Reporting from Salt Lake City

Tuesday, June 23

See a photo album from today at this link.

As the exhibit halls and registration opened for the 78th General Convention today, members of The Episcopal Church in South Carolina were gathering in Salt Lake City, getting oriented, reconnecting with old friends, checking out the vastness of the Salt Palace Convention Center, and learning what people mean by “It’s a dry heat.”

Close to 10,000 people are expected to participate in GC78 for at least some part of the event, including 4,500 who are registered already. With that many Episcopalians all converging on the same place, it’s ripe for coincidental meetings. “Not even to baggage claim and I’ve already seen five people I know. It really is a family reunion,” Deputy Andrea McKellar texted from the SLC airport.

Mary Ann Foy, as a member of the Credentials Committee, got to renew acquaintances from the recent  Province IV meeting as she helped with the check-in process for deputies, which opened at 9 am.

Amanda Keith, wife of alternate deputy Fr. Wil Keith, checked in as a visitor and as the official representative who will bring forward South Carolina’s United Thank Offering gift at the UTO Ingathering on Sunday, June 28.

Lauren Kinard continued the fast-paced preparations that have been under way for days in the House of Bishops Secretariat. Her role is to be the official action recorder, ensuring that each piece of legislation acted upon by the HOB is properly recorded.

As your diocesan communications director, I picked up my official media credentials for GC78, and then attended a media conference with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, President of the House of Deputies Gay Clark Jennings, and General Convention Executive Officer Michael Barlowe.

The Presiding Bishop put the triennial gathering into perspective like this: “We’re here to participate in transforming this world into something that looks more like what God had in mind when God created it.”

It’s aiming to be the greenest and most digitally-oriented GC ever – not quite paperless, Canon Barlowe says, but a big step forward both in conservation of paper and in efficiency. Deputies began picking up their iPads today so they can use the new “Virtual Binder” app that replaces the old paper binders used at previous conventions.

President Jennings also noted that “we come together at a very tense time in our nation’s history,” referring to incidents of police violence against black citizens and the shooting deaths of nine people at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. She said systems of racism and privilege are “inextricably bound up” with the history of both the United States and the Church. General Convention, she said, is a place where Episcopalians can take action to change that.

Though the South Carolina group is far from home, we keep being reminded that we’re never far from the hearts and minds of people in other parts of the Church. The tragedy at Emanuel, the stories of forgiveness, grace and unity, and the current demonstrations over the Confederate flag – people want us to know they are paying attention to these things, that they care, and that they are praying with us. Several people mentioned services they’ve held in memory of the Emanuel Nine at their own churches, thousands of miles from Charleston. They’ve also been following the news of our diocese and its efforts at reconciliation with the group that split off from the Church. And again: they are praying for us, and with us. All these connections bring reminders of sadness, but also profound gratitude that we are not alone, and a sense of Resurrection hope.

This evening, most of our group has meetings and receptions to attend as we continue to find our way around this very beautiful and different part of Creation. We’re staying only 3 blocks from the convention center, but unlike Charleston, the city blocks here are wide and long. By mid-afternoon, the high temperature downtown was 97, and it’s forecast to rise above 100 by Sunday and stay there. But with no noticeable humidity or stickiness, it doesn’t feel anything like the 97 we know back home. At night, it’s a dry and pleasant 68. And if that weren’t enough evidence that we’re not in the Lowcountry anymore, there is snow on the nearby mountaintops.