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[Back to index of January articles] Convention ‘06: A time to build, reap, sow By Bishop John Bryson Chane I've always wondered who invented conventions. The first General Convention of the Episcopal Church, held after the American Revolution, was one fraught with dissension and conflict, with some of the newly formed dioceses refusing to participate. One of the great battles of that initial convention was who would be the first presiding bishop to lead the Episcopal Church, newly independent from the Church of England. From that first convention was born the concept of annual diocesan conventions, where the business of the local diocese was discussed, budgets were proposed and passed, and resolutions of every type were presented and often fought over. When the dust had settled, the faithful departed to return to their own churches and spread the word about life in the larger church and diocese to which they belonged. Believe it or not, there was much enthusiasm for these early church gatherings, for if nothing else they brought the whole Body of Christ together, to celebrate their unity and their shared mission and ministry in Jesus Christ. Beyond the business side of life at early conventions, there was the real joy of delegates in worshipping together, sharing meals and overcoming, for a short time, the geographic separation of one congregation from another. As we gather together this month for the 111th Convention of the Diocese of Washington, we will continue a tradition begun so many years ago by the laity, clergy and bishops who have gone before us. Our enthusiasm may not be as overwhelming as it was when the first conventions of the diocese were held: Today, transportation difficulties, primitive communication systems, and a sense of physical isolation from one another are no longer a reality. Regional gatherings, clergy support groups, the Washington Episcopal Clergy Association, the Union of Black Episcopalians, the Anglo/African Clergy Group, the Lesbian/Gay Clergy Group, e-mail, fax, teleconferencing, modern highways and diocesan communications through the Communications Office have brought us all together in ways that even 20 years ago would have been hard to imagine. Likewise, our direct links with the national Episcopal Church offices in New York City, as well as the gifts of wireless and satellite communications and air travel make it possible for any of us to be in direct contact with Anglican churches and provinces throughout the globe within seconds or hours. This year's convention is crucial for the future life of the Diocese of Washington. As elected representatives, we will look at the budget and determine what we as a diocese will be willing to accept to continue to do Christ's work and mission locally and in the world. We are hampered in our growth by average parish giving to the diocese that continues to stay at a level of about 7 percent of normal operating income, while at the same time we continue to support the work of the Episcopal Church at a rate of 21 percent. The complex issues of how we will continue to use the blessings of the Soper Trust will be discussed. But clearly our ability to become a mission-driven diocese will depend on how we deal with the proposed 2006 diocesan budget. There also will be the presentation of resolutions and their debate. As has been my custom as chair of convention, I will expect that these will continue to be civil and open debates. Such debate often defines the health, collegiality and good will of the Body of Christ. The results of the "Three Years Out" evaluation that I requested to be undertaken after the first three years of my episcopacy will be presented, with my responsibility being to take the recommendations and live into them for both my office and that of my staff. Our ministry is one of servanthood for the people and parishes of the diocese and it is important that we get it right and begin to get it right now! My convention address will challenge each of us - clergy, parishioners and staff - to engage in an emerging, mission-driven strategy that will allow this diocese to develop a set of priorities for the next three years that will be aimed at new church plants, giving assistance to congregations struggling to survive and making the difficult decisions about the future ministry of other congregations, exploring whether they are in the right place at the right time to do Christ's ministry for a rapidly shifting demographic base. The staff at Church House also will work with parish leaders to find new ways to support congregations that are active, growing and expanding their ministry. In other words, there will emerge a vision for our life together that will have mission at its very heart. To become a mission-driven diocese means we must make some radical changes in the way we have been working together and doing business as clergy, parishes, regions, diocesan staff, Diocesan Council and Standing Committee. No longer should we see or believe that diocesan growth and development for the sake of Christ's mission be undertaken solely by the folks at Church House. "Congregationalism" must end its stranglehold on the Diocese of Washington and a new emerging understanding of what it means to be connected parishes working together for the larger mission of Jesus Christ must become our future. I'm sure also that there will be some discussion about the current trouble within the Anglican Communion and I believe that we need to have those discussions. But I am tired of the incessant battles that continue to divide our Episcopal Church and have taken so much of our time away from the broader mission of Jesus Christ. As we must get on with being a mission-driven diocese so we must get on with being a mission-driven Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion. So, Convention 2006 will be a time of what I hope will be a rededication of who we are as the churches of this diocese, and how we will reclaim our corporate mission imperative that I believe has been lying fallow for too long now. I look forward to a time of excitement, shared community, prayer and Eucharistic celebration that will remind us that we are all one in Christ and as his body, we are now called upon to engage our communities and one another in a new way of living, re-building the church as the apostle Paul began to build it, seeking support and guidance from all for the greater glory of God and proclaiming that we are a resurrection people. [Back to index of January articles]
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