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The 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, held July 8-17, included worship, learning, and welcoming visitors from other parts of the Anglican Communion in addition to policy making. A great deal was accomplished at General Convention, none of it undertaken lightly. One of the most daunting challenges was trimming $17 million from the triennial budget while continuing to enable God's mission to be served. The 361 pieces of legislation included resolutions addressing the environment, social justice, evangelism, international development, human rights abuses, and much more.

The two resolutions that garnered the most media attention had to do with human sexuality and ministry. They were an attempt to find a middle way to address a resolution made at the 2006 General Convention, with the hoped end result of reflecting the reality of the Episcopal Church yet preserving the fragile unity of the Anglican Communion. In his July 26 sermon, Rector John Kitagawa outlines and comments on the two resolutions, D025 and C026. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori called them "more descriptive than prescriptive in nature" and reiterated the Episcopal Church's awareness of the concerns and sensibilities of other churches across the Anglican Communion. In her letter to the church written on July 22, she goes on to say that we value and seek to deepen our relationships around the Communion but at the same time we must be honest about who we are and respect diverse perspectives. Arizona Bishop Kirk Smith, on July 20, characterized General Convention as having taken "an important step towards health."

Responses from around the Anglican Communion will take time to develop, and reactions will undoubtedly be mixed. On July 27, the Archbishop of Canterbury released a measured comment in which he concluded "it is an opportunity for clarity, renewal and deeper relation with one another - and so also with Our Lord and his Father, in the power of the Spirit." As Episcopalians, we should be informed so we can participate knowledgably in dialogue about our church. The "latest news" page on St. Philip's Web site contains links to several sources of more information about Convention.




Above, right: House of Deputies. Above: Arizona delegation. Left to right, the Rt. Rev. Kirk Stevan Smith, Bishop of Arizona; the Rev. John Kitagawa; Matt Hall; Judith Conley; the Rev. Susan Brown Snook; Jim Fitzsimmons; Jack Colaric; the Rev. Nick Knisley; Carol Hosler.