Nominations open for positions to be filled at 2014 Diocesan Convention – UPDATED

This post has been updated to remove the online nominations form.

Nominations are now open for positions that will be filled at the 2014 Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth in Arlington, Texas, on November 14 and 15. Qualified candidates are invited to read, pray, and discern if they are called to offer themselves in nomination for any of the elected positions described below. Nominations may be by the candidate on their own or by another person with the candidate’s permission. The deadline for online nominations is September 14, 2014. The nomination form is available through that date.

For the following five positions in 2014, the Nominations Committee would like to see at least two candidates per position, or a total of at least 10 candidates, as described below.

In all cases, a nominee must

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Meet qualifications to hold office nominated
• Be willing to stand for election and willing to serve if elected
• Acknowledge fiduciary duty under The Episcopal Church Canon I.17.8
• Pledge to read the Constitution & Canons of The Episcopal Church and to give faithful performance to duties in accordance with the same
• Be willing to perform the duties of elected office (i.e., attend all meetings, share responsibility of work, etc.)
• Provide brief bio (150 word limit) and head shot photo
• Verify membership in the diocese by the following:
  • Laity – Adult communicant in good standing of a parish within the Diocese of Fort Worth, for approximately one year
  • Clergy – Canonically resident in the Diocese of Fort Worth

Positions to be filled include:

The Standing Committee – one lay and one clergy member. The Standing Committee is the council of advice for the bishop or the ecclesiastical authority of the diocese if there is no bishop. Three priests and three lay persons serve for three years (those elected in 2014 expiring 2017) with one priest and one lay member elected each year. No person may serve for more than two consecutive terms. The Standing Committee typically meets monthly. The continuing members of the Standing Committee are lay members Mollee Westfall, and Norm Snyder and clergy members Curt Norman and Carlye Hughes. Members whose terms are expiring are lay member Elinor Normand and clergy member Susan Slaughter.

Trustee for the University of the South – one clergy person. Length of term is three years (expiring 2017). Duties include attending trustee meeting in the fall at the University of the South at Sewanee, TN, which usually involves several weekdays, especially for a new trustee. There is an optional spring meeting. There may be some expenses related to this responsibility. The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth is one of the owner dioceses of the University of the South and thus is represented at the primary Trustee meeting. Continuing trustees are lay members Sherrie Glaser and Cynthia Hill. Clergy member Curt Norman’s term is expiring.

Disciplinary Board – one clergy and one lay member. One clergy member and one lay member are to be elected for three-year terms (expiring 2017). The Disciplinary Board meets as needed when called by the bishop. Continuing members of the board are lay members Brent Walker and Judy Cariker, and clergy members Traci Middleton, John Stanley and Henry Penner.

Nominations after September 14, 2014

The first business item at the diocesan convention will be a nominating ballot, which will determine the final slate of nominees in all offices.

Any nominations after the closing date of September 14, 2014, may be made from the floor at diocesan convention, and will follow all the requirements for candidates, including sufficient copies of picture and biographical information for all clergy and convention delegates, plus verification of qualifications. The requirements for nominations from the floor of convention will be posted on the diocesan website no later than October 1, 2014.

Other positions

In addition, the following are positions which are nominated by the bishop and confirmed by the convention. If you would like to volunteer in these areas and potentially be available for a future nomination, please email the nominations committee at nominations.committee@edotn.org.

• Diocesan Secretary
• Diocesan Registrar
• Diocesan Historiographer
• Diocesan Treasurer
• Diocesan Chancellor
• Corporation Trustee
• Episcopate endowment trustee

Other groups which welcome new membership each year include:

• Commission on Ministry
• Finance Committee
• Christian Formation Committee

For more information on nominations, email nominations.committee@edotn.org.