According to a draft schedule of the 75th General Convention, to be held next year in Columbus, Ohio, the main convention Eucharist and ingathering of the United Thank Offering will be held on Saturday, June 17. Scheduling the liturgy for Saturday is a change from an earlier draft schedule, which had it on its traditional Sunday morning, June 18. While no explanation accompanied the newer draft schedule, it appears as though the change was made in order that the election of the Presiding Bishop could take place at 11 a.m. on that Sunday.

While it should make little difference in how the convention’s business unfolds, the move of the main Eucharist to Saturday probably will reduce the opportunity for visitors from the local diocese to take part in the convention’s principal service of worship. In some other conventions, visitors arrived at the convention site on Sunday morning by the busload in order to participate in the Eucharist. Some churches went so far as to cancel their principal service on that day in order to enable their parishioners to join the thousands of participants in the convention Eucharist – no doubt a memorable experience for many. There will still be an opportunity for visitors to participate on Saturday, but the fact that some people work on that day, along with youth soccer and baseball and other activities, will lessen the likelihood.

The Eucharist will still be celebrated at convention on Sunday, just as it is every other day of the week. This will, of course, be a vital prelude to the election of the Presiding Bishop by the House of Bishops later that morning. It should also be pointed out that this won’t be the first time convention has held its main service on Saturday.

By holding the election on Sunday morning, the Episcopal Church also will miss a great opportunity for some badly needed positive publicity. The chance to get the news of the new primate into the large-circulation Sunday newspapers published in large cities will be missed, not to mention the Sunday morning television news shows.

Compared with the issues facing the 75th General Convention, when to hold the Eucharist is of minor importance. But with nine days available for legislative business, did the election really have to be scheduled for Sunday morning?

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