General Convention 2009

It has been said that the Episcopal Church’s General Convention includes “the largest church coffee hour” in the world. On Sunday, July 12th, we celebrated the Eucharist with about 6,500 others – from around the Los Angeles area and from around the world – at the Anaheim Convention Center. Then a large part of that crowd moved next door to the Exhibit Hall and joined in the “coffee hour”.

People from around the world – laity, bishops, priests and deacons – as well as exhibitors, members of the national and international media and others have joined in the 76th General Convention of our Church.

The “news focus” has been the debates and legislation passed (or not passed) and that is quite important but an often missed happening of this time together is the friendships, the sharing, the learning, the mission work started, continued or completed that occurs.

We had a brief time with Rowan, the Archbishop of Canterbury. He addressed an evening forum on the environmental challenge and led a Bible meditation during the next morning’s Eucharist. He also met with various groups from around our Church for sharing and conversation.

We have hosted members of overseas Anglican churches, ecumenical and interreligious guests. We have been joined by God’s children of every age, race and gender. It is an impressive experience.

As you walk around the Convention Center and the main convention hotels, you regularly stop or see folks stopped for greetings and conversation (and sometimes more “animated” discussion). When God’s people from around the world gather, interesting things happen.

Earlier Reflections from Carlyle:

This has been quite a week as I have joined a large group from Southern Virginia participating in / representing you in the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, the Triennial Meeting of the Episcopal Church Women and the Triennial Meeting of the Church Periodical Club. All of these groups met / are meeting in Anaheim, California.

I have had a big change in my role this year since I have attended parts of the past 4 General Conventions (1997, 2000, 2003 and 2006) as a member of the Media Team covering the activities “from the sidelines”.

This year, I am one of the four Lay Deputies you elected at the Annual Council in January 2008. I am joined by four Deputies and alternates in each order to provide the membership from Southern Virginia in the House of Deputies, the SENIOR house of the Church’s General Convention. Besides myself, other “first timers” as Deputies are Athena Hahn in the Lay order and Michael Delk and John Agbaje in the Clergy order. We also have new several alternates as well -- Julian Hudson, Tim Sessions and Susan Jones in the Lay order and Samantha Vincent Alexander and Gary Butterworth in the Clergy order. We have several “more experienced” folks to help guide us along in the House of Deputies. They include David Teschner and John Baldwin as Clergy deputies and Toni Hogg and William (Mac) Todd as Lay deputies. Connie Jones in the Clerical order and Olivia Osei-Sarfo in the Lay order are “returning”, having represented Southern Virginia in the past.

We are also blessed to have Bishop Holly Hollerith with us in the JUNIOR House of Bishops. The bishop is also attending his first General Convention.

Members of the Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese have also been with us participating in their Triennial Meeting which is always held in conjunction with the General Convention.