The newly configured Diocese of Michigan met Feb. 23-25 at St. John's Church, Royal Oak, in what it called its "161st and 1st" annual convention, its first since the establishment of the new Diocese of Eastern Michigan. As required in restructuring of a diocese, delegates voted to make amendments to the constitution and canons. But they ran out of time for all deliberations, including two controversial resolutions.

Delegates voted to recess until a one-day convention will be called in April. Then they will consider the remaining eight of 14 resolutions. These include a resolution to "not knowingly" approve ordination of individuals engaged in sexual relationship outside of Christian marriage and another to "support and celebrate" committed relationships of lesbians and gay men.

The Rt. Rev. R. Stewart Wood Jr., Bishop of Michigan, characterized the new diocesan structure as focusing on community and dialogue. The new design is intended to encourage cooperative ministries, simplify structure with reduced staff and to emphasize serving and connecting congregations, Bishop Wood said.

On opening night, nearly 350 delegates from 102 congregations broke into small groups of newly structured area councils to discuss common ministry goals. The next day they plowed through 39 pages of changes to the constitutions and canons of the diocese. Constitutional changes must have affirmative votes in two conventions.

Changes included a decision to have one annual convention and new representation of congregations: Each church will have three lay representatives at convention (regardless of size or mission/parish status) and all canonically resident clergy.

The convention also:

’Ä¢ Reorganized the 25- to 30-member executive council into a smaller diocesan council (maximum 16) of 10 people elected by area councils, up to four appointed by the bishop for diversity representation (two of whom must be youth), and two elected by convention.

’Ä¢ Returned to apportionment formula for funding diocesan program, rather than voluntary giving which had been used for approximately five years.

’Ä¢ Authorized the diocesan newspaper, The Record, to enter into partnership with Episcopal Life and mail both to every subscriber in the diocese beginning September 1995.

A $1.4 million budget was approved.