[Office of Public Affairs] The General Convention Office of the Episcopal Church is now accepting nominations for clergy and lay volunteers to serve on committees and commissions of the General Convention and committees of the Executive Council.

The 77th General Convention 2012 will be held July 5 – 12 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind. in the Diocese of Indianapolis.

All members of the Episcopal Church may serve on committees of the Executive Council and standing commissions of the General Convention. Membership on joint standing committees of the General Convention is limited to deputies of the 77th General Convention.

The work of these bodies is guided by resolutions passed by the General Convention, called the Acts of Convention, as well as resolutions passed at meetings of the Executive Council, held three times a year.

Appointments will be made after General Convention by the president of the House of Deputies, who will be elected at the July meeting. The term of appointment will depend on the committee or commission and whether or not an appointment is for a full term or partially-filled term, until the close of General Convention in 2015 or 2018.

Deadline for nominations is August 1. Nominations may be submitted for oneself or for someone else who has agreed to be nominated. Nominations will only be accepted online.

To apply, people must submit the nomination form available in English here and in Spanish here.

For more information, contact the General Convention Office at gcoffice@episcopalchurch.org.

The Episcopal Church’s General Convention is held every three years, and is the bicameral governing body of the Church. It is composed of the House of Bishops, with upwards of 200 active and retired bishops and the House of Deputies, with clergy and lay representatives elected from the 110 dioceses of the Church, at more than 800 members.

The Executive Council is an elected body representing the Church and carrying out the policies of the General Convention during the triennium, and oversees the ministry and mission of the Episcopal Church. The Executive Council contains 20 members elected by the General Convention – four bishops, four clergy members, and 12 laypersons – and 18 members elected by the nine provinces of the Episcopal Church – two from each province.