​Looking Back at General Convention and Last Sunday's Forum

At the Adult Forum on October 13, Amy Nykamp and Miriam Casey shared their experiences serving as Deputy and Alternate Deputy, respectively.

They were elected to represent the Diocese of Northern California by the Diocesan Convention in 2022. (There were 16 Deputies and Alternates elected at the Diocesan Convention.)

The General Convention was held in Louisville, Kentucky from the 21st through the 28^th of June. During that time, our deputation had the opportunity to participate in the election of a new Presiding Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Sean W. Rowe, and vote on many resolutions that will impact our diocese. The Investiture service will be celebrated on November 2 at 8 am PT and livestreamed.

There were many other elections for standing committees of the church. These committees conduct the governance work of the church between the General Conventions.

We voted to have both Howard Thurman and Harriet Tubman be recognized as saints on our church calendar. We also voted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Ordination of the Philadelphia 11 (the first Episcopal women priests)!

Creation Care Legislation: There was a groundswell of support in the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops for Creation Care resolutions, including resolutions calling for funding. D050 a Resolution to Complete the Journey to Net Carbon Neutrality by 2030 was co-authored by Miriam Casey and Rev. Dr. Pamela Dolan. This amended resolution, which funded an additional staff person in Creation Care Ministries, was passed. The position will help dioceses and churches throughout the Church to have the resources they need to work toward carbon neutrality by 2030.

Racial Reconciliation Legislation: A number of resolutions were passed that address anti/racism/racial reconciliation work. A035 directs the Church to create a special task force to create a set of model policies for dismantling racism, racial reconciliation and healing. This includes new requirements for training and a permanent effort to conduct the racial justice audit. This resolution will impact the work of the Commission for Intercultural Ministries and the Diocese.

Here’s the link to the Resolutions PDF: https://generalconvention.org/summary-of-actions/. Once at that page, click on “Resolutions of the 81^st General Convention” and it will open up in a tab. You can easily search for a resolution or any keyword search.

The exhibit hall was filled with booths that provided resources for the work we do in the diocese. During the convention, Bob Wohlsen volunteered at the Episcopal Migration Ministry booth.

Representing the diocese at the General Convention was a lot of work and long days. But it was very rewarding to participate in decisions that will impact the Episcopal Church and our life together going into the future. If you are interested in being elected as a deputy for the 2027 General Convention in Phoenix, Arizona, the election will be held at the 2025 diocesan convention.