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Proving
that the accelerated pace of the infamous "Hurricane Convention"
of two years ago was not a fluke, the 2001 Diocesan Convention,
Oct. 12-13, managed to complete its agenda in record time,
but without omitting the traditional opportunities for information,
inspiration, corporate worship and fellowship.
Perhaps the most significant action of
Convention was the unanimous approval of Bishop Leo Frade's request
for the creation of the position of assistant bishop for a period
of up to two years. Shortly after this vote, the Standing Committee
met to approve Bishop Frade's appointment of the Rt. Rev. James
Ottley, former bishop of Panama and El Salvador, and former Anglican
observer at the United Nations, to the position. Bishop Ottley
will begin his ministry in the diocese this week (Oct. 15), with
particular responsibility for support and strengthening of minority
ministries.
The Convention also approved a budget
of $2,758,017, an increase of
$131,578, or slightly more than 5%, over the current year’s
operating budget, with a parish assessment rate of 14.98%, slightly
below the mandated cap of 15%.
Four additional resolutions were passed:
A call for greater youth participation in the Diocesan Convention,
including language specifically asking “that each congregation
of this diocese be encouraged to have among its delegates a communicant
30 years old or younger” and “that each congregation…be
encouraged to select a ‘Youth Observer’"; approval
of a memorial to the Rev. Austin R. Cooper, Sr. “who began
and ended his life and ministry in this diocese” to be included
in the Journal of the Convention; the clergy compensation guidelines
for 2002, which include a 2% cost of living increase; and a resolution
proposed by the deans of the deaneries that the Financial Think
Tank be instructed to "study the impact of debt on our parishes
and report back to the 33rd annual convention with any recommendations
they may deem appropriate".
Although the business of the Convention was accomplished from
9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Renaissance Hotel
in Miami, Convention events began on Friday evening with the Convention
Eucharist at Trinity Cathedral.
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Clergy
gather in front of the cathedral to begin the procession.
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Diocesan
Director of Youth Ministry and his wife Elena join in the
opening hymn, while daughter Maya keeps time.
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In a rousing sermon, guest preacher Bishop Michael Curry of North
Carolina began with the words of the prophet Habbakuk--"Write
the vision"--and went on to draw gasps, laughter and applause
from the congregation with quotations from poets William Butler
Yeats and James Weldon Johnson, a comparison of the views of Osama
bin Laden and Jerry Falwell (both, he said, "following a
misguided vision of God"), a rendition of the Frank Sinatra
song "That's Life", and an account of sitting across
the aisle from a Pakistani-American on a flight the week after
September 11, an encounter that began in anxiety and ended with
"prayer meeting at 28,000 feet".
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"The
vision makes
all the difference," he said. "The vision of life
you have determines what you do with the life you get...If
the church follows a misguided vision of God, we'll make
a mess of the world instead of a better world..."
"You gotta keep moving, 'cause
you're following Jesus...he didn't bring you this far to
leave you. You can trust where he's leading you--though
you may not know where he's leading you...We are called
to follow Jesus into God's vision of what he created the
world to be in the first place...Go into the world, make
disciples of that vision!"
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Following the service, delegates and
guests crossed the street from the cathedral to the hotel for
dinner and dancing, and an opportunity to visit exhibiters' tables.
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The
Rev. Barbara Baptiste-Williams, rector of Transfiguration,
Opa-locka, gets a lesson at the handbell exhibit.
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Canon
Kerry Robb, secretary of Convention, and the Rev. Jeannie
Martz, president of the Standing Committee (and Canon Robb's
assistant at St. Mark's, Palm Beach Gardens), display their
dancing skills.
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Everyone
danced to the reggae beat of the band Rhythmation.
One of the first items on Saturday's
agenda was Bishop Frade's address to Convention, in which he spoke
of progress toward the vision of being a "missionary diocese".
Telling delegates and guests that attendance figures from last
year show an increase of 1,357 new Episcopalians in the diocese,
he reminded his listeners that it's not the job of clergy alone
to grow the church. "Remember that shepherds don't make new
sheep," he said. "Sheep are the ones that make new sheep."
He spoke of the work of several groups
appointed in recent months: the Financial Think Tank, the Dialogue
on Human Sexuality; the reorganized Commission on Racism, Justice
and Reconciliation; the newly organized Task Force on Congregational
Development. He commended expanded efforts in communications and
youth ministry. He also announced new plans in the area of Education
and Ministry, reassuring everyone that the decision to reallocate
the resources for staff oversight in this area to Congregational
Development does not leave these ministries without sound leadership.
He announced the formation of a World Mission Commission, to expand
the work of the former Companion Diocese relationship to include
relationships with dioceses and congregations throughout the Anglican
Communion.
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"I want to encourage all of our Gospel outposts to
work together as much as possible in order to better use
our resources and to clearly share a common message to all
around us," he said. "The days of competition
are over. We must work together....
"September 11 was a watershed that shows the urgency
of our mission. We have been called to be catalysts of God's
kingdom...
"Our vision calls us not to do a program, but to be
enlisted as disciples carrying on Christ's mission. My dear
sisters and brothers, this is not an option, but an obligation...
"We have a task ahead of us. Christ has put us together
to fulfill this task. I am convinced that we are a good
team. Let's get going--there is much to do!"
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Other speakers included Bishop Suffragan
John Said, who thanked everyone for prayers during his recent
surgery and recovery, saying that he could bear witness to the
ministry of prayer and healing in the church. He reminded listeners
that the process of priestly formation does not end with seminary
and urged congregations to provide opportunities for newly ordained
transitional deacons to begin their ordained ministries and continue
their training. He also stressed the importance of offering sacramental
ministry as "a real option for young people".
"Next Step" co-chairs Bill
Swaney and the Rev. Mary Gray-Reeves talked about the Vision-Mission-Planning
process and other ways in which the diocese is providing the needed
training and preparation for clergy and laity to become more intentional
about the mission of evangelism.
A guest speaker during lunch was Sandra
Swan, director of Episcopal Relief and Development, who spoke
of the work of ERD throughout the world, and in particular, the
response of this ministry of the Episcopal Church to the victims
of the September 11 attacks.
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"The world changed for for America that day,"
she said. "We thought that we knew enough. We thought
we were smart enough...We who were safe...now feel insecure
and alone."
"Our reaction to this uncertainty...is
a choice we can make. We can be sad, we should be sad. We
can and should be angry with those who would do evil in
the name of the merciful God...And we should use this time
to do a bit of soul searching. We can use this event to
awaken our smug selves to the plight of those around the
world. We can retaliate by increasing our assistance to
those less fortunate."
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Convention
ratified an Executive Board resolution commending Canon
Fred Masterman for his work with Education and Ministry
over the past 13 years, and Bishop Frade presented a plaque
to Canon Masterman, who will begin a new ministry Nov. 1
as an assistant at St.
Gregory's, Boca Raton, with special responsibility for
adult education.
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The day's agenda ran so smoothly that
Convention had adjourned before the president of the Youth Commission
(whose schedule for the day had included taking the SAT test that
morning) arrived to make her presentation. Members of the Youth
Commission did make sure, though, that the gopher they gave Bishop
Frade at last year's Convention was still on the scene a year
later.
More
convention news and pictures.
More
scenes from convention on Saturday
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