In her address, Jennings also made reference to a recent decision by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to draft a teaching document that would likely discuss whether pro-abortion Catholic politicians should be allowed to receive Communion.

"The news is filled with headlines about Christians who threaten to withhold the sacraments--can you imagine weaponizing the Eucharist?--from leaders who support reproductive health care, Christians who align their churches with white supremacist movements, and Christians who seek to deny LGBTQ families the ability to provide loving foster homes," Jennings told Executive Council members.

The Episcopal Church official bemoaned the recent Fulton v. City of Philadelphia Supreme Court ruling as a "disappointing decision." Jennings had submitted an Amicus Curiae ("friend of the court") brief alongside other Religious Left groups arguing that Catholic Social Services (CSS) submit to a Philadelphia ordinance requiring the private foster care agency to certify same-sex couples as foster parents. All nine justices ruled unanimously for CSS, deciding that the group could continue to place foster children in accordance with Roman Catholic teaching.

Despite Jennings assertion that Christians at CSS "seek to deny LGBTQ families the ability to provide loving foster homes" no same-sex couples who sought to provide foster care were denied placement, rather they worked through other, secular agencies. Several other U.S. based churches, including the Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod, the Anglican Church in North America, the National Association of Evangelicals and multiple Roman Catholic dioceses argued in favor of CSS' position that the religious freedom of church agencies to operate according to their religious principles should not be compromised.

Jennings also previewed the findings of a racial justice audit commissioned by the church, touting efforts to make church legislative committees more racially diverse, especially the important Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget, and Finance. This will be a step towards correcting "the manifestations of structural racism" according to the Episcopal Church official. Despite electing an African American Presiding Bishop and several recent diocesan bishops, nine out of ten Episcopalians are white, according to the Pew Research Center.

"I hope that more diverse legislative committee leadership and membership helps us make inroads in eradicating some of the injustice identified by the audit and helps General Convention lead our church ever closer to Beloved Community," Jennings told Executive Council.

Both Jennings and Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry noted in their remarks before the Executive Council the process of forming a working group on truth and reconciliation for the Episcopal Church.

The working group will be composed of bishops and deputies, some of whom currently serve on the Episcopal committee on anti-racism.

Jennings said appointees to the committee will develop proposals for the upcoming 2022 General Convention in Baltimore "to help us reckon with our historic and current complicity with racial injustice."

"I pray that the Holy Spirit will move among us and bring us closer to telling the painful truths with which we must reckon before we can become fully the church we long to be."

Lastly, Jennings said that she has asked the chair of the Joint Standing Committee for Mission Within the Episcopal Church to draft a resolution on reducing greenhouse gas emissions for the Executive Council to refer to the General Convention.

"Just as the truth and reconciliation initiative must enlist the church at all levels, working toward eliminating our carbon footprint will require a broad grassroots initiative," Jennings said.