Episcopalians from around the world will gather June 23-28, 2024, in Louisville, KY, for the 81st General Convention of The Episcopal Church. The Diocese of Missouri has an elected deputation - four clergy and four lay members - who will represent us, but everyone is invited to attend.
Perhaps the biggest news to watch for at this summer's convention is the election of a new presiding bishop. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry was elected for a nine-year term in 2015, which makes 2024 an election year. The Episcopal Church’s Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop has announced the names of the bishops nominated to succeed Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. Get all the information about the nominees here.
Along with the election of our next presiding bishop, this year's General Convention will include:
- Six days of legislative sessions
- Three eucharist celebrations
- Episcopal Church Women's 50th Triennial Convention Anniversary Celebration
- The final revival of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's term
Fast facts about the General Convention of The Episcopal Church
- GC meets every three years (the schedule got messed up in 2021-22 because of COVID)
- The first GC was held in 1785 (only the House of Deputies)
- Bishops began participating in 1789
- The first lay President of the House of Deputies was elected in 1946
- The first women deputies were seated in 1970
- The first President of color was elected to the House of Deputies in 1976
- The first Presiding Bishop of color was elected in 2015
- The first woman President of the House of Deputies was elected in 1991
- The first woman Presiding Bishop was elected in 2006
- The first women President and Vice President of color were elected to the House of Deputies in 2022
General Convention Governmental Structure
General Convention is the highest authority (under God) in our governmental structure. GC is made up of two houses:
- The House of Deputies - led by an elected President and Vice President
- The House of Bishops - led by the Presiding Bishop
Legislation must pass both houses to be adopted. Some people like to compare our structure to that of the U.S. Government, which makes sense because many of our country's founding fathers were Episcopalians! But there are differences -- like The Episcopal Church does not have a Supreme Court.
Download an infographic that explains how legislation moves through General Convention.
Only GC can do the following:
- Amend the Constitution & Canons
- Authorize new liturgies
- Change the Book of Common Prayer
- Adopt the budget
- Set the diocesan assessment
Learn More and Get Involved
Whether you're a church nerd or just curious about General Convention, here are some links to learn more and ways you can get involved:
- Visit The Episcopal Church General Convention website:
https://generalconvention.org/ - Get info including registration, legislative resources, and a profile for our next presiding bishop:
https://generalconvention.org/gc81/ - Visit the House of Deputies website:
https://houseofdeputies.org - Visit the website for the Love. Always. Episcopal Revival:
https://www.episcopalchurch.org/love-always-episco... - Visit the website for the Young Adult Festival:
https://yacm.episcopalchurch.org/young-adult-festi... - See the lists of elected clergy and lay deputies from the Diocese of Missouri:
https://diocesemo.org/welcome/governance/general-convention
Watch for more news coming soon about General Convention!