Preparing for General Convention
By Emily Cherry
The 76th General Convention meeting of the Episcopal Church will convene July 8-17 in Anaheim, Calif. under the theme of “ubuntu.” Ubuntu is a Zulu or Xhosa word which, Archbishop Desmond Tutu says, means “a person is a person through other persons.” More precisely, it’s a spirit of interconnectedness within the church and with the outside world—a spirit which General Convention planners hope will permeate the 10-day event.
Every three years, 9,000-10,000 of members of the Episcopal Church gather as part of the Church’s governing body. The General Convention is a legislative body made up of two groups: the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies. The House of Bishops consists of all active and retired bishops and is chaired by the presiding bishop, currently the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori. The House of Deputies is made up of four elected lay deputies and four elected clerical deputies from each Diocese and is chaired by house president Bonnie Anderson.
For the fourth time, the Diocese of Virginia will provide General Convention deputies with a unique opinion journal on-site. “The middle is not the midpoint on a line between two extremes,” said the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee in his January 2005 pastoral address. “In the line of faith, the great bulk of people are at the center, and that center is faith in the Risen Christ.” It is the center that will form the backbone of the diocesan daily paper at General Convention. Center Aisle will offer analysis and opinions from a variety of sources that reflect the transformational center of our Church. Readers can gain access to different perspectives from guest contributors from across the Anglican Communion, as well as hear the voices of the different members of the Virginia deputation. Center Aisle will be available online at www.centeraisle.net, and paper copies will be available onsite at General Convention.
In 2008, the Annual Council of the Diocese elected the following deputies and alternates to General convention.
| Clergy |
Lay |
| The Rev. Dr. Robert Prichard |
Mr. Russell Palmore Jr. |
| The Rev. Lynne Washington |
Mrs. Cindi Bartol |
| The Rev. Susan Goff |
Mr. Russell Randle |
| The Rev. Susan Eaves |
Mr. John Paul Causey Jr. |
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| Clergy Alternates |
Lay Alternates |
| The Rev. Linda Wofford Hawkins* |
Col. Jean Reed |
| The Rev. Marian Windel |
Mr. Rodney Page |
| The Rev. James Papile |
Mr. Paul Brockman |
|
Dr. Lissa Power-deFur |
*The Rev. Chris Cunningham, elected as first alternate, left the Diocese of Virginia to accept a call as rector of St. John’s, Farmville in the Diocese of Southern Virginia.
Most of the daily business of General Convention is conducted in legislative committees. It is the job of each committee to consider resolutions submitted to the General Convention, typically holding hearings during which other deputies, bishops and registered visitors can discuss the resolutions. Diocese of Virginia deputies have been assigned to serve on the following committees.
Canons (Receives resolutions that propose amendments to the Canons of the Episcopal Church):
Mr. Russ Palmore
Structure (Receives resolutions that address the General Convention and its Committees, Commissions, Agencies and Boards and the Executive Council and its Committees):
Mr. J.P. Causey
National and International Concerns (Receives resolutions that address issues of peace and war, treaties, the United Nations, foreign and domestic government policies, race, gender, sexual orientation, exploitation, slavery):
Mr. Russ Randle, secretary of the committee,
The Rev. Lynne Washington
Evangelism (Receives resolutions that address church growth and revitalization):
The Rev. Sue Eaves
Prayer Book, Liturgy & Church Music (Receives resolutions proposing changes to the Book of Common Prayer, the Hymnal and other authorized rites and to the church calendar):
Ms. Cindi Bartol
Privilege and Courtesy (Receives resolutions that commend individuals or organizations and proposes resolutions that express the houses’ appreciation for groups or persons):
Mr. Russ Palmore
In addition, Bishop Johnston will serve on the Prayer Book, Liturgy & Church Music Committee in the House of Bishops, and Bishop Jones will act as chair of the House of Bishops Evangelism Committee.
Stay tuned to The Virginia Episcopalian and www.thediocese.net for complete coverage of General Convention 2009.
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