House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson applauds the house after the deputies passed a courtesy resolution July 12, thanking her for her service to them, to the church and to the world. ENS photo/Mary Frances Schjonberg

[Episcopal News Service -- Indianapolis] The following is a daily roundup of other news at the 77th General Convention on July 12.

Bonnie Anderson and House of Deputies bid farewell to each other

The last item the House of Deputies handled during their final session was a tribute to its outgoing president, Bonnie Anderson.

The Rev. Canon Gregory Straub, the Episcopal Church’s executive officer and secretary of the General Convention, led the tribute, thanking Anderson for the ways she influenced the church and the world.

Deputies had been invited to honor Anderson with contributions to NetsforLife®, a partnership program managed by Episcopal Relief & Development’s. As of July 12, nearly 381 families will be protected from malaria because of contributions by deputies.

Anderson announced in May that she would not stand for election to the third term for which she was eligible.

The president of the House of Deputies is elected every three years to serve throughout the triennium. Anderson was vice president of the House of Deputies and a lay deputy from the Diocese of Michigan when she was elected at the 2006 General Convention to serve as president of the House of Deputies. She was re-elected at the 2009 General Convention.

The convention July 10 elected the Rev. Gay Jennings, an Ohio deputy, to succeed Anderson. Jennings’ term began when Anderson handed her the gavel at just before 6:30 p.m. after the house adjourned.

Five ‘Marks’ of Mission debut in House of Bishops

Alaska Bishop Mark Lattime, New York Bishop Mark Sisk, California Bishop Marc Andrus, name, Marc Andrus of the Diocese of California, Newark Bishop Mark Beckwith and Ohio Bishop Mark Hollingsworth, in the House of Bishops singing the “Five ‘Marks’ of Mission.” Photo/Bishop Mary Glasspool of Los Angeles

“Five ‘Marks’ of Mission” serenaded the House of Bishops at the start of the July 12 morning session. Beckwith (Newark); Hollingsworth (Ohio); Lattime (Alaska) and Sisk (New York) were four of the Marks. Despite the spelling of his name, Marc Andrus of the Diocese of California rounded out the quintet.

Hollingsworth wrote the lyrics to be sung to the tune of Nyland, which some may be familiar with as Hymn 778 We all are one in mission in the church’s Wonder, Love and Praise hymnal.

The lyrics are:

We are five Marks of mission, though not all spelled the same;
The Good News of the Kingdom to all we proudly proclaim.
We teach, baptize, and nurture believers new and old,
By loving service responding to human needs untold.

Society’s unjust structures, we five seek to transform.
From New York to Alaska, we labor for the Lord.
In dioceses from coast to coast and ’cross the great Midwest,
We are Marks of God’s mission, seeking to do our best.

Integrity of creation, we’re striving to safeguard;
To sustain Earth’s life and renew it, we five are working hard.
We disagree on many things, but of this we are sure:
We are five Marks of mission, committed to the core.

If you feel that God’s mission is calling out to you,
Marked as Christ’s own forever, there’s plenty you can do.
We have five marks to guide our work, to keep our efforts true;
We are five Marks of mission, and surely you are one, too.

– Episcopal News Service members Pat McCaughan and Mary Frances Schjonberg contributed to this digest.