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Elections
Submit Application by April 24th for the President & Vice President of the House of Deputies Election Process
The Secretary has extended the deadline to 60 days before the beginning of General Convention, April 24th. Any person interested in standing for election must complete this application. This action does not make a deputy an automatic candidate, but allows the background process to begin. Candidates may announce their intentions any time after the notification from the Secretary of General Convention of a clean background check report.
For more information, including the timeline and specifics of the process, please see this communication from the Rev. Canon Michael Barlowe, Executive Officer & Secretary of the General Convention.
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Deputies
Antiracism Trainings for Deputies - By Miguel Bustos
As we prepare for the upcoming General Convention, lots of deputies have wondered how to fulfill the requirement for anti-racism training in time for convention in late June. Understanding the urgency and significance of this requirement, the Department of Reconciliation, Justice, and Creation Care of the Episcopal Church is here to assist.
We are delighted to announce that we have secured subsidized opportunities for General Convention deputies to complete anti-racism training at a reduced cost. This initiative underscores our commitment to inclusivity and promoting justice within our church’s leadership. We are especially excited to offer sessions in English and Spanish, ensuring everyone can access these vital resources.
Training Opportunities in English:
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Diocese of New Jersey: Six-session course runs five Fridays in a row at 7-9 PM Eastern, from April 26 to May 24, with a follow-up session on June 7.
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Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing: A one-day workshop on Saturday, April 27, from 9 AM to 4 PM Eastern.
Training Opportunities in Spanish:
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Diocese of New Jersey: Two-session course runs on Saturdays, May 11 and May 18, at 12-4 PM Eastern.
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Kaleidoscope Institute: Three-session course runs on Tuesday evenings, from April 30 through May 14, at 7-9:30 PM Eastern.
Please register as soon as possible, as spots are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Your proactive engagement in these trainings is a testament to our collective commitment to addressing and dismantling racism within our church and broader society.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to reconciliation, justice, and creation care.
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The Rev. Miguel Bustos is the manager for racial reconciliation and justice.
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Attendee Resources
Early Registration for Children's Program Extended
Early registration is open for a dynamic children’s day camp at the 81st General Convention that will include hands-on projects, music, field trips, and other activities. Applications are also being accepted for volunteers and junior counselors for the program, which runs June 22-28 at the Hyatt Regency in Louisville, Kentucky.
Discounted registration—which runs through April 30—is $45 daily for the first child, $35 daily for each additional child in the same family. Regular registration—April 16 through May 24—costs $60 daily for the first child and $40 daily for each additional sibling. The discounted seven-day rate is $245.
Led by Sarah Petersen, director of Children’s Ministries at Saint Barnabas Episcopal Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, the day camp is open to children of clergy, convention deputies, staff, Episcopal Church Women convention deputies, and program volunteers. Children from birth through sixth grade are eligible.
“The General Convention Children’s Program is being re-imagined as the Waves of Gratitude Day Camp, offering children an engaging and formative experience through a full day of meaningful activities,” said Petersen, who is in her ninth year as children’s program director. “We’ll be practicing gratitude while creating art, exploring the science of water, and interacting on field trips and with visitors to the program.” The program will partner with other Episcopal Church organizations, including the United Thank Offering, Good News Gardens, Episcopal Relief and Development, Godly Play, and more. “This is a wonder-filled opportunity for kids to experience General Convention in a safe, fun, and formational environment,” Petersen said.
For additional information, email Petersen at gcchildren@episcopalchurch.org.
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GC81 Calendars Now Available
There's a simple way to keep track of all the events happening at and around General Convention. The General Convention Office maintains calendars for official GC events, as well as affiliated events, registration and exhibits, and Episcopal Church Women events. You can view these calendars and subscribe to them using Google calendar by visiting the Calendar Section of the General Convention Office website.
Affiliated events can be submitted to be listed on the calendar by using this form.
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Kentucky International Convention Center’s Commitment to Sustainability
Large gatherings often generate significant waste and contribute to carbon emissions. We are proud to be working with our partner, the Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC), as they implement sustainable practices that can greatly minimize environmental impact. Here are a few fun facts about their efforts:
- They diverted 85% of their construction waste from landfills to be recycled.
- 26% of the building is constructed from recycled building materials.
- The building uses energy-efficient HVAC equipment and LED lighting throughout the building.
- Through water-efficient low-flow plumbing fixtures, the KICC has achieved a 32% reduction in total water usage.
- The facility has 25 water bottle filling stations, encouraging attendees to bring their own reusable bottles.
- KICC donates leftover food to The Healing Place, a Louisville-based shelter.
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Legislation
Clarification on Resolutions
In accordance with Article XII of the Constitution, all amendments require a second reading at the next General Convention. Procedurally these resolutions are handled by the Secretary of General Convention. Because the proposers may be groups that are no longer active, all such resolutions are marked as proposed by the Secretary.
In 2022, because of the Special Rules of Order, committees were permitted to refer resolutions directly to the 81st General Convention in 2024. Following the same procedure of second readings, the resolutions that were referred in 2022 were also marked as proposed by the Secretary of General Convention.
No resolutions will be marked as proposed by Secretary Barlowe except these, and the resolutions as submitted are the views of the original proposers.
Legislative Committee Meeting
Legislative Committee meetings and hearings are now underway. Anyone is able to register to observe a meeting or hearing, or testify at a hearing. You can view the schedule on https://vbinder.net under the Legislative Committee Meetings section. Participants may register to observe a meeting at any time. However, if you are planning on testifying, we encourage you to register at least 2 business days prior to the meeting, as the list of testifiers is submitted to the committee 1 business day prior to the hearing.
You can also view the roster of each Legislative Committee here.
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Need to Find Something Quickly? Visit GC81 Resources
There is a lot of information coming out about the 81st General Convention these days, with even more to come. While searching old copies of the newsletter may work for you, a quick way to find information relating to GC81 is on the GC81 Resources section of our website (also linked at the top of each newsletter). There you can find comprehensive and up-to-date list of links to various General Convention resources, such as:
- Attendee resources (housing, registration, volunteering, exhibits, accessibility guide, Children's Program)
- Blue Book Reports
- Information on the Budget
- Calendars (and submit affiliated events)
- Legislative resources (resolution and memorial submission, legislative committees, and the Virtual Binder)
If you have a question regarding General Convention, this page is a great place to start, or reach out to us at gc.support@episcopalchurch.org
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Executive Council
Executive Council Livestream
The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church will be meeting in Raleigh, NC starting April 20th. As usual, a livestream of the plenary sessions will be available for viewing. To view, visit the General Convention Office's YouTube page here.
Register Now for Joint Budget Committee Hearing May 16th
Two public hearing sessions will be convened prior to presentation of the 2025-2027 Triennial Budget at the General Convention. You are invited to these open hearing sessions that will be held:
Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 4:00 PM ET by Zoom
Saturday, June 22, 2024 at 11:00 AM ET at the General Convention (hearing room to be announced at a later time).
To register for the online session on May 16th, please fill out this form. For more information on the Joint Budget Committee, visit their page on the General Convention Website.
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Data, Learning, and Technology | |
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International Black Clergy Conference
The Rev. Dr. Molly James and Brittney Laws represented the General Convention Office at the International Black Clergy Conference held April 8-11 in Baltimore, MD. The conference focused on issues relevant to bishops, priests, and deacons from across the African diaspora. On Tuesday, April 9, James co-led a presentation on Church Statistics with Matthew Price from the Church Pension Group, which was well-received. Laws and James interacted with attendees for the duration of the conference, promoting the upcoming General Convention in Louisville, KY.
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Ms. Brittney Laws, Meeting Coordinator, and the Rev. Molly Field James, Deputy Executive Officer of General Convention,
representing the General Convention Office. | |
Blue Book Report Color Chosen
Blue Book reports are reports from boards, committees, and commissions, that are published and distributed to deputies and the wider church for every General Convention. This year, they are being published online only with new reports posted every Friday. Visit the publications section of the General Convention website to view the reports.
Although they are being published digitally, Secretary Barlowe is continuing the tradition of choosing a shade of blue for the reports. This year, as in many years past, the story on the chosen color was broken by the Rev. Scott Gunn. You can read his blog post, including a history of the Blue Book and a deep dive into the chosen color, by clicking here.
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The Executive Office of the General Convention | |
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The Rev. Canon Michael Barlowe, D.D., Secretary of the General Convention and Executive Officer
Ms. Betsey Bell, Executive Assistant to the Executive Officer
The Rev. Carrie Combs, Legislative Data Specialist
Ms. Iris DiLeonardo, Data Specialist and Meetings Assistant
Mr. Patrick Haizel, Deputy for Administration and Operations
The Rev. Molly F. James, Ph.D., Deputy Executive Officer of General Convention
Ms. Brittney Laws, Meeting Coordinator
Ms. Jennifer Mendez, Administrative and Language Specialist
Mr. Brian Murray, Governance Technology Specialist
Ms. Fiona Nieman, CMP, Deputy for Convention and Meeting Planning
Ms. Twila Rios, Manager of Digital Information Systems
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