General Convention Day 8

Dean Penny writes

Day 8 of #GC79: a long morning of legislative business debating and voting on the budget, and resolutions on responsible investment regarding Israel, caring for the children of Palestine, expanding the language of the Eucharistic prayers, and a whoe variety of stuff. I spent the lunch hour getting to know the Dean of Reno, Nevada, although my lunch didn´t actually arrive until 5 minutes before an appointment with a bishop, so I ate in the visitors´ area of the House of Bishops, having swapped roles with our alternate again for 24 hours. I listened as the bishops debated the same resolutions we had debated in the morning, making many of the same comments.

I spent the afternoon going between the two houses to observe, but sadly missed the moment when the head of our deputation, the inimitable Pauline Getz was awarded the House of Deputies medal for her long service as parliamentarian, deputy, executive council member, and committee chair. In the House of Bishops I was lucky enough to catch the Passing of the Torch (literally) from the diocese of Texas, who hosted this GC, to Maryland, who will host the 2021 convention. The soundtrack, naturally, was Chariots of Fire as the bishops ran in slow motion.

Worship this evening featured the Rt Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, first woman of color to be elected a diocesan bishop, as preacher. Then a few of us walked down to the river to see the nightly spectacle of millions of bats flying out from their roost under a bridge: fantastic! We ended the evening in our hospitality suite for a last get-together as a deputation. Tomorrow holds a full schedule of legislative business all the way from 8 am to 6:30 pm when we catch our shuttle to the airport. I imagine the House of Deputies will start to empty out after lunch.