[The Episcopal News] Plans for the 2022 meeting of Diocesan Convention, themed “Back to the Holy City: The Hope of Christ in Our Time,” are proceeding rapidly as the Nov. 11 – 12 gathering approaches.
Archbishop Hosam Naoum of Jerusalem will be the diocese’s guest throughout the two-day meeting at the Riverside Convention Center and will give a keynote address during the Saturday session. In addition, representatives of American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ) will be present as the dioceses of Los Angeles and Jerusalem continue their companion relationship, which began in 2005.
Visitors are welcome to attend the convention, hear the keynote and visit the exhibit hall, which will be back in full swing after two years of pandemic restrictions.
Delegates and clergy who prefer not to join the in-person gathering may log in via Zoom; register in advance here. All convention business, including the keynote, will be livestreamed on the diocese’s YouTube and Facebook pages. On-site Spanish translation and ASL interpretation will be provided.
Registration for parish and mission delegates and clergy will begin on Friday, Nov. 11 at 1 p.m.; convention business will open with prayer at 3 p.m. At 6 p.m., the Friday session will be adjourned for the evening reception and a s’more bar and games in the convention center courtyard. The convention dinner will follow at 7:30 p.m., featuring presentations and live music.
Meals and accommodations
Dinner tickets at $36 – $39 (depending on entrée) are now available on the new convention website. Entrée choices are Harissa-spiced grilled chicken breast, Kobe beef meatloaf, and a vegetarian four-cheese stuffed lasagna roulade. Dinner also will include salad, bread, dessert, coffee and tea. Seating will be assigned; to be seated together, make reservations as a group. Note any dietary restrictions in the comment box at checkout. The dinner reservation deadline is Friday, Nov. 4.
Coffee and snacks will be available for purchase at concession stands throughout the convention. Guests and delegates may lunch off-site during the Saturday noon break, which will be about an hour and a half. Learn more about dining options in historic downtown Riverside here.
Reservation links for the Riverside Marriott and Mission Inn are on the same page. Reservations may be made at any time; use the provided links to automatically receive the convention room rate.
The Riverside Convention Center is located at 3637 5th Street, Riverside 92501. The Marriott is across the plaza at 3400 Market Street. The Mission Inn is a few minutes’ walk away at 3649 Mission Inn Avenue.
Before convention
In preparation for the convention’s Jerusalem theme and the visit of Archbishop Naoum, CMEP (Churches for Middle East Peace) and the Diocese of Los Angeles sponsored an online town hall meeting on Oct. 8 to discuss issues facing Israel and Palestine. The discussion may be viewed on demand here. (See related story here.)
Three online pre-convention meetings will be held beginning this weekend. Delegates and clergy are expected to attend to hear from diocesan staff and others about business to be conducted at the convention, including several resolutions and the 2023 diocesan budget. Zoom links will be provided to registered delegates and clergy. Other interested Episcopalians are also welcome to attend: contact Samantha Wylie, convention coordinator, at swylie@ladiocese.org for the Zoom log-in information. These meetings will include only the diocesan portion of the traditional deanery gatherings; deans will organize their deaneries’ annual meetings.
The diocesan meeting schedule is:
- Deaneries 3, 4 and 5: Sunday, October 16, 3 p.m.
- Deaneries 6, 7 and 8: Saturday, October 29, 10 a.m.
- Deaneries 1, 2, 9 and 10: Sunday, October 30, 3 p.m.
Spanish translation will be provided at all three meetings.
In addition, the convention office will hold a convention Q&A and tech support meeting via Zoom on Monday, Nov. 7, 6 – 6:30 p.m. for delegates and clergy needing assistance. Registered virtual delegates will be invited to a “practice convention” on Saturday, Nov. 5.
At convention
The convention agenda will include an address from Bishop John Harvey Taylor and remarks from Canon to the Ordinary Melissa McCarthy in addition to reports of various diocesan ministries.
The convention will discuss and vote on the 2023 diocesan draft budget, which will be presented at the deanery meetings (see above). The budget will be available on the convention website after it has been finalized by Diocesan Council.
Elections
Another primary order of business is to elect officers for a variety of diocesan councils, committees and boards that are vital to running the diocese and its institutions.
“Governance in The Episcopal Church is all about collegiality, collaboration, and community discernment,” says Bishop Taylor. “You offer a precious gift to God by putting your name forward to serve on these deliberative bodies and put your experience, insights, and creativity to work for the benefit of our whole diocesan family.”
Among the officers to be elected are clergy and lay deputies who will represent the diocese at the 2024 General Convention, which will meet in Louisville, Kentucky. General Convention will elect the next presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church; the Most Rev. Michael Curry will conclude his nine-year term Nov. 1 of that year.
Nominations are open for diocesan offices, including:
- Deputies to General Convention: Four clergy and four lay. Four alternates also will be elected in each order: nominees not elected for deputy will automatically be nominated for election as alternates.
- Episcopal college chaplaincy programs Canterbury Irvine, Canterbury USC and Canterbury Westwood (UCLA) (board members): For each program, one, clergy or lay, for a one-year term.
- Commission on Ministry: One clergy and one lay, each for a three-year term
- Corporation of the Diocese: One clergy and two lay, each for a three-year term
- Diocesan Council: One clergy and one lay, each for a three-year term
- Diocesan Investment Trust: One, clergy or lay, for a four-year term
- Hillsides (trustee): One, lay or one clergy, for a three-year term
- Holy Family Services (board of directors): One, lay or clergy, for a three-year term
- Secretary of Convention: One, lay or clergy, for a one-year term
- Standing Committee: One clergy and one lay, each for a four-year term
To learn more about each office and see photos, brief biographies and statements from current candidates, or nominate a candidate, visit the nominations page of the convention website. The page is updated each Friday.
Resolutions
Five resolutions have been submitted for the convention’s consideration. Three seek to update and regularize compensation and benefits for the diocese’s lay and clergy employees:
- Proposed Resolution Regarding the Establishment of a Diocesan Compensation & Benefits
- Proposed Resolution Regarding Clergy Compensation Minimums
- Proposed Resolution Regarding Parity for Ordained and Lay Church Employees
The remaining two diocesan resolutions, proposed by the Bishop’s Commission on Climate Change, call for specific actions to be taken by the diocese and its congregations to contribute to climate change mitigation efforts:
- Proposed Resolution Regarding the Diocese of Los Angeles’s Commitment to Engage with the Episcopal Church’s Covenant for the Care of Creation
- Proposed Resolution Regarding the Adoption of Guidelines for the Environmental Reformation of the Diocese of Los Angeles
Click on the resolution titles for full texts.
Clergy spouses, youth and children at convention
As in previous years, a separate room will be set aside for clergy spouses attending the convention, hosted by Canon Kathy O’Connor, wife of Bishop Taylor. ‘Clergy Spouses and Partners will have our own meeting space in the Convention Center where we can be together to catch up with one another, chat, share experiences, or just have some quiet time,” O’Connor wrote in an invitation sent to clergy spouses. “Refreshments and snacks will be available in our space throughout the two days. Bishop John has promised to drop by on Saturday during lunch to give us our own mini-briefing on what’s new around the diocese! In addition, the wonderful exhibit hall will be open, and the vendors and exhibitors are excited to welcome everyone back.”
For planning purposes, O’Connor requests that spouses let her know if they will be attending the convention; email her at mizkoc@gmail.com. Clergy spouses who did not receive her Sept. 27 message, but would like to be included on the spouses’ list may send names and email addresses to O’Connor or to news@ladiocese.org.
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 learn about how their church and diocese are governed. Volunteers will arrive in Riverside on Thursday night for training, and work at the convention on Nov. 11 and 12. Meals, lodging and adult supervision will be provided. For more information and to register, visit the EDLA youth website.
Childcare will be available on-site for children from infancy to age 8 in a room near the meeting hall, with two care providers available on both Friday and Saturday. Toys, activities, snacks and meals will be provided. To register for childcare, click here. There is no charge, but donations to offset costs will be gratefully accepted: see the registration page for details.
Detailed convention information is available on the website here, or contact the convention coordinator at swylie@ladiocese.org or Secretary of Convention Canon Steven Nishibayashi, snishibayashi@ladiocese.org.