I enjoy being a part of the larger Episcopal Church at work and how it comes back to us in New Hampshire. Being a deputy means prayerfully reflecting on our deepest convictions as Episcopalians and asking God how we live this faith in our denomination at all levels. It is a joy to see the individual, parish, diocesan, and denominational levels of our church working in concert for the sake of God’s glory.

We can all fall into the trap of limiting our vision to the boundaries of our own diocese – even our own parish – and General Convention provides a wonderful opportunity to break out of that mindset and discover the breadth and depth of our multinational, multicultural, endlessly diverse Episcopal Church. I enjoy meeting fellow Episcopalians whose life and faith experiences differ from my own; I am always inspired by new (to me) approaches to ministry and worship; and I invariably come away from legislative sessions, committee meetings, social events, even worship gatherings, with greater ecclesiastical knowledge, a fuller understanding of the workings of our Church, and the reassurance that we are never alone – in either our struggles or our joys!

This will be my second General Convention. My first was GC 79 in 2018, in Austin, Texas.

In many ways the decisions of the wider church impact our ministry here in New Hampshire. I think it is important for those impacted, particularly diocesan leadership, to be a part of that decision making process. I also enjoy meeting people from all across the church who are working to help this institution thrive.

I am not sitting on any committees for this General Convention. At GC 79, I was a member of Committee 10, Congregational and Diocesan Vitality. I also served on the Task Force to Assist the Office of Pastoral Development, an interim body that was looking at improvements in the Episcopal election and transition process.

I’m looking forward to studying in depth the resolutions that directly impact our worship, learning, and service in the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire. I’m looking forward to seeing how the early virtual start to General Convention has changed and hopefully improved the quality and quantity of resolutions being considered on the floors of the two houses. I’m looking forward to advocating for a more compact General Convention in the future, both in time and in size.

To learn more about the 80th General Convention, click here and read the next article.

The heart and health of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire depends on broad engagement at the diocesan level from both clergy and lay congregants like you. These opportunities are filled in two ways: through appointment by the Bishop to serve on commissions and committees and through elections, which are held during the Annual Diocesan Convention.

If you are interested in being a nominee for any of the following elected positions, which will be voted on during the Annual Diocesan Convention on November 4, 2022, please click here to find the nomination form due by August 15:

If you are interested in being considered for volunteer opportunities on committees and commissions, please email Executive Assistant to the Bishop Shelli Gay with your ministry interests and experience. To learn more about committees and commissions, click here.

Families of New Hampshire churches are invited to join us for a Family Fun Day at Odiorne State Park in Rye on Saturday, July 16, from 10:30 am to 2 pm. The event is being hosted by members of the diocesan Earth Care Outdoors group and Linden Rayton of Living Water Nature Programs LLC. There will be games, tide pooling, outdoor worship, and a bring-your-own picnic lunch.

There is no cost for this event but registration is required. Click here to register. Families of all stripes are invited: parents, guardians, aunties and uncles, family friends, and all beloveds.

In case you missed the June 30 communications workshop, Copyright for Churches, click here or on the image below to view it.

Recordings of additional communications workshops are also available: