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Convocation Updates:
January 27 Recap & April 6 Announcement
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Beloved in the Diocese of Florida,
Greetings to you during this holy and introspective season of Lent.
In this email you will read:
- A summary of the successes and growing edges from the January 27 Convocation.
- The emerging purposes of this reconciliation process.
- The format for our April 6 gathering.
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January 27 Convocation
We have received very helpful feedback on the January 27 convocation. Overall, it was a successful day, with the vast majority of parishes represented. Laity and clergy of different perspectives gathered together in a spirit of trust, openness, and worship. The conversations were typically gentle, respectful, honest, and sincere. We were able to offer guidelines for communication across the diocese (we encourage vestries and diocesan bodies to adopt and begin employing these guidelines). The Convocation was a step in the right direction.
While we were pleased with the day, the Steering Committee learned several things, including that we need to ensure better acoustics at our gatherings, and that it would be helpful to articulate more clearly and frequently the purposes for this reconciliation process.
We intentionally started small, inviting only 2 lay persons from each parish. Though frustrating to some, our intention was not to be exclusive, but to begin this process in a manageable and responsible way. As a diocese we have lacked the skills needed to work together productively; it was therefore our goal to begin to teach the necessary skills, even as we as a committee are actively learning how to teach them. We are delighted that more people want to be involved!
We asked that Convocation attendees take the process back to their parishes, and we provided outlines for two parish sessions. We are hearing feedback that this is proving more of a challenge than anticipated. We will address some of these issues with the April 6 Convocation, and details are below.
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Purposes of the Convocations
As we have continued our work, and especially as we have listened to voices around the diocese, the purposes for this work of reconciliation are becoming easier to define.
Across the diocese we will always be working, individually and corporately, to become “Beloved Community,” that is, to be a Christian community that is characterized, shaped, and overflowing with the love of God, despite differences in background or differences of conviction on important matters. We are all members of Christ’s Body.
Therefore, in order to proclaim the truth, to work for the just treatment of all, and to be witnesses to the grace of Jesus Christ, we will always be working to increase
- Our capacity for mutual trust and trustworthiness,
- Our commitment to mutual mission, and
- Our ability to gather together respectfully and productively.
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April 6 Convocation
After much prayerful deliberation, we have determined that the April 6 Convocation will be held virtually and will be open to all current members of the Diocese of Florida.
We are conducting due diligence to determine the best possible platform and way to host this meeting, but wanted to give you as much notice as possible. Registration information will be available as soon as possible. We anticipate the event beginning at 9 a.m. and ending around 12:30 p.m.
We want to say right up front that we recognize that healing and reconciliation must happen face to face. However, this online format will offer several advantages for this stage of the process.
First, because April 6 is the weekend after Easter, we are hearing that a whole Saturday at Camp Weed will be a challenge. A virtual option will allow the most registrants to fully participate.
Second, this virtual option will take pressure off parishes that are feeling ill-equipped or apprehensive about holding these discussions within the parish, allowing more opportunity for skill building for a wider population. We still encourage parishes to hold these meetings, but some may feel more comfortable waiting until after this second Convocation.
Third, it is clear to our committee that the diocese can only be well-served by having more people learn these skills. The virtual option allows any current member of the Diocese of Florida to participate without putting pressure on anyone to attend who is not interested.
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Our aims when designing the April 6 Virtual Convocation are to:
- continue learning and practicing the skills of productive communication across the diocese, and to
- continue opening the door to hold healing conversations using these skills, where participants feel safe, heard, and respected.
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Who should attend?
- Clergy of the Diocese of Florida, both active and retired
- Parish Lay representatives to the January 27 Convocation
- Parish Convention Delegates and Alternates
- Wardens, Vestry members, and other lay leadership
- Those skilled in (or who want to become skilled in) group facilitation
- Those who want to be a helpful part of the solution in the Diocese of Florida
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The May 18 Convocation will be held in-person, and details will be forthcoming. In the meantime, please pray for this April 6 gathering and for the flourishing of faith, ministry, and Christian relationships within the Diocese of Florida.
We look forward to seeing you online April 6!
Humbly,
The Convocation Steering Committee
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