ANTICIPATED HIGH PROFILE ISSUES

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(from the Diocese of Western MA)

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(from the Diocese of MA Newsletter)

• the how and when of prayer book revision and the revisiting of new marriage rites for use by both same-sex and opposite-sex couples--approved for trial use in 2015--as well as equal access to those rites in all jurisdictions of the church where civil law allows for marriage equality.

• procedures and data gathering for episcopal elections, including diversity guidelines (90 percent of active diocesan bishops are white and only 6.5 percent are women, according to the Task Force on the Episcopacy's report);

• strategic development of new congregations, including budget requests of $6.8 million to fund a churchwide network for church planting over the next triennium and $725,000 for congregational redevelopment;

• a call for the design of a new parochial report;

• racial reconciliation, including strengthened antiracism training requirements  and a $1-million budget request for ongoing and additional efforts to respond to racial injustice;

• environmental stewardship, including proposals for "green" loans, a carbon tax and fossil fuel divestment; and  

• public policy advocacy to address environmental racism, human trafficking, immigration reform and transgender access, among other issues of national and international concern.

 

Learn and follow:  #GC79:  This is the 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church.  Use social media hashtag #GC79.

Multimedia and news:  The General Convention Media Hub will live-stream legislative sessions, daily worship and more at www.episcopalchurch.org/general-convention-2018-media-hub.

Sign up for Episcopal News Service's daily e-mail here.

Resolutions:  Browse the topics coming before the convention, and track specific resolutions as they make their way through the legislative process here.  

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OTHER RESOURCES

• General Convention Website

  • Overview Calendar​

  • Detailed Daily Schedule

  • An Introduction to The 79th General Convention of The Episcopal Church for Deputies and Bishops

  • The Virtual Binder

  • Service Booklets for General Convention Worship 

  • MEDIA HUB - with live feeds from General Convention

• Blue Book Reports   

  • Constitution, Canons, plus Rules of Order of House of Deputies, House of Bishops, and Joint Rules

  • Legislative Research via Archives
  • Filed Resolutions Under Consideration

  • How to Submit a Resolution

    • Resolution Writing Guidelines for format and submission requirements

    • Resolution Cover Sheet Form when submitting resolutions. 

    • For information on submitting memorials, please view the Memorial Guidelines document.

• General Convention Orientation videos  

  • PB&F 2018 Triennial Budget​

  • General Convention 2018 Deputies Orientation Booklet

• General Convention 2018 volunteers 

• General Convention of the Episcopal Church - Facebook Group

• RevisionMatters: Lived experience with prayer book liturgy in action 

• Crusty Old Dean 

• Reimagine the Episcopal Church with Marriage Equality 

• Episcopal Commons 

• Episcopal Café

• Useful Statistics about The Episcopal Church

• Excellent article by Scott Gunn on the work of the Task Force on the Study of Marriage and the two resolutions

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PROVINCIAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
PREPARING FOR GENERAL CONVENTION WEBINAR SERIES

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A Facebook page (named "Preparing for General Convention") has been set up for continued interaction between webinars. You can find it here.

We also have created an ONLINE  SURVEY to receive your FEEDBACK about the webinars and ideas for FUTURE Webinars.  Please let us know how we can support your ministry. 

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March 8, 2018  

• RECORDING   Reconciliation, Prison Reform, Gun Violence and more with James McKim, Walter Van Windsor, and Kelly Brown Douglas

• AUDIO: Spanish Interpretation Recording

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April 12, 2018  

• RECORDING: Evangelism, Leadership Formation in Small Churches, and Church Planting with Colin and Laurel Mathewson, Amiee Altizer, Tom O’Brien and Susan Snook

• Script Introducing Tonight's Presenters (Sorry for the audio issues)

• AUDIO: Spanish Interpretation Recording

Program Resources​

• VIDEO: New Ministry Development in the Episcopal church (6:16 min)

• DOCUMENT: Genesis in the Church

• HANDOUT: Susan Snook - Evangelism Initiatives

• HANDOUT: Colin Mathewson - St Luke's North Park

• POWERPOINT - Tom O'Brien - The Work of the Task Force on Clergy

• WEBSITES: Flourish and Unshackeled's Facebook 

• BOOK: Steve Cordle The Church in Many Houses

Related Resolutions

• A005 Continue a Church-wide Network for Planting Churches

• A029 Commend the Evangelism Charter for the Church to All Episcopalians

• A030 Small Evangelism Grants

• A031 Fund a full time Evangelism Staff Officer

• A032 Congregational Redevelopment

• A081 An Episcopal Theology of Evangelism

• A082 Training for [Digital] Evangelist

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May 10, 2018 

• RECORDING Structure, Provinces, Title IV, and Church Wide Leadership with Mariann Budde, Polly Getz, Thom Peters, Molly James, and Scott Haight

• AUDIO: Spanish Interpretation Recording

• TEXT: Spanish Close Captioning Transcript

Related Resolutions

• The resolutions from the Task Force on Provinces

• The resolutions from Structure, Governance, Constitution and Canons

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June 14, 2018  

• RECORDING:  Stewardship of Creation with Stephanie Johnson, Jerry Cappel, and Sarah Paulos

• AUDIO: Spanish Interpretation Recording

Blue's Clues: Advisory Council on the Stewardship of Creation

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IMPORTANT DATES

• Saturday, April 7, 2018 - Provincial Synod and General Convention Orientation at All Saints Episcopal Church,  10 Irving Street, Worcester MA.
  ORIENTATION VIDEOS can be found on the General Convention videos website - please watch in preparation before gathering

  • General Convention Executive Officer Michael Barlow's Introduction​ (4:05)

  • Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's Message (8:50)

  • President of the House of Deputies Gay Jenning's Message (13:29)

  • History of the General Convention (10:46)

  • General Convention Orientation (10:40)

  • Logistics (9:03)

  • Technology (7:29)

  • PB&F 2018 Draft Budget and Presentation Explaining the 2018 Triennial Budget 

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• Monday July 2 – Friday July 13, 2018  - Preparations and General Convention in Austin TX

• Monday, July 9, 2018    6:30 pm - Province I Caucus and Reception - HILTON AUSTIN|500 East 4th Street. Austin, Texas 78701 - Meeting Room 400/402

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LETTER: Provincial Caucuses at General Convention
Dear Bishops and Deputies,

In accordance with Canon 2: Of the Presiding Bishop Sec. 1(a)-(b) nominations for the membership of the Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop are held at General Convention. Here are links to information and forms to assist you at the caucuses (set for July 9th, 6:45 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.). 

• Suggestions for Provincial Caucuses at General Convention

• Bishops Form For Provincial Caucuses

• Deputies Form for Provincial Caucuses

More information (including locations of caucus meetings) will be announced during General Convention itself.  If you have any questions, please contact me at:  GCSecretary@episcopalchurch.org

Thank you!

 

Michael Barlowe

Executive Officer

The General Convention of The Episcopal Church

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