Among the responsibilities of the president of the House of Deputies is appointing clergy and lay members of the Standing Committees and Commissions and many other groups that help to shape the legislation that comes before the General Convention every three years.
One of the distinctive features of the Episcopal Church is the democratic nature of its governance. The General Convention is the church’s ultimate authority, and at General Convention, the House of Deputies, composed of elected members of the clergy and laity, stands on equal footing with the House of Bishops, whose members were themselves elected by the dioceses that they serve. The church does not believe that God speaks primarily through a privileged class of elites; rather, we believe that every baptized Christian brings special gifts and experiences to the life of the Church, and that we are strongest when every gift is honored and the fruits of every experience are shared.
The House of Deputies, includes up to eight voting members from each of the 109 dioceses, one area mission and one convocation in our Church. The General Convention is one of the largest legislative bodies in the world. The lay people and clergy of God’s Church are always in a process of discernment, always attempting to understand where God wants to lead the Church.
