[Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs press release] The daily Eucharist presiders and preachers for The Episcopal Church 78th General Convention have been named. Additionally, opportunities for prayer both for those attending General Convention as well as those following from afar have been announced.

The Episcopal Church’s 78th General Convention, June 25 – July 3, will be held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah (Diocese of Utah).

The Rev. Sandy Webb, Diocese of  West Tennessee and a member of the General Convention Worship Committee team, spoke about worship at the General Convention: “The worship space is designed to celebrate the beauty of God’s creation as reflected in Utah’s grand and mountainous landscape. The lectionary celebrates the saints in ages past who inspire us to live more fully the life of faith. The liturgies, and the people who will lead those liturgies, reflect The Episcopal Church’s diversity, reminding us that we are one Church, gathered in Christ’s name. The Prayers of the People will be the prayers of God’s people, rising up from around the world over the Internet.”

Daily Eucharists
Eucharist will be celebrated daily at 9:30 am Mountain, except Sunday, June 28 at 10 am Mountain and Friday, July 3 at 8:30 am Mountain. Eucharist will be live webcast on the Media Hub which will be available here.

Thursday, June 25: Opening Eucharist
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will preside and preach.

Friday, June 26: honoring Isabel Hapgood, women poets and musicians
Presider: Bishop Suffragan Mary Glasspool of Los Angeles
Preacher: the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, President of the House of Deputies

Saturday, June 27: honoring Native American Cornelius Hill;
Presider: Bishop Michael Smith of North Dakota
Preacher: The Rev. Cathlena Plummer of Navajoland

Sunday, June 28: United Thank Offering Ingathering
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will preside and preach.

Monday, June 29: honoring St. Peter and St. Paul
Presider: Bishop Mike Klusmeyer of West Virginia
Preacher: Archbishop Vicken Aykazian of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church in America

Tuesday, June 30: honoring James Weldon Johnson
Presider: Bishop Wendell Gibbs of Michigan
Preacher: The Rev. Kimberly Jackson, chaplain and vicar of the Absalom Jones Episcopal Center, Emmaus House Chapel, Atlanta

Wednesday, July 1: honoring Hiram Hisanori Kano
Presider: Bishop Scott Hayashi of Utah
Preacher: The Rev. Becca Stevens, founder of Magdalene and Thistle Farms

Thursday, July 2: honoring  Charles Barnes
Presider: Bishop Julio Holguin of the Dominican Republic
Preacher: The Rev. Colin Mathewson, St Paul’s Cathedral, San Diego (Diocese of San Diego)

Friday, July 3: Closing Eucharist
Presider: Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori
Preacher: the Presiding Bishop-Elect

Prayer near and far
The Society of St. John the Evangelist (SSJE) has developed a social media campaign for General Convention to connect people near and far in prayer during General Convection. The General Convention’s home base for interactive prayer is www.prayersofthepeople.org.

Each day’s prayers will follow one of nine themes, seven of which are the forms of prayer identified in the Book of Common Prayer: life, thanksgiving, praise, intercession, adoration, oblation, penitence, petition, and celebration. Prayers can take the form of words or images, and will be received through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Hashtag is #prayersof with individual hashtags to be established for each day’s theme. A selection of the prayers received through social media will be prayed at the Salt Palace, and privately by prayer networks across The Episcopal Church.

SSJE will provide another way to connect to the themes of daily worship through morning and evening meditations. Each eight- to 10-minute podcast will include a prayer, a brief reflection, and a chant.

General Convention
The Episcopal Church’s General Convention is held every three years, and is the bicameral governing body of the Church. It comprises the House of Bishops, with upwards of 200 active and retired bishops, and the House of Deputies, with clergy and lay deputies elected from the 109 dioceses and three regional areas of the Church, at more than 800 members.