July 7, 2018 - Issue #5
The church at work
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TEConversation on racial reconciliation
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After early morning legislative committee meetings, bishops and deputies met together for the first of three "TEConversations" - this one on Racial Reconciliation, held Friday from 10:30 a.m. to noon. It featured the three speakers, above, and Austin poet Charles Dwain Stephens, aka "Chucky Black," a local poetry slam champ. After the presentation, people were invited into conversation with each other about what they'd heard and about what they might do differently in their home diocese.
The related website has resources for continuing the conversation. Deputy Suzy Burke took notes for the ECCT team.
Watch the video on-demand from the
Media Hub. Read this
ENS article for more. Search for #gc79 to read the twitterverse's takeaways and insights on the speakers and the session.
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ECCT bishops and deputies together on the floor of the HOD for the joint TEConversation on Racial Reconciliation
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ECCT's designated table in the HOD is close enough to the front stage for Deputy Alli Huggins to have taken this photo from her seat.
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Episcopal Veterans' Fellowship
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After the TEConversation I went back to the Exhibit Hall, met a few new people, and found some familiar faces. First, I met David Peters of the Episcopal Veterans Fellowship. Click on the image to watch the one-minute video about the organization. To learn more, visit their website
episcopalveteransfellowship.org or
Facebook page. Or contact David Peters, Iraq Veteran, at voice/text 512-571-4124, with questions, or to inquire about establishing a branch in ECCT.
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Next I visited the Jerusalem Peacebuilders' booth. Their executive director, the Rev. Nicholas Porter (with ECCT connections), wasn't there so I had a conversation with Stuart Kensinger, the founding director and treasurer. Jerusalem Peacebuilders is hosting their annual Service Learning Program for American, Israeli, and Palestinian teens July 1-12 in New Haven. Visit
jerusalempeacebuilders.org or their
Facebook page for more info. Click on the image to launch the one minute video.
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Thursday PB Curry preached about the Way of Love. Yesterday in the HOB, Bishop Lloyd Allen called out the bishops - and the entire General Convention and its staff- for not adequately providing translation and interpretation for its members who don't speak or read English. For not being inclusive. For essentially not practicing the way of love. While some material is translated, not all committee hearings, meetings, amendments, forms, and other documents are translated. Why should we come to Convention if we can't fully participate? he asked his fellow bishops.
The bishops had just embarked on a time of reading through a possible behavioral covenant that was written following their
Listening Session. They'd had it overnight to review. After Bishop Allen's strong words, Bishop Wayne Smith moved to postpone further work on their covenant until it was adequately translated. Bishop Geralyn Wolf told the HOB she was at a meeting mentioned by Bishop Allen and agreed it was very incomplete without translation. She applauded his courage in speaking out. Then the HOB went back to their legislative agendas to consider A177.
But Bishop Allen returned to the microphone, this time asking his fellow Province IX bishops to join him, then inviting other bishops who were Latino, Latina or of African descent. (See photo) He again voiced his objections, pointing out the conflict between what GC professes and what it does. The House became completely still and quiet. Other bishops stood, and Bishop Allen offered a long prayer in English and Spanish. After a time, the PB called for a 10-minute recess and invited Bishop Allen and Canon Michel Hunn to confer with him on next steps. They eventually decided to put together a small group that would explore what was possible immediately, and what they might ensure for the future. All were in agreement that the HOB should return to its legislation.
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The tide is turning - from committee meetings to legislative sessions
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Resolution count update:
- July 5, 10:15 p.m. resolution count: 374
- July 6, 10:15 p.m. resolution count: 407
The deadline for DEPUTIES to submit resolutions was last night at 5:30, but legislative committees may still submit resolutions (they might be substitutions that combine a number of other resolutions) and the GC officers still can submit resolutions.
The change in rules (at least by the larger HOD) to place as much on a consent calendar as reasonable may help manage the volume of work in the short time period.
At this point in General Convention, it's like the tide has gone completely out and the waters are still for just a moment before they flood back to the shoreline. Deputies and bishops pulled back into the hard, detailed work of preparation - yesterday there were more than 20 legislative committee hearings - and now they will pour out their passion and energy into the debate and voting on legislation, as more and more resolutions come out of their committees and get scheduled for the Houses.
Virtual Binder (search for resolutions, hearings, etc.) Look up the
Consent Calendar and the
Legislative Calendar for each House, for July 7, to see what's been scheduled for deliberation and vote. Resolutions come with recommendations from the legislative committees (separate for each House) on how to vote.
Remember that the HOB and HOD sessions, the TEConversations, and the worship at the Convention Center are livestreamed and will be available on demand later, on the
Media Hub.
Photo: During the end of their legislative session yesterday, the HOB considered whether to concur with the HOD on approving A177, which provides director's and officer's fees for the PHoD. Bishop Ian T. Douglas spoke in support of A177. The HOB voted to concur. Read the
ENS article here.
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Last night, Carol Barnwell, Director of Communication for the Diocese of Texas, organized a sunset dinner cruise for members of the church-wide Episcopal Communicators' group who are here in Austin. That includes me and Deputy Alli Huggins, ECCT's Digital Associate. We all shared a meal while touring Lady Bird Lake and at the end, watched the bats emerge from under the Congress Avenue bridge. There are somewhere between 750K and 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats in Austin's urban bat colony, all female. They come out at dusk to feast on insects, taking flight in long, twisting clouds, such as the one seen on the left side of the photo. More info in
this article.
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People: In the Convention Center
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ECCT's Canon for Mission Collaboration Tim Hodapp with ECCT's Canon for Mission Leadership Lee Ann Tolzmann in the HOD visitor's gallery.
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Friday morning's pop-up prayer session led by Bishops United Against Gun Violence. The focus was on victims of domestic violence. (Photo thx to Sandra Cosman)
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Melissa Render of ECCT, with the Episcopal Conference of the Deaf, in the Exhibit Hall.
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Today, July 7, 2:30 - 4 pm (CT)
Joint Session on Evangelism
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From the media release:
"Evangelism is fundamental to the Jesus Movement. Together, we’re growing our own loving, liberating, life-giving relationships with God in Christ, and then helping our neighbors to discover or deepen relationship with God for themselves. We call this humble, generous, mutual approach “Episcopal Evangelism”: we seek, name and celebrate Jesus’ loving presence in the stories of all people - then invite everyone to MORE. More conversation. More relationships. More of God."
Speakers include the Rev. Dr. Lauren Winner; the Rt. Rev. Alan Scarfe; and the Rev. Daniel Vélez-Rivera. Watch it live, or on-demand later, on the
Media Hub. Speaker bios and link to discussion guide
here.
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Upcoming events (Central Time)
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TODAY
July 7: 5:30 p.m. Episcopal Revival Worship (PB Curry preaching) at Palmer Center;
July 7: 7 p.m. Diocese of Texas event
July 8: Latino Fiesta
July 8: Integrity Eucharist
July 8: 7:30 p.m. ECCT Dinner (ticketed)
July 13: Final day
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Livestream and on demand:
- Worship (including 7/4 Listening Session)
- HOB and HOD sessions
- TEConversations
- Daily newscasts (4:30 English, 6:30 Spanish)
Links to:
- Episcopal News Service (ENS) articles
- Calendars/Schedules
- Legislation (Virtual Binder)
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Resolution info
- "Virtual Binder" - all resolutions to date (gear image at top right allows you to switch between Houses and between Spanish and English.) See the infographic for help deciphering the terminology.
- "Blue Book" - reports from all the official committees, commissions, and task forces that have worked since the last General Convention in 2015, with all of their proposed resolutions ("A" resolutions)
- ECCT's graphic depiction of how a resolution moves through General Convention. Key steps, terminology, in the process.
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Link to glossary & terminology:
Here
or click on image. Let me know of others to add.
Contact Karin Hamilton by
email
or cell, 860-608-6969
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Karin Hamilton | Canon for Mission Communication & Media | khamlton@episcopalct.org | 860-608-6969
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