General Convention 2009

Bishop Howe and the members of the Central Florida Deputation to General Convention 2009 were asked to speak about one or two aspects of GC 2009 without repeating each other. Here follows my "3 Minute" contribution to the 26 July 2009 Debriefing at the Cathedral St. Luke.

I am honored to have served again as a Lay Deputy to General Convention from the Diocese of Central Florida. I and the entire deputation appreciate the thoughts and prayers that you offered for us while we participated in General Convention.

The 76th General Convention was an opportunity for our denomination to express its purpose and direction of ministry for the next three years. Taking place in Anaheim, California we might have expected earthshaking outcomes or a more creative and imaginative presentation with the availability of Hollywood glitz and Disneyland magic, instead we experienced a continuation of the status quo of past general conventions. The unrelenting discussion of human sexuality and homosexuality received most of our attention in both the legislative committees and legislative sessions, overshadowing most topics other than the budget. The outcomes of General Convention lacked any sense of new vision or increased purpose to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Instead we received clarification of the continued movement away from biblical orthodoxy toward the LGBT agenda.

We were introduced to the concept of Ubuntu and the use of public narrative as new tools to assist us with our discussions of the church’s ‘mission’ and to develop our sense of community. Ubuntu, as described in Wikipedia, is an ethic or humanist philosophy focusing on people's allegiances and relations with each other. The word has its origin in the Bantu languages of Southern Africa. (Forster, 2009) The phrases “I am because we are” and “I in you and you in me,” are used to express the ideals of Ubuntu. We had five sessions in which we were instructed and guided through exercises that taught us how to improve our story telling abilities as we shared ‘My Story,’ ‘Our Story,’ and ‘The Story of Now,’ with each other. Learning about Ubuntu and public narrative seemed constructive at the onset but as each example was shared we found that these techniques were being used as vehicles to reiterate the revisionist’s agenda. Our deputation shared each other’s stories and enjoyed getting to know each other. We would have accomplished more by seeking the Lord Jesus through prayer and bible study. We enjoyed many meals together and that fellowship was equally effective in building unity within our deputation.

We continued to improve our skills as parliamentarians as we practiced parliamentary procedure, splitting hairs between one word and another, often spending more time on procedural motions than on discussion of the resolutions. Unlike previous General Conventions where we were able to strategize and make known our views of biblical orthodoxy, we were so few in number, that we could not get amendments to resolutions passed or defeat resolutions or amendments on vital issues. The margins were two or three to one. Calls for vote by orders were used a number of times in order to make sure there was a clear record of how each deputation voted.

Returning to Central Florida I began reading ”Life Together,” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In the chapter on Community he makes many statements that contrast the concepts of Ubuntu with biblical principles of community.

Bonheoffer instructs us to, “distinguish between a human ideal and God’s reality, between spiritual and human community…” “Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ… We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ… The Christian lives wholly by the truth of God’s Word in Jesus Christ… God has put this Word into the mouth of men in order that it may be communicated to other men. When one person is struck by the Word, he speaks it to others. God has willed that we should seek and find his living Word in the witness of a brother, in the mouth of man.” (Bonhoeffer, 1954)

As I reflected on Bonheoffer’s words and General Convention I realize how blessed we are to be Episcopalian Christians in the Diocese of Central Florida where we can, with our Bishop John Howe, be a community united in a love of Christ, with a commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. Our Bishop and deputation to the 76th General Convention worked hard and persevered to “live wholly by the truth of God’s Word in Jesus Christ,” (Bonhoeffer, 1954) and communicated to other men through word, votes, and action the good news of Jesus Christ. We may not have won many votes but we remain resolute to stand for Jesus Christ and His Word.

Paul writes in the 1st chapter 27th verse of his letter to the Philippians, ”[we] are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel,” (New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, 1989)

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Bonhoeffer, D. (1954). Life Together. New York: Harper & Row publisher's, Inc.
Forster, D. (2009, July 24). Ubuntu. Retrieved July 24, 2009, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_(philosophy)
New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. (1989). National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

Safe Travel to Anaheim

My flight from Orlando to Salt Lake City was uneventful as I attempted to get as much sleep as possible after only a couple hours sleep Sunday night.

My flight was more interesting in that my seat mate was the Venerable Elijah G. Harris, Archdeacon of the Southwestern Archdeaconry of Liberia, West Africa. I was aware that there were other deputies on the flight but their discussions were not about the things of God or Kingdom living. Elijah and I shared about our ministries and our families. We marveled at how beautiful God's creation is, taking advantage of the view we had from the airplane. Elijah is coming to observe the General Convention and hopes to have an opportunity to speak while he is here.

After General Convention Elijah will be continuing his visit in the United States in Springfield, Massachusetts where he is visiting a former classmate from seminary in Liberia who is now serving at St. Peter's as Rector.

I arrived at John Wayne airport shortly after noon. I quickly met three other members of the Diocese of Central Florida Deputation, Patty Tew, Anneke Bertsch, and Sonya Shannon who arrived on other flights at about the same time. We then took a Super Shuttle to the Anaheim Hilton. During this short excursion I was amazed at sight of the growth and the changes since I had live in this area 30 years ago.

I even notice the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove as we drove by. Thirty years age I live in Long Beach and worked on the organ at the Crystal Cathedral. I observed the construction of the sanctuary at Crystal Cathedral from the ground up. This is a fantastic piece of architecture designed by Philip Johnson. There is a large vibrant Christian ministry at Crystal Cathedral including the weekly broadcast Hour of Power with Dr. Robert Schuller.

We had a quick view of Disneyland as we drove to the Hilton. Everything looks so much different than when I was last here. They have acquired a lot of land and the area is highly developed.

After getting settled in at the hotel I went to register at the Anaheim Convention Center that is adjacent to the Anaheim Hilton. On the way over I met Tony Clark so we now have made contact with five members of the Central Florida contingent. We agree to meet at the Mix Restaurant for dinner and had a nice relaxing evening. I retired early in an attempt to catch up on some greatly needed sleep.

Thank you Lord Jesus for safe travel and the good nights rest.

Preparing to leave in a few hours for General Convention 2009 in Anaheim, Claifornia