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General Convention Report

For the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles

June 25, 2024

House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris reelected on first ballot


By David Paulsen


[Episcopal News Service — Louisville, Kentucky – June 25, 2024] House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris was re-elected June 25 at the 81st General Convention, winning decisively on the first ballot and fending off challenges from the Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton, the deputies’ vice president, and Zena Link, a former Executive Council member.


The victory sends Ayala Harris to a second term — and her first three-year term, after she was first elected in 2022 to a two-year term at the pandemic-delayed 80th General Convention.


“I am humbled and thank you for your confidence in me and my leadership,” Ayala Harris said after the election results were announced in the deputies’ convention hall at the Kentucky International Convention Center. She concluded her brief remarks by saying, “Now, church geeks, let’s roll up our sleeves and get back to work.”

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Deputies celebrate advance of Navajoland resolution creating missionary diocese


By David Paulsen


[Episcopal News Service – Louisville, Kentucky – June 25, 2024] The House of Deputies capped its June 25 legislative session by celebrating Navajoland deputies and the Episcopalians they represent after the house approved Navajo Episcopalians’ request to elevate their area mission to a missionary diocese.


The more than 800 deputies on the house floor, in a vote by acclamation, stood to applaud and cheer Navajoland’s deputies as House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris invited them to come forward and join her on the stage. Deputy GJ Gordy gave a brief speech, thanking the house for its vote.


“Navajoland is ready for this next leap,” Gordy said, underscoring the more than four decades that Navajo Episcopalians have dreamed of greater autonomy, including the ability to call their own bishop. “We want to participate in the vision of The Episcopal Church as you do, as equals while holding onto our cultural traditions.”

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Photo: Scott Gunn

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Bishops pass ceasefire resolution, debate use of ‘genocide’


By Logan Crews


[Episcopal News Service — Louisville, Kentucky – June 25, 2024] In their afternoon session on June 25, the House of Bishops heard Resolution D056, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.


Los Angeles Bishop John Taylor brought forward an amendment containing suggestions inspired by Pathways for Peace, a framework that guides inclusive approaches to prevent violent conflict. 


The first section, which originally described the acts of the Israeli government against the Palestinian people as an “ongoing genocide,” now decries Hamas’ “ongoing terrorist activity” since their attack on Oct. 7 and the “disproportionate loss of Palestinian lives that continues in Israel’s war against Hamas.” In the section that calls for a day of prayer, the resolution now asks for prayers that the “conflict not end in genocide.”

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Above: Bishop John Harvey Taylor and Canon Kathy O'Connor meet with Canon Iyad Qumri, a Palestinian Christian tour guide who has led hundreds of Episcopalians on visits to the Holy Land, which now is engaged in a violent conflict with Hamas, the ruling party in Gaza. Photo: John Taylor

EDLA at GC81

Steve Nishibayashi, Thomas Diaz join fellow nominating committee members to introduce candidates for presiding bishop


Co-chairs Canon Steven Nishibayashi of the Diocese of Los Angeles and Bishop Mark Lattime of the Diocese of Alaska introduce members of the Joint Nominating Committee for Presiding Bishop. Nishibayashi and Lattime outlined the process the committee followed to select qualified candidates, which included training from the Los Angeles-based Kaleidoscope Institute founded by the Rev. Canon Eric Law.


On April 2, 2024 (not April 1, Nishibayashi said with a smile), the committeee announced a slate of four candidates: Northwestern Pennsylvania Bishop Sean Rowe, who also serves as bishop provisional of the Diocese of Western New York; Atlanta Bishop Robert Wright; Pennsylvania Bishop Daniel G.P. Gutiérrez; Central Nebraska Bishop J. Scott Barker. A fifth candidate, Central New York Bishop DeDe Duncan-Probe, was added to the slate about two weeks later. The election will be held on June 26 at the convention.


Standing between Nishibayashi and Lattime in the photo above is Thomas Diaz, deputy from Los Angeles, who served with them on the nominating committee and deftly moderated the June 21 forum at which the candidates were introduced to deputies and visitors. A third committee member from the Los Angeles diocese is the Rev. Antonio Gallardo, rector of St. Luke's Church, Long Beach, and an elected deputy who missed the convention due to illness.

Deputies, bishops from companion dioceses of Taiwan, Los Angeles meet at General Convention


Bishop John Harvey Taylor and deputies of the Diocese of Los Angeles gather with their counterparts from the Diocese of Taiwan after a joint session of deputies and bishops at which the candidates for presiding bishop were presented. Los Angeles and Taiwan approved a companion diocese relationship at their respective diocesan conventions in 2023. Bishop Lennon Yuan-Rung Chang of Taiwan (at center of photo) informally visited Los Angeles last May; in the Fall Taylor will visit the Taiwan diocese on the occasion of its 70th anniversary.

At left: The Rev. Fennie Chang, vicar of St. Thomas' Church, Hacienda Heights and a deputy from the Diocese of Los Angeles, translates as Bishop Chang (no relation) tells the L.A. deputation how much he appreciates the diocese standing with Taiwan in a new companion relationship. At right: Bishop Taylor and Bishop Chang set up a selfie as Fennie Chang looks on.

More news

GC81 Daily Digest, June 25: Presiding bishop writes about ‘Jesus in America’ and legislation progresses

[ENS – Louisville, Kentucky – June 25, 2024] The third full day of the 81st General Convention is underway at the Kentucky International Convention Center. Legislative committees continue to meet in the early morning hours and the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops are meeting in their respective houses for late morning and afternoon legislative sessions.


Deputies compete for Louisville disco ball trophy for best-decorated stanchion on house floor

[ENS – Louisville, Kentucky – June 25, 2024] Charlie Brown is in attendance this week at the 81st General Convention. So is Snoopy. Even if you didn’t know “Peanuts” creator Charles Schulz was from St. Paul, Minnesota, it’s an obvious conclusion to draw when inspecting the Diocese of Minnesota’s decorated stanchion on the floor of the House of Deputies. As is customary at each General Convention, many dioceses’ deputations top their stanchions with a bit of hometown flair – in Minnesota’s case, Charlie Brown and Snoopy plush figures.


Episcopal youth gravitate toward Kentucky Night’s silent ‘Episco-disco’

[ENS – Louisville, Kentucky – June 25, 2024] “You can’t just say disco and not expect me to show up and dance.” After a long day of volunteering at the 81st General Convention, Rachel Matthews, a senior youth group member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Cleveland, Tennessee, did just that. The second day of General Convention ended with “Diocese of Kentucky Night,” where convention-goers could attend various events staged throughout downtown Louisville or within a two-mile radius, including a silent “Episco-disco” dance party at Christ Church Cathedral, just a few blocks from the convention center.

Keeping up with General Convention

Click the blue headings to find a wide range of information about General Convention.


General Convention Office

This is communication central for the convention, with links to information about schedules, legislative actions, resolutions and more.


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On this page you'll find live video coverage of the House of Bishops, House of Deputies, and worship services, along with a photo gallery and short videos.


The General Convention schedule


How resolutions move through General Convention


The General Convention Virtual Binder

For true church nerds: this is the information used by bishops and deputies as they go about their work at the convention, including texts and progress of all resolutions. It is updated regularly.

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Except as noted, reporting and photos by Janet Kawamoto, editor, The Episcopal News