of The Episcopal Church
July 8 – 11, 2022
Baltimore, Maryland
The General Convention is the governing body of the Episcopal Church. It meets every three years. It is a bicameral legislature (a legislature that has two houses) that includes the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops, composed of deputies and bishops from each diocese. During its triennial meeting deputies and bishops consider a wide range of important matters facing the Church.
The General Convention sets policy for our denomination, including in worship, discipline, mission, finance, and vision. In preparation for this summer’s General Convention, over 20 legislative committees have received legislation that spans the gamut. Every item proposes to tweak our polity, perspective or policy to strengthen our Christian witness, and every item must be given a open hearing in which any Episcopalian can have their voice heard before they are put forward for a vote.
More information here.
Resolutions call on General Convention to take specific legislative action, such as amending the Canons, creating/funding/starting a particular initiative, or enacting specific policies and procedures.
- View all resolutions and information here.
The Virtual Binder contains all of the legislative information for the meeting of General Convention. The website is vbinder.net and accessible to the public.
On site, at General Convention, all registered Bishops, Deputies, and Alternates will be issued an iPad that will have quick access to everything in the Virtual Binder, the system for voting, and other documents needed while Convention is meeting.
As of March 2022, Resolutions, Memorials, and Legislative Committee meetings and hearings have been posted. More will be added as the General Convention Office receives this information.
As we get close to the start of General Convention in July, information will be populated in all of the tabs.
Fun fact for those new to General Convention: The Virtual Binder replaced what were actual binders filled with paper. Above: Binders issued to Bishops and Deputies from 2006 in Columbus, Ohio; 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana; and 2009 in Anaheim, California.
The below booklet is from the 79th General Convention.
View here or below:
Open Hearings for General Convention are now being held.
REVIEW LEGISLATION
You can review legislation proposed for General Convention through the link below. For each item, note the Legislative Committee to which it has been assigned. https://www.vbinder.net/resolutions?house=HD&lang=en
REGISTER TO SPEAK
You can register to speak at an Open Hearing through the link below. It is very common for persuasive testimony to move the members of a committee to action. You might speak in favor, against, or with a recommendation for how the legislation should be amended to be more perfect. https://www.generalconvention.org/legislative-committee-meeting-registration
REGISTER TO OBSERVE
You can register to observe Open Hearings through the link below. Observing is a great way to take in the breadth of one aspect of the church’s work, whether it be Churchwide Leadership – Committee 16; Prayer Book, Liturgy, and Music – Committee 12; Christian Formation & Discipleship – Committee 14, or others. https://www.generalconvention.org/legislative-committee-meeting-registration
OPEN HEARING SCHEDULE
A schedule of all Open Hearings can be found through the link below. The information is presented in a grid. The first column is the date and time of the meeting. The second column notes the legislation that will be considered in that meeting. The third column lists the Committee assigned to consider that legislation. The fourth column notes the meeting type. To find the Open Hearings, scan this fourth column for the words “Video – Open Hearing.” Then note the date and time of those open hearings, found in the first column. https://www.vbinder.net/legislative_meetings?house=HD&lang=en
Representatives from the Episcopal Church in Delaware
Clerical
Deputies
Patty Downing
Trinity Parish
Wilmington
Cecily Sawyer Harmon
St. Thomas's Parish,
Newark
Donna Jean Kiessling
St. Peter's Church,
Smyrna
James M. Bimbi
Sts. Andrew & Matthew,
Wilmington
Alternates
Christopher Keene
Immanuel Church,
New Castlle
Kevin S. Brown
XI Bishop of Delaware
Lay
Deputies
Sts. Andrew & Matthew,
Wilmington
All Saints' & St. George's
Rehoboth/Harbeson
St. Thomas's Parish,
Newark
St. Peter's Church,
Lewes
Alternates
St. Thomas's Parish
Newark
St. David's Church,
Wilmington
Clerical
Deputies
The Rev. Brad Hinton
St. David’s Church, Wilmington
Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Wilmington
Trinity Parish, Wilmington
retired
St. Peter’s Church, Smyrna
St. Thomas’s Parish
Lay
Deputies
Teri Quinn Gray
St. Thomas’s Parish, Newark
Sts. Andrew & Matthew, Wilmington
All Saints’ & St. George’s, Rehoboth/Harbeson
Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Wilmington
St. Peter’s, Lewes
St. Thomas’s Parish
