Episcopal Church Sets 82nd General Convention for July 2027 in Phoenix

Summary:
The Episcopal Church has announced that its 82nd General Convention will take place in Phoenix, Arizona, from July 3 to 8, 2027. The six-day gathering will follow the same business day format as the previous convention held in 2024.

The Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops and House of Deputies will meet for six business days at the 82nd General Convention in Phoenix, Arizona. A church news release confirmed that the triennial churchwide gathering is scheduled for July 3–8, 2027.

The upcoming convention will be shorter than previous gatherings held before the pandemic but longer than the four-day event in 2022, which took place in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2024, the 81st General Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, also spanned six business days.

The decision regarding the 2027 convention schedule was finalized this week by the Joint Standing Committee on Planning and Arrangements, which had conducted a site visit to Phoenix. According to the church’s news release, the committee is working with a separate General Convention reinvention committee “to plan for an innovative convention that will include legislative sessions, time for worship, and collective discernment on key issues facing the church.”

In addition to the six business days, bishops and deputies are expected to arrive in Phoenix two days earlier for preparatory meetings and in-person committee sessions. The triennial meeting of the National Episcopal Church Women will also be held in conjunction with the 82nd General Convention in Phoenix.

During the last two General Conventions, most legislative committee work was completed online prior to the in-person gatherings. As of now, no announcements have been made regarding the structure of committee work for the 2027 event.

The Episcopal Church has historically debated the ideal duration for the General Convention, weighing the availability of bishops and deputies and the cost of accommodations against the need for time to conduct governance, legislative tasks, networking, and fellowship. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, General Convention typically lasted about 10 legislative days in late June or early July, with additional days allocated to committee work.

The 80th General Convention in 2022 marked the first time committees held hearings online and completed most of their responsibilities before convening in Baltimore. This approach, which continued into 2024 with Zoom-based committee meetings, has reportedly increased access and participation in church governance, according to supporters of the changes.

As of 2024, individuals no longer need to travel to the host city to observe or participate in hearings and meetings. Church officials noted that the spring online sessions held by committees in 2024 saw attendance from 2,500 participants.

However, some deputies have expressed concern that the shift has reduced the experience of full in-person gatherings that had been customary.

In 2024, General Convention approved Resolution D022, requesting church leaders to study and report back to the 82nd General Convention with recommendations on organizing future meetings.

To carry out that resolution, Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe and House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris formed an interim body known as the General Convention Reinvention Steering Committee. This group is now collaborating with the Joint Standing Committee on Planning and Arrangements on preparations for the 82nd General Convention, which will be held at the Phoenix Convention Center.