The Way of Love in a world filled with division and need

The Rev. Dr. Donald Fishburne, right, with the 25th Presiding Bishop of
The Episcopal Church, Frank Griswold, at the Austin Convention Center at GC79.

The Rev. Dr. Donald Allston Fishburne attended the 79th General Convention, and shares with us this report, as well as his photos, of his time in Austin. Donald was baptized and ordained in Charleston and has served congregations from Florida to Maine. He is Priest Associate at Holy Cross Faith Memorial Church, Pawleys Island, to which he and Sarah moved last year. They are glad to be home in The Episcopal Church in South Carolina.

As a South Carolinian I’m proud to be part of the Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement – and to have been present as our Presiding Bishop launched The Way of Love.

Check it out: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/way-of-love

Some things that stand out for me as someone who was at General Convention in no official capacity, but with media credentials:

• The dedication before Convention and in Texas for day after day of long hours exhibited by Bishop Adams, Deputies and Alternates, staff members, and those accompanying them to Austin; 
• The worship and preaching, from the opening Eucharist to the spirited Revival, and including last Sunday’s Prayer Service and protest at the dreadful ICE Women’s Detention Center, which is in fact a prison. 
• The prayers and speakers at the Bishops Against Gun Violence event earlier that day were also heart-wrenching. 

I’m grateful for Deputation Chair Rick Lindsey’s prelude and now for his video wrap-up; and for daily written and video reports from team members, including reporting on Andrea McKellar’s election to Executive Council – and her championing of the work of Forma, both as a Board member of https://www.forma.church/ and also her resolution for General Convention funding toward that important work.

All of us in The Episcopal Church in South Carolina were honored when Deputy Lonnie Hamilton III received the House of Deputies Medal, and we were heartened by the Youth Presence and reporting on that in this blogspot by OYP member Helena Upshaw and Deputy Jean McGraw. Much was accomplished by the meeting of the Episcopal Church Women and other ministry groups as well.

I'm glad for some fruitful time with Alternate Deputy Bill Coyne, our new Missioner for Returning Congregations. And for the obvious love and joy of Holly and Al Votaw, and for their ministries.

Summary news and feature coverage is available at https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/tag/general-convention-2018/

As always, I was bolstered by investing time with leaders of the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes, and of our seminaries, and Education for Ministry (EfM); and Invite,Welcome,Connect. The Order of St. Helena and the Order of the Holy Cross were represented, along with Living Compass and the Living Church, as well as Friends of the Episcopal Church of Cuba, along with more than 160 other exhibitors. See https://livingchurch.org/ and its GC79 reporting. And it was fun for me to see representatives of other dioceses in which I have served.

The overarching themes of Evangelism, Racial Reconciliation, and Care of Creation were enfleshed in the lives and ministries of those who return from General Convention.

Canon Wilmot Merchant of St. Stephens, North Myrtle Beach said it this way:

Episcopalians at the T. Don Hutto Dentention Center
in Taylor, TX on July 8.

First of all, the Presiding Bishop continues to be an excitement for the Episcopal Church; his presence and words continue to draw attention to the Episcopal Church as a part of “Jesus Moment.” I was walking the streets the other day and someone stopped me to ask what was happening with all these people he was seeing on the streets. I jokingly said, they were “the Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Moment”, and then quickly said the Episcopal Church was having their convention at the Austin Convention Center. I am having a different experience at this General Convention then the one in Utah, 2015. In Utah, I felt overwhelmed because it was my first time and it seemed so much to do, and I did not know it I could do it. I was also assigned to a Legislative Committee and I am not sure how much I contributed. This time around I have a good feel for the flow of things, and I am not on a Committee and I am an Alternate.

My excitement has to do with Cuba being welcomed back, some form of compensation for the President of the House of Deputies, and our Sunday “worship” at the T. Don Hutto Detention Center. It was a powerful experience for me as an immigrant who is now and American citizen. I wept when I saw the women waving, “they saw us and we saw them”; and that was the witness of the church. Sunday afternoon was spent not in a building but in a park and on a road, and that was a powerful “worship” experience for me. God was there with all of us, the women in the Detention Center, those on us on the road and the others who were in the park – all of us.

Lauren Kinard, the superlative Executive Assistant to our Bishop, had another full-time job on the platform as Recording Secretary of the House of Bishops. She was asked to serve in this position by the Secretary of the HoB, The Rt. Rev. Bishop Diane Jardin Bruce of Los Angeles. She arrived an hour before the HoB convened each day.

Lauren says,

Bishops United Against Gun Violence led a
public witness July 8 in downtown Austin.

What I'll take away from my GC experience and my time in the HoB are these things:

1) There is room for all voices in our church and under our large tent. We are a better church for having all these voices. Be they super conservative, or super liberal points of view, they matter. Be they gay, straight, black, white, transgender, cisgender, hard of hearing, able bodied, differently abled — they are important, and they have a right to be heard, even if they are on the losing side of debated resolutions/topics. And they are loved. We respect the dignity of all human beings, no matter what.

2) I am inspired by the leadership of the bishops in our church. I am inspired by their willingness to listen — to each other, to their clergy and those in their diocese, to trust each other, to be vulnerable with each other. The environment of the house is accepting, loving, and pastoral in ways it may have not been in the past, especially when dealing with complicated and controversial issues (as bishops and others can and have observed and stated). It was inspiring to watch them discuss hard issues — issues many felt passionate about, and not always on the same side, and to see how they model that for our dioceses and our churches and congregations. Respect is present for all. It is a model we all should follow in our own lives and churches.

3) I was inspired by the Liturgy on July 4 – the #metoo listening session and the conversations that followed in both houses. I was inspired by the respect that was shown, and the seriousness with which this subject was handled. I was touched by the vulnerability that we all shared in simply addressing the reality and the truth of such issues in our church — in our history, and in our current state, and how such issues are to be addressed. Those conversations were raw, and hard to hear, but yet they were held. I was encouraged by the conversations in the HoB that followed as they stood accountable as the diocesan leadership to agree that such abuse, harassment, etc., cannot and WILL NOT continue in their dioceses.

4) The welcoming of Cuba and the seating of Bishop Griselda in the HoB was incredible. I know the HoD had a similar goose-bump experience.”

Deputy Pam Guess says, "Things that make my heart sing about the work of General Convention are:

1) Reuniting with the Episcopal Church in Cuba – the re-admittance of Cuba as a diocese into Province II of The Episcopal Church. In early 1961, Cuban refugees arrived in my small coastal community of Beaufort, SC. Our church joined with others to ensure their into the local community by providing food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. Several of the children entered my elementary school. When Manuel Gonzolez came to my fifth-grade classroom, I knew his life had been forever changed.

2) Uniting behind immigrants. The critical trip to the T. Don Hutto Detention Center in Taylor, Texas, to witness against the separation of families as they immigrate into the America is also at the top of the list.

3) Supporting human rights in all corners of the world through legislation. The House of Deputies and The House of Bishops reflect the direction of The Episcopal Church as a loving, liberating and life-giving way to move into world communities. 

Here’s some of what the Rev. Wil Keith of Pawleys Island (who was all over the city talking with all sorts and conditions of folks) had to say that hasn’t been reported elsewhere: 

We have responded well to the #metoo movement. And we did so without any remarkable pushback. We have looked at making our liturgies acceptable and affirming to those who often find no affirmation outside our church.

"But this is the best: We have responded to racism, sexism, cissexism, pretty much everything except ageism, AND WE HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT MUCH ISSUE. That means we have gone through a (trying) period of discernment and have emerged on the other side with a clear call to justice, mercy, and ensuring the Episcopal Church will be present to those who are oppressed, even in our own land. I think this is huge."

Other high points for me as an observer/participant at my fifth General Convention:

Progress in orderly liturgical revision and inclusive language, options in marriage rites, and attention to listening to and hearing each other.

Personally, I was glad to enlarge my circle of contacts in the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Anglican Centre in Rome, the Holy Land, the church in Egypt, the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe; and in the returning Episcopal Church in Cuba, to which I will help lead 400 Episcopal and Methodist lay leaders and clergy in January, with The Rev. Dr. Luis León as a speaker. Luis was sent away from Cuba at the age of 11, graduated from Sewanee and VTS, and has just retired after 24 years as Rector of St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square near the White House.

I was grateful for some time breaking bread with a dear friend and colleague, the first woman to be ordained as a priest in South Caroina, the Rev. Dr. Cynthia Taylor. Cindy is a church planter and leader in the Diocese of Georgia and beyond. She testified at this Convention about a #metoo experience years ago involving a priest who later left the Episcopal Church after accusations of ongoing abuses.

What's the one thing Cindy is most grateful for at this Convention? That Lonnie Hamilton was the only member of the lay Deputation who did not walk out of the General Convention of 2012 with Mark Lawrence.

Most of all, 

I am proud of Bishop Skip, our Deputies and Alternates, and those with them in Austin. I was present for the electing Conventions of Frank Griswold and Katharine Jefferts Schori as well as Michael Curry for each of their terms as PB – and I’m glad we didn’t have to elect a successor to Bishop Curry this time around!

Gratefully,
Shalom,

Donald

Reporting on the final day of GC79: Deputy Rick Lindsey

The Rev. Richard Lindsey, Chairman of South Carolina's Deputation at General Convention, reflects on the triennial gathering of Episcopalians that has taken place in Austin, Texas over the last 2 weeks. Rick is the Rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Hilton Head Island, SC.

'Seriously enormous, and enormously serious'

Pam Guess just before the closing Eucharist
of General Convention on Thursday night.

Pam Guess of Christ Church, Denmark is our Deputy of the Day for July 12, and posts this report from the 79th General Convention.

Greetings to The Episcopal Church in South Carolina!

Here's the thing. . . We are having a blast here in Austin! Some legislative days are longer than others, and the business at hand is seriously enormous and enormously serious. We refresh by worshiping together every evening. As deputies, we pray for all peoples in the world. In amendments, we cultivate language to ensure equity and diversity with inclusion. In legislation, we take action to ensure justice for all.

Last night, after worship service, the legislative session reconvened to pass resolutions supporting inclusive policies for all church members. Young and old handicapped and disabled worshipers are asking the church to provide the aid of reasonable accommodations for their inclusion. The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) offers recommendations at this link.

This week, in a joint session, the committee on Environmental Stewardship and Care of Creation met for TEConversations, music, and discussion with the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. Notably, the Most Rev. Thabo Makgoba, Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, called for mitigation in the impact of climate change and poverty in the regions of sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and in coastal areas of Asia and urban centers. 

In closing, he stated, we see you, and we see you, too, by doing something. Following Bishop Makgoba, the impassioned Bernadette Demientieff described the precious and sacred culture of the Gwich'in Nation in Fort Yukon, Alaska. She told of the harmful effects of climate change on the Gwich'in people and their hallowed Porcupine caribou herd. Asking for help and prayers, she proclaimed, "Indigenous rights are human rights, and when standing together, we can make a change."

The House of Deputies has unanimously voted to concur with the House of Bishops to admit the Episcopal Church of Cuba as a diocese. The Diocese of Cuba joins Province II, which includes dioceses from New York and New Jersey in the United States, Haiti, and the Virgin Islands.

Love, grace, and peace to you,
Pam Guess

A place in history

Archivist Mark Duffy and Bonnie Adams at the
Episcopal Church Archives exhibit at General Convention

General Convention is a place for making connections, and Bonnie Adams, wife of Bishop Skip Adams, made a connection this week with the Archives of the Episcopal Church on behalf of her friend, 83-year-old Professor Hillyer Rudisill III of Charleston.

A book from the professor’s collection, an 1864 collection of prayers handwritten during the Civil War, is now part of the Archives’ collection, delivered by Bonnie on Hillyer’s behalf.

Hillyer is a retired educator who most recently served as professor of philosophy and humanities at Trident Technical College. As a young student, he attended Porter Military Academy (the forerunner of Porter-Gaud School in Charleston). The school was clearing out old volumes from its library, and let each student choose a few to take home.

Hillyer picked a volume called “The Church Loyal and True” on the cover. Its title page says: "The Services of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America as ordered by The Bishops During the Civil War". Each page is a lithographed reproduction of handwritten prayers that were written by northern bishops of The Episcopal Church during the Civil War.

The carefully inscribed pages call to mind the painful separations that occurred in the church in that period. After 1861, Episcopalians in states that seceded formed their own separate organization, but the General Convention chose to mark those dioceses as “absent” at the 1862 convention, and welcomed them back after the war ended.

Hillyer thought the book might be of historical interest, and he asked Bonnie to reach out to the Archives of The Episcopal Church to see if they would like it in their collection. She learned that while the Archives hasd one copy already, they would very much prefer to have two.

So at the Archives exhibit at General Convention on July 10, Bonnie met Mark Duffy, the Archivist of The Episcopal Church, and Pan Adams-McCaslin, Chair of the Board of Archives and a Deputy to GC79, and presented the book in person on Hillyer’s behalf.

Mark told Bonnie that he remembered seeing the other copy once and thinking it might be an actual manuscript, because the reproduction of the handwriting is so clear. The Archives are truly grateful for the valuable addition to their collection, he said, and he plans to write to Hillyer personally to express their gratitude.

See more photos here.

Reporting from GC79: Deputy Wil Keith

The Rev. Wil Keith, Rector of Holy Cross Faith Memorial Episcopal Church in Pawleys Island, SC, is our Deputy of the Day for Wednesday, July 11. In a break between legislative sessions, he recorded this video outside the Austin Convention Center as his blog post for today.

House of Deputies Medal awarded to Lonnie Hamilton

Lonnie Hamilton with the President of the House of Deputies, the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings,
onstage with the rest of the South Carolina deputation and Bishop Skip Adams.

On July 10, the House of Deputies Medal was awarded to Lonnie Hamilton III, a lay deputy for South Carolina. House of Deputies President Gay Clark Jennings presented the award, honoring Lonnie's leadership and witness in serving the Church through a time of division and the ongoing reorganization in our diocese. Our deputation and Bishop Adams accompanied him to the stage as he received a standing ovation from more than 800 people present in the House of Deputies.

Watch the video here - the presentation begins at about 17:00 minutes.

Here is the text of President Jennings' presentation:

Now, back in 2012, we had a little excitement at General Convention. ... At that convention, held in the great diocese of Indianapolis, some of those gathered among us decided to leave the convention and, ultimately, to leave the Episcopal Church. Just one loyal Episcopalian from the former Diocese of South Carolina remained, and he is a gifted educator, a civil rights advocate, and an astonishing jazz saxophonist and clarinetist who has also been a faithful member of our church for more than 60 years. And through it all, he has never stopped working and praying and hoping that the people of his former diocese will find a way to come back together so that we all may be one."

Deputy Lonnie Hamilton of the Episcopal Church in South Carolina has been a member of Calvary Episcopal Church in Charleston for 57 years and served on the vestry, as choirmaster, and in many other leadership roles. He has served on the Standing Committee and the Diocesan Council in South Carolina, and this is his sixth General Convention as a deputy or alternate. He is a retired administrator with the Charleston County School District and served his community as a member of Charleston County Council for more than 20 years. He was the first African American to serve on that body and was twice elected as its chairman.

The House of Deputies is not, as you can imagine, the first organization to honor Lonnie’s faithful ministry. When he received the Dean’s Cross Award from Virginia Theological Seminary last year, the citation noted that Lonnie has “a reputation not only as a gifted educator but also as a charismatic figure who was popular with students and who could help ease tensions at Bonds-Wilson and other North Charleston area schools resulting from the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision. In the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo, he led the diocesan Community Housing Development Organization, which has converted dozens of properties into affordable housing units.”

As if all this weren’t enough, Lonnie toured with the Jenkins Orphanage Bands in the mid-1940s and played with his own band, Lonnie Hamilton and the Diplomats, which was the signature jazz band in Charleston for decades.

For his distinguished service to the Episcopal Church and to the community we serve in Charleston, South Carolina, I am honored to award the House of Deputies medal to Deputy Lonnie Hamilton.

A learning experience

Deputy Mark Szen just before the daily Eucharist
at General Convention on July 9.

Mark Szen is a lay deputy from the diocese, and files this report as our Deputy of the Day for Tuesday, July 10.

I have found the time at General Convention to be a great learning experience. While I am a lifelong Episcopalian, there is so much to The Episcopal Church that I do not know.

The best part, for me, from convention has been the joint sessions with the bishops, the Texas Revival, the gatherings against Gun Violence and the protest at the Hutto Detention Center. Also being a part of the legislative committees and, of course, hearing Presiding Bishop Michael Curry preach. The least favorite part has been the legislative sessions where we wind our way through resolutions, amendments, amendments to amendments, etc. before finally voting on amended resolutions.

We have had three joint sessions with the bishops. One each on racial reconciliation, evangelism and the care of creation. Each session featured four or five presentations, followed by one-on-one discussions and then delegation discussions. I hope we can all bring some information and energy back to our churches so we can experience and examine where we stand on each topic.

Having not been to a revival before, I had no idea what to expect. One account had 8,000 people there and, with Michael Curry preaching, it was an emotional event. It ended with prayer stations for anyone present, to be prayed upon to receive the Love of God.

The Bishops' Witness Against Gun Violence featured a family who lost a child at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting this spring and a local 14-year old girl's response and her school's response to the shooting. WE MUST keep these stories alive and insist that our legislators take action to prevent more occurrences. Similarly, the protest at the Hutto Detention Center, where women are held, highlights the need that we must speak up for the voiceless, those refugee families that are being needlessly broken apart.

Most of all, what these two weeks have taught me is that the Episcopal Church is a wide, deep and diverse group of people that make up the Body of Christ here on earth. The Episcopal Church is made of more than 100 dioceses not only of the United States, but all of the Americas, and some states of Europe too. We stand up for the rights and dignity of every human being, regardless of their circumstance. For all people, regardless of race, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, etc. The Episcopal Church is made up of, and serves, ALL of God's people.

Mark Szen

Our Official Youth Presence member at General Convention

Helena with the SC deputation and Bishop Adams, participating in
the TEConversation on creation care today at General Convention.

Greetings from Austin! We’re entering our sixth day at Convention, and I cannot believe how much I’ve been welcomed into the Youth Presence and the Church as a whole.

The committee work that resonated with me the most was in World Mission, and Social Justice & US Policy, where resolutions in hand serve to find solutions to religious persecution, US immigration law, mass incarceration, the drug epidemic, and many more issues. What I love most about this church is we have the power to use God’s unconditional love as an example to the rest of the world on how to treat the poorest and neediest children of God.

At an Episcopal Church Women breakfast, I was able to meet and learn from Yewande Austin, a singer and activist who is using her talents to build a sustainable community for Boko Haram refugees in Nigeria. She is such a powerful and impactful woman who called on all women of faith to search out and take full advantage of their gifts to fight injustice and spread love in any way they can. Visit www.gofundme.com/alherivillage for more information or to donate.

Sunday at noon, the General Convention held a special worship in front of the T. Don Hutto Residential Detention Center just outside of Austin, where asylum-seeking immigrant women are being taken away from their families and detained. We sang, we heard Bishop Curry speak, and we let the women know that God loves them. The most impactful moment? Receiving a message on Monday that the women saw us and were waving back through their slits of windows until the very last bus left. I hope all Episcopalians and Americans pay attention to this action and resist private prisons and family separation. I can’t wait to see how the next four days at Convention play out!

Helena

Report from GC79, Day 5

The Official Youth Presence onstage at #GC79

The Rev. Jean McGraw, a clergy deputy from our diocese, is our Deputy of the Day for July 9, and files this report.

Greetings from Austin. This morning at our legislative session we were blessed to hear from one of our youth delegates, Maria Gonzalez. She is from Pennsylvania, and spoke to us in both Spanish and English. She talked eloquently about the issues facing young people today and how TEC can support them and work to make changes to ensure their safety.

Deputy Jean McGraw

To begin our afternoon session, the Chaplain of the House of Deputies , the Rev. Lester Mackenzie, took us out of our Anglican comfort zone as he invited all of us to come to the front of the hall to pray with “Anglican sensitivity and African spontaneity”, and to actually touch each others' shoulders as we sang the words of St. Julian of Norwich, “all will be well.”

The House of Deputies passed, with amendment, in both the clergy and lay orders, Resolution B012, on Marriage Rites for the Whole Church.

All in all, a loooong but productive day!

The Rev. Jean McGraw

Elected to Executive Council

Andrea McKellar on the floor of the
House of Deputies following her election today.

Deputy Andrea McKellar was elected today by the House of Deputies to a six-year term on the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church. This is the national body that administers the program and policies adopted by the General Convention. It includes bishops, clergy, and laypeople, and meets at least three times each year. Two clergy and six lay members were elected today.

Andrea, who has been serving at General Convention as the Secretary of the Christian Formation and Discipleship Committee. She was elected on the first ballot.

In South Carolina, Andrea is the Diocesan Ministry Developer, responsible for transition ministry (working with individuals and congregations through times of discernment and calling), leadership development, Christian formation, and youth ministry. She is a member of the board of Forma, a grassroots Christian formation organization, and served on General Conventions' Task Force on Leveraging Social Media for Evangelism. A founding member of St. Francis Episcopal Church in Charleston, lives in West Ashley with her husband Mark and their two children. Andrea blogs at funeralhomechurch.org.

Worth the bumpy ride to be at General Convention

Carrington Wingard is in Austin serving as the Alternate Lay Deputy for The Episcopal Church in South Carolina. This is her reprt as our Deputy of the Day for July 8. 

Carrington Wingard, second from left, at the Eucharist
where she presented South Carolina's UTO Ingathering gift. 

I was the last member of the deputation to get to Austin. Probably fitting, since I am the alternate lay deputy. My flight from Charlotte was uneventful until we were ready to land. After initially announcing that we would be at the gate in 30 minutes, the pilot then said that we would be experiencing some turbulence, as there were “storms over the airport”. We would have to circle around awhile as we could not land. And keep those seat belts fastened and there would be bumps. So we circled and bumped, a lot of bumps. The pilot tried to land once, landing gear down. But he had to pull up.

He announced that the wind was too strong, fuel was running low, and we had to go to San Antonio for refueling. We bumped our way over there, got our fuel and after about an hour on the tarmac, headed back to Austin. This time we made it with continuing bumps. 

In spite of all the bumps, the Episcopal Church in South Carolina had fully arrived at General Convention. As the alternate, I can enjoy the informative sessions, beautiful worship services, and lively debate, without the responsibility of voting. Besides the official business of the convention, related groups such as Episcopal Church Women (ECW) and National Altar Guild are meeting and having events. 

The United Thank Offering (UTO) had its Ingathering at the Friday Eucharist. Each diocese had a representative present its contribution for the past triennium. It was my great pleasure to represent South Carolina. We had a rehearsal to practice walking up on the platform behind the altar, placing the contribution card in a special basket, and then shaking the hands of the Presiding Bishop and President of the House of Deputies.

Shaking hands with Presiding Bishop Curry.

We were given strict instructions that we could only shake hands, no hugging allowed. Those were good instructions. Bishop Curry preaches a message of love and inclusiveness, and hugging somehow seems more appropriate than handshaking. So 100+ women were well admonished not to hug. The service would have gone far too long for all of us to do that, and we all probably would have. 

Even though we were in a “no hug zone”, the love and inclusiveness of TEC was surrounding us. The wonderful mission work accomplished by the UTO shows our love for those in need both here and throughout the world. Worth a bumpy ride to get to Austin to be a part of this amazing church.

Voting on prayer book revision

The 2015 General Convention mandated the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to “prepare a plan for the comprehensive revision of the current Book of Common Prayer and present that plan to the 79th General Convention.” The SCLM presented its report in the Blue Book earlier this year, and prayer book revision has been a topic of much discussion and debate ever since.

Today, the House of Deputies voted to approve Resolution A068, which calls for the process of revision to begin. The vote was by orders, meaning clergy and lay deputies’ votes were tallied separately, and the margin was roughly 2-1 in favor in both orders.

Read an Episcopal News Service report on the vote here

The resolution now goes to the House of Bishops for discussion and, likely, amendments that would have to be reconciled between the two houses of General Convention before a final plan emerges. Most agree that it will be 2030 at the earliest before a revised prayer book actually comes into use.

The South Carolina deputation voted in favor of the resolution: Lay deputies were unanimous and in the clergy order the vote was 3-1.

Deputation Chairman the Very Rev. Richard Lindsey said he voted for the resolution so the process could begin.

“It’s time for the language of the prayer book to speak to a new generation,” he said. The last revision was almost two generations ago, in 1979.

The Rev. Dr. Jim Taylor said he voted against the resolution simply because of the finances. Estimates put the cost of the revision at about $2 million, and many deputies raised that figure during debate on the floor.

The Very Rev. Wil Keith said that, unlike previous revisions, this time the voices of marginalized groups in the church can be heard.

Being an Alternate Deputy at GC79

Alternate Deputy Wilmot Merchant, in the foreground, at the SC table on the floor of the House of Deputies.

The Rev. Canon Dr. Wilmot T. Merchant II is an Alternate Deputy from our diocese. This is his blog post as our Deputy of the Day.

On Monday morning, July 2, I left Myrtle Beach, SC for Austin, Texas for the 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church. As the First Clergy Alternate Deputy, I was looking forward to meeting and greeting many of those I had met over the years, but especially those I met for the first time in the last three years. It is always good to meet the Province IV Synod folks.

There was not much for me to do on Tuesday, July 3, but beginning Wednesday, July 4, we were on our way. Legislative Committee Sessions, opening remarks by the Presiding Bishop and the President on the House of Deputies — this was the first joint Session of the General Convention. It was followed by the orientation for the House of Deputies. The House of Bishops had a listening session, which included Bishops reading brief stories of women and others who had suffered abuse in the church.

When evening came it was time for the 50th Anniversary Gala of the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE). It was truly a celebration of the UBE — they were prepared for 300 and we were 400 in attendance. The day ended without much fireworks from where we were because of the rain, but just enough to remind us that it was still the 4th of July after all. 

July 5 was the first Legislative Day for the General Convention, we started the day at 8:00 in the morning with the House of Deputies coming to order. Following a few items of business, it was time for the opening Eucharist. 

As we were leaving the House of Deputies, I was asked to serve as one of the Eucharistic Ministers, serving the bread, and I gladly agreed. This is my second General Convention and I have been asked to serve in this role at both General Conventions. After the service, we went back to Legislative Committee sessions and hearings. As my assignment for our Deputation, I was asked to follow the Churchwide Leadership Legislative Committee. It has been interesting listening to the conversations, because in 2015 when I was on a committee, I was new and was not sure what I was to do, and I spent more time taking in what it was to be a Deputy at General Convention.

Fr. Merchant served as a minister of Communion
at the opening  Eucharist on July 5.

Sitting and listening to the conversations, I wish I were a Deputy assigned to this committee by the President of the House of Deputies; there have been times when I had to remind myself that I could not speak since I was not a member of the committee. This is the committee that dealt with the issue of compensation for the President of the House of Deputies, and a resolution was passed by the Bishops and Deputies of that Committee; and when presented to the House of Deputies was passed by 85 percent.

At lunch time, Deputy Jim Taylor and I switched, I became the Deputy for the rest of the afternoon and all day Friday. That meant I was on the main floor of the House of Deputies, and it also meant I was present to lead the Table conversation of our Deputation during the joint Session on Racial Reconciliation.

During the Legislative Committee session on Saturday morning, we were informed that the House of Bishop had voted in favor of the resolution that will give the President of the House of Deputies some compensation. This is history, because for years it has been a struggle to find a balance between the two houses. 

So let me say it this way, I am have a wonderful experience at General Convention.

The Rev. Cn. Dr. Wilmot T. Merchant II

Prayers for reconciliation: Deputy Lonnie Hamilton

Lonnie Hamilton III is a Deputy from South Carolina at the 79th General Convention. He also served in 2015 and in 2012, the year when a division took place in our diocese.

Lonnie says that in his first few days in Austin this week, dozens of people from dioceses all across the Episcopal Church have approached him to say they are praying for our diocese. In the words of one priest: "We are praying that God reunites the Diocese of South Carolina in complete love."

In an interview Thursday night, Lonnie talked about some of these conversations, and his own prayers for reconciliation. This is his "Deputy of the Day" blog post for Friday, July 6.

From our Missioner for Returning Congregations

The plane touched down in Austin on Tuesday.

I arrived at General Convention with a specific mission and purpose  to meet and learn from as many folks as I could schedule from dioceses who have undergone similar disruptions by disaffiliated groups. In my new role as Missioner for Returning Congregations, I sought out best practices, wise advice and good counsel. Leaders from Fort Worth, Virginia, Pittsburgh and San Joaquin have been wondrously generous in carving out time to meet and share insights. Staff from the Episcopal Church Center in New York offered help. Friends in New England assured me of their prayers for our ministry together in South Carolina.

A great deal to assimilate and process. The plane ride back to CHS today will provide some time to pray and think through potential next steps.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry frames our approach and grounds our initiatives with this truth: My brothers and sisters, we are not just The Episcopal Church. We are the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement. That’s who we are. And that’s what the world is pleading and hungering for us to be.

Our returning congregations are coming back to a relationship with The Episcopal Church that was there when the parish was consecrated for God; and they are going forward to a new day of engaging God’s Mission. All of us will be hearing about this core message – The Way of Love: Practices for a Jesus-Centered Life. May it become our compass.

Join the Church in this endeavor - https://www.episcopalchurch.org/explore-way-love

- Bill

Janet and Bill Coyne at the Austin Convention Center

The Rev. William Coyne
Missioner for Returning Congregations
The Episcopal Church in South Carolina
(843) 614-0679
wcoyne@episcopalchurchsc.org

Keep Your Hand On The Plow

Keep your hand on the plow of God. Hold on, hold on. Keep your hand on the plow, hold on.

This morning was the Opening Eucharist for the 79th General Convention. Nearly, 1500 people gathered to pray, sing, clap, hear the Presiding Bishop preach and receive the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Worship at General Convention is one of the great jewels of our time together. Worship occurs everyday at Convention and a prayer is said before each Legislative Committee Meeting. Worship today was inspiring and renewing!!

I can’t say word-for-word what the Presiding Bishop preached about. Even if I tried, I would not do his sermon justice. Keep looking for the sermon on the internet if you want to listen. The Presiding Bishop reminded us that we are the Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement. As this branch of the Jesus Movement how do we react when things in the world seem dark, dysfunctional, messy and just wrong - “Keep your hand on the [Gospel] plow hold on, hold on.” He reminded us that the Way of Jesus is Love, and that Love has the power to change lives and change the world.

As we were going into worship we were given pamphlets. Now, I am assuming very few of us looked at the pamphlet when trying to find our seat. The Presiding Bishop explained to us what we received during his sermon. First, he asked the question, “What Do We Seek?” The answer is Love, Freedom, Abundant Life and We Seek Jesus. This was in the pamphlet. As we were leaving worship, we received another resource guide. The guide is titled “The Way Of Love: Practices for Jesus-Center Life.” This resource says we are to Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go and Rest. You can go online at www.episcopalchurch.org/wayoflove and view this new resource.

I hope you have received a small glimpse of our worship experience.

Blessings,
The Rev. Dr. Jim Taylor

Back to our roots and being fed for the work that lies ahead….

My perch for the next 10 days. Pictured here with Twila Rios, 

member of the General Convention Staff. 

Photo credit: Bishop Adams

I traveled to Austin via my childhood home in Baton Rouge, with my two kids in tow. (They are staying at Camp Nanna and Grandpa for the duration of GC'79. God bless my parents!) I had not spent four days in my hometown in far too many years, so I soaked up every single second as I headed back to my roots, back to the places and people that helped shape me into who I am today. Those places and people and traditions that molded me and helped me discover how I would learn to see the world, act as a part of a community, and find the strength to be myself in the middle of all sorts of crazy. I spent last weekend being fed and nourished, both emotionally and spiritually, and definitely with some delicious Louisiana food! Those times with friends, late nights up with my parents talking, a Sunday service at my childhood church (Methodist, at that!) – these times have reinforced and encouraged me to stay the course I have chosen as a parent with my husband for our family, to keep teaching my children of all their history and their heritage, to encourage them to embrace those cultures as they grow, to be good students, but to be kind above all else, and to seek to see and serve the needs of others. It was a wonderful experience with my children and precious time spent with my family in my childhood home, but it was exhausting! I had fear of missing out and not knowing the next time I’d be back, so we stayed up until 2 am three nights in a row, recalling great memories, talking and treasuring the time together, and speaking of what’s ahead for our family. I was completely wiped out as I boarded the plane to Texas, beignets and café au lait in tow.

As I sat yesterday in the Secretariat and in the House of Bishops, preparing for a busy 10 days of General Convention, it occurred to me that this gathering, this convention, is kind of like ‘returning home’ for thousands of Episcopalians who have chosen to gather here in Austin. Though the locations of General Conventions change every three years, the purpose is the same. We gather together to be fed, to grow as individuals and as our church. We gather together as our large family, from all over the country and our non-domestic dioceses. We gather to return to our roots, to come home and spend precious time with friends, family, teachers, spiritual mentors, and also strangers, to celebrate our history and our traditions, while we continue to look to the future and learn from others. To look forward and see how we, as individuals, and as a church grow into our communities, our nation, and the world while we embrace our Anglican traditions and Episcopal heritage. To discern how we can and should and will be present in our own communities, as a part of this Jesus Movement, to meet the needs of people where THEY are, not where we choose to be.

And my hope and prayer is that we all leave Austin as exhausted as I was when I left Baton Rouge. That we will be wiped out and rejuvenated, spent and engaged all at the same time. That we will have had hard discussions, but maintained respect and acceptance for those whose opinions differ from ours, and that when the gavel sounds at the close and we are done, we can say we have given our best. And that as a result of our difficult, but rewarding work, we will have a guide for the near future on how we as Episcopalians and as humans will continue this Jesus Movement, and how our church will adapt to the world that the future holds, while we hold fast to the traditions and heritage that mean so much to us.

I hope that you will join me in this prayer for exhaustion and lift up this great gathering in your prayers.

I'll be in the HOB if you need me!

- Lauren

Lauren Kinard is Executive Assistant to the Bishop and Diocesan Administrator for The Episcopal Church in South Carolina.

                                       A panoramic view from the platform out to the House of Bishops before meeting today.

Ethnic Ministries in The Episcopal Church

Post by Andrea McKellar, Lay Deputy. Shared from www.funeralhomechurch.com

Image of All Saints Episcopal, Smyrna, TN

One of the resolutions assigned to my committee (Legislative Committee #14, Formation and Discipleship) is A055 -Develop Multicultural Ministry Pathways. We had a hearing on it today and heard testimony by those doing Black, Indigenous, AsiaAmerica, and Hispanic/Latino Ministries. 

We heard stories of Karen communities* that are growing in churches that were on the brink of closing, vibrant Latino congregations across the church, but the most telling for me was from Brad Hauff, Missioner for Indigenous Ministries. As he shared work that his going on in these communities, he said “those living on the land now known as the United States.” What powerful words on this July 4th to repent the atrocities that we have and continue to commit on non-white communities.

The resolution asks for $100,000 over 3 years. That is $33,000 per year for gatherings, trainings, and collaboration between 4 very different ministries that work very well together. This is a unacceptable amount of money for communities that are growing in the United States. These ministries have long been served by The Episcopal Church but they are not the other. These ministries ARE The Episcopal Church. If The Episcopal Church is going to survive, we have to come to terms with how the United States (knowing that The Episcopal Church is larger than one country but still dominated by it) has changed demographically. These ministries represent our future.

* In The Episcopal Church, there are 18 Karen communities served by one priest. They are refugees from the Karen State of Myanmar in Southeast Asia. One example was made famous in the movie "All Saints" that was released this year about All Saints Episcopal Church in Smyrna, Tennessee.

'Buckle up'

Deputy Rick Lindsey at South Carolina's table in the House of Deputies prior to the opening of General Convention.

The Very Rev. Rick Lindsey, chairman of South Carolina's deputation, is our "Deputy of the Day" for July 3 and shares this dispatch from the 79th General Convention.

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I find myself sitting in a beautiful and cavernous empty hall that will be our legislative home for the House of Deputies beginning tomorrow for almost two weeks. The bishops of our Church will meet in a hall next to ours. 

I’m collecting my thoughts and imagining eight-hundred-plus Deputies and Alternates filling this space, with two hundred bishops meeting next door, representing the length and breadth of the Episcopal Church.

Another deputy quipped earlier today, “Buckle up,” and I understood what she was getting at. Today, on the eve of the 79th General Convention, my thoughts are about being part of a vibrant and sometimes messy church that collectively seeks to honor God in our all deliberations and actions. A lot of words, often impassioned, will transpire over the course of several days, but what will stand out will be the spirit of it all; Deputies, Alternates and Bishops as they undertake to live into the life and mission of our Church and the world.

This morning I pray for that peace that passes all understanding; a peace that will be tested with all the activity that comes with over a thousand people representing every diocese in The Episcopal Church, including several overseas dioceses. I pray for the gift of love and patience that I contribute to the greater good of a Church that I love and cherish. I pray that a spirit will prevail that reflects the transformative power of God to do infinitely more than we could have ever imagined, without whom we are nothing.

Indeed, I am “buckling up” for the “road” ahead, but I am prayerfully searching for those thin places where God speaks most profoundly.

Sincerely hope in Christ,
Rick Lindsey, Deputy

The Episcopal Church in South Carolina

General Convention arrivals

Post by Andrea McKellar, lay deputy and member of St. Francis Episcopal Church, Charleston

Austin is quickly filling with Episcopalians! I arrived yesterday on a flight with Wilmot Merchant and my mother who is attending as a legislative aide. We also had at least 4 bishops on our flight so we were feeling pretty safe. By the end of the day today, our whole deputation will have arrived and business will begin.

Here is the schedule for those who are interested:
9 am Registration opens

10 am - 7 pm Various meetings for training and committees
12 pm Exhibit Hall opens

Today is a light schedule compared to what is coming so many people are taking the day to explore Austin. I am serving as a secretary to a committee so I will spend most of the day training on how to do minutes and submit reports.

I am looking forward to learning some new things today and listening for where the Spirit is moving in The Episcopal Church. I went out for tacos with some of my friends from Forma(this was the conference that our diocese hosted in January) last night. I have submitted a resolution to support their work of formation (D030). This is something that is very important to me. I also am following the #metoo resolutions, Prayer Book Revision (especially around inclusive language), and how we are preparing for the future.