Highlights from GC80: Day Three
The third day of the 80th General Convention opened with Sunday worship, featuring the Rt. Rev’d Eugene Sutton, Bishop of the Diocese of Maryland, for the sermon. Bishop Sutton urged the breaking down of walls to further our Episcopal movement of love as followers of Jesus, citing the work of racial reconciliation as one of the steps towards tearing down those walls that prevent justice. You can view Bishop Sutton’s sermon here:
Another major election occurred in the House of Deputies in the afternoon session: the Rev’d Rachel Taber-Hamilton of the Diocese of Olympia was elected as the Vice President of the House of Deputies. President Gay Clark Jennings proclaimed to the house,That was a great moment: the first ordained woman to be elected Vice President of the House of Deputies. President-Elect Julia Ayala Harris and Vice President-Elect Rachel Taber-Hamilton will be the first all-female team to lead the House of Deputies.The House of Deputies also celebrated President Gay Clark Jennings for her 10 years of faithful and dedicated service.
Vice President of the House of Deputies Elect Rachel Taber-Hamilton, Photo Credit: Scott Gunn
In the legislative sessions, more elections, resolutions, and budget matters were in focus. Steps were taken to add Bishop Barbara Harris to the calendar of church saints. The Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget, and Finance made a budget presentation on Sunday afternoon to a joint session of both houses; the budget was also under consideration in both houses in the evening session. The House of Deputies examined and voted on resolutions regarding the path to updates for the Book of Common Prayer, as well as resolutions expressing gratitude and recognizing the service of deputies and members of the Council for Advice in the House of Deputies.
The final day of General Convention, day four, will begin with Morning Prayer. The sermon will be by the President-elect of the House of Deputies, Julia Ayala Harris.
Stay tuned for more highlights and reporting from the 80th General Convention in Baltimore, both on our Facebook page and here on our website.