Since the beginning of the Episcopal Church, we have governed ourselves democratically with the full participation of laypeople, clergy and bishops. What advantages do our democratic structures give us in responding to COVID-19 and systemic racism as we seek “to become a Church of and for all races and a Church without racism committed to end racism in the world?” (Resolution 1991-D113). What complementary strengths do the House of Deputies and House of Bishops bring to this work, and how might our structures retain their essential democratic character as we respond to the adaptive challenges of the post-pandemic church?
On September 15, Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows of Indianapolis and Bishop Deon Johnson of Missouri, both former deputies, considered these urgent questions in a conversation hosted by House of Deputies Vice President Byron Rushing, a sixteen-time deputy from the Diocese of Massachusetts. Watch the recording at the link below or on YouTube.
