Larry Bingham — bidding farewell, with the church in good hands

I want to thank Mike Morrow, the chair of our deputation, for allowing me to write the final posting for this 77th General Convention. It will give me a chance not only to summarize this Convention but to take a nostalgic trip back over my 20 years of General Convention ministry.

I was first elected to serve as a deputy in 1992, and my first Convention was right here in Indianapolis in 1994. As all rookies do, I had to rely on some very helpful mentors in my early years. At the risk of overlooking many, I want to specifically mention David With, Sam Criss and Jim Upton. I have had the opportunity to pass on their wisdom to many other new deputies from Kansas.

Much has changed over these years, and from the vantage point of 2012 it is very clear that the changes of the past will be next to nothing compared with the reimagining that found new momentum in this Convention. I believe that The Episcopal Church of the very near future will be dramatically different from the church that I have known. The old form of church worked well for my generation, but it is clearly outdated for the future, and the young generations know it.

In my opinion our prior structure allowed us to navigate some very treacherous waters, especially those that were generated by issues of human sexuality. We had to suffer a lot of criticism for our inability to solve these issues and move on to what were thought to be more important matters. However, the issues would not go away – at least not until 2012.

From my perspective the 2000 Convention in Denver was the turning point for our church in Convention, not only with respect to issues of sexuality but with respect to collegiality in the House of Deputies. I give credit to Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold for redirecting the mood of the house that year. He preached at every Eucharist during that Convention, and his theme of collegiality was consistent. I know that change was difficult to see from the outside since that was a time of major schism in our church. However, I believe that was a necessary schism, and Bishop Griswold was a key pastor in helping us through it.

That is behind us now, and I have a very positive feeling about the future. The two legislative centerpieces in 2012 have been the final resolution of our one remaining major issue on sexuality and our strong sense of mission to restructure our church.

The primary reason for my optimism is the demonstrated quality of the young people who were so active in this year’s Convention. Ask any member of our deputation about this, and I am confident they will tell you the same thing. We had 16 deputies from the Official Youth Presence, and they were amazing. They only have a voice, not a vote, but they used their voices to the delight of the House of Deputies.

The Youth Presence was composed of high school students, but there were many young adults serving as regular deputies. In the Kansas deputation, we were fortunate to have Natalie Vanatta, a participant in the Episcopal Service Corps, and Steven King, a seminary student. And dare I say it, I would include Craig Loya, who is under 40, in this youth movement. He clearly demonstrated his leadership skills as an important member of the Committee on Structure. I hope that he will be a viable candidate for the new task force that will design the restructure of the church.

This young adult presence takes me back to that same 2000 Denver Convention when the Kansas deputation included Sarah Knoll (then age 18), Helen Svoboda and Kelly Demo. These three dynamic young women now are all ordained leaders in our church. These memories do, however, include their constant harassment of me on the floor of the house. They continually posted signs on the back of my chair and at my place at the deputation table referring to “grumpy old man.” (And that was 12 years ago!)

Finally, I want to mention the generosity of this year’s deputation. Mike Morrow graciously honored me by relinquishing the chair for the final day of the Convention and letting me occupy my familiar seat yesterday. The deputation gave me a beautiful icon of the Good Shepherd as a tribute to my career.

This really seems like an appropriate and comfortable time to step away from this ministry. The church and the deputation of Kansas are in good hands. At the risk of going “over the top” in my personal introspection, I want to share a biblical analogy offered to me by my good friend Sarah Knoll Sweeney. She mentioned to me the image of Moses, standing on the mountain looking over the Jordan into the Promised Land that he would not enter. That is exactly how I feel today.

My thanks to all of you for this opportunity to serve the diocese that I love.

The Rev. Craig Loya — the presence of the Holy Spirit has been felt in this work

It has been such a blessing and privilege to serve as a deputy from the Diocese of Kansas to this General Convention. Here in Indianapolis, I have had the great joy of serving on the Legislative Committee on the Structure of the Church. There has been a strong sense at this convention that the Episcopal Church is being called to reimagine itself, its systems and its structures, in order to more effectively and faithfully engage God’s mission in a rapidly changing world.

There were more than 90 resolutions calling for both smaller changes and large-scale reform to our governing and administrative structures. Our committee met each day at 7:30 a.m. and met as late as 9:30 at night in order to review, amend and debate the resolutions, in order to make recommendations for action to the House of Deputies. Melodie Woerman, diocesan director of communications, has been following the work of our committee for Episcopal News Service, so it has been nice to have a familiar face and valued colleague sitting in on our meetings each day.

On Tuesday, the House of Deputies unanimously approved a resolution that my committee synthesized from the many that were submitted calling for large-scale structural reform. The resolution calls for a task force to work on proposals for change to the next General Convention and to convene a church-wide gathering to discuss those proposals before that time. The House of Bishops concurred with the resolution the next day.

It was very exciting to be part of that process. Over the next three years, we very will likely be asking questions together such as how can we make it easier for dioceses to combine resources and even merge when appropriate, how can we get rid of expensive and inhibiting redundancies in our churchwide committee and commission configuration, what is the best size and length of the General Convention, how can we most faithfully and responsibly ask for support from dioceses, how can we most effectively use that support to enhance ministries at the local level, and many other questions about how we can create the kind of systems that best support the mission and work of local faith communities.

It will be the work of the task force to both raise the questions and lead us in discerning ways forward. We will continue to ask and discern these kinds of questions on the local level in Kansas as well. It will be an exciting and challenging time in our life together.

Of course, restructuring our church – streamlining and simplifying our complex and often costly layers of bureaucracy and administration – will not be a magical solution to all of the challenges facing us. However, reforming many of our structures has the potential to create space for the people of God to be led by the Spirit of God in finding new ways to proclaim the gospel of Christ to the world.

I am very grateful for the fellowship and shared council of the other deputies who are here. We have worked very well together as a team – and had quite a bit of fun along the way!

I have been keenly aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence with us at this convention. It has been a great experience, but whenever I travel around the church, I am even more grateful to come home and jump back into the good work we are doing together in Kansas.

We are doing exciting and important ministries together, and we have faithful people who work and pray hard each day to further God’s kingdom in this place. I look forward with great hope and excitement to the future into which God is leading our diocese and our church.

The Rev. Matt Zimmerman — unity comes in our journey together in Christ

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy. How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?

We make tools for these kinds of people.While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

These words are from an Apple commercial several years back, quoted in a sermon this week. The commercial showed a collage of faces of people who impacted society, such as Einstein, Bob Dylan, Mother Theresa, Jim Henson, Pablo Casals and others.

It is an especially good meditation for me as I come toward the end of this convention. Eight hundred plus delegates sit together in a room, day after day, and try to come to some sort of consensus. I have seen tears of joy and tears of sorrow, tempers flare and moments of joyful laughter and celebration.

We are very much a patch quilt denomination as opposed to a melting pot. We all come from so many different walks of life. This is shown when the celebrant invites all to pray the Lord’s Prayer in the words familiar to them. We don’t find our unity in doctrine or dogma. We find it more in a common mystical journey seeking to be one with God through Christ.

I find myself inspired and renewed by the fact that every motion or resolution we consider, no matter how obtuse or tedious, is about relationship. I remember that it all needs to be held in sacred trust. There are always faces behind the words.

It has been an honor to serve on this deputation. Our diocese is truly blessed with caring, capable (crazy) Christians who seek the Kingdom of God. We are surpassed only by our remarkable diocesan staff whose hours of labor have blessed this deputation.

I’ve just been called to the floor so must go. I commend the above meditation to you.

Mike Morrow — your Kansas deputies are working very hard

With General Convention shortened this year to eight days, we have had very packed schedules. This includes working on Saturday and Sunday. For example, on Monday, I began committee work at 7:30 in the morning, which went until 9 a.m. Following worship, we had a legislative session from 11:15 to 1 p.m. and from 2:15 to 6:30. I then had another committee meeting from 7:30 p.m. until shortly after 10 p.m. This is not unusual for many of us serving on committees. On days such as this, meals consist of something you can quickly grab from the hotel restaurant, Starbucks or one of the vendors in the convention hall.

 As chair of the deputation, I want to say that I am very proud of our entire deputation and the alternates who are here. Each one of them has done an outstanding job either serving on a committee or reporting on the work of a committee they are monitoring. It has been a privilege to work with each of them.

We are fortunate to have deputies serving on many key committees, including Larry Bingham on prayer book, liturgy and church music; Craig Loya on structure; Bob Skaggs on the Church Pension Fund; and Juli Sifers on small congregations. I am serving for the second time on the Canons Committee. The primary work on my committee has been to make some minor corrections to the Title IV disciplinary canons and to review all proposed canonical changes to make sure they do not conflict with other canons or the constitution of the church.

 Each day, our deputies caucus over the lunch hour. It has been invaluable in allowing each of us to keep up on the activities of the various committees and let us know what is about to be sent to the floor of the House of Deputies or the House of Bishops. Yesterday we invited the deputies and bishop from West Missouri to join us. Today we are caucusing with the deputies and bishop from Western Kansas. This has allowed us to strengthen our relationships with our neighboring dioceses, as well as allowing us to share information with each other regarding the progress of the various resolutions being considered at convention.

I also have enjoyed the opportunity to see so many people from across the Episcopal Church. I have developed close friendships with many on my committee. This morning, I had breakfast with Cathie Caimano, former rector at St. John’s, who is now in the Diocese of North Carolina. A few nights ago, I had dinner with Bill and Sue Wood. Bill is the former rector of St. John’s, and Sue is the secretary to the House of Bishops. Joining us for dinner was Earl Mahan, who is now at St. John’s. Bill and Earl truly enjoyed the opportunity to meet and visit with each other.

We already have voted on a number of resolutions, but the busy days lie ahead. The House of Bishops voted to approve a liturgy for same-sex blessings, and I anticipate it will be approved in the House of Deputies. A proposal from structure to form a committee to make recommendations on restructuring the church and making recommendations to be considered in 2015 will likely be approved as well. This issue has probably generated the most interest and energy at the convention.

The House of Deputies voted to sell the Church Center; it is now before the House of Bishops. Proposals to change the requirement for baptism in order to take communion, and to change the requirement of confirmation in order to hold lay positions in the church, may be modified in the committees, and it does not look like either one will pass at this convention.

The spirit of those at convention is remarkable. Despite strong differences on some issues, we realize that what we have in common far outweighs our differences. When we announce a vote in the House of Deputies, we have a rule not to applaud or in any way express our approval or disapproval regarding the outcome. By doing this, we show our respect for those on both sides of any issue that is before us.

The work and participation of our youth and young adults at this convention has been particularly impressive. They give me great hope for the future of our church.

Keep us in your prayers as we work in the next few days to conclude the important work of our church. I look forward to returning to Kansas and visiting with you about the actions of General Convention. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, or if you would like me to come and visit your parish to discuss the convention.

The Rev. Betty Glover — the Lord really is present at General Convention

It’s been a week since I arrived in Indianapolis for the 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church. And although it’s been a full week that I’ve been here, this is only the fifth “actual” day. What a whirlwind!

I have never been to a General Convention before, and I hardly knew what I was missing!  

I often hear, or even say myself, that we are such a small church – and being at Convention has proven it to me. I have seen old friends, renewed relationships, put faces to names, and it seems like the time has flown.

Each day has been a mix of committee meetings, caucusing, worshiping and voting. There really is a sweet rhythm to it. I’m reminded of seminary, where we worshiped together, ate together and went to classes together. Being in the convention hotel and meeting in the Convention Center brings with it a sort of forced community living that is reminiscent, for me, of life at seminary. 

Much of my time in this first week has been spent getting oriented to the ways of Convention, and I do think I’m finally getting it. I feel so privileged to be part of the decision-making for the wider church.

I also was privileged to be nominated to serve on the committee that will be choosing bishops to be considered as the next presiding bishop. My nomination will be taken to the floor of the House of Deputies – and I don’t know what will happen – but I am willing to serve in whatever way I can.

What is most apparent to me, as I wander and walk, talk and pray, is that the presence of the Lord is in this place. I felt it most clearly as I sat in our worship space (which is actually a ballroom in the hotel) and listened as Bishop Michael Curry preached and challenged us to go out and be the people Jesus wants us to be. He challenged us to be courageous – and faithful.

I wish all of you reading this could be here. It is just the best place to be in the life of the church today.

Blessings to you as you read this, and keep us who are here in Indianapolis for another few days in your prayers.

Natalie Vanatta — building relationships on the floor and in the elevator

I imagine that a lot of people came into this General Convention with expectations — expectations around what resolutions would be the biggest debate, what their role in the convention would be, who they planned to connect with, etc.

Since this is my first General Convention, my expectations were very minimal and in their place formed some serious anxiety around feeling unprepared for my role as a deputy. However, from the very first day that anxiety has been washed away and outweighed by my excitement and elation at the work being done at convention.

As some one who identifies as a “convention nerd,” I quickly became consumed with wanting to know every detail about the inner workings of convention. I have been consumed ever since I arrived with the feeling of wanting to dive in and really understand the systems and processes of convention. And so far, I think I have managed to do so in several ways.

Besides just being excited about structure and processes of the convention, I have been overwhelmed by how many amazing people I have met in my time here so far. I have worked on resolution proposal with the Convention’s Voting Secretary, the Rev. Winnie Varghese; found out while riding with her in an elevator that I am living in the rectory of Bishop Mary Glasspool’s old parish in Boston; and had a conversation about my impressions of General Convention from the prospective of a young person and a new deputy with the President of the House of Deputies, Bonnie Anderson.

To say building relationships is a major part of General Convention would be a serious understatement, and I am simply blessed to be a part of it.

Today was no exception. After a beautiful Eucharist this morning with more than 4,000 in attendance, the Diocese of Indianapolis hosted a great social event at the minor league baseball field right next to the convention center. There were games, informational booths and all the free ballpark food you could eat. It was a time to let loose, get to know other people here at convention and just have fun.

Tonight was also a chance to meet new people and build relationships throughout Province 7. After our provincial caucus to nominate members from Province 7 to the Joint Standing Committee to nominate the Presiding Bishop, we gathered as a province at a local watering hole to get to know one another better. The night was quite inspiring.

Like many moments during convention so far, I stood among this large group and just looked around. I was very moved to see so many impassioned people whose presence alone signifies their love of this church and their desire to do God’s work through it. I continue to feel humbled and honored to be amongst that group.

Though the days will continue to be long and the work only gets more difficult from here, I know that at the heart of the matter is this love of The Episcopal Church, and that is what fuels and feeds me here in Indianapolis.

Deacon Steve Segebrecht — called to be crazy Christians

This day began with for most of us with a Eucharist, and as we gathered, we listened to the amazing sound of a steel drum band from St. Augustine, Brooklyn, N.Y.

The sermon was delivered by Bishop Michael Curry from the Diocese of North Carolina, who encouraged us all to become “crazy Christians.” As he so eloquently and passionately stated, Jesus was considered to be “not of right mind” or “crazy” (depending on which translation of scripture one reads) by some because of his compassionate action for the disenfranchised. Such action ran counter to the culture of his day.

Jesus asks that we pray for blessings upon those who persecute us. Such action runs counter to our culture today as well. Bishop Curry asked us to be like Jesus, to be “crazy Christians” in the world so there will be an end to hunger, poverty, war and oppression.

The Eucharist was dedicated to the memory of Harriet Beecher Stowe, whose action ran counter to the culture of her day and whose writings stirred many to join the abolitionist movement that led to the end of slavery.

The service was followed by another long legislative session that was rendered confusing as we dealt with resolutions containing amendments to amendments to an amendment. The one item of note was passing a resolution to increase funding for Episcopal international missionaries over the next three years.

Another noteworthy piece of legislation was that the House of Deputies passed a recommended changed to the canons of the Episcopal Church that allows a newly elected presiding bishop the option of resigning from their current position as a diocesan bishop. Currently a newly elected presiding bishop must resign from his or her position as a diocesan bishop.

Bob Skaggs — Marks of Mission give framework to Convention’s work

I’m in my third day of General Convention action. I am a lot busier at this convention than I was in 2009 since I now have a committee assignment. I am working on the Church Pension Group Committee, and our discussions are focused on implementation of the Lay Pension Plan and the Denominational Health Plan. Both plans were passed at the 2009 convention as canonical requirements, and many unintended consequences have occurred in implementing these plans.

We have a wide variety of resolutions to deal with these perceived problems, and it is the committee’s responsibility to come up with the right resolution for the greater church. Fortunately, we have a large number of people at the convention who are passionate about “their” resolution, and are quite happy to share their views with the committee about why “their” resolution is the ideal solution to the problem.

Unfortunately, there are usually an equal number of people who are just as passionate about why the resolution in question is wrong, will worsen the problem or cause a whole new problem. Is this how Solomon felt?

Actually, I feel that the whole convention is trying to perform a delicate balancing act between compassionate justice and reality. The reality is a shrinking, aging denomination with very limited resources.

The very structure of our church is in question. What resources should be applied to what mission? What structure (committees, boards, buildings, people, etc.) do we need to pursue our mission? What is our mission? Fortunately, we adopted a resolution in 2009 that identified the marks of mission, those things that mark our conduct to ensure that we are on the right path.

All of our actions need to be contained in one, or more, of these marks:

• To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
• To teach, baptize and nurture new believers
• To respond to human need by loving service
• To seek to transform unjust structures of society
• To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth

Since all good Episcopalians know that it doesn’t really count unless you make your commitment in the form of a financial obligation, the additional requirement was added to the marks:  

“That the 76th General Convention recommend the ‘Five Marks of Mission’ as the five top strategic priorities for The Episcopal Church, and request Program, Budget and Finance and the Executive Council to center the budget for the 2013-2015 triennium around these strategic priorities.”

If we, the 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, are able to place all of our resolutions and subsequent action into one of the Five Marks of Mission, I think our balancing act may get a lot easier. We may have to do things differently than we are used to, but is that a bad thing?

The Rev. Juli Sifers — worship inspired our day

This is Day Two of the 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church. Committee meetings and legislative session began for most deputies at 7:30 or 8 a.m. The opening Eucharist, joined by more than a thousand in attendance, provided the inspiring energy calling us forward. A phrase from the collect of the day, “do justice and love kindness,” set the tone for the Eucharist.

The bishops and deputies of the Episcopal Church were joined in worship by guests from many faith traditions. The following is an excerpt from the worship book.

Worship is at the heart of who we are as The Episcopal Church, whenever we come together as a community, we lift our hearts to the Lord, offering the content of our lives to the living God. As the Episcopal Church comes together in the 77th General Convention, we celebrate who we are, who we have been, and where the Spirit is bidding us to go. The new liturgical resource, “Holy Women, Holy Men,” is the inspiration for the General Convention liturgies and visuals. These famous (and-not-so-famous) women and men lend their voices even as we gather to discern how the Spirit is calling us to live in this day and age, “Holy Women, Holy Men” reminds us that with God’s grace, the voices of the past can and will shape the present in positive and powerful ways.

The backdrop is also a reminder that we are a people who celebrate and honor our past. The familiar icon speaks to the value of tradition. But the incarnational content of the image reminds us that Christ is active in the world today. The various perspectives represented in these liturgies are a living example that “God, whose power works in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:21)

Today, in concert with our brothers and sisters from across the globe, we will come alongside each other at God’s altar. With saints, with angels, and with the hosts of heaven, we lift our voices and proclaim, “Glory to God from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus forever and ever.” (Ephesians 3:21)

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori was the celebrant and preacher for the Eucharist. Her opening words invited us to “Breathe in the Holy Spirit; tune up this body in order to respond to the Spirit blowing over the deep; and called us to embrace the wind.”

Legislative sessions and committee meetings continued through the day until 6:30 pm. There were legislative hearings this evening on resolutions of structure, mission, evangelism and world mission. I ask for your continued prayers for the bishops and deputies of the convention.

Bishop Wolfe — a trip to the House of Deputies is part of another busy day

This will be a short entry as I get prepared to celebrate tomorrow’s Convention Eucharist. I am very excited about being the celebrant, and I count being asked to celebrate as one of the great honors in my life as an ordained person.

Today there was an early morning start in the House of Bishops. The Presiding Bishop got everything started at 8 a.m. We begin with a roll call vote, which is always very meaningful because all the names of living bishops are read in the order of their consecration. Listening to the roll, you are reminded of the great cloud of witnesses who goes before you.

Bishop Dean Wolfe brings greeetings to deputies from the House of Bishops, shown on the big screen in the large deputies’ hall.

I was surprised when the Presiding Bishop announced that the Vice President of the House and the President of the Presiding Bishop’s Council of Advice (Bishop Dan Daniels) would go to the House of Deputies to announce that we were duly organized and ready for business. It is a nice piece of protocol, and it illustrates how the two bodies work separately and together.

But I wasn’t expected to address the entire House of Deputies and very nearly introduced Bishop Daniels as the Presiding Bishop! (I think that would have made the papers.) Bishop Daniels is a wonderful friend and is an example of the kinds of relationships you make with your colleagues over the years. I have so much respect for the way he goes about his ministry.

Fortunately, he knew a few of the things I needed to say and we got them said and then skedaddled back to the House of Bishops that by that time was in recess for our opening Convention worship service. Presiding Bishop Katharine celebrated and preached beautifully, and I was impressed by how wonderfully planned the music and liturgy were. It is also quite amazing to hear our Presiding Bishop move effortlessly from Spanish to English and then to Spanish again in the liturgy.

After the worship I was briefed on being the celebrant by a gifted verger, Margaret McCardell from Jacksonville, Miss. When I told her my son was going to Sewanee in Tennessee, Margaret told me she was on the board at Sewanee. Small world! She made me feel so much more comfortable than I thought I would be in preparing to lead worship for so many people.

Ellen and I had lunch with our friends Mark Sisk, the Bishop of New York, and his wife Karen. Mark is planning to “resign” his ministry in February 2013, and he and Karen are thinking about the fun things they will do in their active retirement. I will miss Mark and Karen very much when they are no longer attending House of Bishops meetings. I’ve always respected Mark’s judgment as a bishop and his leadership in the House of Bishops.

After lunch, I attended a series of meetings, and prepared for the 4:30 p.m. legislative session. After the legislative session (the answer is “yes” to the question asked yesterday: the Vice President of the House of Bishops does sit on the dais and to the left of the Presiding Bishop and the Parliamentarian) I spoke briefly at the international visitors reception sponsored by the Church Pension Group to welcome our visitors and to thank CPG and the Church Center who sponsored the event.

I had a wonderful time speaking to the new director of C.P.G., Mary Kate Wold who is originally from South Dakota and was trained as a Wall Street attorney and now oversees the vast resources of the Church Pension funds.

I also enjoyed my conversations with the Archbishop of Scotland (known as “The Primus” of Scotland) David Chillingworth who is, interestingly, from Ireland. He noted that the Archbishop of Ireland is from England and the Archbishop of Wales, Barry Morgan, is the only Archbishop in the U.K. who serves where he grew up! (Of course, the current Archbishop of Canterbury is from Wales and the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, was born in Kampala, Uganda.)

I finished out the night with a quiet dinner in the hotel at a table next to Melodie Woerman from our own diocesan staff. Melodie is working with the Episcopal News Service in covering General Convention.  As we headed up to our room we ran into Deacon Steve Segebrecht, who is one of our deputies, along with Fr. Earl Mahan and his son Trevor, who had just completed a 12-hour drive to be in Indianapolis.

See you tomorrow.