VIEWPOINT – It’s hard to describe the depth of the relationships created among the West Texas deputation during General Convention. When you sit together day after day in the House of Deputies; eat two or three meals together each day; worship together; share your dreams, hopes, frustrations, and anxieties with other faithful folks from West Texas, a deep bond is formed.
This is my fourth General Convention and I know that the shared experiences of going through a Convention creates strong bonds in our delegation that won’t go away upon our return to West Texas. In fact, over the years that bond has proven to be stronger than the differences we may have about the issues the face the Church today.
I know that the relationships we now share because of our experiences together in Anaheim will make us better leaders for our congregations and our Diocese when we return home to walk with West Texas through the challenges of the months ahead.
After all, Church is all about relationships: our relationship with the living God, from which flows our relationships with one another in spite of differences we are bound to have. It’s all about relationships.

David Read
Clergy Deputy
St. Luke’s, San Antonio

Bishops Lillibridge and Reed were part of a group that crafted a statement of reaffirmation of relationships with the Anglican Communion.  Read the document by clicking below.

Anaheim Statement, General Convention, 2009

VIEWPOINT -

Tired.

No, exhausted.

That is the best word to describe where most of us who are here in Anaheim doing the work of General Convention are physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We are all ready to go to our respective homes and reconnect with our families and friends from whom we have been separated for a bit of time.

The pace of General Convention is grueling and it plods along with its work. Time on the floor, while it appears to be a low activity sport since it is mostly sitting, is both physically and mentally tiring. For those not used to the pace and process of parliamentary procedure, it takes much energy to remember if we are amending an amended amendment and discern what that might mean.

Exhausting.

Even more trying is the burden placed on hearts and souls when the legislation at hand carries overtones or undertones which could threaten some part of our life together. The winning and losing aspect of General Convention’s does its legislative process is a cross that must be shouldered by the deputies and bishops. Some do it well. Others, well, not so much.

We have adopted some good resolutions and made some positive canonical changes. We have adopted a Denominational Health Plan that we can all hope will be a move in the direction towards adequate health care for all church employees, lay and clergy, at reasonable rates. We have adopted a strategic plan for ministry to and among the Latino/Hispanic community. We have moved towards a life-long Christian formation charter which recognizes and encourages transformation and personal mission. We have in many ways recognized and supported tangibly mission and ministry to those outside the walls of the Church.

We have also adopted some resolutions that have caused both joy and sorrow. Two in particular, one of which has carried in both houses by a large margin, are sure to make those who are not proponents wonder aloud about the Episcopal Church’s place in the Anglican Communion. They may even wonder about their own place in the Episcopal Church. These resolutions may cause as much confusion and pain in some places away from General Convention as they cause celebration and joy for many at General Convention.

And all of this is a great burden, at least for this deputy.

I have spent time in reflection the last couple of days wondering what I could take as positive from General Convention. What I have decided is that, while it may not look the same for those of another mindset than me in another part of the country, mission and ministry are shared values. The mission of the Church built by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is carried out mostly by lay people living and moving and having their being in the local context and not by resolutions of General Convention. The mission of a local Church is to meet the needs of those around them at a particular place and time.

In other words, it’s about people. It’s about the people God has placed in our midst. It’s about the people who need the Church as expressed in a faith community of neighbors, co-workers, family and friends in particular place and time. It’s about the people God calls us all to love and serve recognizing the presence of Christ Jesus in them.

That is what mission is. Building relationships and friendships that brings the transformative power of Christ Jesus to bear in another’s life is our mission and ministry. We have been given all that we need to accomplish fully this mission. Our primary task is to surrender all to God through the cross of Christ Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to empower and embolden us to be heralds of the “one who is mightier” than we, Jesus Christ our Lord.

If nothing else, I have been given a clear reminder that the battle is not on the legislative floor of this General Convention or any other. This battle is not “against flesh and blood,” as Paul reminds us in Ephesians. It is against the powers of hopelessness, darkness, death that surround us, our church, our local community of faith. And I have another clear reminder: that God can and will do “more than we can ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3.20) through the power of the Spirit in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And for these two items there is neither need nor room for debate. It is the truth that we all are invited to embrace for today and for eternity. It is the truth we are called to share with all of God’s children, especially those who are lost.

Time to go to work.

Ram Lopez,
Clergy Deputy
St. George, San Antonio

VIEWPOINT – As my friends and family know, I have an opinion on everything and usually don’t need encouragement to express it. The saving grace is that I learned long ago that my opinion is just that—an opinion and not the “Truth” or even, in some cases, factually accurate. We have a joke in our family that the stronger I express an opinion, the more likely I am wrong.

With that caveat said, I’ll proceed with expressing some of my opinions.

60 degrees in the morning and evening and 80 degrees in the afternoon—priceless!

2009 General Convention is a superb example of democracy at work.

Whether democracy is a good means for dealing with church polity is questionable but we have doing it in The Episcopal Church since 1785 so it’s nothing new.

The Committee meetings I have attended during General Convention (Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music and Education) have been superb. Without exception, members of the Committees have been experienced, well informed, thoughtful and considerate. I have not detected any rancor.

The Community Eucharist each morning of General Convention have been inspirational and spiritually uplifting, truly some of the highlights of General Convention.

I am encouraged by the passage of D025 and hope the House of Deputies will concur with the House of Bishops in the passage of C056, which move The Episcopal Church closer to the inclusion of all persons to full participation in all aspects of ministry and closer to the blessing of committed relationships of enduring love, mutuality and fidelity.

I believe that many of the people in the Diocese of West Texas disagree with me about the direction The Episcopal Church is taking with regard to issues of sexuality. I also believe that no one in the Diocese of West Texas will be asked to change their opinions about issues of sexuality.

I believe issues of sexuality will not be the central issue in General Convention 2012 and that, in the future, we will focus more and more on the mission of the Church—proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ, His healing love and His reconciliation of all creation.

I believe we “can” continue to walk arm in arm the way of Jesus in the Diocese of West Texas. I pray and earnestly hope that we “will”.

I am very proud of The Episcopal Church and very hopeful for its future, a future that will entail remaining an integral part of the Anglican Communion.

Blessings,

Drew Cauthorn
Alternate Lay Deputy
St. Mark’s, San Antonio

VIEWPOINT – As General Convention progresses and we begin to deal with the real meaty issues of ordination of gay and lesbian people, and blessing of same sex unions, the reality that “we are not all of one mind” in this Church becomes more and more obvious. I generally find myself on the moderate conservative side of votes which means that at this convention I am usually on the losing sde of votes.
My prayer throughout this Convention has been that we keep our tent wide. What I mean by that is that The Episcopal Church has a broad variety of viewpoints on issues, and hopefully, the majority group will leave the door open so that all people can find a place at the table. Sometimes just changing one word in a resolution allows a group of people to be able to say “yes” to it. Sometimes changing the word “must” to “may” allows just enough room for another group not to feel coerced, or cornered, or required to violate their conscience.
So, I invite you to join me in praying that in the days ahead the Bishops & Deputies of our Church will be mindful of keeping our tent wide enough for all viewpoints to find a seat at the banquet table in her shade.

David Read
Clergy Deputy
St. Luke’s, San Antonio