2020 Convention

Saturday, November 14

Held via ZOOM due to the covid-19 pandemic

Convention updates 11/14/2020

Election Results:

Standing Committee
Lay: Judy Cariker, Resurrection, Decatur
Clergy: Dana Wilson, St. Luke’s, Stephenville
New president: The Rev. Karen Calafat, St. Luke’s in the Meadow, Fort Worth

Disciplinary Board
Lay: Jane Dennis, St. Luke’s, Stephenville
Clergy: Jill Walters, All Saints’ School, Fort Worth
New president: The Rev. Karen Calafat, St. Luke’s in the Meadow, Fort Worth

Trustee, University of the South, Sewanee
Suzi Robertson, Good Shepherd, Granbury

Executive Council Member at Large, Lay
Barbara Evans Chowning, All Saints’, Fort Worth
Marti Fagley, St. Christopher, Fort Worth

Executive Council Member at Large, Clergy
Robert Pace, Trinity, Fort Worth

Delegates passed the 2021 Budget and Table of Assessments. They also passed a resolution approving the location of the 2021 Diocesan Convention “be held on Friday and/or Saturday, November 12-13, 2021, at the ACH Event Venue in Fort Worth OR virtually online, if/as necessary.”

They passed a resolution concerning the Commission on Racial Justice and Reparations:

Resolved that the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth is committed to repentance, reparation, and reconciliation for the racial injustice of which we have taken part. To that end, we further commit that every congregation in this diocese will discern who in its congregation is called to serve on the Commission for Racial Justice and Reparations. The Commission will have both Lay and Clergy members, with strong participation of people of color from our diocese. The purpose of the commission will be to move from education toward action… the action of identifying racism embedded in our cultural and diocesan history… the action of discerning and identifying methods of repairing those relationships and systems that have caused such harm for our black, brown, and native siblings… the action of respecting the dignity of every human being in tangible and concrete ways. To be part of this Commission, please send nominations to Canon Waggoner at the Diocesan Office.

One of the two Courtesy Resolutions honored the technical artistry of diocesan Communication and Administrative Assistant Steve Grenzow and the other honored the organists of the diocese who provided amazing music for breaks and for worship: Tony Kroll at St. Luke’s in the Meadow, Fort Worth; Debora Clark at Trinity, Fort Worth; Clive Driskill-Smith at All Saints’, Fort Worth; Duncan McMahon at St. Luke’s, Stephenville; and Jean Farris Fuller at St. Luke’s, Stephenville.

Watch the video You are the Light of the World that was shown at convention about the ways the clergy and the people of the diocese responded to to the Covid19 pandemic.

The establishment of the Deacon Henry Penner Education Fund, which has been established by Rhonda Penner and their extended family, was announced at Convention. Contributions to this fund will be used to help with education expenses for aspiring vocational deacons, and to help with continuing education expenses for deacons currently serving in the Church and the world.

THEME

The theme of the 2020 Diocesan Convention is “You are the light of the world.”

Matthew 5:14-16

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

WORSHIP

The opening worship of convention is at 10 am Saturday, November 14, and will be live streamed at the Diocesan YouTube Channel and at Facebook.com/DioFW

An offering will be taken for Episcopal Relief and Development. Make an offering.

The Worship Booklet will be available to be downloaded here on Saturday, November 14.

Bishop Scott Mayer will preside. His sermon will also be his convention address. The text of his sermon will be available for download here that morning.

During the worship service, the Litany for Social Justice will be prayed. Please take time to read, pray, and reflect on the litany prior to the worship service.

Convention worship will include celebration of the Eucharist. The clergy in each congregation will consecrate and distribute wafers to those of their congregations who wish to take part in advance of the Convention. They will communicate with parishioners about when and where to pick up wafers.

CONVENTION REGISTRATION

Registration opened September 4 and will close November 1. There is no registration charge this year.

CONVENTION BUSINESS

The Convention will meet via Zoom for delegates and alternates. Guests will view the Convention via password-protected live stream. The link to the Zoom meeting will be sent to delegates/alternates via the email address they provide at registration. The password to the live stream will be provided to guests at the email address they provide at registration.

Because meeting by Zoom is known to be very tiring, Convention business will be kept to the absolute minimum necessary to fulfill the canons. [See schedule below]

If a delegate is unable or unwilling to participate via Zoom, an alternate must take that delegate’s place.

List of committees active at Convention

Delegates’ Packet

Please download the information delegates will need to conduct the business of the 2020 Diocesan Convention at the links below.

Resolutions

2021 Table of Assessments

Reports

Nominations

Sewanee is the one University in the country supported and governed by dioceses of the Episcopal Church. The Diocese of Fort Worth is one of the twenty-eight constituent dioceses that are key to the strength of the University’s Episcopal identity.

Read the annual report from Sewanee, University of the South.

The video below discusses how Sewanee is working to come to terms with its history and its connections the enslavement of human beings. It asks the question, “Who are we going to be? The university of the Old South, or the university of a south that recognizes the fundamental humanity of all of us?”

View a video from Sewanee, University of the South

You can view other videos related to that work here.

Watch a video of the required reading of proposed amendments to the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church

Supplemental Reports to Convention

Voting

Voting will be done using the Zoom polling feature or, with votes by order, a voting application. Delegates will practice voting at the Pre-Convention Deanery meetings, so it is important that all delegates and alternates attend those meetings. [See schedule of meetings below]

Elections will be held to fill these positions:

Standing Committee – Lay and Clergy Order
Sewanee Trustees – Clergy Order
Disciplinary Committee — Lay and Clergy Order
Executive Council – Two Lay, One Clergy

Deadlines

Resolutions [except for changes to Constitution/Canons] must be submitted to the Resolutions Committee by September 11th, 2020.

Nominations must be submitted to the Nominations Committee by September 11, 2020.

Canon I.2.4.1 requires that “each Parish, Mission and Mission Station, diocesan-wide ministry, permanent diocesan officer, and diocesan committee, board, entity, and institution shall submit to the annual meeting of the Convention a written report briefly summarizing its work since the last annual meeting of Convention and its plans and goals for the following year.”

All reports will be given only in writing, so it is important to read the packet thoroughly. The deadline for reports to be sent to the convention secretary is September 29, 2020. They should be sent to secretary@edotn.org using this template.

Convention Packet

All reports, bios and photos of those nominated for offices, and copies of proposed resolutions will be posted here. Delegates and other interested people can download and print the packet or view documents on their devices.

Deanery meetings

Each deanery has the option to meet in the summer (usually late July or August) and is required to convene for the Pre-Convention meeting in October. Visit the Deaneries page to find meeting dates, current officers, and deanery information. If you find no meeting scheduled on the calendar, contact your dean.

Schedule

This schedule is a draft. Some details may change.

10:00 am – Opening Worship live stream
11:30 am – Break
1:00 pm – Business Session I via Zoom
2:00 pm – Break
2:15 pm – Business Session II via Zoom
3:30 pm – Convention Recesses
*all times approximate

Previous Conventions materials

Convention Journals