President of the House of Deputies
Photo: David Rider
The president of the House of Deputies serves as a presiding officer of the General Convention and presides over the House of Deputies—one of the convention’s two legislative houses.
The president—who may be a lay person, a deacon, or a priest—is elected every three years by the House of Deputies and can serve up to three consecutive terms. A vice president is also elected every three years and must be of a different order (lay or clergy) than the president.
The president of the House of Deputies is responsible for appointing lay and clergy members to many committees, commissions, and task forces established by the General Convention and serves as a vice president of The Episcopal Church’s corporate entity and as vice chair of the Executive Council, the corporation’s board.
House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris
Julia Ayala Harris was elected president of the House of Deputies at the 80th General Convention in 2022 and was reelected at the 81st General Convention in 2024. She is the first Latina and woman of color to hold the position. With an emphasis on accessibility and integrity in church governance, President Ayala Harris is passionate about immigration ministry, racial reconciliation, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and truth-telling and justice initiatives.
Prior to her election, President Ayala Harris served the church in multiple roles, including leadership roles on the Executive Council; the Presiding Officers’ Working Group on Truth-Telling, Reckoning, and Healing; and the Task Force for Women, Truth, and Reconciliation, among various other legislative committees and interim bodies. She is a four-time deputy of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma.
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