The Rev. Brad Hinton’s Comments from General Convention
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Friday Evening, July 17
We’ve adjourned for this triennium and I have to find a way to put all my clothes and toiletries back into the suitcase and briefcase. That will prove to be a challenge. More challenging still will be how to put my notions of Church governance back into the mental box I had set aside for them before coming to Anaheim. Reading the journal of the GC is one way of knowing what happened, being here to participate in the process is another reality altogether. The former has a sense of order and completion whereas the latter can feel bulky, nervy and unfinished.
Please don’t misread me. The overall experience was good and positive. I met great people, saw friends of long ago, worshiped mightily, and pondered a wide range of ideas and proposals never before known to me in such short order. We addressed a wide range of topics and interests including but by no means limited to: national policies, world events, the environment, liturgical resources, ecumenical and interfaith relationships, canons, budget, mission priorities, human sexuality, ecological concerns, and rules of debate. All told we dealt with nearly 400 pieces of legislation. This has been a productive time and there is more than a sense of accomplishment. However, I am feeling a bit bedraggled after being here for 12 days.
I will also admit that the democratic process of governing the church can sometimes feel cumbersome. Trying to get 800+ deputies (not to mention the bishops over in the HoB) to be of one mind is nearly impossible. A simple majority is sometimes easily gained. A 2/3rds majority is not particularly challenging either. In fact, I found that by the time something reached the floor of the House, most people would support it if a committee made the recommendation. But that doesn’t mean that when the votes are tallied ‘it’s all said and done.’ This is church (not politics) and that means we need to hold in special consideration those people whose ideas are not in the majority.
Whenever one side prevails in a vote, there is a minority for whom the experience can be disheartening. This disconnect is compounded when people mistakenly believe that our resolutions especially reveal God’s will. When that happens I call it a resalation (yes, a made up word). Here’s the definition:
resalation n. the revelation of God’s will through a legislative process.
When people believe that a resolution is a resalation, they are setup to mistakenly suppose that if they win, God’s will is done. Moreover, if their proposal fails, the church has obviously ignored or abandoned God. No need to belabor that point. You can see where that will lead.
Our participatory and shared process of governance is far from perfect. Sometimes we advance the cause of God’s justice and mercy and sometimes we wander in a darkness. It can be messy and it can be beautiful – all in one afternoon. Our task is also our hope: to reflect something of the mind of Christ and the Spirit’s presence and power. I believe this convention has done just that.
Brad+
Thursday Morning, July 16
Conversation and hand wringing around here have turned to a couple of bellwether issues: the blessing of same-sex relationships and our budget woes. Any attempt to comingle the two as ‘cause and effect’ is misguided as the two issues are only tangentially related.
The popular urban legend about the ‘mainline’ churches is that our liberal leaning doctrines and policies are the cause of our membership decline and our atrophied budgets. The compiled data on this does not ‘add up.’ Instead, low birthrates (compared to so-called evangelical churches and the Roman Catholic Church) and changing immigration patterns (from Protestant Europe to Roman Catholic Caribbean and Latin American nations) are the major forces at work. This does not mean, however, that we have no responsibility in these matters. We can counter these trends if we can find the gumption to do so.
I am not necessarily suggesting that our members begin having more babies – although anecdotally speaking I think that is already the trend. I have long suggested to those couples desiring children that they adopt one or more of the millions of babies/children who need loving parents. What I’ve discovered is that the adoption option comes in at a distant second place. Most folks want their own shiny new baby, not someone else’s. You would have thought that I had suggested the equivalent of a used car from the reactions I sometimes get when I mention adopting. But hey, since I know nothing about babies, I leave it to others.
What I am saying is that we must get serious about evangelism (which is not a “save our parish from closing” campaign) and our budgets must reflect this. We can and need to articulate compelling reasons for being/becoming Christians in this day and age without resorting to fear and guilt tactics (which neither help folks live joyful lives nor reflect God’s promise) nor exchanging the challenging Gospel of Christ for a ‘feel good’ experience heavily influenced by a confluence of radical individualism and consumer capitalism.
Now that I’ve thought that through, having more babies seems a lot easier.
Brad+
Wednesday Afternoon, July 15
“The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here…” ~Abraham Lincoln
Today is my second day ‘off’ from the Floor of the House – I surrendered my deputy's badge to Ruth at 7:30 this morning (well, technically it was Anna, but that was a paperwork snafu) and replaced it with an alternate’s badge. I chose today because I knew a major part of the discussion would be the budget (here known as Program, Budget and Finance or P, B & F).
I need another discussion about financial challenges like I need another conversation about cholesterol levels! Most thoughtful members of The Episcopal Church know that in the current economic climate the budget is strained (that’s putting it lightly – since several million dollars are needed to balance). Nor do I need to be reminded that this challenge will probably be met with cuts to programs and that every reduction will be uncomfortable. The church’s dilemma roughly parallels the plight of governments, not-for-profit organizations, and households across the globe. So, I thought I’d take today off and do something else.
Last Friday, on my other day off, I went over to the Crystal Cathedral (see photo of me below). I was glad to see the architecture first hand and was surprised to see their ‘in-car worship center’ where you can park in the lot and listen to the worship services. I wonder what they do when they serve communion. I had a naughty vision of altar servers on roller skates with serving trays!
So, what to do in Orange County today? I honestly didn’t have the energy to get into a cab and find my way to the Richard Nixon library or the Queen Mary. These are relatively close options but I thought better of leaving the area. Disneyland is very close, but I am not the sort of person who likes roller coasters and thrill rides. My solution was to meander over to ‘downtown Disney’ which is near the park. I thought I might take a look at what the tourists are doing in this recession.
When I arrived, I immediately thought, ‘these folks obviously haven’t heard the economic news.’ People were literally everywhere moving about in erratic and unpredictable patterns like an anthill that had been disturbed. There was disconcerting music blaring from the speakers – disconcerting because it was so loud that I could see people’s lips moving as they approached, but couldn’t hear their voices.
I have read that loud music is supposed to make people want to spend money. It must work because people were doling out credit cards for T-shirts, watches, clothing, face painting, and cartoon caricatures of themselves. Corpulent bodies were amply represented and people of all shapes and sizes were seen eating pretzels, ice cream cones, hot dogs, cheese fries and other assorted caloric delights while waiting for the tram to ride them over to their cars in the parking lot (only a block or two away). Bags filled with the spoils of shopping wars bulged and stretched while cell phones were pressed against faces. All of this took place under theme signs proclaiming “Celebrate Today.” These folks were a far cry from the people just a few blocks over in the convention center who have been passionately debating issues of justice, peace, inclusion, fairness, honesty, restraint, trust, and love. The downtown Disney folks obviously hadn’t gotten the economic memo – or else were choosing to ignore it. I held out little hope they had heard of the church’s efforts to make the world a better place.
As I was making my way back to the hotel, sans shopping accoutrements, I said “hi” to some folks while waiting to cross a street (btw, drivers here are very considerate of pedestrians in cross walks). One woman asked how I enjoyed Disney and I told her I am here for the convention of the Episcopal Church. “I’m not familiar with that group”, she said. “Are you Christians”, she asked. I told her, “yes.” As we crossed over I thought about all the folks who might argue otherwise. At least they’ve heard of us!
Brad+
Monday Morning, July 13
No Earthquakes Here!
The possibility that my 13 days in California might include an earthquake (maybe even the proverbial ‘big one’) has been more than a fleeting thought. We had a small earthquake in Delaware just the other day (a 2.9, I think) – that only served to stoke the idea.
When I checked into the hotel, I discovered that my room is on the 11th floor. So, I asked the young lady at the counter about evacuation procedures in an earthquake. She just looked at me with a sort of dull and blank expression. Was my question unreasonable? This is an earthquake zone, right? I mean, tornado drills are regularly held in those communities where funnel clouds are known to occasionally drop out of the skies. The same can be said of preparing for fires. Schools have plans on what to do in case of fire. Every floor of this hotel has instructions on fire evacuation procedures (don’t use the elevators). So, I thought my question was ‘in order.’
If the building shakes and rattles, what do I do? Do I treat it like a tornado and go to the bathroom (if it is an interior room)? Do I act as though we are having a fire and go down the stairs? Or do I pour a drink and forget all about it? I just wanted to know because I like to be prepared. Well, apparently, there isn’t a plan – at least one that the clerk knew of. And because there was a line of folks behind me, waiting to check in, I just dropped it. I told myself that this is one of those situations where worrying about it will only increase my anxiety and since there’s nothing I can do about it and things will probably turn out better than my imagination allows, to just move on. Although I must confess, I have kept a pair of shorts and a T-shirt out and at the ready so I could at least have clothes to wear if the seismographs start rocking.
Well, I’m happy to report that I am more than halfway through this convention and so far, there haven’t been any earthquakes. Not even the passage of Resolution D025 by the HoD which, if also passed by the HoB, would move our church beyond our self-imposed moratorium on the selection of any candidate for the office of bishop whose ‘manner of life’ might be objectionable to other churches of the Anglican Communion (i.e., gay or lesbian candidates) has qualified as an earth shaking event. That is, I think, significant.
The document itself is a fairly nuanced text seeking to openly state where we find ourselves as a community of faith on these matters (you can read the full text of it on Mark Harris’ blog). Yes, there was robust discussion of it and the same old, tired dualistic lines of reasoning emerged, pro and con (as they have for the last 30 years). But it was clear that this house (the HoD) was basically ready to be honest about who we are as a church and what we believe God is calling us to do in the power of the Spirit. And because none of this is covering any new ground, so to speak, it probably means that the earth isn't shaking and the proverbial sky isn't falling either.
Brad+
Friday, Early Afternoon, July 10
Legislation may very well be the central aspect of these conventions – voting on this, debating that, listening to the rationale a deputy has for supporting an amendment, etc.
Yet, there are many other parts of this two-week process which contribute significantly to the overall experience. Chief among these are the kiosks and display booths of various adjunct groups and businesses (publishers, liturgical arts/artists, seminaries, clerical clothiers, justice ministries, etc) located in a part of the convention hall, and chance encounters with old friends and colleagues from other times and places in a deputy's life.
Often these two aspects go hand in hand. For instance, I was walking through the displays (working diligently to refrain from buying everything in sight) and almost literally ran into a priest from the Diocese of California whom I worked with in parish ministry years ago. We took ten minutes to ‘catch up’. It felt so good to see her after all these years.
Now, multiply that encounter times 20 or 30. That’s when you begin to understand the reason it becomes significant: a woman from the parish where I first served as a priest; a guy from the Admin Offices of the Diocese of New York with whom I used to work; a priest who was a student with me in seminary; a retired priest who I knew from my days in Campus Ministry…. I could go on and on, but you get the idea.
These encounters have reopened forgotten memories and in the process have added a sense of trajectory to my ministry. I’ve literally seen my entire ministry flash before my eyes and it has been so unexpected and so blessedly reassuring.
Before I finish this installment, let me speak to the importance of ‘listening’ during convention. The need to ‘hear what is being said’ is paramount if one is to make informed decisions. But I’ve discovered how difficult that is to do when speaker after speaker yammers on about this, that and the other. Many are passionate, some are clever, others are funny and some inspire. But after awhile, there is the tendency to let the mind ‘wander’ to something else or to hear the ‘voice’ of the teacher in Charlie Brown (‘waaa, waaa, waaaa-waaa’). The rules of the House help in this regard, often limiting a speaker to two minutes.
I have ‘traded places’ with the first alternate today giving her my seat on the floor of the HoD and I am in turn taking the alternate position. This gives me a break and it gives the alternate a chance to cast votes and give voice to the proceedings. I’ve sat in on the House of Bishops’ deliberations and I am about to go for a walk in sunny California.
Brad+
Thursday Morning, July 9
To relate all that happened yesterday I would need pages of space and more time than the schedule will allow! Once we got the House of Deputies organized for business, the voting began in earnest and let me tell you, it all happens so fast.
We gave our consent to the election of two new bishops (standard protocol when a bishop is elected within a certain number of days of a General Convention – otherwise the process of consent is left to the several standing committees of the dioceses). We made provision to dissolve the House into a Committee of the Whole on Thursday night and Friday morning in order to better facilitate conversation about our next steps in the arena of allowing otherwise qualified gay and lesbian folk to be ordained as bishops. The last General Convention (GC) asked for a moratorium on electing gay/lesbian bishops to give the Anglican Communion time to reach consensus (in three years?!).
We also approved a measure clearly stating our five mission priorities, already in use in many other Anglican/Episcopalian churches, and tied those to the budget beginning in 2013. This provision would encourage us to ‘put our money where our mouth is’.
More telling and far more interesting to me than the voting on the floor of the house are the committee meetings. That is where ‘the action’ seems to be. In those smaller venues the tug and tussle of proposed legislation gets its better airing. Our deputation, like many others, has the strategy of sending deputies to different committees to track progress on developments so we will know of them before they reach the floor of the house. No one deputy can track all the legislation, so this method helps us stay informed. I am following the proposed wholesale revision of the Title IV Canons, and the proposed major revision of the calendar of commemorations. Let me tell you, there’s a lot going on out here!
I have to get rolling, it’s almost 7:00 a.m. and committees are convening in only a few minutes. But before I go let me just tell you how awesome it has been to hear our Presiding Bishop and the Archbishop of Canterbury speak on contemporary issues. Both leaders offered to us rich and edifying allusions, images, thoughts, critiques and possible paths in the current economic climate. Moreover, Katharine’s ability to draw upon the Bible’s rich vocabulary of justice-related images is quite impressive and, in a sacerdotal sort of way, inspiring. [Click here to see videos of the July 8 Press Conference with the Presiding Bishop and the Global Economic Crisis Forum with the Archbishop.]
Brad+
Wednesday Morning, July 8
It’s six a.m. and I am trying to re-collect yesterday’s opening activities before sprinting to the first legislative session in only a few hours. (Breakfast and exercise are also on the agenda.)
I think I must have expected something akin to an ‘opening ceremonies’ as bishops, deputies, ECW participants, and guests gathered in a truly huge room to hear opening remarks from the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies. What I encountered was less than remarkable.
With literally no fanfare, the executive officer spoke to the crowd, bringing us to order, and then immediately introduced the PB (photo below), who spoke precisely and thoughtfully although her remarks were not what one might call inspirational. (Why did I think she’d try the ‘pep rally’ approach?) The President of the House of Deputies (HoD) was a bit more personable.
After they both finished, I commented on the sort of ‘deadpan’ rate of speech that they both exhibited. (Okay, they were downright slow.) That’s when someone told me they have to speak like that to give translators time to do their work. Thank the Heavens there’s a reason for this dirge-like pace!
We were also introduced to something called a Narrative Project which, when completed, may be of significant help in the church’s mission. I am doubtful, to say the least. But hey, I will keep an open mind……
The HoD then convened in another room while the House of Bishops went off to their meeting. We learned the basic rules of the house and the methods for gaining the privilege of speaking, how to vote using electronic devices (which was truly fun) and what to expect from the chair in terms of using parliamentary procedure. That concluded our first day.
Today we will organize for business and ‘we’re off’ so to speak.... Speaking of off, I have to get rolling if I am going to make it on time….
Brad+
Monday Evening, July 6
The portion of Anaheim that I have been privileged to see is dominated by hotels. Some of them try to play up a connection to Disneyland by having the word Disney printed somewhere on their sign. In some cases one has to read carefully because immediately following, in much smaller print, one finds the word ‘channel’. In other words, they have the Disney Channel on their cable television lineup but are in no way connected to Disney. Let the buyer beware.
Fortunately, the deputations present for General Convention don’t have to be concerned about our accommodations. The two hotels housing our bishops, deputies and aides are adjacent to the convention center and boast amenities to make our 12-day stay enjoyable. However, we do have some ‘fine print’ issues of our own. . . .
Each bishop and deputy has a rather voluminous collection of booklets and publications totaling well over 1,000 pages of resolutions and proposals that include an entire reworking of the canons related to clergy discipline, increasing pension opportunities for lay employees, considering a church-wide health insurance plan, expanding the calendar of commemorations (I think there are nearly 150 names being proposed for inclusion), elections for various boards and committees and budget considerations. These are just a few of the hundreds of pieces of legislation to consider. I am curious about how it will all happen!
Brad+
The Rev. Brad Hinton is rector of St. David's Episcopal Church, Wilmington.