By your eternal word, O God, you call all things into being and fill them with your goodness. Be with your church gathering in convention by your calling in the coming days; fill it with your wisdom and your love, empower it with abiding courage and patience, sustain it through your spirit to carry out the decisions made in council; and in all things, grant that we in the Diocese of Southern Ohio may greet the sojourner and the stranger at General Convention in a manner worthy of your son Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.
- The Rev. Richard Burnett, for the Diocese of Southern Ohio
Resources
Background documents relating to legislation at General Convention
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General Convention 2006 -
The 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church USA: June 13-21, 2006 in Columbus, Ohio
The clergy, staff and congregation of Trinity Church, Columbus offer thanks to all who made General Convention 2006 such a memorable experience for us. We have been truly blessed to have had the opportunity to participate in this historic event in the life of our Church, and to meet so many wonderful people from the wider Church community.
On Trinity’s role in General Convention 2006
When I heard, six years ago, that Columbus was one of four cities proposed to host the 75 th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, I must confess that I dreamed big dreams for our city and our parish. Frankly, sometimes dreaming big leaves you unfullfilled and let down, but I assure you that in no way have I felt anything less than complete delight and admiration for the involvement of Trinity Church in the 75th General Convention held in Columbus from June 13-21!
From Trinity Sunday – June 11 th – when more than 400 people worshipped in our beautifully restored church and thanked me again and again over the next two weeks for worship that spoke to their hearts and spirits as they began the important councils that make up a part of General Convention, to the powerful witness of some 1,000 people gathering in the church, underccroft and spilling out onto the street at the Integrity liturgy, to the historic moment of the election of Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori to become the first women primate in Anglicanism, Trinity was “front and center” and offered extraordinary hospitality and faithful leadership to the wider church.
For all this, and for the leadership of Jim Bliek and his docent corps and the effective administration of our music director Kevin Wines working in the office and in liturgy planning day-by-day, I am so proud! Trinity was in fine form morning ‘til night through all General Convention, and we can give thanks to God for the blessing that this “House of Prayer for All People” was to the Episcopal Church and overseas visitors.
- The Rev. Richard A. Burnett, Rector
From Kevin Wines, Trinity's Director of Music
As the General Convention came to a close I thanked God for such a wonderful and once-in-a-lifetime experience. Our Parish secretary had taken an extended vacation during this time and I assumed her position as office administrator. Arriving around 7 a.m. and heading home roughly 10 to 12 hours later, I saw every aspect of Trinity during the convention. The one phrase I heard continually: “Thank you for your hospitality,” most notably from the Presiding Bishop-elect after filming a PBS interview in our chapel.
We hosted the National Altar Guild for numerous events. These are wonderful ladies that I enjoyed meeting and getting to know. They even made me an honorary member. I joined them for daily Eucharist services at the Hyatt and was thrilled to see so many of them at the Evensong on Sunday the 18th at First Congregational Church.
Of the 13 services I led music for during the convention, there were two services that stand out for me. The Integrity service on Friday evening – how we crowded nearly 1200 people into Trinity I can only assume was a holy blessing and a lot of coordination on Jim Bliek and DeniRay Mueller’s part. The Evensong on Sunday the 18th was a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with our neighbors in a service as Anglican as any seen during the convention. We were blessed to take part in each and every service and to host the numerous events.
As the visitors left and we settle into the summer, let us rejoice in our ability to truly live up to our Capital Campaign’s desire to improve the inviting and hospitable qualities of Trinity Church. For this and for my exposure to the people of the national church I will be eternally thankful.
A Message from the Bishop of Southern Ohio
June 18, 2006
Sisters and Brothers,
Today I want to share my thoughts on the historical actions taken by our church last Sunday. After celebrating Eucharist together in the Convention Center, the bishops were bussed to Trinity Church for the election of the 26th Presiding Bishop. As Secretary, it was my job to dispense and certify the ballots. Also, as a member of the nominating committee, I had a vested interest in many of the nominees.
As we gathered in the beautifully redecorated Trinity Church, we were surrounded on three sides by a time line recounting the thirty years since women were first ordained. Rector Richard Burnett presented every bishop with a history book of Trinity titled Be It Remembered. Most bishops put that aside and we got about the process of voting for our next Presiding Bishop. The first three ballots were all across the board, reflecting the high quality of all three nominees. We then broke for lunch. Afterwards, two more ballots were taken and on the fifth Katharine Jefferts Schori, Bishop of Nevada, attained the needed majority.
Katharine is a superb choice. She is a brilliant individual who is articulate and faithful, with an obvious spiritual dimension. She will make an excellent Presiding Bishop. A few bishops were unhappy with her choice, but the atmosphere among the bishops after her election was overwhelmingly positive. It may be a hard road ahead for our new Presiding Bishop in some corners of our Anglican Communion, but I believe she is up for that and will represent our church admirably. Episcopal News Service reports that initial reactions are guardedly positive.
All of our women bishops were present, and given the historic nature of this action, the book given us about Trinity Church titled Be It Remembered suddenly took on new dimensions. For all the things Trinity is remembered for, here was one more milestone in the rich history of the Episcopal Church. Many of us had all the women present sign that book as a memento of that occasion.
In closing, I wish to congratulate our new Presiding Bishop. I believe we elected her not just because she is a woman, but because she is a highly qualified woman. Yes, it is true that her election communicates the inclusive nature of the Episcopal Church, but the main reason we elected her is that we bishops truly believe that this bishop will lead us well and represent us on the world scene well. I am proud to have been the certifier of her election, and am looking forward to serving with her as I have with Bishop Griswold. But most of all, today, I am very proud to be an Episcopalian. I believe our church has made a wise and significant choice. Please keep our Presiding Bishop-elect in your prayers.
Faithfully,
Bishop Ken Price
Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio
Further reflections from Bishop Price on the General Convention
(This file can be opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded at no charge from Adobe.)
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