, bearing the sacred responsibility entrusted to us.”
Read more here.
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House of Deputies President the Rev. Gay Jennings bids farewell after 10 years of service
By Melodie Woerman
[Episcopal News Service — Baltimore, Maryland – July 11, 2022] In the final moments of her service as president of the House of Deputies on July 11, the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings described her journey to leadership in The Episcopal Church and urged deputies to embrace the generational change that is taking place and to stay committed to working for structural change to make the church more inclusive.
Jennings preached her final sermon as president during Morning Prayer on July 9. The sermon is here.
She was elected president of the House of Deputies at the 77th General Convention in 2012 and was unopposed for reelection in 2015 and 2018. She is the third woman, and the first ordained woman, to hold the position since General Convention was created in 1785.
In her remarks, she gave a special thanks to her husband, Albert, for his support of her ministry of leadership, and to their son, Sam. She said her beloved daughter, Lee, died 12 years ago, “I know how proud she would be.”
Jennings told deputies that she has sought to empower new leadership throughout her presidency, just as former House of Deputies President Pamela Chinnis did in 1994 in asking Jennings, then a second-term deputy, to serve as a press briefing officer and later as chair of the Committee on Canons. It was in that role, Jennings said, “I discovered I like to be called Madame Chair.”
Read more here.
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General Convention approves North Texas, Texas reunion as one of its final actions in Baltimore
By David Paulsen
[Episcopal News Service – Baltimore, Maryland – July 11, 2022] Episcopalians in North Texas are now members of the Diocese of Texas after the 80th General Convention approved the two dioceses’ merger on July 11, the final day of this pandemic-shortened, four-day meeting of the church’s governing body.
The House of Deputies had voted to adopt the resolution on July 9. The House of Bishops’ approval of Resolution D050 was the final legislative action before the bishops adjourned on July 11. Bishop Scott Mayer, bishop provisional of North Texas, and the four bishops of the Diocese of Texas celebrated their new partnership with embraces on the podium while their fellow bishops applauded.
With the adoption of D050, the Fort Worth-based Diocese of North Texas ceased to exist, “but let me tell you,” Mayer said, “that the Episcopal Church in the 24 counties of North Texas is alive and well and is looking forward to a wonderful future.”
Read more here.
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GC80 articles
A list of links to articles about General Convention, drawn from various sources, is here.
Episcopal News Service articles about General Convention are collected here.
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General Convention Day 4 (and last)
By John Harvey Taylor
Convention was three 12-hours days, 11,000 righteous steps a day going hotel-convention center-hotel — and then, midday on this beautiful Baltimore Monday, the voice of Gay Clark Jennings, president of the House of Deputies, saying over Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry’s cell phone speaker that the House of Deputies was nearly done, and the bishops could adjourn.
Michael said, “Alleluia” — and a little voice in my head said, “You can get an earlier flight!”
But no. Wheels up at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow for L.A. will be just fine. The photo of the view from my room of the inner harbor, with Federal Hill on the other side, a U.S. stronghold in the war of 1812, helps you understand why a long-delayed walk around downtown was irresistible.
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Here are some of the faces and sights I encountered as a free man in Baltimore – friends from Tennessee (John) and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (Rick and Br. David), where my grandparents once worshiped faithfully at Good Shepherd in St. Ignace; the Sept. 11 memorial outside the World Trade Center, honoring Maryland’s dead; tall ships, and captivating banners outside the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company; historic Zion Lutheran Church of Baltimore, founded in 1755, a conversation piece for my next chat with Bishop Brenda Bos; and a sign that folks from Montana, no doubt known to the Rt. Rev. Franklin Brookhart, are heading home, too.
See additional photos on the Bishop's Blog here.
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The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor is seventh bishop diocesan of the Diocese of Los Angeles. His blog may be found here, or follow him on Facebook here. | |
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Diane Jardine Bruce crowned queen of Baltimore
"Longtime secretary of the House of Bishops, the Rt. Rev. Diane Jardine Bruce, former bishop suffragan in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, now bishop [provisional] of West Missouri, sometimes wears a tiara on the dais for comic relief," writes Bishop John Harvey Taylor, reporting from the House of Bishops on July 11.
"As we finished our business this morning in Baltimore," Taylor continued, "our gracious host, the Rt. Rev. Eugene Sutton, bishop of Maryland, told us the history of the colonial queens of Baltimore and named her honorary Queen Diane. Long live the queen!"
A video of Bishop Sutton's presentation to Bishop Bruce is here.
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Keeping up with General Convention | |
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Click the blue headings to find a wide range of information about General Convention.
Communications Hub
This is communication central for the convention, with information about schedules, legislative actions, resolutions, videos, photos and more.
Media Hub
On this page you'll find live video coverage of the House of Bishops, House of Deputies, worship services and the #GC80 Daily Show video series, which showcases the good work of Episcopal leaders and initiatives from around the church.
The General Convention schedule
How resolutions move through General Convention
House of Deputies News
News, commentary, features, live blogs during deliberations, and TikTok videos.
Candidate forums
House of Deputies Zoom forums with candidates for president, and vice president, moderated by the Rev. Albert Cutié.
Forum 1
Forum 2
The General Convention Virtual Binder
For true church nerds: this is the information used by bishops and deputies as they go about their work at the convention, including texts and progress of all resolutions. It is updated regularly.
House of Bishops
House of Deputies
Social Media
Follow social media updates from General Convention with the hashtag #GC80.
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A note from the editor
Due to last-minute pandemic restrictions, for the first time since 2003 I did not attend General Convention and had to report from afar. So it is with even more than the usual degree of gratitude that I thank those who were on the ground in Baltimore and supplied me with the materials for these reports:
- Our deputies and the House of Deputies chaplain, who in addition to their hard work representing the diocese took the time and effort to send me photos, anecdotes and thoughtful comments. Thank you, Andy, Antonio, Dan, Fennie, Jim, Julie, Ivan, Kelli Grace, Lester and Rachel!
- Bishop John Harvey Taylor, who as always provided a steady stream of photos, meaty commentary, kindness and positive thoughts.
- The photographers whose work brightened these reports, especially Keith Yamamoto and Kate Lewis, volunteer coordinators from the Diocese of Los Angeles; the Rev. Scott Gunn, photographer for the House of Deputies News; and Randall Gornowich, official House of Deputies photographer.
- The ever-attentive journalists of Episcopal News Service: editors Lynette Wilson and Mary Frances Schjonberg, and reporters Egan Millard, David Paulsen, Melodie Woerman and especially the Rev. Canon Pat McCaughan, who always kept an eye and camera out for L.A.-specific details – and supported me with her warm friendship and ever-encouraging feedback. I also drew many details from House of Deputies News reporter Jim Naughton, who liveblogged through the meetings and offered some occasionally acrid humor and insights.
And thanks to you, the readers of the Episcopal News Update who have taken this journey with me and all our Diocese of Los Angeles team.
Janet Kawamoto
Editor, The Episcopal News
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