General Convention 2009

Anaheim, CA; July 8-17

 

The General Convention of The Episcopal Church (TEC) considers a wide range of issues at each of its triennial meetings, and the July 8 – 17, 2009 gathering in Anaheim, California, will be no exception.  Issues are brought forth in the form of resolutions that come from bishops, deputies, diocesan conventions, provincial synods, and the committees, commissions and boards that help to carry out the work of the Church between meetings of General Convention.
Each resolution is assigned to one of several joint committees of the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies. The committees, meeting during General Convention, consider each resolution, hear testimony on the subject matter, revise or fine-tune the language, combine similar resolutions from different sources, and finally decide which resolutions will be sent to the full Houses. A resolution fails if it is not passed by both Houses. 

A sampling of resolutions:
Program & Budget
• TEC’s Executive Council approved a draft 2010-2012 budget and sent it to the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance. PB&F will use that version to craft a proposed budget during its meetings, which begin two days before General Convention starts. Convention must approve the budget.
Worship and liturgy
• A report titled Rachel’s Tears, Hannah’s Hopes: Liturgies and Prayers for Healing from Loss Related to Childbearing and Childbirth.
• Holy Women, Holy Men, an overhaul of Lesser Feasts and Fasts, which would add a number of names to The Episcopal Church’s Calendar of the Church Year.
• New prayers for: artists and writers; the Virgin Mary; care of God’s creation; on the occasion or anniversary of a disaster; prophetic witness in the church and society; reconciliation and forgiveness; and scientists and environmentalists.
• Consideration of requests for authorization to develop rites of blessing for same-gender unions, especially in states that have legalized such unions or marriages.
• Use of gender-neutral language for prayer book marriage services; creation of an Episcopal Relief and Development Sunday; liturgical materials for a new Creation Cycle to be celebrated during the season after Pentecost.
Economic justice issues
• Establishing a program to help alleviate poverty within the United States in such areas as Appalachia and federal reser­vations for Native Americans and increased ministry to native peoples.
• Formation of an economic justice ministry for and with lower-income people, involving a system of local partnerships with agencies that work with the poor, as well as increased advocacy, empowerment and community-development work.
• Increased efforts to combat racism within the Church.
• Increased advocacy with the governments of the United States and other countries to combat poverty and disease, support human rights, and promote scientifically-backed environmental policies.
Global concerns/Anglican Communion
• Support for the Millennium Development Goals, which General Convention 2006 established as a mission priority for the last triennium.
• Crises and peacemaking efforts in conflict areas such as the Middle East, Sudan, Sri Lanka and the Great Lakes region of Africa.
• The proposed Anglican covenant. The text was referred for further refinement by the Anglican Consultative Council at its May meeting, and as a result, formal adoption of the document can not be considered; however, resolutions on this topic may be submitted for consideration.
• Requests to overturn, nullify or supersede the 2006 General Convention's Resolution B033, which called for restraint in electing or approving the election as bishops of candidates “whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion.”
Ecumenical and interreligious relations
• Proposals for immediate full communion with the Moravian Church and beginning a process towards full communion with the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden.
• A theological statement to serve as the foundation upon which the Episcopal Church engages in interreligious dialogue.
Church governance
• Proposed revision of the church’s disciplinary canons, known as Title IV, to clarify several issues, including processes to deal pastorally and fairly with clergy who have been accused of inappropriate behavior.
• Proposals for TEC to help reduce the indebtedness of those studying in theological schools in preparation for ordination.

Want to know more about how General Convention works? Check out the Episcopal Church’s website at www.episcopalchurch.org and click on “The Episcopal Church Welcomes You” (at the bottom of the page) for General Convention.