A highlight of General Convention 2018 will be The Episcopal Church Conversations (TEConversations), three innovative, inspirational and informative sessions featuring brief talks, videos and engaging interludes.
TEConversations will be part of the three Joint
Sessions of General Convention, each focused on one of the three
priorities of General Convention – Racial Reconciliation, Evangelism and
Care of Creation.
“The TEConversations that have been planned use an
effective modern form to address priority topics for our Church and our
society,” commented the Rev. Canon Dr. Michael Barlowe, Executive
Officer of General Convention and chair of the Joint Standing Committee
on Planning and Arrangements. “The inclusion of TEConversations
is a prime example of how our joint sessions, an older legislative
tool, can be remixed for the contemporary needs of our Church and its
leaders.”
TEConversations will be presented during Joint Sessions
of the House of Bishops and House of Deputies which include visitors,
volunteers and others in attendance at General Convention 2018. For
those not attending, the TEConversations will be livestreamed and available for viewing on the Episcopal Church website and the General Convention website. Each TEConversations session will be 90 minutes and will include three
speakers, videos, music interludes and deeper small group engagement.
The speakers represent international leaders, well-known Episcopalians,
and rising voices in the church.
Get more info and a schedule of speakers here.
Monday, May 21, 2018
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Planning Team for House of Bishops’ Pastoral Response presents information on listening session
The Planning Team for the House of Bishops’ Pastoral Response to #MeToo
has presented information for the Listening Session, which
is scheduled for July 4 during General Convention and will focus on
listening, liturgy, and steps for healing.
In their statement, the Planning Team said,
"We understand that the process of sharing reflections requires great vulnerability and trust. It is the hope of the bishops that this Listening Session will help us to hear the depth of the woundedness of many of God’s children in the Church and work for healing and wholeness. We pledge that each letter that we receive will be treated prayerfully and with the utmost confidentiality and respect."
"The Listening Service will be held in the main worship space of General Convention on July 4, from 6:15 pm Easter to 7:00 pm and will be webcast for the entirety of our Church so those who would find this helpful may share this moment with us. If this event re-opens wounds, we encourage the individual to do what is most helpful, including reaching out to the Pastoral Care Team at General Convention."
"This service is offered by the House of Bishops as a pastoral response. A pastoral event of this kind has never been offered before. This will not be a perfect offering; there will be mistakes, but it is our prayer that in those mistakes there will be healing grace; that the courage of those sharing their reflections will be heard with safety, compassion, and mercy; and that all who gather in person or virtually will find they are transformed by the hearing of truth and the power of our liturgical life. It is in our liturgical life that we gather at the most painful times of loss and suffering to find safety, healing, and renewal."
In their statement, the Planning Team said,
"We understand that the process of sharing reflections requires great vulnerability and trust. It is the hope of the bishops that this Listening Session will help us to hear the depth of the woundedness of many of God’s children in the Church and work for healing and wholeness. We pledge that each letter that we receive will be treated prayerfully and with the utmost confidentiality and respect."
"The Listening Service will be held in the main worship space of General Convention on July 4, from 6:15 pm Easter to 7:00 pm and will be webcast for the entirety of our Church so those who would find this helpful may share this moment with us. If this event re-opens wounds, we encourage the individual to do what is most helpful, including reaching out to the Pastoral Care Team at General Convention."
"This service is offered by the House of Bishops as a pastoral response. A pastoral event of this kind has never been offered before. This will not be a perfect offering; there will be mistakes, but it is our prayer that in those mistakes there will be healing grace; that the courage of those sharing their reflections will be heard with safety, compassion, and mercy; and that all who gather in person or virtually will find they are transformed by the hearing of truth and the power of our liturgical life. It is in our liturgical life that we gather at the most painful times of loss and suffering to find safety, healing, and renewal."
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
House of Bishops’ Pastoral Response to #MeToo invites reflections, offers listening and steps to healing
In
an open letter to the Episcopal Church, an invitation is extended to
share reflections on sexual harassment, abuse, and exploitation. A
selection of the reflections will be read at a special listening session
during General Convention 2018. The House of Bishop’s Pastoral
Response will be a sacred space for listening and further
reconciliation on Wednesday, July 4, 5:15 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central
Time. Those at General Convention 2018 in Austin, TX, are welcome to
attend; those not in Austin will be able to participate remotely via a
live webcast.
“Over past months, the #MeToo movement has
brought the prevalence and depth of pain caused by sexual harassment,
abuse, and exploitation out of the darkness, creating a platform of
courage and support for women to share their personal stories,” states
the letter, signed by Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry and Bishop Mary
Gray-Reeves of El Camino Real, Vice-President of the House of Bishops.
The deadline for submitting reflections is Friday, May 25. Click here for the full letter.
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