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Regional Assemblies

2011 Regional Assemblies

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Who Should Attend?

Parish clergy, wardens and convention delegates should all attend, and have the right to vote (licensed clergy in parishes are given seat and voice). Yes, wardens vote at Regional Assemblies. Please note that wardens, delegates and alternate delegates must be certified. The parish office should send in the appropriate paperwork every year.

We also encourage other parish leadership to attend so that they can help take back what they learn and discuss into their own parish.

What to Expect at Regional Assemblies

The Bishop(s) generally address the Assembly on a variety of subjects.

In recent years, there have been keynoters who speak and engage in discussion on various subjects related to congregational development.

There is also a financial presentation on the current financial state of the diocese, and the beginning of the formation of the next year's budget, which will later be finalized and sent back to Diocesan Council for recommendations, and then to the Diocesan Convention for final approval

Regional elections are held to fill one of three offices - Regional Convener, Lay Regional Representative to Diocesan Council, Clergy Regional Representative to Diocesan Council. Each term is for three years, and the election schedule is set up on a rotation so that only one office has a vacancy each year.

Nominations for various Diocesan offices will be pared down and sent on from the Region for final voting at the Diocesan Convention (Lay and Clerical Members of the Standing Committee, and depending on the year, Lay and Clergy Deputies [and alternates] to General Convention, Lay and Clergy Deputies to Provincial Synod, Lay and Clergy At-Large Members of Diocesan Council, and Lay and Clergy Members of the Ecclesiastical Trial Court.)

There may be resolutions sponsored by a delegate on either regional business or to be forwarded to the Diocesan Convention.

There may be other business as determined by the Region or by the Bishop.

This year's tentative agenda: Regions 1-4; Regions 5-6

2011 Election Schedule

NOTE: elections at Regional Assemblies are for regional representatives. Ballotting will also be done to select the region’s nominations for elections held at Convention. All terms of office begin after Convention and end with the Convention of the year listed.

Elections:

Region 1 Regional Convener – 3 year term (2015)

Region 2 Lay Representative to Diocesan Council – 3 year term (2015)

Region 3 Regional Convener – to fill a vacancy (2014)
               Lay Representative to Diocesan Council – to fill a vacancy (2013)
               Clerical Representative to Diocesan Council (2015)

Region 4 Regional Convener – 3 year term (2015)

Region 5 Clerical Representative to Diocesan Council – 3 year term (2015)

Region 6 Lay Representative to Diocesan Council – 3 year term (2015)
 

Nominations by region (elect nominees to run at Convention): see descriptions

For Regions 1, 2 and 3:
1 Clerical and 1 Lay nominees for Member of Standing Committee, 2 year term (2014)
1 Clerical and 2 Lay nominees for Alternate Deputy to General Convention 2012
1 Clerical and 1 Lay nominees for At-Large Member of Diocesan Council (2015)

For Regions 4, 5 and 6:
1 Clerical and 1 Lay nominees for Member of Standing Committee, 2 year term (2013)
2 Clerical and 1 Lay nominees for Alternate Deputy to General Convention 2012
1 Clerical and 1 Lay nominees for At-Large Member of Diocesan Council (2015)

How to submit nominations

Please contact the convener (or other specified person) of your region to nominate someone after receiving that person's consent.  We need the name, parish, contact information, and a couple of sentences for a bio.

Region 1 - contact the Region 1 Convener, John Pontius by September 30
Region 2 - contact the Region 2 Convener, Paul Brewster by September 30
Region 3 - contact the Council region 3 rep, the Rev. Stephanie Nagley by September 30
Region 4 - contact the Region 4 Convener, the Rev. Kathy Corbett-Welch by September 30
Region 5 - contact the Region 5 Convener, Gerry Perez by October 7
Region 6 - contact the Region 6 Convener, Anne Ridenour by October 7

Description of Elective Offices 

Standing Committee. The Standing Committee serves as an advisory group to the Bishop, recommends candidates for Ordination, makes recommendations on requests from congregations concerning alienation of property, and consents to the elections of all bishops in this country. Two clergy and two lay members (half of the Committee) are elected each year for a two-year term.

Diocesan Council. The Council is like a governing board for the Diocese, which is empowered to act on behalf of the Convention while the Convention is not in session (the other 363 days of the year). It is composed of the Bishops, one clerical and one lay member elected from each of the six regions, two clerical and two lay at-large members elected by Convention, three members appointed by the Bishop, and several ex officio members. In two out of every three years, the Convention elects one clergy and one lay as At-Large Members of Council (half of the At-Large members) for a three-year term. See Diocesan Canon 10 for a full explanation of the Council.

Deputies and Alternate Deputies to General Convention. Just as the Diocese has a regularly scheduled Convention to conduct business, the National Church holds the General Convention every three years to conduct business. The bishops form the House of Bishops, and the elected deputies (both clergy and lay) form the House of Deputies. The year before General Convention, four clerical and four lay deputies are elected. An equal number of alternates are elected the next year.  NOTE:  Current policy is to fund all of the deputies, plus the 1st clergy alternate and 1st lay alternate (determined by order of election).