Bob Strimer
I’ve been struck by the wonderful variety of worship here at General Convention. We have a midday Eucharist each day, led by different priests and bishops and complemented by varying choirs leading us in singing diverse music that is inspiring. Attendees, particularly first time deputies such as myself, can be surprised by how differently Episcopalians proclaim their faith in communal worship.
The pace of the convention has definitely increased as the work of the various legislative committees produces resolutions for the entire House of Deputies to debate, ponder and then vote for or against. We still have considerable important topics coming up – the denominational health plan, the lay employee pension plan, the possibilities of moving toward formal blessing of same sex unions – but over the last 36 hours both houses of the convention have passed a resolution that would allow all baptized members of the Episcopal Church to enter discernment/selection processes for all ordained ministries. This resolution would have the effect of ending the church’s voluntary moratorium on electing and consecrating gay or lesbian bishops in committed relationships. The resolution was passed in the House of Deputies on Sunday and then, with amendment, by the House of Bishops Monday. It will return to the House of Deputies this week in its new form for passage. Those interested can find the current form at http://gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/view_leg_detail.aspx?id=986&type=Current.
Having worked within the church initially at the parish level and then for some years at the diocesan level, I find being a deputy at General Convention a very new experience – enjoyable and exhilarating in many ways but at times uncomfortable in the sense of tension between the deputies and the bishops. With God’s help we’ll do his work here in Anaheim.