Diocesan Convention filled with Lasts and Firsts
by Norah M. Joslyn
Indaba Conversations
The October 2009 convention considered three topics in Indaba-style conversations: Congregation Responsibility, the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict, and Mission and Vision. Comments from the recorders sheets have been transcribed verbatim and are posted here. What is interesting to note is the themes that begin to appear as your read through the notes. The Joint Finance Panel and Diocesan Council have been/will be reviewing these comments for potential action items and identification of themes.
Diocesan Convention filled with Lasts and Firsts
The Diocese of Olympia gathered Oct. 16-17 at the Hilton Hotel in Vancouver, Wash., hosted by the Columbia Regional Ministry. The two-day annual meeting of 600 clergy and lay delegates, alternates, guests and volunteers from the Episcopal Church in Western Washington included several firsts and lasts.Resolutions nearly debate-free, elections take place in one ballot
Remarkably, debate on the floor took place only once-early Friday afternoon, during the presentation of a resolution supporting the development of relationships between the diocese and the First Nations peoples of Western Washington. An amendment proposed by Joel Connelly (St. Augustine's in-the-Woods, Freeland) called for particular recognition of the Columbia River and asked that the diocese stand with the indigenous people of the area and work to restore balance to the river. Several people supported that message but thought it should be a stand-alone resolution. The proposed amendment failed. Debate then moved to the original resolution, which Karl Oles (Redeemer, Kenmore) opposed because, he said, "it is a partisan political statement."
"Even if you think your political view is right, you are disrespecting people whose views are other than yours," Oles said, adding the resolution was proposed by a group seeking "special rights." After several statements supporting the resolution, convention passed it by a sizeable margin. A similar resolution, supporting the Centre for Indian Scholars, also passed.
Two other resolutions-keeping the diocesan assessment rate at 18 percent, and recommending no Cost of Living Adjustment for 2010-also passed, as did the 2010 diocesan budget, as proposed. A fifth resolution, regarding salary requirements for Total Common Ministry clergy, was referred to the personnel commission. Complete text is available online.
For the first time in recent memory, only one ballot was needed to complete elections in various diocesan leadership positions. Jordan Rickard (Church of the Apostles, Fremont) was elected to a three-year term on Diocesan Council. Bob Jacobs (St. Margaret's, Bellevue) and the Rev. John Allen (St. Luke's/San Lucas, Vancouver) were elected to serve four-year terms on the Standing Committee. Dale Ramerman (Christ Church, Anacortes) was elected to Cathedral Vestry, and Steve Faust, Diane Wells and Carle Griffin were reelected to the positions of treasurer, archivist and historiographer, respectively. The Rev. John Schaeffer (St. Michael's and All Angels, Issaquah) was elected Friday morning to serve as Secretary of Convention until Friday afternoon, at which point he retired after 21 years of serving in that position. The Rev. Marda Steedman Sanborn (St. James', Kent) also was elected Friday morning, to begin as his successor on Saturday. Schaeffer was celebrated with a roast-and-toast before the close of business on Friday.
Closing Eucharist includes diaconal ordinations
The convention concluded with another first and last: the ordination of five deacons within the closing Eucharist, and Bishop Suffragan Nedi Rivera's final sermon to the assembled diocese.
Kay Kessel-Hanna (St. Thomas', Medina), Terri Lolcoma (St. Mary's, Lakewood), Karen Pierce (St. Paul's, Port Townsend), Steve Tellari (St. James', Kent) and Brian Wright (Trinity, Everett) were ordained, and Rickel gifted them with dishtowels from his own kitchen: "a reminder that your work is in the world; the work of servants; of ordinary things made extraordinary."
In her sermon, Rivera cited Ignatius of Antioch and also read "Ragman" by Walter Wangerin, Jr.
"What is in question is our relationship with others," Rivera preached. "We are all baptized to be ragmen and women, carrying each other's sorrows, so that the world may know God's love and be made new."
The Eucharist offering raised roughly $2,100 for St. James Family Center, Babies in Need and Cowlitz County Habitat for Humanity.
Bishop's Cross, awards, other presentations
This year's Bishop's Cross was presented to Jefferson "Jeff" Macon, 90, from St. Margaret's, Bellevue. An Air Force pilot who was shot down over Austria and captured during World War II, Macon arranged to have a single rose sent to his wife, Sarah, while he was overseas; the florist continued to send the roses until Macon's rescue and return. "Raised a bigot," Macon described transformative moments in his life around the acceptance of homosexuality and people of color, which took place as recently as last year.
"If I can change my thinking so quickly, why is the church so slow?" wondered Macon, who was not there to receive the award.
The 2009 Bishop Rickel Environmental Justice Award was presented posthumously to Kate O'Sullivan (St. Mark's Cathedral, Seattle). Nancy McConnell, chair of the Bishop's Committee on the Environment, accepted on behalf of O'Sullivan's family.
Standing Committee president Mary Lyons reported on the recently completed Mutual Ministry Review, an annual process between Rickel and the diocese. Full text of the review is available online. Brian Sellers-Petersen of Episcopal Relief and Development reported that the diocese needed only 331 nets to complete its One-for-One Malaria Net Challenge, which began in November 2007. By the end of convention, the goal of purchasing a $12-net for each of the estimated 33,000 members of the diocese was met.
Other presentations included the General Convention deputation, We Will Stand With You project, Commission for Emerging Mission, the Washington Association of Churches, Northwest Harvest, Church Divinity School of the Pacific and Episcopal Charities Appeal. Spanish-language interpretation services were provided for the first time, a practice that helps make convention more accessible to the many Indo-Hispanic members of the diocese. Indaba groups discussed what it means to be a congregation in good standing, the Israel/Palestine conflict, and the mission and vision of the diocese.
Rickel began and ended the convention on a playful note with the inaugural "Land the Plane Awards," bestowed upon anyone who went over their allotted speaking time. In an act of playful retribution, Friday's award was given to Miller Adams, dispatch of business, who earlier in the day jokingly rang the timekeeping bell just as Rickel began his remarks on General Convention. Rickel gave Saturday's award to the Rev. Nigel Taber-Hamilton (St. Augustine's in-the-Woods, Freeland) "for never once coming to the microphone." In past conventions, Taber-Hamilton has been a very vocal participant.
"Seek Him in the Kingdom of Anxiety": was Bishop Rickel's address to convention. Many other documents from the gathering also are available below.
If you have any questions regarding Convention, please be in touch with John Schaeffer, secretary of convention, at 425-255-7232, ; or Dede Moore, Bishop’s Executive for governance, 206-325-4200 or 800-488-4978, ext. 2022; .
Convention Documents
09/B/3 Nominations Report
09/D/3 Resolutions Report
09/E/1 Constitution & Canons Report
09/A/5 Fall Pre-Convention Gathings Locations & Agenda
09/A/4 2009 Convention Agenda Draft
09/A/3 2009 Convention Guide
09/A/6 2009 Convention Workshop Descriptions
09/B/1 Description of open diocesan offices
09/B/2 Nomination Form
09/C/3 2010 Fall Budget
09/D/2 Draft Resolutions
Alternate Certification Form
Job Description for Diocesan Council
