79th General Convention wrap-up

Southern Virginia's General Convention Deputation. Front L to R: Ronald Ramsey, Alice Webley, Samantha Vincent-Alexander, Jennifer Andrews-Weckerly, Mark Wilkinson, Isabel Burch. Rear L to R: Cameron Randle, Willis Foster, Julia Messer, Sam Webster, Clare Harbin, Bishop Hollerith, Toni Hogg.

 

The 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church is a wrap. GC79 met July 5-13 in Austin, TX. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's call in his opening sermon for Episcopalians to follow "The Way of Love" could be felt throughout this General Convention as bishops and deputies from every part of the worldwide Episcopal Church put in very long days in committee meetings and legislative sessions. Over 500 resolutions were considered by the convention, but the two big legislative issues were revising the Book of Common Prayer and same-sex marriage rites. General Convention voted against revising the 1979 prayer book, but instead to approve and authorize alternative, expansive-language liturgical materials. General Convention voted for making authorized same-sex marriage rites available for use in all congregations, ensuring all Episcopalians can be married by their priests in their home churches. Episcopal News Service offers a good legislative wrap-up here. You can also find much more on General Convention at the diocesan #GC79 blog.  

 

GC79 Resources for congregations and individuals 

 

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry invited Episcopalians to embrace a new "rule of life" - The Way of Love: Practices for Jesus-Centered Life.  

 

TEConversations (The Episcopal Church Conversations), held during joint sessions of the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops, are available, along with discussion guides. They are: Racial Reconciliation; Evangelism; and Care of Creation.