The Rt. Rev. Rogers S. Harris, Bishop of Southwest Florida for the past eight years, told his diocesan convention he would resign as bishop Sept. 26, 1997, three days before his retirement.

Bishop Harris made the announcement Oct. 11 during his address at the Charlotte County Memorial Auditorium in Punta Gorda. He also said Bishop Coadjutor John B. Lipscomb would be instituted as diocesan bishop Sept. 27, 1997.

Convention delegates participated in one of four stewardship workshops. The Rev. Hugh Magers, of the Stewardship Office at the Episcopal Church Center, led one of the workshops. Others were led by Tom Gossen of the Diocese of Kansas, the Rev. William Yon of Alabama and Nancy Berry of West Texas.

Bishop William B. Trexler of the Florida-Bahamas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America preached at the convention Eucharist and spoke about the proposed Concordat of Agreement. The Rt. Rev. Misaeri Kauama, chairman of the Uganda AIDS Commission, also addressed convention.

The convention dealt with 14 resolutions, including five in response to the bishop's convention address.

A budget of $2.59 million was adopted.