House of Deputies votes to admit Cuba
On July 11, the House of Deputies
unanimously voted to admit the Episcopal Church of Cuba as a diocese. “Welcome
home,” said House of Deputies President Gay Jennings following the vote.
Cuba Bishop Griselda Delgado del Carpio
was seated in the House of Bishops following the Bishop’s unanimous vote in
favor of admitting Cuba. Following the vote in the House of Deputies, the Rev.
Gerardo Lojildes and Mayelin Aqueda were seated as Deputies.
The Diocese of Cuba will join Province
II, which includes dioceses from New York, New Jersey, Haiti and the Virgin
Islands.
Bishops reject Israel-Palestine
resolution as “divestment”
The House of Bishops voted against a
resolution seeking to end the church’s financial complicity in the Israeli
occupation of Palestinian territories. The House of Deputies previously approved
the resolution. It would have asked the Executive Council to research and
develop and plan for a “human rights investment screen” which critics described
as a divestment from Israel.
“Divestment will not move us one inch
forward in the peace process,” said retired Bishop Ed Little of Northern
Indiana. “It will not bring an end to the occupation.”
Read more about the resolution and the
debate here.
PB&F presents 2019-2021 budget
During a joint session of the House of
Bishops and the House of Deputies today, the Joint Standing Committee on
Program, Budget & Finance presented a proposed $133.8 million budget for
the 2019-2021 triennium.
The budget proposes spending on the
church’s three priorities is:
- Nearly $10.4 million on racial reconciliation work
- $5.2 million on evangelism
- $1 million on care of creation
Read more about the proposed budget
here.
Alice Webley elected!
Southern Virginia's Lay Deputy Alice Webley, a member of All Saints, Virginia Beach, was elected to the Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop. Congratulations Alice!
Southern Virginia’s resolution moves to
House of Bishops
The resolution sent to General
Convention by Southern Virginia’s 2018 Annual Council (read about that here) has
been moved by the Ministry Committee to the House of Bishops consent calendar
for July 12. The committee’s recommendation is that there be no further action
taken on Resolution C036 since the issue is also addressed in Resolution C005. That
resolution has not yet come before the convention.
