The Riverside Convention Center will host the 2023 meeting of Diocesan Convention Nov. 10 – 11.
[The Episcopal News] “Love in Action: For Healing, Housing & Hope” will be the theme for the 128th meeting of Diocesan Convention, a two-day hybrid event on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 10 and 11, at the Riverside Convention Center, 3637 5th Street, Riverside.
Clergy and lay delegates are encouraged to attend in person, but may participate by Zoom if desired. Visitors are always welcome to observe convention business and explore the exhibit hall.
According to Canon Steve Nishibayashi, secretary of convention, a series of workshops featuring diocesan ministries living out the theme of Convention will precede the Friday business session, which will begin at 1 p.m. Workshops will be presented in three sessions, beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing until noon. Topics and presenters will be announced in coming weeks.
Tom Quijada-Discavage, missioner for formation and transition ministry, and Samantha Wylie, convention coordinator, greet delegates at the 2022 meeting in Riverside. Photo: Janet Kawamoto
Friday’s agenda includes the annual bishop’s address, delivered by the Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor. The afternoon agenda also will include a panel discussion featuring leaders of The Episcopal Church’s Ethnic Ministries department comprising African Descent Ministries, Asiamerica Ministries, Indigenous Ministries, and Latino Ministries. Speakers will offer practical guidance and insights in their respective areas of expertise. The panel is coordinated by the Rev. Canon Anthony Guillén, The Episcopal Church’s missioner for Latino/Hispanic ministries and director of the Ethnic Ministries team. Guillén is well known from his many years of ministry in the Diocese of Los Angeles, including as a former rector of All Saints/Todos los Santos, Oxnard. More information about the panel will appear in a future issue of The News.
A complimentary reception and the convention dinner (tickets required – see below for details) will follow the afternoon business session. Convention will reconvene at 9 a.m. Saturday morning with Holy Eucharist, will break for lunch at about 12:30 p.m., continue at 2 p.m. or as directed by the chair, and adjourn by 4 p.m.
Robert Ross
The biannual Margaret Parker Memorial Lecture will be delivered on Saturday by Robert Ross, president of the California Endowment, who will speak on “the nexus of philanthropy and social and racial justice.” (See related story here.)
Throughout the convention delegates will hear reports from various ministries of the diocese; vote for diocesan officers; and vote on several resolutions.
Delegates
Deanery pre-convention assemblies will be held via Zoom. Each of the diocese’s 10 deaneries is assigned to one of the gatherings. Individual deanery assemblies will follow the joint sessions.
The Zoom link for all deanery meetings is here. Although the meetings will be geared to specific deaneries (as noted below), any delegate may attend any of the three meetings. Spanish translation will be provided. Assembly dates are:
Deaneries 3, 4 & 5
Saturday, October 21, 10 a.m.
Deaneries 6, 7 & 8
Sunday, October 22, 3 p.m.
Deaneries 1, 2, 9 & 10
Saturday, October 28, 10 a.m.
Congregations and diocesan institutions that have not yet registered their delegates to convention are encouraged to do so as soon as possible: click here for the forms.
Alternate delegates and visitors to convention will be seated in a gallery near the convention floor, but may not enter the floor unless credentialed as a delegate.
Nominations
A list of open offices, information for each, and nomination forms can be found here.
Once nominated, candidates need to provide a photo, biography, statement, and, if desired, a brief video to be published on the Convention website. These can be submitted at the link found on the nomination form.
The deadline for nominees to be included on the printed tally sheet is Oct. 24; deadline for inclusion on the website prior to Convention is Nov. 3. To make a nomination from the floor of convention, obtain a nomination form from the registrar, complete it, and submit it to the Secretary of Convention. (The nominee must give his or her consent before the form is submitted.)
A delegate rises to make an argument during a resolution debate at the 2022 meeting. Photo: Janet Kawamoto
Resolutions
Four resolutions have been submitted for consideration by this year’s convention (click on the titles for full text and explanations):
Proposed Resolution Regarding Establishing Holy Family Sunday
Resolved, that the One Hundred Twenty-eighth Annual Meeting of the Church in the Diocese of Los Angeles dedicate the First Sunday in Advent (or another Sunday in Advent if it is more appropriate) as Holy Family Adoption Services Sunday, and that congregations and individuals
be encouraged to support Holy Family Services life-saving work on that day through prayer and a special offering that will help this important work of finding caring homes for children.
Proposed Resolution Regarding Commemorating The Philadelphia Eleven in the Church Calendar
Resolved, that the One Hundred Twenty-eighth Annual Convention of the Diocese of Los Angeles submit the following resolution to the 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church meeting in 2024: Resolved, the House of ________________ concurring, that the 81st General Convention include and enter The Philadelphia Eleven to the Lesser Feasts & Fasts Calendar of the Church Year to be celebrated on July 29.
Proposed Resolution Regarding the 80th Anniversary Programs Honoring Florence Li Tim-Oi
Resolved, that the 128th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles adopts the 80th General Convention’s Resolution D079: 80th Anniversary Programs Honoring Florence Li Tim-Oi.
Proposed Resolution Regarding the Companion Relationship with the Diocese of Taiwan
Resolved, that the 128th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles accepts the invitation of the Diocese of Taiwan to form a Companion Relationship, beginning September 2024 and continuing until September 2027, or until terminated by mutual consent, in accordance with the guidelines of the Episcopal Church.
Bethlehem Handcrafts is one of many vendors and ministries with booths in the convention exhibit hall. Photo: Janet Kawamoto
Exhibit Hall
The convention exhibit hall will feature ministry and vendor booths from around the diocese and The Episcopal Church. It will be open to guests from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 10, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11.
A virtual exhibit hall is also available here.
To become an exhibitor, click here for information and registration. Deadline to register is Friday, Oct. 27.
Lodging and meals
Rooms are available at a group rate Nov. 9 – 11 at the Riverside Marriott (includes discounted parking and complimentary WiFi), the Mission Inn Hotel, and the Hampton Inn. To make reservations, visit the “Meals and Lodging” page of the convention website and click on the reservation link for the desired hotel.
S’mores on the plaza are a popular treat on Friday evening at convention. Photo: Janet Kawamoto
After close of convention business on Friday, a complimentary reception will be held in the exhibit hall, along with s’mores and games on the plaza. Dinner will be served in the main meeting hall at 7:30, and will feature a performance by Laos Chamber Music, a group based at Church of Our Saviour, San Gabriel. Dinner tickets must be purchased in advance here; deadline is Nov. 3. Seating will be assigned; groups wishing to be seated together must make their reservations as a group.
Coffee and concessions will be available for purchase Friday and Saturday inside the convention center. Guests and delegates are also welcome to dine off-site during the lunch break. Learn more about dining in downtown Riverside here.
Youth volunteers and childcare
The Program Group on Youth & Young Adult Ministries welcomes middle school and high school (grades 8 – 12) and college-age young people to serve as convention volunteers. The youth and young adult volunteers handle many logistical tasks while they make connections with other Episcopalians and learn about how their church and diocese are governed. Some will also will be asked to be acolytes at the Saturday morning Eucharist.
Youth volunteers serve as acolytes at convention Eucharist in 2022. Photo: Janet Kawamoto
Youth volunteers will need to arrive in Riverside on Thursday night for training, and will work at the convention on Nov. 10 and 11. (Nov. 10 is a holiday at many schools, in observance of Veterans Day, Nov. 11.) Meals, lodging and adult supervision will be provided. For more information and to register, contact Gabe Vasquez-Reyes at gvazquez-reyes@ladiocese.org; registration deadline is Monday, Nov. 6.
Childcare providers will be available onsite for children up to age 12 in a breakout room adjacent to the exhibit hall. Toys, activities, snacks and meals will be provided. There is no charge, but donations to help offset costs will be gratefully accepted. To register for childcare, click here.
All convention information, forms and other materials may be found here. Questions may be directed to Samantha Wylie, convention coordinator, at convention@ladiocese.org.