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Dear Friends in Christ,
The 124th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts will be held on Friday and Saturday, November 14 and 15, 2025. As noted in the first Convention mailing, we are gathering once again at The Conference Center at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. All voting delegates must be present at the convention venue.
Important notes:
Registration for Convention is open
The registration fee for this two-day Convention is $100 per person. Each registrant will be asked for their email address, status at convention, and any dietary or accessibility needs. You may use this link or visit the convention website and click the registration button. Registration closes November 5.
Convention Website
Full details of the convention can be found on the convention website: www.diocesewma.org/convention. This will be your hub for all information pertaining to both days of the Convention, including profiles of the candidates for Bishop when they become available.
Hotel Rooms
Recognizing that many delegates may not wish to travel all the way home on Friday evening, blocks of hotel rooms have been reserved at local Amherst hotels. Rooms should be reserved directly by delegates. The link to reserve rooms is here Hotel UMass.
Rooms must be booked by October 15.
Smart Device Needed for Voting
We will once again use the Simply Voting platform for elections and any additional resolutions. All delegates will need access to a “smart” device in order to access the voting platform. A voting site will be available in the Convention hall for those who do not have a smart device.
Convention Schedule of Events
Friday Evening Dinner
While we are not organizing one big dinner on Friday evening, we recognize that the opportunity to gather together with old and new friends from across the Diocese is always a highlight of Convention. To that end, we invite any affinity groups or ministries to consider facilitating a no-host dinner at a local restaurant. Delegates may then choose to join with others for a casual dinner where stories and experiences may be shared and fellowship deepened. Any interested groups or ministries should contact the Secretary. We will help organize and communicate about these dinners, and options will be shared on the website and in future mailings.
Exhibitors Welcome!
If you are part of a ministry that would like an exhibit table at Convention, please contact Melanie Stone at MStone@diocesewma.org.
Prayer Requests
Throughout our convention the Daughters of the King (DOK) will be offering prayers for Convention and all requested prayers. Please scroll down on the convention homepage for the DOK logo to submit your confidential prayer request. All prayer requests will be passed on to the DOK prayer team on Friday, November 14.
UTO Offering
Plan to bring your parish’s UTO offering to Convention.
Convention Reports
If you are responsible for submitting a report to Convention, please be sure to submit it to me by September 30 – you may click here for my email: Convention Secretary.
Attention: Rectors, Vicars, Priest-in Charge, and Interim Clergy
In order to ensure that Alternate Delegates who may be called up to represent their parish or mission at Convention are informed, the following suggestions are offered:
1. Delegates who know they will be absent from Convention should forward their Convention Mailings to the Alternates who will replace them.
2. Clergy are reminded to assist with the registration of Alternate Delegates who are to replace Delegates by completing the following:
(a) the "Certification of Change for Lay Delegates" form, seeing that it is signed by the Clerk of the Vestry or Executive Committee (or by both Wardens)
(b) returning the form to this office, Attention: Secretary of Convention (or present at registration table at Convention)
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