To the Deputies and Bishops of The Episcopal Church assembled at the 81st General Convention:

LC 01 - Joint Rules of Order, in light of the experience of the 80th and 81st General Conventions, strongly urges the Standing Commission on Structure, Governance, Constitution and Canons assess the advantages and challenges of pre-convention committee meetings and hearings, as well as other aspects of the legislative process, and make recommendations to refine the legislative process with the purpose of creating a more inclusive and accessible General Convention of The Episcopal Church.

The work of the Commission would be:

(1) assess the changes to the legislative process introduced at the 80th General Convention, particularly the process of pre-Convention online legislative committee meetings and hearings;

(2) review the technology used for legislative committees, determining the best technology for maximum participation by all members of both Houses;

(3) assess the pros and cons of the current number of legislative days of General Convention;

(4) make recommendations to the Joint Standing Committee on Planning and Arrangements, the Presiding Officers, and the General Convention Office for the length and legislative process for the 82nd General Convention;

(5) propose appropriate amendments to the Rules of Order for the House of Bishops, the House of Deputies, and the Joint Rules for the House of Bishops and House of Deputies to improve the legislative process in light of the findings;

(6) develop a plan for ongoing review of the Rules of Order for the House of Bishops, the House of Deputies, and the Joint Rules for the House of Bishops and House of Deputies, by a diverse interim body; and

(7) develop a plan for training Deputies and Bishops on their Rules of Order, the Joint Rules, and the General Convention legislative process.

We urge the Commission to begin its work no later than December 1, 2024, and complete its work upon submitting a Blue Book report to the 82nd General Convention. 

We further urge the Commission to listen to the broader Church, consult widely with current and former Bishops, Deputies, caucuses, staff, youth, non-English speaking participants, and others with General Convention experience as well as experts in large group decision making and organizational development.  We urge the commission to publish periodic reports of its actions in a timely manner.