January 2020 E-Newsletter

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2020 January E-News

General Convention 2021

Draft Schedule for General Convention 2021 is Available

The draft schedule for General Convention 2021 is available in English and in Spanish . Some important changes to note:

Mornings provide time for Legislative Committees as well as Daily Worship and Community Gathering.
On most days there will be a two hour block for lunch.
Afternoons and evenings are for Legislative work.
The Revival and Diocese of Maryland night will be on Monday, July 5, 2021.

Information for Diocesan Secretaries

In an effort to assist Diocesan Secretaries in their canonical roles, particularly regarding reporting, a list of requirements has been prepared, and is available here .

As we look ahead to General Convention in 2021, a reminder that Diocesan Secretaries are required to report information on the deputations elected by their diocese. Instructions on reporting are available in English and Spanish here .

Additionally, a reminder regarding deputations. If someone changes orders (i.e. is ordained to the diaconate or the priesthood) between election and General Convention, they must resign from the deputation. In order to serve as a clergy deputy a person must be ordained at the time of election. Thank you.

House of Deputies News

In case you do not already receive it, please know that the House of Deputies sends out a great monthly newsletter full of information about life around the House, which is very active, even when General Convention is not in session. It is available to anyone who would like to receive it (you do not have to be a Deputy or an Alternate).

To see past issues or to sign up, please visit: https://houseofdeputies.org/newsletter-signup/

Data and Research Updates

Episcopal Church in Minnesota to create a Data Network for Diocesan Administrators

Does your work involve data identification, gathering, managing and/or reporting? Do you work at the intersection of policy and data, data and resourcing, or both? For example: Using data to predict parish strength; policy around collecting and retaining background check data; sharing information and "how to tips" around successful or difficult parish projects; equipping your leadership and colleagues with meaningful information. Do you have strong feelings around your CRM; just switched or contemplating a switch? Finally, would it be helpful to connect with others in TEC engaged in the same work?

If any of this "Data Policy Networking" is of interest to you in your diocesan role, let's all get connected! Send me an email at: [email protected] . Let's work together to learn from each other and maximize our collective knowledge!

New Online Tool for Parochial Report Data Now Online

Interactive Online Tool for accessing data from Parochial Reports

The information collected by the General Convention Office through Parochial and Diocesan Reports tells us a lot about who we are, and combined with demographic information, it can also be a tremendous tool as we live into the current realities of following Jesus as Episcopalians.

To see trends at a parish, diocesan or churchwide level, please click here .

To find out basic demographic information about the neighborhood around your parish visit: https://datastorycloud.com/episcopal/publicviewer/

New Filing site and logins for Diocesan and Parochial Reports:

https://reports.dfms.org/

Parochial Report filing began January 2, 2020. Reports are due to your Diocese by March 1, 2020, and to the General Convention Office by May 1, 2020. Please also check with your diocese for additional requirements.

For more information regarding the filing process for Diocesan and Parochial Reports see here .

Important Reminders

New Identification Requirements for Travel begin October 1, 2020

In order to travel by air (even within the United States) all US Citizens must have a “Real ID” by October 1, 2020 .

If you travel with a Passport, you are all set. If you travel with a driver's license, you will need to be sure it is a Real ID (has the star on it). If you want to check about the status of Real ID in your state, you may do so here .

For a complete list of TSA accepted travel documents, please visit:

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification

Changes to Volunteer Mileage Reimbursement for 2020

A reminder that as of January 1, 2020 the mileage reimbursement rate for volunteers will be $.14 per mile. This is a significant change that is necessary to bring DFMS policy in line with IRS guidelines. Please be mindful of this when making travel arrangements to attend meetings.

Thank you.

Reminder regarding Court of Review

Please help us get out the word: When the new Court of Review was established by General Convention in 2018, a critical piece of organizational administration was inadvertently overlooked.

In order to facilitate the work of the new churchwide Court of Review; Bishops, Chancellors, and Provincial Presidents are requested to share any notice of an Order from a Hearing Panel they receive with: