Dear Friends, Beloved of Christ!
I send greetings from Baltimore and the meeting of the Deputies of Color to the triennial General Convention. We meet for the first time since the last Convention, four years ago, to discuss common issues around budget, racial reconciliation, evangelism, and the environmental crisis. We learned about the healing from historical trauma and creating cultural competency. We learned also of the survey on Jesus in America, commissioned by The Episcopal Church (https://www.episcopalchurch.org/jesus-in-america/), and the report on the Working Group on Truth Telling, Reckoning and Healing (https://extranet.generalconvention.org/staff/files/download/31499). As House of Deputies Chairperson for the committee of Evangelism and Church Planting, both reports are critical for our work during Convention.
While here, I’ve taken the opportunity to share our story of St Francis’, especially as we continue to regather in the name of Christ. It is good to see old colleagues and new, to meet presiding officers and to hear from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. In his remarks, he reminded us “our work as followers of Jesus Christ is to make us live into the teachings of Jesus.”
Let it be so, Bishop Curry, let it be so.
Thank you St Francis’, for your prayers and support.
Blessings Be,
Fr Eric