Giving Voice AND Vote to the Youth Presence at General Convention

By Eileen O'Brien

Saturday morning the Structure Committee held hearings on Resolution D066 which resolves to give vote to the Official Youth Presence at GC. Currently, the youth presence, comprised of a diverse group youth ages 16-18 from all over the Episcopal Church, has seat and voice but no vote. The Structure Committee responded enthusiastically to the resolution which would begin the process of changing the canons and constitutions of the church to allow youth a vote. At the conclusion of testimony to the resolution, the entire committee stood to applaud the youth and young adults who had arrived at the Convention Center at the unreasonably early hour of 7 am to be present for this 7:30 hearing.

The current resolution presents a number of legal, funding and constitutional issues, but every single member of the committee expressed an interest in working through those issues in order to get this legislation moving. The message to the young people present was: “Now is the time. Let’s get to it. We want to hear you more than you may think we do.”

I believe that this resolution has important implications for the under-represented young adult community in the church as well. It sends a message to dioceses and to parishes that we need to examine our leadership structures and be intentional about breaking down barriers so that young adults and new members in the church can more fully engage in ministry. For example, parishes that have elected the same people to their Diocesan Councils for over ten years need to be told to think again about how they can train and equip younger leaders for ministry.

Here at General Convention, only 14% of deputies are under the age of 45. Five percent are under the age of 35, and of that 5%, 60% are part of the youth presence that does not have a vote. If we want to hear and empower young people in the church, we must take this first step.

Ms. O'Brien is the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries at Christ Church Cathedral.