[Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Church is planning to gather in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2030 for the 83rd General Convention, a decision that was endorsed Feb. 20 by Executive Council during its one-day online meeting.
The choice of the Diocese of Pittsburgh as a future host of the triennial General Convention, the church’s primary governing body, had been studied and recommended by the Joint Standing Committee on Planning and Arrangements. The other finalists were Kansas City in the Diocese of West Missouri, Minneapolis in the Episcopal Church in Minnesota, Portland in the Episcopal Church in Western Oregon and San Juan in the Diocese of Puerto Rico.
Executive Council, the church’s governing body between meetings of General Convention, accepted the planning committee’s recommendation of Pittsburgh in a vote that took place on Zoom; a vote count was not announced. The selection now heads to the presidents of each of the church’s nine provinces to give final consent.
General Convention is a bicameral governing body, splitting its authority between the House of Bishops and House of Deputies. It meets in a different diocese every three years and, in addition to conducting legislative business, also serves as the largest churchwide social gathering and a hub for worship, exhibits, formation and fellowship.
The next General Convention is scheduled for July 3-8, 2027, in Phoenix, Arizona. When Executive Council voted for that location three years ago, some members raised concerns that the Diocese of Puerto Rico, which has long sought to host the gathering, had been passed over.
General Convention has met outside of the continental U.S. once – in Hawaii, in 1955 – though The Episcopal Church is present across 22 countries and territories. San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, has hosted multiple meetings of Executive Council since 2017 and is scheduled to host council’s next meeting, in June 2026.
During the current General Convention site selection cycle, the Diocese of Puerto Rico again worked with churchwide leaders and the territory’s government to determine the feasibility of hosting in 2030, but Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe said the number of hotel rooms was not quite enough, given the thousands of Episcopalians who typically attend some or all of the gathering, which in the recent past has lasted about a week.
“The hotel situation is what is kind of the big thing that makes San Juan challenging,” Rowe told the council members, directing them to a summary sheet that showed the city with the fewest available rooms of the five finalists.
Puerto Rico Bishop Rafael Morales Maldonado, a member of Executive Council, affirmed that his diocese had worked closely with churchwide leaders and territorial officials. The local government has indicated that it hopes to expand hotel capacity in the coming years, making it more likely that Puerto Rico can host a future General Convention.
“In 2033, I think it would be possible, because the government has plans to expand the hotels and the convention center and we will have the rooms necessary to have the convention here,” Morales said. “It is important to receive all of The Episcopal Church here. … I feel optimism for the future. Let’s prepare for 2033.”
Rowe also said that that schedule, cost and walkability were more advantageous for hosting a General Convention in Pittsburgh in 2030. This should allow the church to avoid scheduling another meeting during the July 4 holiday.
“The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh is greatly honored to be selected as the host for the 83rd General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 2030,” Bishop Ketlen Solak said in a written statement to Episcopal News Service. “This choice is especially significant for us since we are one of the reorganized dioceses that has emerged from past difficulties as a stronger, healthier diocese. We are excited to welcome with open hearts and open arms so many Episcopalians, and we look forward to sharing our diverse local culture and our deep love of God.”
– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.