Big, Messy, Beautiful: A Primer to the 81st General Convention

General Convention 2024

The 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church

June 23-28 | Louisville, KY

The 81st General Convention of The Episcopal Church starts next week in Louisville, KY. General Convention can, from time to time, feel like a big, beautiful, holy mess. Beautiful, because all four orders of ministry share the authority of governing the church at the highest level, and because of the rich tradition of our church gathering in this way roughly every three years since 1785. Messy, because, well, human communities are messy. The full depth, breadth, and diversity of the church is present, and there are widely varying perspectives, priorities, and opinions about the best way forward. Holy, because we trust the Spirit of God somehow moves through our strange, broken efforts to be as faithful as we can be. 

Our diocese will be represented by the bishop and by the deputation we elected at ECMN Convention 2022:

Lay:

Esther Agbaje

Heidi Kim

Minnie Steele

Katie Grohs Madsen

Sue Grove (First Alternate)

Clergy:

Devon Anderson (Co-Chair)

Margaret Thor (Co-Chair)

Rick Swenson

Ramona Scarpace

Christy Stang (First Alternate)

In addition to our deputies, ECMN will be well represented among candidates running for election in various churchwide governing boards:

  • Heidi Kim, member of St John the Evangelist in St Paul, for Executive Council
  • The Rev. Cody Maynus, Rector, All Saints, Northfield, for the General Board of Examining Chaplains
  • The Rev. Denise Stahura, for the Trustees of the Church Pension Fund
  • The Rev. Christy Stang, Disciplinary Board for Bishops
  • The Rev. Margaret Thor, Deacon, St John in the Wilderness, White Bear Lake, for the Court of Review
  • The Rev. Molly Weiss, Disciplinary Board of Bishops and Trustees of the Church Pension Fund

Several important matters of note will be considered at this year's General Convention: liturgy, the Title IV disciplinary process for clergy, the churchwide budget and how it is best funded, and, most notably, the convention will be electing a President of the House of Deputies, and a new Presiding Bishop. 

Keep up with the deputation and all things General Convention here, and please keep the ECMN Deputation, Bishop Loya, and the whole Episcopal Church in your prayers as we gather for this beautiful, messy, holy, and storied time.