The 73rd General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the Unites States is meeting in Denver, Colorado, from 5th to 14th July 2000. Around 200 active and retired bishops make up the House of Bishops, while there are a thousand deputies and alternates of the House of Deputies.

In her opening address, the President of the House of Deputies, Dr Pamela Chinnis, said that she had received many communications indicating that there was a wish for the church to find a "middle way" between any extremes, and not just regarding human sexuality issues.

"As individuals and a convention, we will be pulled in both directions," said Dr Chinnis, who is retiring as President of the House of Deputies after this Convention. "Some tugging will be painful, but we must hold fast to the Anglican way - the via media. Our legislative process needs the perspectives of everyone if we are to discover the way forward. God calls us to difficult tasks, and grants us grace to complete them."

The theme of the Convention is the "Year of Jubilee". The President of the House of Deputies hoped that both aspects of jubilee would be observed during the Convention. It should be both a time of lying fallow, "a time of stillness to look inward for grace and wisdom"; and a time of action to "make justice and create freedom, right wrongs and challenge the reigning establishment."

The Most Revd Frank Griswold addressed Convention for the first time as Presiding Bishop. He stressed that the decisions made by Convention affect not only congregations and the wider church, but the whole world. He drew attention especially to issues of international debt and poverty, environmental degradation, and religious persecution.

"The systematic sinfulness we are called to acknowledge, confess and address require thoughtful consideration and discernment," Bishop Griswold said. "One way forward is the patient, courageous listening to and receiving one another as fellow limbs of Christ's body. It is not easy to have an undefended heart, but we must pray for that in ourselves."

Item from: Episcopal News Service