I know I promised some more brilliant comments! Or at least some…..um…..observations.
After GC ended, the LW and I were in Santa Barbara for a few days – what a beautiful place! I preached at Trinity, Santa Barbara, a wonderful parish that is helping St. Patrick’s rebuild. They are tremendous folks there, had a great time. AND they put us up in a hotel ON THE PACIFIC OCEAN. We had a blast.
Back home now a few days, and really enjoyed being back at St. Pat’s. Held a post-GC session with any interested folks after church – had a good turnout and really good conversation.
Some of what I shared with them plays off of what I’ve been saying here – that I think GC is too big, too clumsy. It’s too much of a political bureaucracy. I know it’s our polity, I get that. But the system is too flawed.
Take the position of the President of the House of Deputies (PHOD). Our current PHOD, Bonnie “We don’t need no stinkin bishops” Anderson, by canon, appoints all legislative committee members (at least the HoD members, the Presiding Bishop appoints bishops to those committees). This year she decided, arbitrarily, to not appoint any 1st time deputies to committees. On the surface, this seems a good idea, GC is quite overwhelming your first trip and new deputies, by not serving on committees, will have a chance to observe any committee meetings and take in the scope of GC. BUT this also limits voices, especially young adult voices, on the committees, we have so few of those it’s a shame to keep them off committees of interest. I know committee assignments must be a very tough job, but it is a very powerful factor. The same goes for dispatch of business and secretary of the house, they too, with the PHOD, can greatly influence what comes before the house and when it does.
I have stated before my disappointment in a “Committee of the Whole” to spend 2 hours of legislative time, in addition to lengthy committee hearings, on the D025 resolution (the non-repeal repeal of B033 of 2006 discussed previously). Again we spend time, energy, focus, attention on matters of sexuality, when we NEED to be looking at growth, mission, evangelism, and the decline of our numbers. To top it off, the budget presented on the next to last day eliminated lots of program from the national office. This is not a bad thing, in my opinion, except we removed the new office of evangelism! Really? We did agree to cut the next GC back by 2 days, to cut budgets for the CCABs (thank goodness – they are a post for another day), and thankfully limited some requested funding for PHOD travel allowance. Do we really need (or want) the PHOD traveling around the country / world speaking for the church, or even for the HoD? I don’t see that in the job description (I could be wrong, wouldn’t be the first time). Unlike the PHOD and quite a few others in the HoD, I am really ok letting our bishops be bishops, and particularly letting our Presiding Bishop speak for us when that is necessary (not that I always agree with the PB, whomever it may be, but that is an expected role of our Primate).
Unfortunately, we also greatly sliced the new program for Hispanic / Latino ministry and removed most of the funding for our mission initiative designed to raise significant funds over the next few years. I fear those decisions will come back to haunt us.
If I was king, there are a few standing committees and legislative committees I would just eliminate completely, but to mention that to the “regulars” of GC is to aim directly at the sacred cows they must protect – and trust me when I say they really can’t hear you when you propose that they have served their purpose, and in this new age are not really where our time and energy and money should be spent. We must become a mean and lean church at the national level, and these budget realities will force that. That’s ok – the diocese and local parishes are where the rubber meets the road, anyway. I anxiously look forward to how we in this diocese will address evangelism and growth issues, near and long term.
Lastly, please don’t take my comments as a total disavowing of GC. I think I can be a voice from the “outside” that perhaps can help us see a better way forward. But meanwhile, there is much goodness about GC. Worship is amazing, and connecting with so many folks across this church is really terrific – especially the legions who have helped us in our rebuilding. I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve, and hope to get the chance to do so again in 2012.

GC 2009 is almost done. This morning the debate will center on Same Sex Blessings. The Bishops passed a greatly modified resolution from what the committee sent them, that does not authorize official blessing liturgies, but asks for study and collection of those for future consideration. The resolution also recognizes that in some states civil same-sex marriages are legal, and that a pastoral response to those is needed by the church.
The full text can be found HERE.
By the way, the evangelism resolution that was defeated, C069, is HERE. I have spoken to some committee members to pass on my great disappointment. They felt the reason for recommending rejection had to do with the resolution using a report done by the Church of England, but no one had access to the report. I told them I thought that was pretty lame excuse, because all the resolution does is ask our House of Bishops theology committee to study the how we can evangelize and recognize the uniqueness of Christ in a multi-faith society, and mentions the C of E report as a way the C of E addressed this issue.
I am happy to report, though, that a signficant document and resolution on inter-religious work was passed by both houses. In that document, found HERE, we very clearly state our belief in Jesus as Lord, reaffirm the Creeds and quadrilateral. The document and resolution are addressing how to live in this world of multi-faith, multi-religions and I think is an excellent resource. Now mind you, I haven’t read the entire thing (it’s big) but skimming the surface this is something I can support.
We trimmed the budget by 23 million dollars yesterday, and even reduced the asking of dioceses, recognizing the tough economic times (and shrinking of our church). I thought the budget committee did phenomonal work. A lot of “sacred cows” had huge reductions in funding, and it calls us to really look hard at what should take place at a “national church” (I know, I am not supposed to use that term, but whatever) level vs. at diocesan and parish levels. Makes sense to me. We need a mean and lean 815 (HA – that rhymed) and this is a good start.
Off to the debate. I will probably have another post or two. I owe you one on my observation and belief about how things are manipulated here by the President of the HoD and others, who are supposed to be “agenda free”. Just one man’s opinion!
I do thank the Diocese of Mississippi for the privilege to serve you all as a member of our deputation. And I must say that Eucharist every day has been amazing – incredible music and wonderful preaching.
Peace….

I know you are probably looking for comments on D025. I was not surprised it passed the House of Deputies, but I was profoundly shocked that it passed in the House of Bishops, especially by a huge margin.
The resolution, which really is very well written (please read the whole thing HERE before making judgments), is being interpreted by some as repealing the moratorium on consecration of gay Bishops, but by many others as not doing so. It basically affirms our commitment to the Anglican Communion and recognizes we have canonical processes in place that we must follow in approving candidates for holy orders, including bishops.
In our own deputation, some who voted in favor were adamant that they didn’t see it as overturning B033, one of the committee members who worked on it told me explicitly that was not the intent.
However, the early “play” on this outside of GC is that it did just that. But several bishops I talked to said the moratorium was in place, and would be until a gay bishop is consecrated – whatever that means. Here I quote deputy Stephen Horst of Connecticut –

“Ultimately, it does not matter what anyone thinks apart from Canon Theologians.
The opinions of the authors don’t matter.
The opinions of those who want the legislation to mean this or that don’t matter.
Of course, in another sense, there are opinions that matter….
On the one hand, the LBGT community, who now feels affirmed by this Church, matters enormously. Indeed, they matter infinitely, both as individuals and collectively. (This is one part of why I voted FOR this resolution!!)
But by the same token, the opinion of the wider Anglican Communion matters. And I would strongly urge them to take the view that this legislation CHANGES NOTHING in our Canons or Discipline, as was urged by both the authors and the Presiding Bishop, in addition to speakers in both Houses
I certainly admit that there are parties in both Houses who wish to claim that this legislation renounces B033. Yet I submit that this is not so, as D025 makes no normative claims, but merely cliaims FACT.
Legislatively, we are left with the implications of existing canons, and of course with the deeper responsibilities to Scripture, Reason and Tradition. (And additionally to Experience for those of us within the Wesleyan tradition, to which I would solemnly commend the reader, with the admonition that s/he be careful to distinguish that Rev. Wesley meant by “experience” from what the reader might mean by the same expression)”.
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Needless to say, it was a long day at GC. It started with something that really irritated me, a recommendation by the Evangelism committee to reject a resolution asking the Bishops Theology Committee to report back on ways we can talk about the uniqueness of Christ in our multi-faith world. This committee amazes me at times, as a similar resolution in 2006 was rejected by the committee. It’s like we are afraid to say we believe in Jesus, that it would be rude to say what we believe, and to whom we belong. Folks, we have a lot to learn about evangelism, but meanwhile, I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. Some deputy “called the question” on this before more than one speaker could even protest the recommendation to reject, and debate ended then, before I could get to a microphone myself.
However, evangelism rallied with several other resolutions that passed, including some focus on church planting. I was pleased with those resolutions.
I am off the floor today, and I may wander up to the Bishops meeting to see what they are up to this morning. More later – I do hope you are praying for us all.

HA! I know I mixed “sayings” in the title – what do you expect, I’m not a Rocket Surgeon!

The title does speak to my continued frustration. Our Blue Book (which has the reports from all the Commissions, Committees, Agencies, and Boards (CCABs) as well as pre-filed resolutions) sent to all deputies before GC has an eye opening report from the “State of the Church” standing committee. In it they honestly report on decline in membership and attendance of the Episcopal church (which echoes that of other mainline denominations). It is a very sobering look at the “facts”, the real data, and calls us to WAKE UP and deal with this reality. Yet there is no question here that all the time and energy is spent, still, on issues dealing with sexuality.
Which I am not going to talk about, today, on here. For a very balanced and well thought out post on this, see David Johnson’s blog here.
We did pass, in the House of Deputies, a brilliant strategic plan put forth by the office for Latino/Hispanic ministry, asking for 3.5 million dollars to fund a plan to reach out to Hispanics in our country, with materials to help, best practices, church plant funding, education and training – it is very well done. You can read it online here.
This is the kind of thinking we need and the kind of project I can support. Yes, it was passed in the HoD, but with very little fanfare or discussion, other than several deputies who testified how badly we need it. I would love to see this same kind of plan for mission, evangelism, and growth for the whole church, not just “targeting” the Latino/Hispanic community (which I support), but a large coordinated well planned effort to grow all of our church as well.
I say that not only, or even mostly, because we are shrinking along with the other mainlines. But because Jesus gave us the Great Commission, to go and baptize and teach and make disciples, and when we are distracted from that work, when we spend way more time on insular fighting, we lose our witness to a hurting world. We have something profoundly wonderful to offer, let’s talk about how to do that across the church.
Next post I will have some comments about how things run (or don’t) around here. I am a little disturbed by how committee assignments are made, the way certain visitors are allowed to address the HoD (with certain opinions on the hot issues, without the balance of other opinions being offered), etc. Meanwhile, please, please keep praying for all of us – lots of difficult stuff yet to come.

This morning I attended the main Eucharist of GC – I was told over 9000 people were there! It was a wonderful service with fantastic music and singing. The ECW reps presented their UTO offerings, and the PB preached an excellent sermon about traveling light, but remembering to bring with us the sacrament of the reign of God. She was joined at the altar by the two previous Presiding Bishops – Frank Griswold and Ed Browning, a nice touch.
On Sunday there are no legislative committee meetings, but we do go back into legislative session in the House of Deputies later this afternoon. I am the floor again (as the only clergy alternate I am getting plenty of floor time). I am thrilled over some of the Evangelism resolutions coming up and hope they will be passed. They call us to develop real plans for new church plants, and for assistance for all our people in being evangelists to a multi-cultural, multi-faith world. We can NOT afford to be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, and with the decline we have been experiencing it’s high time we really focused on how to tell our story – which is a good story with amazing things to share in how we pray, how we worship, the sacraments, etc.
Tonight is a special ECW event with Elisabeth Von Trapp playing and singing, it benefits the Jericho Road housing intiative in New Orleans established by the Diocese of Louisiana after Katrina – a wonderful program.
More later…….