New Oregon bishop, new congregations highlight weekend's diocesan conventions
Episcopal News Service. November 25, 2009 [112509-01]
Mary Frances Schjonberg and Lynette Wilson, Beth Felice, José A. McLoughlin, David Skidmore, and Deirdre Steinberg, Diocesan Communicators
The election of a bishop in the Diocese of Oregon highlighted the six diocesan conventions that took place around the Episcopal Church the weekend of Nov. 19-22.
The Rev. Michael Joseph Hanley was elected on the second ballot Nov. 20 to be the 10th bishop of Oregon. Pending the required consents, on April 10 Hanley will succeed Bishop Johncy Itty, who resigned from his diocesan position at the end of 2008.
Delegates and Hanley "met" in video conference format the next morning as the convention continued. Delegates sang a Celtic alleluia and then "Happy Birthday" to Hanley whose birthday is Nov. 26.
"You have all done such fine work over the past two years [since Itty's departure] and taken on so much leadership," Hanley told the convention. "I have a sense of giddy expectation and hope for the future. Thanks for letting us [him and wife, Marla] become part of what will be many happy years to come."
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori joined the Diocese of Central New York for its convention while House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson attended a leadership workshop in the Navajoland Area Mission.
New congregations were welcomed into the dioceses of Chicago, Missouri and New York.
Following is a partial summary of actions taken in diocesan conventions:
Diocese of Central New York
Bishop Gladstone "Skip" B. Adams III told the 141st annual convention that as he travels around the diocese he sees "plenty of evidence of God's transforming grace."
He said that he wants what he called " the kingdom reality of God's love poured out in Christ" to be "more clearly reflected in the very structure of the diocese, in our relationships, in the ways we are accountable to one another, beginning with me at the center."
"My clarion call will continue to be formation and mission, formation and mission, formation and mission, in order to live more fully into our vision 'to be the passionate presence of Christ for one another and the world we are called to serve,'" Adams said.
Jefferts Schori, preaching on Christ the King Sunday, reminded the convention that the Western church has celebrated the feast "since fascism began to raise its head in Europe between the world wars," adding that it "reminds us that our ultimate allegiance is supposed to be to a very different kind of power and authority."
Christians, she said, are "citizens" of an "upside-down kingdom."
"The signs of the kingdom are open doors, and access to Jesus and his ministry of good news, healing and feeding," Jefferts Schori said. "The signs of the kingdom are not more and higher fences to inhibit access. Jesus doesn't use sticks to keep people out or drive them away. His sticks are the sacrificial, cross-shaped work of solidarity and accompaniment."
Close to 17,000 Episcopalians worship in the diocese's 94 congregations.
Diocese of Chicago
The 172nd annual convention opened with the recognition and seating of three new mission congregations: First Asian Church of Bloomingdale; Our Lady of Guadalupe of Chicago's Little Village neighborhood; and Sagrada Familia-Holy Family of Lake Villa.
Together the three congregations bring more than 800 members into the diocese. In his address to convention, Bishop Jeffrey Lee said he hadn't expected his challenge at the previous convention to grow the church to be met quite so quickly and dramatically.
"But that just shows how strong the sense of mission and love for God is throughout our community -- people are being drawn to us," he said. "And if it is God's will -- and let us pray together that it is -- I have no doubt that there will be more of these celebrations in the future."
Lee said that in January he will travel to Sudan with a media team to chronicle the ministry and people of Chicago's companion diocese, the Diocese of Renk in the Upper Nile region. He also announced a pending agreement with the Diocese of West Texas for a joint foundation to monitor and support work in the Diocese of Southeast Mexico, Chicago's other companion diocese.
In the convention business sessions, clergy and delegates called for President Barack Obama and Congress to pressure Israel to end the blockage of the Gaza Strip. Participants also commended the Boy Scouts of America on its 100th anniversary for teaching boys and girls "to be reverent to God almighty," and urged the Scouts to allow membership irrespective of sexual orientation and with sensitivity toward non-traditional gender identity and expression. They also passed two resolutions to amend the diocesan constitution to bring it into agreement with the national canons dealing with clergy discipline, as well as diocesan canons dealing with audit guidelines.
Minimum clergy compensation for full-time clergy will remain at 2009 levels and the convention established minimum medical and dental insurance premiums for clergy.
The convention created a task force to study the complicity of the Diocese of Chicago and its predecessor, the Diocese of Illinois, in the institution of slavery and historic and current practices of segregation and discrimination.
Participants defeated resolutions to reaffirm the tithe as the minimum standard of giving for Episcopalians and to establish and enforce clergy continuing-education requirements.
Texts of all the resolutions are available here.
The 2010 comprehensive budget of $8.515 million is based in part on the anticipation that pledges will shrink by $210,000 and that there will be reductions in contributions from the Bishop Fund and the Bishop Appeal. Budget cuts will have to be made in communications, health insurance, staff positions (two part-time positions), and computer consulting and meeting costs. There will be no staff salary increases.
More than 1,000 clergy, delegates, church members and guests participated. The diocese includes nearly 38,000 Episcopalians worshipping in 120 northern Illinois congregations.
Diocese of Missouri
More than 260 delegates, 35 exhibitors, and guests gathered for the diocese's 170th annual convention. The first order of business was the unanimous vote to receive the Church of the Transfiguration, Lake St. Louis, as a parish. More than 60 parishioners from Transfiguration came to witness the vote.
Nine missioners to the Sudanese Diocese of Lui were commissioned during the gathering and left the day after convention for the Sudan.
Bishop Wayne Smith's address to convention recounted the past year's series of conversations during which groups of 20 clergy or laity shared a meal with Smith to discuss "what is on our hearts." Three themes arose: deeper spirituality and knowledge of the faith; a more robust expression of community; and engagement with mission.
"I believe that in precisely what many of you have told me about your dreams for this church lie the seeds for the very life that will sustain us," Smith said. "More. Community. Mission."
The convention passed all 15 resolutions presented to it, albeit some with amended text. There were 11 submitted by the diocese's General Convention deputation, an annual clergy minimum wage resolution, and a resolution asking for the appointment of a diocesan youth missioner. A resolution from the floor asked for an online library of resolutions from previous conventions. There was also a canonical change regarding youth on vestries and bishop's committees.
The original texts of some, but not all, of the resolutions are here.
The diocese used a mini-blog and online photo sharing to connect with diocesan members unable to attend the convention. Multimedia vignettes from the convention will be available soon here.
Close to 13,500 Episcopalians worship in 44 diocesan congregations.
Diocese of New York
The 233rd diocesan convention voted overwhelmingly to reduce permanently the amount of money each parish pays to the diocese annually and to adopt new "consequences" for parishes in default of those payments.
Also, convention passed a $10 million budget for 2010, reflecting tough economic times.
Two hundred clergy and 206 lay delegates were seated at the annual convention -- reduced from two days to one this year -- held at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in Manhattan.
In a vote by "orders" -- meaning clergy and lay deputies voted separately with a two-thirds vote in favor required for the resolution to pass -- both bodies voted to amend the funding program of the diocese to reduce the assessment formula percentages and change the income brackets. The resolution will also permit a multi-step process that could end in the conversion of a parish to a mission congregation if a congregation is in default of its assessment and unwilling to work with the diocesan adjustment board over three consecutive conventions to work out a solution.
(Mission status takes all independence from the parish by dissolving the vestry and places it under the control of the diocese, and the diocesan bishop appoints a priest.)
Following the 2008 diocesan convention, Bishop Mark Sisk formed a Special Committee on the Diocesan Budget Process and Assessment to examine the entire diocesan budget and assessment process. The 2009, $12.8 million budget was later reduced by about $2 million, or 15 percent, and the diocese's Board of Trustees, in response to economic crisis, approved an across-the-board 20-percent reduction in the 2009 parish assessment.
In other business, convention welcomed parishioners from St. Mary's Ghanian Congregation in the Bronx, which was formed as a mission church in September.
A portrait of the late Rt. Rev. Harold Wright, the first African-American bishop in the diocese, was unveiled.
"I have felt for some time that we as a diocese would be stronger if we were more aware of the depth and range of people who have served among us as bishops; hence his new portrait which will, over time, greatly enrich our collective awareness of who we are as a community of faith," said Sisk, in his convention address.
Sisk worked with Wright when he served as suffragan bishop of New York from 1974 to 1978.
Nearly 63,000 Episcopalians worship in 203 diocesan congregations.
Diocese of Oklahoma
Under the theme, "With Arms Wide Open," clergy and delegates met for the diocese's 72nd annual convention.
Despite the challenges of the economy, Bishop Edward J. Konieczny successfully proposed a three percent reduction in the diocesan assessment. "This reduction will allow over half a million dollars to remain within the congregations of this diocese in order to more effectively carry out the mission of the church at the local level," he said
Along with the reduction, the term "assessment" was replaced in the diocesan canons with the term "mutual ministry support," in acknowledgement that the money collected from the congregations is used to support ministries within the diocese.
The convention also approved a restructuring of diocesan governing bodies allowing for a "more engaged, effective and efficient leadership model which will only enhance the mission of the diocese," according to a diocesan news story. The new structure invites the people of the diocese to take a more active role in the life and ministry of the diocese.
The convention passed a resolution encouraging the bishop to explore the possibilities of a companion relationship with the Anglican Diocese of Uruguay. The resolution came in response to an accepted invitation to Konieczny from Uruguay Bishop Miguel Tamayo to attend and address the Anglican Diocese of Uruguay Synod in Montevideo on Dec. 4-5.
Diocese of Oregon
In addition to electing a new bishop, Oregon Episcopalians who gathered for the diocese 121st annual convention raised $24,000 for Episcopal Relief and Development's Nets for Life program.
Assisting Bishop Sanford Hampton presided at the convention's opening Eucharist. He was assisted by Diocese of San Joaquin Provisional Bishop Jerry A. Lamb. The Rev. James Kegel, pastor of Central Lutheran Church, Eugene, where the Eucharist was held, welcomed the convention to the church.
The delegates approved a 2010 budget of $2,068,217 that is $200,000 less than the 2009 budget; and capped the Diocesan Program Assessment at 18 percent, a two-percent reduction.
They also passed a canonical change allowing lay members of the diocesan council, board of trustees and standing committee to be voting members of subsequent conventions.
Delegates affirmed General Convention Resolution C056, acknowledging work during the past year in the diocese to create "'full dialogue regarding access to…all the rites and sacraments of the Episcopal Church… [including] access to blessings of relationships and unions." The resolution also requests the bishop of Oregon to provide the "generous pastoral response" allowed in the resolution by authorizing the blessing of such partnerships by clergy who choose to do so.
The convention also adopted the church's Charter for Lifelong Christian Formation. The diocesan resolution requires every congregation to read and study the charter "and attempt o live it out locally."
Hampton and his wife, Mari, were honored during the convention and received gift baskets from each of the diocese’s seven convocations based on themes specific to local geography and culture. Hampton has served the diocese since April 18, 2008.
The diocese includes 20,000 Episcopalians who worship in 74 western Oregon congregations.