Although serious matters eventually were discussed at the convention of the Diocese of San Joaquin, Oct. 24-25 at Harris Ranch, near Coalinga, Calif., the overall tone of the meeting was one of great celebration.

Two diocesan missions - St. Mary's, Manteca, and Church of the Redeemer/Hope, Delano - were approved for parish status. Three new missions were accepted into the diocese: Quest, a ministry primarily for the unchurched, Bakersfield; San Ygnacio, a mission to the Pascua Yaqui Indian tribe, and Ascension, Copperopolis, a parochial mission of St. Matthew's Parish, San Andreas.

Banquet entertainment had an inter-cultural theme as delegates were treated to the music of a mariachi band, and Laotian dancers from St. Martin of Tours, Fresno.

In his opening address, the Rt. Rev. John-David M. Schofield, Bishop of San Joaquin, declared that the single issue on the mind of most Episcopalians today is unity. "Until now," he said, "the church always has been able to count on the fact that conservatives, by nature, will do all in their power to preserve the unity of the church ... (with a willingness) to turn a blind eye to the flagrant disregard of canon law, the church's teaching, and even a common sense reading of the scriptures by liberal bishops."

Bishop Schofield quoted a "liberal," Bishop Mark Dyer, who recently wrote that the Episcopal Church has "driven a wedge between orthodoxy and orthopraxis, and that is a false division." Bishop Dyer was again quoted as saying, "The vast majority of provinces are prepared to face the American Church in that matter. It is very difficult for our sister churches to understand what is going on in the American Church."

As examples of Bishop Dyer's comments, Bishop Schofield cited incidents in the dioceses of Washington, Michigan and Massachusetts. "Animosity and all that goes with it drains the energy of everyone from the calling of God upon our lives ... and makes a mockery of everything the Lord has for his church. We must come to a new way of living together."

He then offered to any congregation the possibility of alternative episcopal oversight "if my stand for biblical standards of faith as well as moral and ethical behavior ... becomes such a stumbling block to a given parish, that in conscience, the clergy and people ... find themselves unable to receive communion at my hands. Should (another bishop) find himself in a similar situation ... in the name of unity within the church, I would expect him to call upon me to provide pastoral care in that diocese ... Borderlines and boundaries may have to disappear."

The Rt. Rev. Alden Hathaway, recently retired Bishop of Pittsburgh, served as convention chaplain and banquet speaker, providing meditations and his personal testimony during the dinner.

In other action, the delegates:

’Ä¢ Adopted a resolution commending Bishop Schofield for his intention to remain within the Episcopal Church;

’Ä¢ Defeated a resolution calling for the national asking to be sent directly to "third world Anglican missions," thus bypassing the national church;

’Ä¢ Defeated a resolution which would have instructed the council to prepare a 1999 diocesan budget which would include the full national asking;

’Ä¢ Adopted a budget of just over $1 million.

(The Ven.) Donald A. Seeks