Virginia Episcopalian Magazine Fall 2012 Issue | Page 6

General Convention
A time to ‘roll up your sleeves’
Ed Jones
Don’t bother searching for “winners
and losers” from the 2012 General
Convention. On an array of issues,
the bishops and deputies were more
interested in building community than
in choosing up sides. In the process,
the convention showed a remarkable
ability to reaffirm the foundations of
our faith while also “re-imagining” the
future structure of our Church.

That’s the positive report from
Indianapolis after eight days in July of
virtually non-stop hearings, forums,
floor sessions and gloriously diverse
worship services. Several recent
conventions have been dominated by
divisive issues that led to polarization.
By contrast, the 77th General
Convention was more of a roll-up-yoursleeves time together to adapt a church
community for the 21st century.

Two fewer days of convention
didn’t mean less work. From calls
to move the Church office from its
Second Avenue home in Manhattan to
continued trial use of Holy Women,
Holy Men, the convention considered
411 pieces of legislation.

As the editor of Center Aisle,
the Diocese’s daily convention
opinion journal, I found this round of
publication to be the most rewarding
of the five conventions our staff has
covered. Despite the intense pace, our
time together was filled with moments
of inspiration. The tone was pastoral
and the accent was on creativity. A
special blessing was the inclusion of
young adults on our staff and in so
many other parts of the convention.

The positive spirit was enhanced
by the convention’s recognition that
it didn’t have to say “yes” or “no” on
every issue before it. Sometimes, it
was better to say: Let’s continue the
journey. It turns out that doing nothing
“right now” can be strategically
sensible and spiritually refreshing.
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Virginia Episcopalian / Fall 2012

Photo: Emily Cherry

Members of the Virginia deputation stand with the Rt. Rev. Susan Goff after the House of
Bishops granted their consent to her election.

Thus, the convention decided to
continue monitoring developments
in the debate over the proposed
Anglican Covenant, rather than to
make a definitive decision now. It also
voted to take more time to decide
how to “re-imagine” our Church.
Convention authorized a special task
force, whose 24 members would
include those from outside the normal
channels of Church leadership. The
group will gather ideas and information
to make recommendations to the
next convention on how to reform
the structure, governance and
administration of the Church.

Two other key decisions helped
illustrate how this convention could
both clarify our fundamental spiritual
identity, while also opening the door
to new ways of building community
among God’s people. Bishops and
deputies reaffirmed baptism as the
entry point to the reception of Holy

Communion. The convention also
authorized the provisional use of
liturgical resources for blessing samegender relationships. “Conscience
clauses” will ensure that no clergy or
congregation will be mandated to use
these new resources.

As you would expect during a
period of economic travail, much
of convention’s deliberations had
to do with dollars and cents. After
considering a number of proposed
drafts, the convention approved a
budgetary plan based on the Five
Anglican Marks of Mission. One
example of that approach was the
approval of Mission Enterprise Zones,
which will encourage creative initiatives
at the diocesan level, funded in
partnership with the broader Church.

continued on page 5