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Deputy News: Who we are and what we’re up to

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During General Convention, the House of Deputies communications team will publish news, features and commentary, in English and Spanish, in print, podcasts and videos at deputynews.org. Our intention is to provide the church with a broad and deep sense of the work deputies do at General Convention, the ways in which they draw conclusions and the passion and seriousness of purpose that they bring to their work. Beyond that, we hope to provide our visitors with a sense of what General Convention feels like—the little moments, some funny, some absurd, some poignant, some joyful and some deadly serious that make participating in or observing the convention such a distinctive experience.

  • Here’s some of what you will find here:
  • Essays by deputies and alternates on topics ranging from how a young deputy approaches the convention, to how General Convention is and isn’t like political conventions, to what to keep an eye on in the debate on the church’s budget
  • A series of video clips from an interview with the Hon. Byron Rushing, vice president of the House of Deputies on the history and spirit of General Convention
  • Journalistic news and feature stories written by deputies, alternates, church communications professionals, and members of the House of Deputies communications team with backgrounds in journalism on the issues coming before the convention and the activities in the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies
  • Paired opinion pieces by deputies and alternates, each one advocating a different outcome on some of the pressing issues that will come before the convention
  • Essays by the members of various legislative committees describing how they came to their positions on the resolutions considered by their committees
  • Observational pieces by a variety of writers—all of them deputies and alternates—who will be roaming the convention, sitting in hearings, attending the daily Eucharist, hanging out at hearings, socializing and looking for instructive, illuminating and off beat happenings, or just sharing their thoughts about how the convention is progressing
  • Video and audio coverage of the convention that ranges from the newsy to the lighthearted
  • Photographs. Lots of photographs.

We can’t promise to provide comprehensive coverage of the convention, but we hope to offer a strong sense of what is happening in the key legislative committees and on the floors of both houses here and what it feels like to be here in Salt Lake City for the next two weeks.

Because we are relying almost exclusively on people who are involved in church governance to bring you this coverage, we will do our best to disclose information that might shape your reception of a writer’s presentation.

Now some disclosure about the team managing this effort: The site was built by Deputy Bill Joseph of Words if Necessary, who works under contract with Gay Clark Jennings, president of the House of Deputies and with a number of dioceses and other organizations in the church. The site will be maintained by Bill and by Rebecca Wilson and Kathleen Moore of Canticle Communications. Kathleen, who is the communications minister in the Diocese of Vermont, also will serve as a videographer. Jim Naughton of Canticle Communications is editor of the site.

Canticle also works under contract to President Jennings. Its other ongoing clients who will be present at the convention include Bishops United Against Gun Violence, the Chicago Consultation, Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Church Publishing Incorporated, the Dioceses of Bethlehem, Chicago and Washington, Living Compass and Washington National Cathedral. Rebecca served this triennium on the Standing Commission on Anglican and International Peace with Justice Concerns. She and Dora Mbuwayesango are the authors of Resolution A051: Support LGBT African Advocacy. Jim served for some of the triennium on the Standing Commission on Mission and Evangelism. The team will be assisted by Jacob Bilich, Rebecca’s son, who, like countless teenagers before him, is spending his summer working for the family business.

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