Diocese of Los Angeles representatives to the Triennial, a gathering of Episcopal Church Women that will run concurrently with General Convention, are, from left: Christine Budzowski, Kimberly Cortner, Martha Estes, Sheila Lowerre and Tammy Smecker-Hane.
Triennial 2024 logo
[The Episcopal News] The Diocese of Los Angeles will be well-represented at the 151st Triennial – the every-three- years gathering of women from across the worldwide Anglican Communion slated for June 22-28 in Louisville, Kentucky, in conjunction with the 81st General Convention of The Episcopal Church.
“Early on, before women could serve as clergy or deputies to the General Convention, [the Triennial] provided an opportunity for women throughout the church to come together, raise their voices, share dreams and ideas, network, and support one another in ministry and calling,” according to Christine Budzowski, diocesan Episcopal Church Women president, who will lead the Los Angeles delegation.
The cancellations of Triennial meetings in 202l and 2022 have increased the anticipation and excitement surrounding this year’s gathering, she said. “So much has changed churchwide due to Covid-19, … that I look forward to seeing where we are now and how we can support the church’s women and their ministries in new ways,” Budzowski said.
She will be joined by:
Kimberly Cortner, president of the diocesan Order of the Daughters of the King and a member of St. Mark’s Church in Upland.
The DOK is an international, multi-denominational order of lay and ordained women dedicated to prayer, service and evangelism, and includes members of the Anglican, Episcopal, Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches in some 21 countries worldwide.
Tammy Smecker-Hane, diocesan United Thank Offering coordinator, Province VIII United Thank Offering representative and a member of St. Andrew’s Church in Irvine.
The United Thank Offering, founded at an 1889 Triennial meeting in New York, by the Women’s Auxiliary, a precursor to ECW, invites donations to blue coin boxes as thank offerings or gratitude for blessings perceived. Monies collected further mission and ministry worldwide.
In April 2024, UTO awarded more than $1 million to ministries and programs exploring new, meaningful ways to welcome people with differences that cause isolation and projects that encourage acknowledging historic trauma and establishing a path to healing. It is the second of a three-year grant focus on the 25th chapter of the Gospel.
Canon Martha Estes, Province VIII ECW president, a former diocesan ECW president, and a member of St. Columba’s Church in Big Bear, is attending for the eighth time.
Sheila Lowerre, incoming diocesan Daughters of the King president and member of St. Andrew’s Church, Fullerton.
The Triennial gathering, themed “Empowering Women of Faith,” will be held at Louisville’s Galt Hotel near the Convention Center, and delegates will worship daily alongside deputies, visitors, exhibitors, volunteers and bishops attending General Convention, said Budzowski, who attends St. Francis’ Church in Rancho Palos Verdes. This will be her sixth Triennial, she told The Episcopal News.
“The experience of joining thousands of Episcopalians singing together, praying together, and opening our hearts together is life-changing,” said Budzowski. “It reminds us that we are a part of something much larger than our individual ministries in our congregations and our dioceses.”
The week also will include fun and educational opportunities, elections and installation of officers. “I am especially looking forward to presenting the ‘Leading with Heart’ leadership program, along with my ECW sisters from Province VIII,” she said.
Budzowski will co-present two experiential workshops focused Leading with Heart, a circular model of leadership “to transform organizational meetings and gatherings from a hierarchical model to an egalitarian, inclusive model that lifts all voices to collaborate and reach mutual consensus,” according to the ECW website.
Cortner, also a program presenter, said she eagerly anticipating attending her first Triennial. “I am really excited about seeing so many Daughters together in one location, and attending worship together and getting to know others from other parts of the country.
“I am also excited about seeing culture and differences with the way Daughters work, especially with some of the non-United States Daughters.”
Smecker-Hane told The Episcopal News that one of her tasks at her first Triennial will be “to collect the UTO blue boxes every night.” The iconic mite boxes will be placed at a variety of locations throughout convention and Triennial, she said. The monies collected will be reported to the church, and will go to further ministries in 2025, when grants will be focused on “helping people in rural areas that lack clean water. Think about Flint, Michigan, and imagine all the churches with old pipes. Even giving a little can do a whole lot.”
She will also serve as a small-group facilitator for conversations and will also spend time in the exhibit hall. “I am looking forward to being at the UTO booth and helping people understand what UTO is all about and trying to recruit more churches to participate on a yearly basis,” she said.
UTO emphasizes “fostering gratitude in our daily lives so that we can gather donations and do something fantastic in the world to help people. Fostering gratitude can change your whole life,” she added. “You realize how fortunate you are, and it changes your mindset. I highly recommend all parishes take part in the November gratitude challenge where every day the UTO calendar gives a little phrase or sentence or description of how you can be grateful.”
Lowerre looks forward to meeting other members of the DOK at her sixth Triennial. “It’s an amazing experience just to be in the presence of hundreds of Daughters,’ she said. ‘There’s usually over 500 attending. The workshops and speakers are always phenomenal. I always come away learning something new. I always have something I’m praying for each time I go and have always come back with an answer to my prayers.
Estes said Triennial is going to be exceptionally exciting for everyone going. She especially looks forward to meeting new people and appreciating the gifts they bring.
In addition to workshops, there will be business meetings, elections and installation of new officers as well as a presentation of the Philadelphia Eleven documentary, which chronicles the story of the first women ordained in The Episcopal Church.
Attending Triennial is an amazing experience, Budzowski said, adding: “It invites us to dream bigger and to look into our hearts to answer the questions, ‘What can I do?’ The Triennial meeting has been a springboard for many women, igniting flames of passion that may have lain dormant, opening up possibilities that would not otherwise be realized.”