LOOKING AHEAD TO CONVENTION . . .

The Revd Deacon Polly M. Bowen

This year the national General Convention of the Episcopal Church will be held in Anaheim, California.  It begins July 7, although participants have meetings, orientation and registration in the days leading up to the opening of convention. 

General Convention is an important and exciting time in the life of the Episcopal Church.  It is one of the largest conventions held in the country, with over 10,000 people participating in some way.  The worship is rich and varied, and the “official” Convention Eucharist (Sunday, July 12) features national and often international dignitaries of the church – and imagine thousands of Episcopalians singing and praying and praising our Lord together!  It’s a glorious experience.

Important things happen at Convention.  Canon Law is debated, decided, changed or amended; new bishops are confirmed; and the entire church is on display in the vast exhibition hall.  It takes many trips to the exhibition hall to take it all in; there are displays by every organization in the church, every seminary, every purveyor of religious garb, altar appointments, religious jewelry, education programs and anything else having to do with the Church. 

Concurrent with the convention there is a Triennial Convention of Episcopal Church Women.  There is also a strong youth presence at Convention, active young people who produce their own newspapers and telecasts and who participate fully in the affairs of the Church.

Each diocese in the Episcopal Church sends its Bishop(s) and eight deputies – four clergy and four lay - and first alternates or provisional deputies in each order as official representatives. The press are there – each diocese sends representatives from their diocesan newspapers (Laurie Wozniak of ChuchActs will be there), and of course the national press also covers the event, counting on us to do something newsworthy.  But anyone may come as a visitor, and since it takes many more than the official representatives to make Convention “run,” there are also hundreds of volunteers.

This year, as for the past several conventions, two people from St. Matthias will be attending the Anaheim Convention.  They are Linda Makson, who is an elected deputy from our Diocese and appointed to the Legislative Committee on Education, and your Deacon.  (I serve as a volunteer supervisor in the Press Office.)  We will leave at the beginning of July and return after convention ends.  A schedule of the ten-day convention will be posted on my office door, so you may track our activities while we are gone. 

Even if you can’t go to convention, you can subscribe to the Convention Daily, or read the one that comes to the Church.  It will be placed on the table in Room 202-204 each day.  There will also be a Convention on-line site. 

Deputies from Western New York are The Revds Susan Anslow-Williams, Earle King, Shawn Duncan and Isaac Ihasota, Clergy, and Dr. Al Price, Ms. Lillian Davis Wilson, Ms. Samantha Cutlip, and Linda Makson, ObJN, Lay.  Alternates The Revd Gloria Payne Carter and Howard Gondree will also be there; they are important to convention, as it is long and tiring, and alternates need to sit in sometimes so the deputies can have a rest.  When they are on the floor, alternates are full voting members of Convention.

Please pray for your deputies and for the Convention:

Almighty and everliving God, source of all wisdom and understanding, be present with those who take counsel at General Convention for the renewal and mission of your Church.  Teach them in all things to seek first your honor and glory.  Guide them to perceive what is right, and grant them both the courage to pursue it and the grace to accomplish it; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

-- BCP p/ 818