This Week from Mitch

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope and pray that you are well. This Sunday, in adult Sunday school I will deviate a little from the church history class I have been teaching and do my best to offer a summary of General Convention. The class will begin at 9:15 AM. For those interested, please come.

The most important part of General Convention this year was the election of a new presiding bishop. Bishop Sean Rowe was elected on the first ballot. Please join me in saying a prayer for him.

There were over 300 different resolutions at this general convention, resulting in over 2,500 pages of explanations. To read them all and be able to talk about each of them coherently would be impossible. I know this because, over the course of the last month, I've tried. As a positive, having so many resolutions reflects the diversity of the Episcopal Church. People from all over the country come to convention with their hopes and dreams. Our church uses a democratic system of leadership where each vote is counted and every voice matters. In some ways, the 356 resolutions that were debated represent the many voices of our communion.

In other ways, the 356 resolutions show a communion struggling with our primary mission and ministry. As national church numbers continue to decline, many of the resolutions seem as if they are trying to maintain the status quo. In the day of internet search engines, how many thousands of dollars do we need to spend on commissions to study the 1982 Hymnal, the 1979 BCP, and/or other liturgical resources? Since I have been following general conventions, the church has passed a resolution at each one condemning sexism. On the surface, this is a great thing. Sadly, I long to see an enforceable resolution passed to move the church toward gender pay equality.

As the 81st General Convention winds down, I find myself praying for bold leadership at the parish level. I find myself giving thanks for the leaders of St. Martin's who care about loving and welcoming all. I find myself giving thanks for a church that cares more about making disciples than regulations about discipleship. I find myself giving thanks for churches like St. Martin's filled with people who are willing to walk with each other in the messiness of our lives, knowing that relationships form us, not resolutions. May we all continue to build relationships with our Lord, each other, and our neighbors – whoever they may be.

In Christ,

Mitch