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From figueroa Thu Jul 31 22:00:09 2003 Subject: General Convention Report 7/31 To: philemon Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2003 22:00:09 -0400 (EDT) Dear faithful AAC members and friends and guests, Report from the General Convention at Minneapolis The American Anglican Council is making it's presence known in a big way. Every morning a team of volunteers are out in front of the convention center distributing the day's special edition of Encompass and the daily God is ... reflection. PBS's Religion and Ethics news weekly show was present at our Sunday evening Eucharist at the North Central University chapel. They are covering GC issues so you may want to record the next several editions, Aug 3, 7:30 a.m. and Aug 10, 7:30 a.m. on Dayton's WPTD channel 16. Check your local station for airtime. Today was the first test of the AAC's legislative team's ability to muster witnesses for committees considering controversial legislation. It was a great success we testified against two resolutions against the use of re- orientation therapy, and in favor of an alternative resolution encouraging appropriate use of reparative therapy. In an hour of testimony, the opposition ran out of witnesses after 45 minutes allowing the remaining AAC organized witnesses to be especially gracious, with many yielding their time yet using up all of the one hour allowed for testimony. The real test will be Friday morning in testimony on the consent of the consecration of the bishop coadjutor of New Hampshire, and then again in the evening in testimony to the committee on Prayer Book and Liturgy on resolution C005, the development of blessings for relationships other than marriage. I was part of the large team organized by the AAC to testify on the reparative therapy issue, although I was able to yield my time more more powerful testifiers further back in the line, though I provided my testimony in writing to the secretary of the committee, an especially gracious move. I am also on tap to testify on both of the other issues discussed above. I mention that so that you may keep us and me in your prayers. The AAC is also taking a prayer team for concurrent on-site intercession during each of these hearings. Jeff Brown of St. Christopher's, Fairborn, is mentioned and quoted in today's "The Daily Encompass" in Shay Mason's article "AAC Spiritual Needs are Joyfully Met." Then, what a surprise it was this evening to walk into the AAC's on-site office at the Central Lutheran Church (to which I had escaped for dinner) and find Jeff's wife, Rosanne, working as a volunteer as she was "passing through" on her way back Ohio. (The Brown's have a relative in Minneapolis.) We are likely to vote on the consent for Gene Robinson (bishop coadjutor- elect, New Hampshire) in the House of Deputies on Sunday afternoon. If it passes in the House of Deputies it will probably be taken up on Tue. in the House of Bishops. It must pass both houses to pass.
There is much other news, but that is available to you from other sources. Keep the faith. Keep us in your prayers. Pray for each other.
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