199th Annual Convention

The 199th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina adjourned mid-afternoon on Saturday, November 22, 2014, after a fruitful two days at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem. This year's Convention focused on ways to continue going deeper into Galilee. Highlights included keynote speaker the Rev. Jay Sidebotham's insights into what keeps congregations vital, the Rt. Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple's update on local congregation's Galilee activities, the announcement of a new interim executive director for the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry, the debut of the A Movable Feast food truck, and the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry's annual pastoral address.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014

Convention kicked off on Friday morning with Bishop Curry's pastoral address, during which he encouraged the assembled delegates to "Keep Going!" in spite of the challenges churches face in the modern world. Continuing last year's theme of "Go deep, go speak, go do," Bishop Curry reminded the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina it must be a missionary church going out into the world while highlighting the ways the diocese lived into that calling during the last year, including high participation in last May's "Go Speak!" initiative and the Harvest for Hospitality campaign's success in bringing the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry to financial stability.

He ended with the words of Harriet Tubman:

If you hear the dogs, keep going.
If you see the torches in the woods, keep going.
If there’s shouting after you, keep going.
Don’t ever stop. Don’t ever quit.
Don’t give up. Don’t give in.
If you want a taste of freedom,
Keep going!

[Listen to the pastoral address.]

Friday also featured an update on Harvest for Hospitality by the Rev. Lisa Fischbeck, campaign co-chair, who kept the Convention's attention by throwing out cucumber- and sweet potato-shaped stress balls from the stage. She shared the exciting news that Harvest for Hospitality is one-quarter of the way to its fundraising goal and, as a result, the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry has hired an interim executive director: Dr. Juan Carabaña. Carabaña is the senior warden at El Buen Pastor, Durham, and also serves as the Spanish translator during Convention.

During the afternoon, the Convention keynoter, the Rev. Jay Sidebotham, director of RenewalWorks, led a town hall meeting during which he encouraged delegates to reflect on and discuss spiritual practices in their churches. The discussions were facilitated by an open seating arrangement at round tables.

The first day of Convention continued with a Eucharist at St. Paul's, Winston-Salem, during which the Convention bid farewell to Canon Trawin Malone and Canon Beth Ely while welcoming Canon Rhonda Lee to the staff. Bishop Anne Hodges-Copple preached on the "softer and scarier side" of Galilee. She reminded worshippers that, while the disciples who were sent by Jesus on the first Easter day had specific instructions, most of us are more like the pre-Easter disciples, who faced more uncertainty when they were sent forth. With humor and deep insight, she encouraged the delegates to continue along their journeys into Galilee.

[Listen to the Convention Eucharist sermon.]

Late in the evening, young adults, campus ministers and delegates gathered in front of the Benton Convention Center for a compline and blessing of the newly-delivered A Movable Feast trailer. A Movable Feast is a new food truck-based campus ministry intended to reach out to young adults at community colleges, technical schools and other places traditionally underserved by campus ministries. The trailer, which arrived in the Diocese from Georgia on Thursday afternoon, offered hot cider and cookies to delegates and those who passed by on the street throughout Convention.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014

The second day of Convention kicked off with the Rev. Sidebotham's keynote address, during which he shared research-based insights into what keeps congregations vital and spiritually healthy. His address encouraged delegates to help their churches move back to the basics: personal prayer and engagement with the Bible. In other words, he told the Convention to "Go deep!"[Keynote address coming soon.]

Later in the day, the Bishop of Botswana, the Rt. Rev. Metlhayotlhe Beleme, who, along with his wife was visiting the United States and the Diocese of North Carolina for the first time, brought greetings from Bostwana and shared his hope that his province would soon vote to ordain women in order, in part, to fill the need for more clergy. He and Bishop Curry then signed a renewal of the dioceses' companion relationship.

Convention wrapped with an update from Bishop Hodges-Copple about the exciting congregation-based Galilee ministries happening throughout the Diocese. She highlighted outreach to the community, partnerships between churches and local organizations, community organizing, ministry with Spanish-speaking populations and the real relationship-building happening at many congregations. Taking as her main examples, Holy Comforter, Charlotte; Christ Church, Raleigh; St. Matthew's, Hillsborough; and St. Andrew's, Haw River, she reminded the delegates that no church is too small, too large, too suburban, urban or rural, too poor, or too wealthy to meet Galilee head-on.

Of course, the delegates also addressed the business of the Diocese by voting on the 2015 Mission and Ministry budget, electing individuals to fill diocesan leadership roles and voting on resolutions.

The 2015 budget passed as submitted, and Convention voted to reduce the 2016 fair share churches will pay into the diocesan budget from 11.25 percent to 11 percent of a church's income.

A summary of resolutions is available below. To learn more about election results and acts of Convention, consult the Journal of the 199th Annual Convention.

199.1 On Amending Canon 19 to Allow More Flexibility in Scheduling Pre-Convention Convocation Meetings as Part of the Budget Development Process - Substitute resolution adopted
199.2 On Authorizing Adoption of Parish By-Laws Allowing Absentee Voting for Members of the Vestry - Substitute resolution adopted
199.3 Resolution urging the inclusion of Bishop Thomas Atkinson in the calendar of the commemorations of the Episcopal Church - Adopted as submitted
199.4 In Support of Continuing Efforts to Promote Immigration Reform - Substitute resolution adopted
199.5 On Renewing Companion Relationship with Diocese of Botswana - Adopted as submitted
199.6 On Noting the Sacrifice of Michael Clifton Baskett - Adopted as submitted
199.7 On Honoring God, Our Creator - Substitute resolution adopted
199.8 Anniversary of St. Anne’s Church - Adopted as submitted