Diocesan Convention 2022

Back In-Person, New Venue Saturday, November 5th, 2022

From the Secretary of Convention

Dear Friends in Christ,

The 121st Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts will be held on Saturday, November 5 beginning at 8:30 a.m. As noted in the first Convention mailing, we are pleased that, after two years of virtual conventions, we will gather in person at a new venue: The Conference Center at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

COVID-19 Protocol for Convention

• To moderate the number of people in the conference center for the day, Alternate Delegates (who are not attending in place of a parish delegate) are asked to attend remotely.

• We ask all who will attend in-person to take a rapid COVID-19 test at home that morning. We rely on your care for the common good to do so. If you test positive, or if you have any symptoms, please attend remotely.

• Additionally, all delegates will be required to mask except when eating or drinking.

• Virtual attendance via Zoom will be available for those delegates whose health concerns make in-person attendance difficult. All delegates attending remotely will have the ability to vote via Simply Voting and Zoom, and to have voice via Zoom. You will be asked to indicate your attendance preference at the time of registration.

Convention Website

Full details of the convention can be found on the convention website: www.conventionwma.com. As we approach the convention, you will find all necessary documents here.

Registration for Convention

The registration fee this year is $25 per person. Each registrant will be asked for their email address, status at convention, and any dietary or accessibility needs. Visit the convention website and click the registration button. Registration closes October 30.

Bring Your Parish Banners

If you have a parish banner, please plan to bring it to Convention when you come on Saturday for display in our Convention space.

Prayer Requests

Throughout our convention the Daughters of the King (DOK) will be offering prayers for Convention and all requested prayers. Please go to the FOR DELEGATES page of the convention site to record your confidential prayer request. All prayer requests will be passed on to the DOK prayer team.

UTO Offering

Plan to bring your parish’s UTO offering to Convention.

Smart Device Needed for Voting

We will once again use the Simply Voting platform for elections and any additional resolutions. All delegates will need access to a “smart” device in order to access the voting platform.

Pre-Convention Meetings

On Thursday, November 3, two pre-Convention meetings will be held via Zoom.

• At 5 p.m., Diocesan CFO Kim Foster will hold a Budget Hearing. Please Note: This is not a formal presentation, but rather an optional opportunity for delegates to ask any remaining questions related to the 2023 Financial Plan, after having taken the time to review the plan. A formal presentation reporting on Diocesan Finances will be provided at Convention.

• A New Delegate Orientation and Simply Voting Platform Orientation will be held at 6 p.m. ♦

Faithfully,

Wende Wheeler Secretary of Convention

Chaplains to Convention

The Rev. Dr. Nina Ranadive Pooley. Rector, St. Stephen's, Pittsfield

The Rev. Martha Sipe. Pastor, Christ the King- Epiphany, Wilbraham

The Rev. Anna Woofenden. Rector, St. John's, Northampton

Diocesan Ministries for Lay and Ordained

The Standing Committee

"The ecclesiastical authority of the diocese in the absence of a bishop. [...] The Standing Committee is elected by the diocesan convention. Half of its members are clerical, half lay. It serves as the bishop's council of advice. The Standing Committee is requested to give consent for all bishops elected in the Episcopal Church. It recommends persons for ordination. It gives the bishop advice and consent on the purchase, sale, or encumbrance of any property held by a congregation or the diocese. It gives the bishop advice and consent as to any judicial sentence given to a clergy person or concurs in allowing a clergy person to cease functioning as a member of the clergy. It investigates and reports to the bishop on the charge that a deacon or priest has abandoned the Episcopal Church. It also receives the bishop's resignation." - from "An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church"

Diocesan Council

The Diocesan Council is a representative governing body that serves as an oversight between conventions. The Diocesan Council meets regularly to ensure the diocese runs efficiently and effectively.

Disciplinary Board

The Disciplinary Board consists of four clerical members and three lay members. The Disciplinary Board is an adjudicatory body to hear and determine charges of offenses and misconduct against members of the clergy, all as defined in Title IV of the canons of the Episcopal Church.

Provincial Synod

Synod deputies meet together with others from the various dioceses of Province I. Various subcommittees coordinate activities that can be shared among the dioceses.

Deputies to the 81st General Convention

The General Convention is the governing body of The Episcopal Church. Every three years it meets as a bicameral legislature that includes the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops, composed of deputies and bishops from each diocese. GC81 will be held in Louisville, KY in the summer of 2024. ♦