David Quittmeyer
July 19, 2009
My initial intention was to report periodically from Anaheim. I soon found out that the quality of my reporting would not be very good because:
a. others of our deputation were doing an excellent job of reporting;
b. my committee work ended up being very time-consuming; and
c. as things went along, it became clear to me that the big picture, upon completion, would be more accurate than bits and pieces, at least from my perspective.
1. My Convention Work. I was secretary of the Committee on Rules of Order. We worked on 25 resolutions addressing procedure for debate and legislation in the House of Deputies. Most of these were not controversial matters, but involved a lot of precision and care. My role as secretary was to keep minutes, keep up with the paperwork of our committee, and track down the necessary formal consents for our resolutions. Everyone on my committee was excellent (even though most were fellow lawyers) and I got to work closely with the Vice President of the House of Deputies and the Parliamentarian and many other seasoned experts. I can assure you that the legislative process at General Convention is meticulous and essential to how we function as a Church. There are some inefficiencies, but the process is fair and makes room for all voices.
2. The Work of the House of Deputies. Well over 300 resolutions were addressed, so lots of work was done. Veterans said that numerically this was the most productive General Convention in history.
As I write this, I have not been keeping up with external reports or news about the work of the Convention and the resolutions it adopted. I think it is fair to say that the most serious and careful attention was given to issues concerning the varieties of the manner of life of people within the Church. Convention adopted a resolution that acknowledged the importance of our traditions and our ties to the Anglican Communion, and at the same time re-asserted what has long been part of our Church Canons that discrimination on any grounds should not be part of the discernment process at any level of the Church. There was no suggestion or implication that persons called to the priesthood or the episcopate should not be examined carefully and critically. While I did not find the language of the particular resolution to be entirely satisfactory, I do believe strongly that the resolution was a way of moving forward with continued recognition of different points of view, especially as they might appear as differences from diocese to diocese. I do not read this as involving dramatic change.
The matter of same-gender blessings was bound to come up, and did. The result involved neither the adoption nor imposition of any rites, but did commit to further serious study. Noteworthy is that special consideration was given to the changing background of the laws of different states and how this ought to inform the continued study, with due regard for how this might implicate pastoral care in certain states and places. Again I was not wholly comfortable with all of the language, but I do see it as the product of a generous spirit and genuine respect for different (and changing) points of view.
Other matters may not have received headline attention, but were at least as important to the life of the Church. There was a major overhaul of Church Canons addressing disciplinary procedure. (Thack Dyson helped with that.) The entitlement of most employees of the Church to a pension was clarified and strengthened. Health insurance coverage was made more uniform. (Vince Currie helped with these things.) And a budget was adopted that reflected the sad fact that we see in every sector: we have more to do but less money to do it with, requiring cuts in several areas.
3. The Spirit of the Convention. I found the atmosphere of this Convention to be more good-natured and less anxious than in Columbus three years ago. The pockets of extremism were less intense, and almost always a gracious spirit prevailed. There were few angry voices, which made discussion and deliberation more efficient and productive. But still it is clear that we have a Church of many different people, from many different places, and with many points of view. My sense is that there was a real effort to keep room for all.
4. Our Deputation. Each one of our deputies worked hard at listening, learning, and participating. We met regularly to discuss the work of the Convention, to tell our stories, and to become close friends. I was the only deputy with a car and so was the designated driver for off-ground excursions, including shopping trips, finding alternative restaurants, and exposure to local culture. A curious eye, a thick skin, a GPS system, and a sense of humor helped us learn about the ways of Southern California, including its unusual traffic patterns. (The Very) Senior Deputy Vince Currie, chair of our deputation, was fighting a bad cold most of the time, so it fell to the rest of us to provide entertainment and commentary appropriate to the occasion. We were relieved and delighted when Vince re-bounded.
My one sentence summary: God is taking care of the Church, and we are taking care of each other.
