Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Day 7 of #GC79: Divestment rejected; budget proposed


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.