The two-day
183rd Convention of the Diocese of Kentucky will begin tomorrow (Friday, February 25, 2011) -- its annual opening Eucharist is preceded by afternoon workshops, orientation sessions and committee meetings. A reception and the annual banquet will follow.
The gathering will bring more than 200 Kentucky Episcopalians and their guests to
St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 330 N. Hubbards Lane, in Louisville. All convention events will be at St. Matthew's, except for the youth's Episcopalalooza, which will be at
St. Mark's Church.
This will be the first convention to be presided over by the Rt. Rev. Terry Allen White, who was consecrated as the diocese's bishop last September. Organized around the theme of "Coming Together," the Rev. Lucinda Laird, St. Matthew's rector, said the theme was selected as "a sign of hope and possibility, focusing ALL of us on coming together with our new bishop to plan and pray and prepare for mission in this diocese and beyond."
Registration and workshops will begin at 2 p.m. (all times Eastern) Friday in the church's narthex (late registration will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday).
Download agendaThe following workshops will meet from 2 to 4:30. Descriptions of the following workshops may be found
here.
2-3 p.m.: "Christian Formation Hopes for the Diocese - A Conversation with
the Rt. Rev. Terry A. White"
2-3 p.m.: "Eco-Ministry, the film 'Dirt'," the Rev. Jerry Cappel
2-3 p.m.: Peace and Justice, the Revs. Mary Abrams and Marian McClure Taylor
2-3 p.m.: "Epis*connections: The Digital Faith Community - What It Can
Mean to Your Website Ministry," Dave Hagan and the Rev. Mary Jane Cherry
3:30-4:30 p.m.: "Hospitality for All as Parish Ministry," Martha Bourlakas
3:30-4:30 p.m.: "Changes to the Health Insurance Canons, Church Pension Group
Medical Trust," the Rev. W. R. "Rusty" McCown, Province IV account specialist
3:30-4:30 p.m.: "Sister Emily Cooper - Kentucky's Florence Nightingale," the
Rev. Ken D. Thompson and Callie Hausman
3:30-4:30 p.m.: "Fostering Ecumenically-Minded Clergy Peer Learning Groups -
Kentucky Council of Churches," the Rev. Marion McClure Taylor
'Green' convention goes digital
For the first time, the pre-convention
Advance Reports have been published online and not mailed to deputies and clergy members, saving the diocese an estimated $1,200 in reproduction and postage costs and contributing toward efforts to make this another "green" convention.
Organizers are planning to project some convention reports and charts (such as the budget, treasurer's report and canonical change resolutions) during the business sessions, but participants need to bring their laptops or other digital communication devices in order to have access to all of the online materials. Wifi is available in St. Matthew's Saints Hall, where the business sessions will be held Saturday. If you prefer paper, participants are welcome to bring hard copies with them.
Hold those ballots: important change this year
Deputies and members of the clergy: DO NOT OPEN the election ballot packets and vote in advance after you receive them at registration. Unlike the previous couple of years, all deputies and clergy members are to wait for instructions to vote from the nominations committee chair during the business session, said Secretary of the Convention Kay Shields Wilkinson. The election process change is necessary, she said, because two proposed canonical changes may affect the ballots for the Ecclesiastical Court/Disciplinary Board and for alternates to General convention.
For your pleasure
Come prepared to enjoy a bit of New Orleans, a nod to the impending Mardi Gras celebrations that signal the beginning of Lent when our churches put away their festivities and Allelulias for 40 days. Entertainment Friday evening at the banquet will be provided by Swing 39, a string group performing jazz and blues (though not necessarily music of New Orleans).
The Youth Event
Episcopal youth leaders have planned an "Episcopalooza" for all diocesan youth (not just the youth deputies). The event will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. (EST) Friday at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 2822 Frankfort Ave. On the agenda are dinner by Q'doba, games, ice cream and worship. Parents and youth leaders are responsible for their transportation, and each church ought to have an adult representative to help with supervision. RSVP to church youth/Christian formation director, who should, in turn, contact Beth Bojarski (bethb@episcopalky.org) with numbers of those planning to attend.
All hands on deck Saturday
Bring individually wrapped candies to the convention for the
Seamen's Church Easter on the River ministry, and with willing hands to help pack Easter boxes for the mariners on our inland waterways. The ministry's organizers want to pack each Easter box with enough candy for every person onboard each vessel. Figuring an average towboat crew at 10 people, that means the program needs lots of candy and a lot of hands to help pack it.
Not to be seen at convention
Seminarian Ben and Kendall Badgett are the proud parents of Edward Raymond, born on Sunday, Feb 20. All are doing well, and, the bishop reports, Ben has excused from convention!
Notes and gifts may be sent to 2416 Menokin Drive, Apt. 11, Alexandria VA 22302.
Links
