Resolved, that the House of Bishops, meeting at this 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, gathered in Baltimore, Maryland, gives thanks to Almighty God for the life and witness of Dr. Charles Willie, who died on 11 January 2022, and who, as the first African American member of the Executive Council and as the first African American Vice President of the House of Deputies, led the Church with a singular integrity in the advancement of Black people and women in the life of the Church; and be it further

Resolved, the House of Bishops recalls with gratitude his sermon at the ordination of the first women priests in The Episcopal Church in Philadelphia in 1974; and be it further

Resolved, the House of Bishops celebrates his courage in the face of the injustices that he encountered in the life of the Church and his actions in response to them, including relinquishing the opportunity to serve as President of the House of Deputies; and be it further

Resolved, the House of Bishops recognizes his outstanding record of public service at the local and national level, especially in the desegregation of the schools and the city of Boston and in his participation in President Carter’s Commission on Mental Health; and be it further

Resolved, the House of Bishops extends to his widow, Mary Sue, and their family the assurance of our condolences and prayers.