Day 9

Beth Marquart

Today I’m a free agent because all of the deputies of our laity deputation are seated on the convention floor.

My plan today is loose, the floor sessions convene at 9:30am and the plan in both houses is to approve the budget. One of the rules announced yesterday in the House of Deputies was that if one wishes to amend a line item by adding funds to it, one must also say what line item will be reduced to care for the increase, causing care and good stewardship to reign.

And speaking of the budget, PB&F, the committee that created it, is to be commended for their difficult work. Bishop Klusmeyer spoke about the huge gap between available funds and the proposed budget so I won’t reiterate any of that. But they worked hard and kept their eye, beneath their eyeshades with abacus at hand, firmly planted on the priorities named and adopted. As a result things like the Millennium Development Goals remain fully funded at 0.7% and domestic poverty in the Americas is also funded at 0.7% through Jubilee Ministries.

A recommendation has been made to reduce the 77th General Convention by 2 days which affords savings across the board as delegates, dioceses and the convention itself realize savings.

The CCABs (Committees, Commissions, Agencies and Boards) that meet between conventions and do the yeoman’s duty on the directives passed at GC have been challenged to make electronic meetings their norm and their travel budgets have been greatly reduced as a result.

Each of these actions, and many many more unnamed, point to the good stewardship and difficult decisions untaken by PB&F. Thanks be to God for their work.

And once more --- please follow the action on the Episcopal News Service, http://ecusa.anglican.org/ens/. Much good work has been accomplished at this 76th General Convention and we are not able to do service to it but the good folks at ESN are doing so. Another good source of timely news is the Episcopal Café, http://www.episcopalcafe.com/ . Actually, Episcopal Café is always a good source of news and posts a reflection every day.

So, I think I may go to the House of Bishops and sit in the visitors gallery. The process they employ is very prayerful and intentional. I witnessed it yesterday and was struck by these aspects amidst their disagreement which was characterized as loving and respectful of one another.

Thanks for electing me as an alternate to this 76th General Convention. I would not have missed it for anything; the experience has been worth the 2 weeks of vacation time it took to be here. I will never forget the people I have met here. I will carry the worship experiences in my heart and the acts of kindness and civilty extended to one and all, across the board. I hope you’ll send me again --