Those of you who followed our coverage of the Lambeth Conference last summer know that the tempo picks up here on The Lead during major meetings of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. Unlike Lambeth, however, the General Convention is a legislative gathering. This isn’t to say that there won’t be stories around the edges: the Archbishop of Canterbury and a number of Anglican primates are coming, and there are receptions, meet-ups and chance encounters by the dozen. Still, the big stories will likely unfold in committee rooms and on the floors of the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. We will try to stay on top of them to the best of our ability.
Also, unlike Lambeth, the media room here in Anaheim may not have a single correspondent from any of the London dailies. Those papers cover the Anglican Communion like the hometown team, and reporters are under pressure to produce daily stories and offer frequent readings of sometimes meager tea leaves. They won’t be here to drive the coverage, and—due to budget cuts and a general weariness with a story that seems more repetitive and less significant by the day—few of the mainstream American outlets are sending a reporter for the full two weeks of convention. It will be interesting to see who fills that vacuum, or if the coverage is simply less frequent and more low-keyed.
As for the Café:
I will be filing regular news stories and commentary. Rebecca Wilson of the Chicago Consultation will also be filing news stories and commentary, probably on a daily basis. Richard Helmer, once a regular contributor to Daily Episcopalian will also be writing news and commentary, probably on a daily basis. Richard will be our guide to the proposed revisions to the Church’s disciplinary canons (Title IV).
Newsbloggers Nicholas Knisely and Ann Fontaine, both of whom are deputies to the convention, will be filing their impressions from time to time, but you will understand if they have other business to attend to.
Otis Gaddis, a postulant from the Diocese of Washington, who is working at the Integrity booth in the exhibit hall will be writing four or five times during convention about his experiences and observations.
John Chilton and Andrew Gerns will be combing the blogs and wires for coverage.
The Video blog will change more frequently than its usual weekly pace, probably twice each week during the convention.
Daily Episcopalian will often, but not always bring you an essay relevant to the convention.
If you have tips, have an article you would like to write, a hearing you would like to cover, or a link you would like to propose, please send it to feedback@episcopal.cafe.
Just to put my other cards on the table, I am not here in a strictly journalistic capacity. I will also be doing media work, when the need arises, with Bishop John Bryson Chane and the deputation from the Diocese of Washington. I will also be working in a similar capacity (but with several colleagues) with Bonnie Anderson, the President of the House of Deputies, and through my work with President Anderson, with the media team of the general Church, led by Anne Rudig, the Director of Communications. I have my biases, and I want to make sure that you know what they are–to the extent that self-awareness permits, of course.
See you soon with some news, or notes, or something.