I had the great honor and privilege of serving as one of the EDOW deputies at the 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland earlier this month. Typically, the General Convention (GC) will last for 10+ days, but this year due to COVID it was shortened. This meant that General Convention committees did their work throughout the year via Zoom for General Convention.
As a first time deputy some of the highlights for me were:
- Seeing Episcopal Dioceses represented from all over the country
- Being able to vote for amendments and resolutions that will impact our church and eventually impact our own diocese as it relates to mission and ministry.
- Witnessing money and mission align to the Way of Love.
- Seasoned deputies, in particular Gay Clark Jennings (now-former President of the House of Deputies), investing intentionally in raising up the next generation into leadership.
- Bishop Eugene Sutton’s (Diocese of Maryland) powerful sermon on Sunday, July 10th – authentically speaking to leadership challenges and humility, the power of love, and pursuit of reconciliation; all parts of God’s call to us as disciples of Christ.
My hope and prayer is that we as disciples in Christ may embrace some of the highlights noted above and lean into them in our own diocese, regions, and congregations. Thank you, EDOW, for allowing me to serve as a deputy to the 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church.
Iman Green Syler
Deputy to General Convention, St. George’s Valley Lee
