Dear Deputies and Alternate Deputies:
It’s been more than a month since we left Salt Lake City, but I’m still motivated by the energy and enthusiasm of our time together at General Convention. The 78th General Convention was one of the most productive I’ve ever attended, and I am especially grateful for the good and generous spirit that prevailed in the House of Deputies.
I’ve spent some of the last month catching up on sleep, doing laundry, and tackling a few household projects that, unfortunately, I could no longer find an excuse to neglect. I hope that you, too, have had a chance to rest, enjoy the summer, and catch up with life outside the Salt Palace.
It’s been great to have a break, but our work isn’t done yet. We are all deputies until our successors are elected. Here are a few tasks on my mind:
By the middle of September, I need to appoint new members to the committees, commissions, agencies, and boards that will serve the church during the 2016-2018 triennium. That task is particularly complex this year, since General Convention disbanded many CCABs and created a number of task forces. You can find an unofficial list of the interim bodies for this triennium online and you can nominate yourself or someone else for service using the online form developed by the General Convention Office by August 14.
Summer isn’t over yet, but as you begin to think about fall programs in your diocese and congregation, I hope you will think about ways to share the work of General Convention with your colleagues and plan ways to implement resolutions that call upon Episcopalians to advocate and take action. You can find a summary of General Convention actions online. We’re eager to share stories of how deputies are bringing General Convention resolutions home; if you have a story to share, please email us.
Please pray for Presiding Bishop-elect Michael Curry as he prepares to assume his new post. Bishop Curry and I have already met to begin our work together, and I am grateful for his deep faith, energy and collaborative spirit. Each deputy has been allocated a ticket to Bishop Curry’s installation at the Washington National Cathedral on November 1. To claim your ticket, please use this General Convention Office online form by 5 pm EDT on September 1. Other tickets may be available via lottery after that date.
Thank you, once again, for your companionship in Salt Lake City, for your hard work, your good cheer, and your love for the Episcopal Church. It was, and is, a great honor to serve with all of you.
Faithfully,
The Rev. Gay Clark Jennings
President, House of Deputies of the Episcopal Church
