A: The General Convention is the triennial, bicameral governing body of The Episcopal Church, comprising the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies (clergy and lay representatives). I wrote about the House of Bishops and House of Deputies last week. General Convention acts as the church's highest legislative authority, passing resolutions to set policy, amend canons, and adopt budgets, with both houses required to pass legislation in identical form.

"An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church" reads: "The national legislative body of the Episcopal Church. It consists of a House of Bishops, which includes all active and retired bishops, and a House of Deputies, which includes four lay persons and four clergy from each diocese, each area mission, and the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe. The Convention meets every three years. The Houses meet and act separately, and both must concur to adopt legislation. The General Convention alone has authority to amend the Prayer Book and the church's Constitution, to amend the canons (laws) of the church, and to determine the program and budget of the General Convention, including the missionary, educational, and social programs it authorizes. A majority of bishops may request the Presiding Bishop to call a Special General Convention. Special General Conventions met in 1821 and in 1969. The General Convention elects twenty of the forty members of the Executive Council, which administers policy and program between the triennial meetings of the General Convention."

Key Aspects of General Convention:

  • Structure: It consists of two separate houses that meet concurrently: the House of

    Bishops (all active/retired bishops) and the House of Deputies (four clergy and four lay

    persons from each of the 100+ dioceses).

  • Legislative Process: Proposed resolutions regarding church doctrine, policy, or, for

    example, social issues are referred to committees, which hold open hearings before the

    houses vote.

  • Authority: The convention has the power to amend the Book of Common Prayer, change

    church laws (canons), and adopt the church's budget.

  • Timing: It meets every three years (triennially).

  • Between Sessions: The Executive Council and various interim bodies, committees, and

    commissions handle ongoing work between conventions.
    The 81st General Convention took place in June 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky.

    So if General Convention is responsible for any updates to the Book of Common Prayer, you may wonder why we are still using one from 1979! The Episcopal Church is in a long-term process to revise the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, with a new, fully revised edition not expected until at least 2030. Current plans involve testing new, inclusive-language materials over several years, with initial votes on revisions potentially occurring at the 2027 General Convention and final approval in 2030. As you see, change is often deliberate and truly requires the denomination to be on the same page before large-scale revisions are adopted.

Key Details on the Revision Process:

  • Current Status: The 81st General Convention in June 2024 took steps to redefine the

    prayer book to include a broader range of authorized, contemporary liturgical texts.

  • Trial Usage: The church is using trial-use liturgies (such as new marriage rites) approved

    in 2024, which are part of a multi-year, multi-convention process.

  • Timeline: The process is designed to be slow and thorough, with significant

    developments, such as a potential new edition, being considered at the 2027 and 2030

    General Conventions.

  • Goal: The aim is to create a more inclusive, modern, and representative prayer book that

    reflects current theological and liturgical trends.

    While a new physical book is not expected for several years, the church is currently using authorized digital and trial-use resources, which can be found on sites
    like     episcopalcommonprayer.org.

    St. Luke’s elects delegates to attend Diocesan convention every February at our annual meeting. It is at Diocesan convention that we elect delegates to attend General Convention.

    Author: The Reverend Ashley Wright