Diocese of Texas College Ministries at the 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church!

June 22nd-27th, 2024

Please Read All Information Below

Once every three years, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church is held, which is the largest gathering of Episcopalians, the central decision-making body, and one of the most exciting events in the life of the church. The next General Convention will be held in late June 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. This convention will feature thousands of Episcopalians from more than 100 dioceses in the United States and the 17 countries where the Episcopal Church is present, including as far as Europe, South America, and East Asia! The convention gathers in two “Houses,” the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies (laypeople and clergy), to discuss and consider resolutions, essentially decisions, and statements on behalf of the whole Episcopal Church. These actions can be very consequential, such as the decisions to welcome same-sex marriage and LGBTQIA+ people, our continuing actions to support reparations for slavery, and the ordination of women, all of which were decided at General Conventions.

At this convention we will witness the election of our next Presiding Bishop, (who is the President and Chief Pastor in the Episcopal Church) which only happens once every nine years. This will be the last General Convention for our amazing Presiding Bishop Michael Curry before he completes his term later this year. The college ministries of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas are gathering a group of students to attend the convention, participate in events and see the breadth & diversity of the church at work. We would love for you to join us!

Here is copy of the General Convention schedule for 2024.

And here is a great webinar called “General Convention Boot Camp” that tells you all about how General Convention works!

AN INTRODUCTION 

The dates would be June 22nd-27th, 2024 - (5 nights). This would be from the day before the Convention, when Bishop Curry is due to lead a pre-convention revival, to the day after the new Presiding Bishop's election. We will depart the day after welcoming the new Presiding Bishop-Elect! Here are some of the logistics we have planned:

• We will fly out from Houston to Louisville in the morning on Saturday,June 22nd and return in the evening on Thursday, June 27th.

• We expect to have about 13 college students from different universities around the Diocese of Texas and two campus ministers to guide the group.

• We plan to be housed in a large AirBnB or VRBO house near Downtown Louisville & make a short commute by van to the Louisville Convention Center each day.

• We will have Breakfast and dinner together at the house, and lunches will be on your own. There are many restaurants all around the Convention Center, and also meals available with a meal ticket when we are volunteering.

• During the days of the Convention, students will be able to volunteer in many areas and see the action as it happens. Some opportunities are on the floor of the House of Deputies and House of Bishops where you can see the actions being discussed, in the exhibition hall where you can visit hundreds of booths from all sorts of organizations, and welcoming visitors from all over the world at the registration tables.

• You can also visit committee hearings and testify on any issue that speaks to your heart and have a real impact on the decisions being made. Testifying is the best opportunity to make a difference!

Cost: 

Each student will be required to contribute $500 total. This includes travel, housing, meals, transportation and other costs. You must make a $100 nonrefundable deposit to your school’s campus ministry by April 7th, 2024 to reserve your spot. You can pay the remaining $400 at once or in several installments, as long as the full $500 contribution is received by June 1st, 2024. If the $500 contribution would be an unmanageable burden for you, please speak directly with your campus missioner who can connect you with fundraising and/or scholarship opportunities. Our goal is to ensure that no one would be prevented from participating for financial reasons.

Each student must have the permission of their campus missioner. Each campus ministry with participants attending the trip must contribute an additional $250 per participant to cover the costs for everyone.

Click here to sign up

To make your $100 deposit or final payment, visit the website of your university’s Episcopal campus ministry. Make sure to put the student’s name & “Mission Trip” in the memo line or email your campus minister so they know which contribution is yours.

Houston Canterbury (UH, TSU & UHD)

Austin Canterbury (UT Austin)

Episcopal Church at Rice

Episcopal Student Center at Texas A&M

Sam Houston State

Episcopal Student Center at Baylor

Tyler Canterbury & Stephen F. Austin

Prairie View A&M

South Austin Canterbury

Episcopal Student Ministry at Tarleton State