Last Things

Convention is winding down.  It is lunch hour on the last day, and we still have a large amount of legislative business to transact - but the major issues have been addressed.  This morning, the House of Deputies took up C056, a resolution to provide for collecting liturgical and theological resources for blessing same-sex unions.  The resolution does not authorize these blessings, but see my previous post - we are effectively on local-option, and a number of dioceses are already performing blessings despite 2006 Resolution B033, which called for restraint (incorrectly labeled by many as a "moratorium").  My read of C056 is that it does not actually lift the request for restraint, but just starts a project of collecting liturgical resources for possible use in the future, while respecting the wishes of dioceses and congregations who do not wish to perform blessings.  But many people will interpret it as a green light for blessings and a lifting of the moratorium.  

To be clear, the vote was taken this morning and the results have not yet been announced.  However, there is little doubt that C056 will pass the House of Deputies.  

I received an email from a parishioner this morning expressing a hope that General Convention is talking about something other than sex - a sentiment I heartily agree with.  Actually, if you were here, you would see that most of our time is taken up with other matters.  Debates on issues of sexuality have been limited in number and in time.  Frankly, I think an extremely important and far-reaching issue discussed here has been the budget.  It did one good thing, which was to restore 0.7% of the budget as a contribution to end world poverty through the Millennium Development Goals.  But otherwise, I am disturbed by the budget, which I believe made cuts in the wrong areas and preserved the wrong priorities.  Here is an excerpt from an email I sent this morning to the House of Bishops and Deputies list-serve:

This budget gives little hope for future growth.  We have eliminated evangelism, funded the terrific Latino/Hispanic initiative (the one we were all so excited about) at less than 10%, and closed down the one office (Mission Funding) that had an excellent chance of raising funds for new initiatives outside of the budget.  The Mission Funding office is now devoted to only one thing - archives.  We have effectively declared that the glories of the past are worth preserving, but that there is no hope or vision for the future.  

I am concerned about the direction our church is heading, not because of issues of sexuality, but because we are not concentrating on the essential missions of evangelism and church growth.  In the face of hard economic times, we have decided to cut the very initiatives that could bring new hope and new vision.  I give thanks that I serve in a local congregation that is still passionate about reaching new people for Christ.  

A Difficult Day

Today was a hard day at Convention, as the realities of tough economic times set in.  At 2:30 this afternoon, the bishops joined the House of Deputies for a special joint session on the budget.  It was exciting as the bishops arrived in their purple shirts, and we all stood and clapped and watched them march in - after we invited them, of course, since even a bishop can't walk onto the floor of the House of Deputies without an invitation!  But then they sat down with their deputations, and the mood suddenly turned very grim as we got down to business - the budget presentation.  

We knew already that the Program, Budget and Finance committee was going to have to work very hard to cut $23 million out of the budget over the next three years.  It turns out that they are doing this by cutting a lot of dead weight out of the budget, such as meeting and travel expenses, which is a good thing.  But they are also eliminating 30 jobs at the Church Center (out of 180 people who worked there).  It was a sad day as the news sank in of good people who will be out of work.  As the budget was passed out, Nick Knisely+, my fellow deputy from Arizona, whispered to me that in prior years, it had always been passed out to lively Beatles  or Rolling Stones tunes (I Ain't Got No Money, You Can't Always Get What You Want, etc.).  This time it was passed out to the solemn tones of the hymn "God of Grace and God of Glory," played at a dirge-like pace, which includes the memorable line, "Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the facing of this hour."  I know many of us will be humming that tune as we work toward budget approval tomorrow.  

In other news today, the House of Bishops took up two resolutions on the subject of same-sex blessings.  They rejected the more radical one, which would have called for immediate authorization of blessings.  They passed a more moderate resolution, which does not authorize same-sex blessings, but calls for a project of collecting them in order to assess them for possible use in the future.  No doubt this will be reported in the press as a far more radical decision than it was.  No decision has actually been made on same-sex blessings; this was simply an agreement to collect liturgies that are already in use.  Whatever the official position of our church on same-sex blessings (they have not been officially authorized), the fact is that we are actually on a "local-option" system, for all practical purposes.  In some dioceses, same-sex blessings have been happening for years; in others, they won't be happening anytime in my lifetime.  It all depends on what the local bishop has allowed.  Some bishops have not seen any particular reason to wait for the national church to make a pronouncement, but have gone ahead with blessings.  The resolution the bishops passed today calls for these liturgies to be collected and assessed for possible future official use.  The resolution will probably come to the House of Deputies tomorrow.  

In other news, we have approved a denominational health plan to assure that any church employee who works more than 3/4 time has access to health insurance (though they can opt out if covered by another plan, such as a spouse's plan).  We have also approved a lay employee pension plan that will take effect by 2012.  These will be expensive to local churches, but they were important for justice to our employees.  

At our noon Eucharist today, we concentrated on the earth and the environment.  Bishop Steven Charleston, a Native American, preached a breathtaking sermon on saving the earth.  What an inspiration!  Tonight the Diocese of Los Angeles put on an event for us called "Genesis: From Breath to Wonder."  It featured prayer, video, art, dance and music, all woven together in a beautiful tapestry of sensory and spiritual wonder.  It was a beautiful ending to a difficult day.  

More Convention News

Today the House of Bishops took up Resolution D025, the resolution passed by the House of Deputies yesterday that reaffirmed our commitment to the Anglican Communion, and at the same time reasserted that all candidates for ordination - regardless of sexual orientation - would be tested by our Constitution and Canons rather than by the views of Anglicans overseas.  Amazingly, the House of Bishops concurred with our resolution, with some minor amendments.  The amendments mean that the resolution will have to come back to the Deputies, but I assume that we will be able to pass their amended version.  

The resolution is a moderate compromise between those who want a complete overturn of B033 (see my post from yesterday), and those who want to take a strict conservative stance.  The truly surprising part is how overwhelmingly this resolution passed both Houses - 99-45 in the Bishops, and about 75%-to-25% in both orders in the Deputies (I would explain the voting process in more detail, but it is quite arcane and it's more than you want to know).  Various proposals regarding same-sex blessings are in the works, but my understanding is that those have to go to the Bishops first before the Deputies see them, so I have doubts that anything substantive will come to us on this subject - but I could be surprised.  

The other big event of today was the approval of a new bishop for the Diocese of Ecuador Central.  Various members of that diocese had challenged his election on procedural grounds.  On the assurance of our committee on Consecration of Bishops that the election was conducted properly, we voted to confirm him, but it was a difficult decision, knowing what a conflicted and unhappy situation he will find himself in.  I pray for his ministry and that of his diocese.  

We have been working on other weighty matters such as a complete revision of the disciplinary canons for clergy, and a number of evangelism proposals that I helped draft in my legislative committee, which all passed the House of Deputies easily.  

I admit that I am fascinated by this legislative process.  The Episcopal Church's governing structure was formed at the same time as the US Constitution, and by many of the same people.  So it follows many of the same procedures - a two-house legislature, procedural rules, legislative committees, Robert's Rules of Order, etc.  It is very interesting to watch it unfold, with a process that is familiar to those of us who read national news - and yet it has a purity to it that I suspect our national government has lost.  People are earnestly, prayerfully, carefully trying to do the right thing.  It can be excruciatingly dull, when we sit through endless amendments and questions of order - but it also can bring tears of joy and inspiration to your eyes, when something truly momentous happens.  Everyone is civilized, courteous and kind.  And, I bet that in the US House of Representatives, instances of someone standing up to a microphone and proposing that we all stand and sing "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" are quite a bit rarer.  All in all, it makes me proud of our church.  

Sabbath Time?

The Sunday of General Convention brings a grand Eucharist.  Several thousand people crowd into a vast, cavernous convention center, transformed into a worship space by a large altar on the stage, surrounded by enormous sconces with candles.  Behind the altar are three large screens on which are projected "stained glass windows" that, on further inspection, turn out to be collages composed of the many faces of people in the Episcopal church.  A large choir, partly composed of singers from local churches, and partly of volunteer convention-goers, sings gospel, Latino, and Anglican classics.  (Today they were led by soloist Elisabeth von Trapp, daughter of the famous Maria and the Captain.)  Korean drummers, banner carriers and liturgical dancers completed the pageantry.  

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori presided, flanked by her predecessors Frank Griswold and Edmond Browning.  I have to tell you it was an unexpected thrill, bringing tears to my eyes, when ++Katharine walked in at the back of the procession - the first female Presiding Bishop in the Anglican Communion.  The crowd apparently agreed - as she exited at the end of the service, spontaneous applause followed her down the aisle as the crowd poured out its goodwill towards her.

Legislatively, it was an important day.  One of the resolutions that I worked very hard on in my legislative committee (the committee on Evangelism) finally came to the floor.  This was the Strategic Vision for Reaching Latinos/Hispanics, which can be found here:  

http://gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/view_leg_detail.aspx?id=953&type=Current

With many others, I lined up at the microphone to speak in its favor, despite the $3.5 million price tag.  Sadly, the speaker before me "called the question," meaning that debate ended right before my big moment to address the House of Deputies.  But, somehow the House was convinced even without my ringing words, and the House voted overwhelmingly in favor of the resolution.  I think this is a tremendous vision that can help transform the face of our church, and I am thrilled.

But this was not the major legislative drama of the day.  That honor was saved for Resolution D025, which addresses the current controversies in the Anglican Communion over same-sex blessings and the ordination of a gay bishop.  There is a great deal of frustration in the church over B033, the Resolution which was passed in the closing moments of the 2006 General Convention, which called upon standing committees and bishops to "exercise restraint" by not consenting to the consecration of any bishop whose "manner of life presents a challenge to the wider communion" (i.e., a bishop living in a same-sex relationship).  That resolution passed in 2006 as a last-ditch effort, only upon the personal plea of the newly elected Presiding Bishop, ++Katharine, who requested it so she could have time to work with the Anglican Communion.  

There has been a great deal of frustration over that resolution in the 3 years since its passage.  It does not seem to have accomplished a great deal.  African and other bishops have continued to encroach on American churches, intruding into US dioceses despite the Lambeth Report's request that they not do so.  Four conservative dioceses have voted to leave The Episcopal Church, taking most of their clergy and people with them and leaving those Episcopalians remaining behind in a morass of hurt and litigation.  No one appears to be listening to the experience of homosexual persons despite the Anglican Communion's promise to engage in a "listening process."  Many Episcopalians are quite frustrated that our church's gracious and sacrificial  gesture has been scorned in this way.  Coming into this Convention, numerous resolutions were proposed that would overturn or soften it (including one that purported to sever all ties with the Anglican Communion).

The legislative committee on World Mission eventually opted for a quite moderate and conciliatory version of all the resolutions proposed.  That Resolution, D025, can be found here:

http://gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/view_leg_detail.aspx?id=986&type=Current

The resolution affirms the abiding commitment of the Episcopal Church to the Anglican Communion and pledges to continue to participate fully in its life.  It also recognizes the fact that people living in committed same-sex relationships serve in all orders of ministry in our church.  And it states that "God has called and may call such individuals to any ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church, which call is tested through our discernment processes acting in accordance with the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church."

In other words, it simply recognizes the facts that are on the ground.  It does not repeal B033, but it does not reaffirm it either.  It affirms The Episcopal Church's polity and its own prescribed methods of choosing its leaders.  

This resolution passed the House of Deputies after some fascinating parliamentary maneuvering.  It was a "vote by orders," meaning a complicated process that effectively requires a super-majority to carry a motion (and a super-majority was received, including unanimous support from the Arizona deputation).  A few conservatives tried various methods to stall the legislation or otherwise deprive it of its effect.  But interestingly, as my fellow deputy from Arizona, Nick Knisely+, pointed out, the "big" conservative voices were very quiet through this debate, leaving the fight to some of the extremists.  Speakers in favor of the resolution far outnumbered those opposed.  Nick believes that the conservative leaders in the House of Deputies actually find this resolution reasonable and believe it is the best of the possible alternatives that could have been brought before them.  The resolution will now go to the House of Bishops.  Whether they will concur is open to question - some have predicted that the bishops will vote to reaffirm B033 instead.  

I am proud of the careful and fair-minded way the House considered this very difficult issue.  Every voice was heard.  A fair and moderate result was reached.  The decision was taken with prayer and concern for God's will.  We'll see what the bishops do with it.

Two More Busy Days

I missed writing the blog last night, because I was going at a dead run from 7:30 a.m to 10:00 at night.  Today was pretty much the same.  Looking back on the last two days, here have been some of the memorable moments:

• Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams' sermon at the daily Eucharist yesterday.  He began by saying that he has found that as ABC, every statement he makes is carefully scrutinized for hidden codes and agendas.  He said he doesn't like to speak in codes, so he would say two things as clearly as he could.  First, he thanked The Episcopal Church for working so hard to stay in relationship with the Anglican Communion, even at a great deal of cost to ourselves.  He said the current controversy would not be nearly so difficult if we were not all aware how deeply we all hold each other in affection.  And second, he expressed his hope that we would not take hasty action to further strain the bonds of affection.
• I testified before the Stewardship and Development committee about my resolution for strategic planning for church planting.  Later I heard that they had folded my resolution in with several others to create one omnibus strategic planning resolution, but that they had worked hard to preserve my original intent.  I haven't seen what they came up with yet.  We'll see!
• The Evangelism Committee, on which I serve, worked hard to perfect the resolution on new strategic initiatives, church planting and congregational development for Latino/Hispanic ministries, which I had re-drafted.  We have passed it on to the floor of the House, and it should come up for a vote tomorrow.  We are asking for $3.5 million over the next three years to fund this initiative, in a time of severe financial belt-tightening anxiety in the church.  Nevertheless, I believe that we have to do these strategic moves to develop and grow our church in the future, and reach new people for Christ.  This initiative is at the core of our church's mission.  I may even get up and speak on the floor tomorrow in support of this resolution.  FYI, everyone I have spoken to says that no matter how experienced a public speaker you are, speaking on the floor of the House of Deputies (in front of roughly 1,000 listeners, with your image magnified on two large screens in the front of the room and your voice booming out on the PA system), is a mighty intimidating experience.  Wish me luck!
• The House of Deputies had a 1-hour session this morning to have open conversation (not debate) on Resolution B033, which was passed in the closing minutes of the 2006 GC, and promised that The Episcopal Church would "exercise restraint" by not approving any bishops whose "manner of life present a challenge to the wider Communion" - code for no more gay bishops.  That resolution caused a great deal of pain for many people, as today's conversation made clear.  Speakers ran about 2-to-1 in favor of revoking B033 and fully including lesbians and gays in the life of the church.  We will see what proposals actually come to the floor - nothing specific has made it out of committee yet.  
• The Rev. Canon Chuck Robertson had dinner with the Arizona deputation tonight.  Chuck was formerly the Canon to the Ordinary in Arizona, and was instrumental in hiring me and supporting our church in its initial start-up phase.  Now he is Canon to the Presiding Bishop, ++Katharine Jefferts Schori.  He is in charge of external relations, basically relations with the Anglican Communion.  He is coordinating the visit of a number of foreign bishops to this General Convention (tonight there was a gathering of primates only, and more than half of the Anglican Communion primates were in attendance).  He says this visit has been a fabulous one for them.  Suddenly they are beginning to understand, and to be impressed by, how our church is governed and why we do some of the things we do.   And he says it was a watershed moment for Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams last night when first ++Katharine and then he himself were greeted by standing ovations and sustained applause.  ++Rowan had never seen ++Katharine surrounded by the love and affection of her own people, and that was a revelation for him.  And ++Rowan was amazed and delighted by the warmth of our welcome to him.  I believe that this General Convention could well be a turning point in understanding between The Episcopal Church and many overseas provinces.

I wish you could all be here to experience the amazement of this convention.  There are 8,000 to 10,000 Episcopalians here, and it is one massive gigantic celebration of the church.  Lively, vibrant worship, dedicated people working hard to empower ministries of all sorts, old friends re-connecting, exhibitors of all stripes, lunches, dinners, speakers, events - this is truly a spectacle to see and enjoy.  I am really excited about the fact that I am making a difference in a few places in the church, in the kind of ministries I am passionate about - church planting, strategic planning, congregational development, and reaching out to new people for Christ.  

Another Crazy Day

A good day at General Convention!  One of my resolutions, as modified by the committee, passed!  I got to hear ++Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, speak about the global economic crisis.  And I worked long and hard on an exciting new initiative for Latino/Hispanic church planting.  

The day began at 8 with a legislative session, mostly just preliminaries like electing a secretary and treasurer.  We had a terrific opening Eucharist, with ++Katharine Jefferts Schori presiding and preaching about evangelism - wonderful!  The music was spirited and lively too.  We then moved into legislative committee hearings.  

As part of the Evangelism committee, I got to participate in hearings on a new strategic plan for Latino-Hispanic church planting, and then worked in a subcommittee that drafted a resolution for this initiative.  If this resolution passes, it will be expensive - $3.5 million over 3 years -- but it has huge potential for impact.  The national church officer for Latino/Hispanic ministries, Anthony Guillen, did a terrific job on pulling together a strategic plan.  I am excited about his work, and hope it will be a model for a general church planting strategic plan.

The afternoon's legislative session brought one of my resolutions to the floor:  the proposal to adopt the 5 Anglican Marks of Mission as strategic priorities for the church.  Actually, it was Bonnie Anderson's (the president of the House of Deputies) very similar resolution that passed, but they amended it to add one of the important provisions from my resolution - the provision that names the 5 Marks of Missions as our top 5 strategic priorities, used in creation of the budget, beginning in 2013.  I feel pretty amazed that I could write a resolution that is actually going to make a huge difference to the church for years to come!  I could get hooked on this sort of thing!  

This evening, Archbishop Rowan Williams addressed the assembly.  They carefully prevented him from talking about sexuality or relations with the Anglican Communion, which was disappointing.  But he gave a nice talk on the global economic crisis.  See news story here:  http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_112163_ENG_HTM.htm  He was very warmly welcomed - given an enthusiastic standing ovation, as was our own Presiding Bishop, ++Katharine Jefferts Schori (to her obvious embarrassment; she kept waving for us all to sit down and stop clapping).  

Tomorrow my day starts at 7:30 a.m. with testimony at a hearing about my other resolution, the one to create a strategic plan for church planting.  Wish me luck!

Tuesday at General Convention

OK, the amazing thing is - General Convention doesn't even begin till tomorrow.  You wouldn't know it by me, though - I started at 8 this morning and finished at 9 tonight.  Here is what happens the day before General Convention begins:

• 8 am to noon - First Meeting of the Evangelism legislative committee, of which I am a member
• Noon - Grab quick sandwich
• 12:30 to 1:30 - Budget Priorities Hearing - at which I testified in support of my resolution on the Five Anglican Marks of Mission as strategic priorities for the church
• 2:00 to 3:45 - Joint Session of House of Deputies and House of Bishops; long speeches from Presiding Bishop and President of the House of Deputies; introduction to "Public Narrative" (a storytelling method that is supposed to lead us into mission conversations)
• 4:00 to 5:15 - Orientation to the House of Deputies (included detailed instructions on how to push the "yes" and "no" buttons to vote, and a rather amusing reenactment of a pretend resolution that would have required each diocesan delegation to adopt a "mascot")
• 5:00 to 7:00 - reception for Network of Ministry Innovators, a group of church planters and redevelopers of which I am member; good chance to catch up with some friends
• 7:00 - attended World Mission committee hearing and testified in support of my resolution on the 5 Anglican Marks of Mission
• 7:30 - joined my own Evangelism Committee's hearing on several resolutions, in progress
• 9:00 - back in my room, eating a pasta salad I bought at 7-11 on the way back from the Network reception; with homework to do for tomorrow - read a 26-page Strategic Plan for Latino/Hispanic ministry, to be prepared for tomorrow's committee hearing

I am not sure what will happen with my 5 Marks of Mission resolution.  The President of the House of Deputies, Bonnie Anderson, has also proposed a Marks of Mission resolution, but hers just says that we will "adopt" the Marks of Mission without requiring us to do anything about them.  Mine requires that they become budget priorities.  Mine also has a crucial paragraph that recognizes that all Christian ministry flows out of the fact that Christ has transformed our hearts and minds, and therefore reaching new believers needs to be at the heart of our church's mission.

However, I am skeptical of my resolution's chances.  It's a long shot - but maybe the committee will decide to combine the two resolutions - which is fine with me.  

At any rate, this is a fascinating process.  And an exhausting one.  And a delightful one - I have seen many old friends, and made many new ones.  This is a group of dedicated, thoughtful, intelligent, interesting people, and it is a privilege to work alongside them.

Top Ten Issues for General Convention 2009

Is it all about sex?  That seems like all the news that has come out of the last 3 or more General Conventions.  But guess what:  there are a lot more issues on the table at GC '09.  From what I can tell, we're going to start with a major sex discussion.  But let's hope we get to some of these other issues.  Top Ten issues for this year as I see them - not in any order:

1. Budget and Money Issues - it seems there is a recession on.  And not only that, it seems that a few parishes and dioceses have been withdrawing from the Episcopal Church, or deciding to withhold their contributions.  Latest estimate is, a $9 million shortfall in budget revenues over the next three years.  How will we finance our church?
2. Denominational Health Plan - the Church Pension Fund has proposed universal health insurance for all clergy and lay employees working more than 3/4-time.  It's a complicated issue, and the proposed Denominational Health Plan has been controversial in some quarters.  I support it in principle, but am a bit concerned over the effect on small parishes that would suddenly have to come up with lots more employment money in a time of recession.
3. Title IV Disciplinary Revisions - a new disciplinary code is being proposed that would extend a disciplinary process to clergy and lay employees.  
4. Evangelism and Church Growth - our church has been shrinking at an alarming rate over the past 7 years.  This is only partly due to the departure of some conservatives over the ordination of +Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire.  It also has to do with other factors such as an elderly church population and a lack of concentration on evangelism and church growth.  Will we take our minds off sex long enough to think about church mission?
5. Strategic Planning - one hope for the future in our church is a proposed Strategic Planning process which may help us concentrate on the key issues of evangelism, mission, funding, and structure for the future.  
6. Millennium Development Goals - these goals to alleviate world poverty were set as a key church priority in 2006; Executive Council turned around and removed funding for the MDGs from the budget.  Will this funding be restored?  There is a lot of passionate interest in doing this; but see point 1 above.
7. Youth and Young Adults - we need to find new and better ways of reaching out to the young with the good news of Jesus Christ.  Let's see if some new hope arises.
8. Mission Funding - there is a new initiative to cultivate major gifts for church planting and evangelism and leadership ministries.  Will this initiative be funded?
9. Same-sex blessings - oh yes, sex will be an issue.  Once again, there are many proposals on the table to create liturgical rites for same-sex blessings.  Practically speaking, right now we are operating under "local option" - each bishop decides what she or he will permit in his/her diocese.  Will this policy be made explicit?  Will some version of same-sex blessings become official?  Latest predictions are that the House of Deputies will move in a more progressive direction, but the House of Bishops will hold the line in hopes of buying more time with the Anglican Communion.  
10. Relationships with the Anglican Communion - another sex issue, in a sense.  Some overseas provinces are not pleased with us, to say the least.  Will we take decisive action to enhance or detract from these overseas relationships?  What will our future relationship be with US dioceses that have left The Episcopal Church to align with overseas Anglican provinces?

Stay tuned - it should be an interesting two weeks.