General Convention Report
The Episcopal News, Diocese of Los Angeles  
Reporting from Salt Lake City, Utah
 
June 28, 2015
Bishop Curry in House of Deputies
Michael Curry, center, presiding bishop-elect, gets a standing ovation from deputies, most of whom pulled out cellphones and cameras to record the historic event. Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori and House of Deputies President Gay Jennings, at left, join in the applause. Curry is surrounded by the deputation from the Diocese of North Carolina, of which he is bishop, as well as members of his family. Photo / Cynthia L. Black for Episcopal News Service 

House of Bishops elects Michael Curry to be
next presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church
The House of Bishops made history twice June 27 when it elected the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, bishop of North Carolina, as the 27th presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church.

Curry is the first African American -- and first person of color -- to be elected to the post. His election also was the first to require only a single ballot -- one in which Curry received 121 of the 174 votes cast. Eighty-nine votes were required for an election.

"It really is a blessing and a privilege to serve our Lord and serve our church in this way. I treasure this church," said Curry when he, his family and members of the North Carolina deputation were presented in the House of Deputies after that body ratified Curry's election in another lopsided vote of 800 to 12. Read more here.

Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori and Presiding Bishop-elect Michael Curry
The current and future presiding bishops appeared together at a media conference several hours after the election was completed by the House of Bishops and ratified by the House of Deputies.                          
Photo / Janet Kawamoto

Bishops
Catherine Roskam, Mary Glasspool and other bishops head for the buses that transported them to St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, where the election of Michael Curry as presiding bishop took place.
Photo / Nina Pooley, Diocese of Maine
 People at General Convention 
Deputies party
Deputies celebrate 230th anniversary
Above: The House of Deputies had unusual accessories on June 27; party hat, noisemakers and candy to celebrate the House's 230th anniversary. President Gay Jennings invited several former leaders, including former presidents Bonnie Anderson and George Werner, and former vice-president Charles Willie to the podium, where she presented them with the House of Deputies medal. More about the celebration is here.                                                                 Photo / Charleen Crean

Lester Mackenzie
House of Deputies chaplain
leads with prayer and song
House of Deputies chaplain Lester Mackenzie, a deputy from the Diocese of Los Angeles, sports a 230th anniversary party hat as he leads the House in prayer and song. Mackenzie has taught the deputies several short chants and songs -- including an African-language call and response -- that they have used during their sessions on the first three days of Convention. Apparently Mackenzie's lessons have taken hold; the deputies have broken out several times in spontaneous renditions of the songs he has taught them.

Today at General Convention

On the schedule for Sunday, June 28:
  • United Thank Offering Ingathering and Eucharist. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will celebrate and preach.
  • Legislative Sessions
  • Provincial Caucuses
  • Provincial gatherings
 Reports from Episcopal News Service
  The Episcopal Church's General Convention made history June 27 when it chose Diocese of North Carolina Bishop Michael Curry to be its 27th presiding bishop.

Reaction to North Carolina Bishop Michael Curry's election June 27 as the 27th presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church - the first African American to hold that post - was swift and joyous.

Several hours after being elected as the Episcopal Church's 27th - and first African-American - presiding bishop-elect, Michael Curry fielded a range of media questions with characteristic humility and humor June 27 and said he intends to build on the good work of his predecessor "because that's the way the Spirit works."

With noisemakers and applause, party hat-wearing General Convention deputies celebrated the 230th birthday of their house on June 27. While members of the House of Bishops met in sequestration at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral a few blocks away to elect the next Episcopal Church presiding bishop, members of the first house of General Convention took time out from legislative debate to celebrate its history and honor several of its former leaders.
 
Members of The Episcopal Church's Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance (PB&F) heard a strong call June 26 for reducing the amount of money it asks from dioceses and regional mission areas, knowing that they face an approximately $12 million gap between the funding already included in Executive Council's draft 2016-2018 triennium budget and additional funding resolutions that have come to convention.
A tent from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) fills the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society exhibit space at the 78th General Convention June 26-27, providing a virtual encounter of a refugee dwelling and as an expression of solidarity with the plight of the world's refugees.

More General Convention-related stories from Episcopal News Service may be found here.

 Commentary
The Report will be emailed each day from the 78th meeting of General Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, June 25 - July 3.

Photos, except as noted, by Janet Kawamoto. 
 
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Janet Kawamoto, editor

The Rev. Pat McCaughan, correspondent
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