A strong theme of this year's General Convention has been the Millennium Development Goals, and it is these goals that have brought me to Columbus. As a volunteer with Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation, I've gotten to see the resolutions; hearings; and publicity of the MDGs.
On Monday I spent the entirety of my day, working with Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation. Through my job I prepared items for the stunts of that day, passed out fliers for the U2charist, and walking around wearing a sandwich board promoting our first MDG - eradicating extreme poverty and hunger - for Tuesday.
Monday after noon at twelve o'clock Mike Kinman (Director of EGR); Paige Blair (New England EGR coordinator); and I sprinted to sign up to give witness at the PB & F (Program Budget and Finance) hearing. I could not believe that I agreed to get up in front of some many people, ranging from laity to Bishops, to speak on behalf of the MDGs. The PB & F hearing was to help determine what the mission priorities of the Church would be. As I glanced over the listen of speakers I noticed the number of people testifying to the MDGs. Speakers included The Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Bishop of Nevada; Bonnie Anderson President Elect of the House of Deputies (at the time she was the VP of the House); and other notable representatives from EGR. I don't really remember what I say, but what ever we all said collectively worked. I was informed the other day that the PB & F committee announced that the MDGs would be the number one mission priority of the Church.
Yet, as those from EGR will agree, the highlight of the EGR presence occurred in the ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel on Tuesday night at 7.30. No it was not a hearing promoting the mission priority, or a guest speaker, but a U2charist. This Eucharistic service, highlighted around the music from the Irish rock band U2, focused on the mission of the MDGs and supporting global reconciliation. For many the focal point of the service was the sermon, given by The Rt. Rev. Michael Curry - Bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina. Bishop Curry is, in my opinion, one of - if not the - best preachers in the Episcopal Church. Being the son of a Baptist preacher, the skill of igniting a congregation, is not something that he lacks. Through his comical stories Bishop Curry got the point of witnessing across. He said very clearly that, "This convention is not about schism or sexuality, but about witness." We are called to be witnesses to Christ's light to our brothers and sisters around the world.
This evening bishops, deputies, volunteers, and visitors gather in the worship space to listen to the Presiding Bishop's Forum on reconciliation. The keynote speaker of the evening was The Reverend John Danforth, former United States Senator. Rev. Danforth, among the showers of applause, made two clear points. Firstly, the Church must start speaking for Reconciliation. Let the 99% of the nation that is not Episcopalian; know that we are a Church about reconciliation. Secondly, we must take action in making the reconciliation happen. One such way is by supporting the Millennium Development Goals - which can eliminate extreme poverty by 2015.
Through talking with various people at the EGR booth and around the convention center, many are glad to see that the Church is focusing on other things beside sexuality. I am proud to say that I have been informed that the PB & F committee has made the MDGs the number one mission priority of the Church. While the issues around the Windsor Report and Sexuality are not being ignored, it is nice to that not everything revolves around those two issues.
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