General Convention 2003
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AUGUST
1, 2003
JULY 31, 2003
JULY 30, 2003
JULY 29, 2003
The 74th General Convention
of the Episcopal Church will be meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota from
July 30th to August 8th, 2003. The Convention, which meets every three
years, is the highest decision making body of the Episcopal Church in the
United States of America (ECUSA). Consisting of a House of Bishops and a
House of Deputies, made up of clergy and laity elected by each Diocese,
resolutions and legislation at the Convention must pass in both Houses in
order for them to take effect. It is expected that more than 1,000
members of the Clergy and Laity will attend.
The theme for the Convention
is “Engage God’s Mission” emphasizing the call of the Church to engage in
God’s Mission. The Convention gathers so as to deliberate ways and means
as to how to implement the mission of the Church and to consider
guidelines that will direct our actions in the future.
The Triennial national
meetings of the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) and Daughters of the King
will also be held during this time.
We anticipate that some of
the issues to come before the Convention will include the following:
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Racism
and anti-racism work |
|
The
20/20 Initiative to double the membership of the Episcopal Church by
2020
|
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Response
to the war with Iraq |
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A
proposal to admit persons who have not been baptized to Holy Communion
|
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A
proposal to authorize the development of a rite to bless same-sex
relationships |
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Reconciliation relating to rifts between and within dioceses on issues
of Sexuality and the Ordination of Women |
|
Proposed
alterations to the Canons providing for direct ordination to the
priesthood |
|
Revision
the Canons which deals with Ecclesiastical Discipline |
The Deputies who will attend
General Convention 2003 for the Diocese of Springfield are listed below.
They welcome your comments and concerns regarding the upcoming General
Convention. Please feel free to email any or all of our deputies. Please
also remember them and the Convention in your prayers.
PRAYER FOR GENERAL
CONVENTION:
Almighty and everlasting
Father, you have given the Holy Spirit to abide with us for ever: Bless,
we pray, with his grace and presence, the bishops and the other clergy and
the laity soon to be assembled at General Convention in your Name, that
your Church, being preserved in true faith and godly discipline, may
fulfill all the mind of him who loved it and gave himself for it, your Son
Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
THE HOUSE OF BISHOPS
The Right
Reverend Peter H. Beckwith
THE HOUSE OF DEPUTIES
CLERGY
The Very Reverend
Christopher Ashmore
Trin1832@aol.com
The Venerable Shawn Denney
sdenney@midwest.net
The Reverend Dr. Virginia
Bennett
andrews@peaknet.net
The Reverend James
Cravens
trinity@ccaonline.com
LAITY
Mr. Kevin Babb, Chair
kjbabb@charter.net
Mrs. Marilynn Belleville
Dr. Arthur Casebeer
casey@siu.edu
Mr. David Wakefield
wakefield32@charter.net
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Twenty-four Episcopal
Church bishops declared "impaired communion" with Canadian diocese of
New Westminster and commit to "common responses" with worldwide Anglican
leaders to address crisis in the Episcopal Church.
For more
information,
click here. |
|
Click here to read Presiding Bishop’s
Letter to Primates of Anglican Communion. |
More information about the
General Convention can be found at the web sites listed below:
The Web Sites of
General Convention 2003:
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/gc/gc2003/default.html
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/gc2003/
Episcopal News Service
The Blue Book
– Reports and Resolutions to General Convention:
http://www.churchpublishing.org/general_convention/index.cfm?fuseaction=bluebook
Episcopal Church Women
(ECW) Triennial
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/ecw/Triennial_Mtg_2003.htm
ACNS
Selected Articles about Human Sexuality Issues
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/special/humansexuality/index.html
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