Official Youth Presence at GC12

Applications are now open!

Each General Convention the Office for Youth Ministries of The Episcopal Church convenes and supports an Official Youth Presence to take part in the discernment of legislation on the floor of the House of Deputies with seat and voice (Resolution # 1982-B045 located at bottom of blog).  It is our practice to accept nominations from across the church to discern 18 youth, two per province, to represent as diverse a cross section of teenagers as possible. To be eligible to apply each of these young people must be a Communicant in Good Standing in his/her local faith community, must be a minimum of 16 years of age at the time of General Convention and no older than 19, and must still be enrolled in high school during the 2011/12 school year. Each applicant and one nominator must complete an electronic application form. Each nominator will be contacted by the local Provincial Youth Ministries Coordinator to discuss the applicant during the application period, December 1 – January 15.

Youth who serve as members of the Official Youth Presence will participate in a training/orientation weekend of community building, worship, and legislative process education Thursday, April 12, through Sunday, April 15. They will be encouraged to attend local synod gatherings prior to General Convention and would benefit from meeting with the adult deputies of their own dioceses to learn more about the process of resolutions. 

At General Convention, July 5 - 12, 2012, they will attend legislative committee meetings and hearings and will be encouraged to speak to issues in hearings and during debate on the floor in the House of Deputies. These individuals must be self-confident, articulate, and energetic.  In the best of circumstances General Convention is incredibly challenging for the group, highly rewarding as an experience, and often transformational for most of those involved. 

Each applicant must complete an electronic application form found  by clicking here. 
Each applicant must also have an adult nomination form completed electronically as well. 

Youth may apply and then name an adult to complete a nomination form, or an adult may nominate a young person by completing the nomination form first and then encouraging the youth to apply. Please be sure to read the criteria and dates required, listed at the top of the forms, for participation before completing either form.  Questions can be directed to your Provincial Youth Ministry Coordinator or the Officer for Youth Ministries, Bronwyn Clark Skov.

The application/nomination period will be open from December 1, 2011, through January 15, 2012. The Office for Youth Ministries, with staff colleagues and Provincial Youth Ministry Coordinators, will discern which youth to invite to participate from the pool of applicants and will make those invitations on February 6, 2012.

Please keep all those who feel called to this unique ministry in your prayers, and encourage those who demonstrate the gifts for this type of ministry to apply.


Tomorrow we will begin to hear stories from the Official Youth Presence class of 2009, beginning with Amy Esposito from Province I. Stay tuned!