By Ann Fontaine
General Convention 2009 adjourned – what are my highlights and lowlights of this scene? General Convention 2009 was my ninth convention as a Deputy, four as a Lay Deputy and five as a Clergy Deputy. When I began I was one of the youngest at age 40 though that would be considered middle aged now with deputies as young as 17.
Best finds:
Oatmeal at Starbucks – a container of hot oatmeal for $3 with packets of mixed raisins and craisins, nuts, and brown sugar – add a large (is that grande or mucho grande in barista speak?) cup of Sumatra coffee and one is set until lunch. They also had great turkey sandwiches I often bought at the same time to keep me until dinner.
Best free swag:
Flash drives from Church Pension Group complete with carabineer for one’s keys or to clip on the belt for the nerd look or for emergency mountain climbing. Another group gave out flash drives too – I predict it will be the most popular item in 2012.
Plastic cups from the Vergers Guild. Fun for kids of all ages – they turn purple with iced drinks – endless fascination. A version of the beer bottles with mountains that turn blue when chilled just right.
Best comment on the important work of General Convention:
Our 18 year old Wyoming Deputy when asked what she thought would be the most important resolution of General Convention, replied: ““I think from day three it is impossible to say what the most important thing that we will accomplish will be because by the time next Friday, or even in the next three years ensuing, and looking back on this Convention, the most important thing, from where I stand at the moment, may appear to be something relatively minor.”
Best learning moment:
Younger deputies teaching me new tech tricks – like T9 Word for the cell phone – text messages made simple.
This is my last visit to General Convention as a Deputy. It is time for others to continue the work. I was encouraged by the new young deputies who are so in love with and committed to the church and so hopeful about its future. The church is in good hands. This is the first time that I feel my voice will be heard even though I am not in attendance.
The resolutions on sexuality are a leap of faith or maybe a step off the cliff. I believe we reached the point of no return in the direction that I favor of full inclusion of our gay, lesbian and transgender members. Access to the ordination process and rites for marriage equality and blessings are not complete but fully launched. As I said in my sermon yesterday – we pray the angels will bear us up as a church, but if not – we believe in resurrection. The future will prove whether we were right or wrong about our discernment of God’s call to our church.
The resolutions to cut the budget are painful, especially for those who will lose their jobs – mostly those who can least withstand that loss. Support personnel with minimum wage jobs, often women and minorities, are taking the biggest hit. A few program staff members will be leaving – mostly those who have been recent hires and only just relocated their families. Two programs that need funding were cut: Evangelism and Hispanic ministry. The two areas where the potential for sharing the Good News is most urgent will have to depend on volunteers. Women’s Ministry and many of the ethnic desks were also cut.
The good news of the budget is restoration of the line item for the Millennium Development Goals. We did not balance the budget on the poorest of the world. With an actual line item, Episcopal Relief and Development will be able to leverage that money like the loaves and fishes and reach beyond the 2.5 million lives already touched. If all the dioceses send in the funds asked of them we would not have to make any cuts. Our investment income is down due to the economy but the commitments by dioceses to the ministries of the Episcopal Church are the heart of the matter. As it was we cut back on the amount asked to help those dioceses hurt by the economy.
The Denominational Health Plan should help lower health insurance costs, increase portability and make it available to more employees. The Lay Pension plan will make the church’s great pension plan for clergy available for lay employees. Justice and fairness for all who work for the church is the rationale for these moves. Title IV revisions of the disciplinary canons will hopefully provide a more reconciling process while providing justice for those abused by clergy.
This was the best convention in my time of service. What made it the best?
Worship was a mix of new and old. Although held in what became known as the world’s largest bat cave – black curtains decked the background – the projected reredos were lovely and the music was inspiring. The high point of services for me was Bishop Prince Singh, Rochester, chanting the Sursum Corda in a lovely melody unlike any I have heard. Not a part of the worship but of our daily sessions, the three–part blessing by men representing Muslim, Jewish and Christian traditions, singing individually and then intertwining words and voices of our Abrahamic faiths.
Legislative sessions led by President of the House of Deputies Bonnie Anderson. Her non-anxious presence and calm demeanor, openness to challenge without defensiveness, mix of humor and firmness –offered a space for passion to be heard and decisions to be made. The Deputies changed their rules to allow for 5 minutes of debate before amendments and procedural motions which increased the sense of allowing voices to be heard and not cut off. All had been heard in legislative committees so 5 minutes was often enough to summarize the arguments in 1 minute speeches. For items of more passion – we set special rules for longer times of debate. Best of all was the Rev. Winnie Varghese, the voting secretary, who led those of us who are technically challenged through the varieties of using the voting machines (hand held voting thingies). Her clear and concise directions combined with wry humor: “deputies report being unable to hear me when they are talking to other deputies,” or “those who have not turned on their voting machine report being unable to vote,” made Deputies learn quickly while laughing. The Rev. Gregory Straub, Secretary of the House of Deputies, was a fount of knowledge and voted the nattiest dresser of the convention. We even had a Gregory Straub look alike day. Wyoming gave him our cowboy boots to add to his sartorial splendor.
Meeting friends, old and new is always one of the best things about our triennial meet up. I hope the ECW does not move its convention to another time, as it would end the balance they add to our time together. Many of new friends came as “virtual friends” on Facebook or through blogs – seeing them in “real” added another dimension to our friendships. Some are people I met in my first time as a Deputy and who continue to be leaders in the church. A funny thing I discovered is that many whom I have known and thought much older than I – are actually younger in years although not in experience and wisdom. Although there is the desire to see distant friends, this time I spend more time with our own Deputation – we had a Diocesan suite for meetings at the end of the day and it had a view of the Disneyland fireworks each night. We also ate meals together on occasion.
My husband and I are moving from our Diocese so each moment was bittersweet as I remembered the future loss while enjoying the present moment. Most of the resolutions I have been working for the past 9 conventions passed so I am content. I know others are now suffering as we did for many years, as their concerns were not passed. For that I am sad and hopeful that they will remain within the Episcopal Church as we have many concerns in common that we can do together better than apart.
I hope everyone in the church attends General Convention at some time. Even one day will amaze you. The diversity of the exhibit hall with its display of ministries and merchants, the worship in English, Spanish, and some of the other languages of our church, the challenge of sermons and statements all add to the mix and show forth a vital church. In the words of the old country music song:
Life is a dance
With steps you don’t know
Join the dance
Learn as you go.
The polity of the Episcopal Church is more a dance than anything else – hopefully we dance with the Spirit. Some of us love the dance of General Convention – others not so much. It takes all of us – those at home supporting us with prayer and funds, those who make it all happen from behind the scenes, those who report it like Episcopal Café and the myriads of bloggers and tweeters. Now it is over for another 3 years and over as a Deputy for me. Blessings and prayers for all of us now and always.
This is where the author’s ID line goes, but, hell, you all know who Ann Fontaine is.