House of Deputies votes to begin
BCP revision
On July 7, the House of Deputies approved a resolution (A068) that
would initiate a revision of the Book of Common Prayer. The resolution now goes
to the House of Bishops for consideration.
The resolution adopts a process of revision set forth by the Standing
Commission on Liturgy and Music which would from 2018 to 2021 gather data via
focus groups in every diocese on how the current prayer book is being used. The
resolution provides guidance for the resolution with regards to inclusive
language and take into account the church’s “liturgical, cultural, racial,
generational, linguistic, gender, physical ability, and ethnic diversity.”
The proposed revision process would create a new Book of Common Prayer
by 2024, with three years of trial use after that. Final adoption of that
revision by two successive General Conventions would result in a new prayer
book by 2030.
Schentrup family address General
Convention
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| Schentrup family - courtesy of Episcopal News Service. |
Philip Schentrup, accompanied by his wife April and their family, was
welcomed by both the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies on July 7 to,
in his words, “witness for my daughter Carmen, who was murdered on Ash
Wednesday” and ask the House to continue to work to end gun violence. Carmen
Schentrup was one of 17 students and teachers killed by a gunman at Marjory
Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Mr. Schentrup spoke movingly
of his daughter, Carmen. He applauded the bishop’s statement against gun
violence issued earlier this year.
Bishops United Against Gun Violence will hold a public witness event
here in Austin on Sunday, July 8 at 9:30 a.m. Central (10:30 a.m. Eastern). The
Schentrups will be one of the speakers at this event. Bishops United Against
Gun Violence is a group of more than 70 Episcopal bishops, including our own
Bishop Hollerith, working to end gun violence.
TEConversations continue
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| Bishop Hollerith and deputies following TEConversation. |
The second of three TEConversations was held on July 7 during another
joint session of the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. This second
conversation focused on evangelism and speakers were Bishop Alan Scarfe,
Diocese of Iowa; the Rev. Dr. Lauren Winner; and the Rev. Daniel Velez-Rivera.
The final TEConversation will be on Tuesday, July 10, 10:30 a.m. to
noon Central (11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern) Video of speakers and resources
will be available for use after General Convention.
Demographics of the House of
Deputies
The House of Deputies at the 79th General Convention is made
up of 852 deputies. Fifty-three percent identify as women, forty-six percent
identify as men, and one percent identify as gender queer.
Forty-four percent of deputies are here at General Convention for the
first time and 68 percent are returning deputies. There are even 54 deputies
who are attending for the seventh or more time.
Ninety deputies, or 21 percent, are between the ages of 18 and 38.
Thirty-five percent of the House is between the ages of 39 and 58. Thirty-three
percent of the House is between the ages of 59 and 68. Twenty-two percent are
69 or older.
More than three-quarters of the House of Deputies is white, 10 percent
is black, African-American or Afro Caribbean, and six percent is Latino.
Indigenous and Native Americans make up two percent of the House and Asian
deputies account for two percent.
