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In this edition of ENews:
- Reflection on General Convention from our Deputation Chair
- Ordinations this Saturday at Trinity Cathedral
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Trinity Cathedral Screens The Philadelphia Eleven
- St. Nicholas gathers for worship before a time of hibernation
- 2024 Diocesan Convention – Registration now open
- Highlights from the latest Board of Trustees Meeting
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Reflection from our Deputation Chair | |
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Clockwise from the top left: Deputies Peter Juvé and Robin Denney on the convention floor.
Our Deputation voting in favor of amending the catechism definition of marriage. Three Presiding Bishops: Jefferts-Schori (former), Rowe (elect), and Curry (current). During the opening revival worship of Convention, praying for Presiding Bishop Curry Bishop's Against Gun Violence event. Our deputation and the deputation from Honduras, (our partner diocese)
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The Rev. Robin Denney | Clergy Deputy | |
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The General Convention is the legislative gathering of the Episcopal Church, which happens once every three years. There are two houses to our legislative body, the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies (made up of clergy and lay people elected by each diocese). There were eight deputies and five alternates present at the Convention for our diocese, and all of us had a chance to be on the "floor" to vote, as well as participate in committee hearings. I am very proud of our diocesan "deputation"! Our group was incredibly productive, producing and getting passed several resolutions, working with other dioceses, fully engaged and prepared, testifying and contributing to the process in many ways!
Over several months of zoom meetings and committee hearings, and six days of legislative sessions in person, we considered the budget, changes to our constitution and canons, and resolutions on a variety of issues. Some of these resolutions allow the Episcopal Office of Government Relations in Washington DC to bring our unique perspective as a faith community before our government. Some start or continue task forces and committees or refer issues related to our church to these groups for collaborative study. Other resolutions encourage parishes and dioceses to action, or help fund new ministries. We also moved forward our full communion agreement with the Methodist Church into its next phase.
Particularly moving to me was when we had the opportunity to vote for the commemoration of saints, or special feasts. This does take several steps of approval, but we either began or completed the process of celebrating: Harriet Tubman (on her own saint day, previously she was in a group), Howard Thurman (which our diocese put forward), Bishop Barbara Harris (first woman bishop in the Anglican Communion), and a commemoration of the "Philadelphia 11" the first women ordained as an act of protest by 3 bishops, before women's ordination has been approved. This year is the 50th anniversary of that first ordination of women in our denomination.
We also had the chance to amend the catechism in the Book of Common Prayer, in the definition of marriage from "between a man and a woman" to "between two people". This passed easily with no debate against. I knew it would pass easily, so I was surprised when I was moved to tears. How far this church has come in my lifetime!
It was exciting to be present for the election of the new Presiding Bishop. Our Presiding Bishop Elect, Sean Rowe, will carry on the good work that Michael Curry started, and brings a particular skill for helping us to adapt and change our structures and governance to meet the needs of a changing church and world. He is a wonderful leader for this time!
Thank you for entrusting us with this work. We look forward to a full report to the diocese at our convention this fall (online).
Peace, Robin
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Please join us for this year’s Stewardship Congregational Leadership Conference on Saturday, August 24 from 9:00 am–10:00 am. This year’s session will have a special focus on every member canvass resources for your annual stewardship campaigns. We’ll discuss the basics, share resources, and talk about why you should consider an every member canvass
to achieve not only your stewardship goals, but how an every member canvass can support your pastoral care efforts as well as help in identifying future goals for your congregation.
To register, go to: https://form.jotform.com/240366571427155
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Diocesan Convention Registration is Open | |
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Links to the following documents may be found here:
- Call of Convention
- Convention Schedule at-a-Glance
- House Rules
- Governance Nomination Instructions
- Resolution Instructions
- Keynote Speaker Info
- 2024 Congregational Range Sheet
- Important Convention Dates and Deadlines
- Filing Alternate to Delegate Form
- Filing Alternate Vacancies Form
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St. Nicholas, Paradise Gathers to enter a Time of Reseeding | |
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On Sunday, July 14, the congregants of St. Nicholas, Paradise demonstrated the same resilient spirit that has carried them since the 2018 Camp Fire. Right before the service began, PG&E shut off the power, forcing folks to improvise and worship in the narthex. A small but mighty band were led in worship by Bishop Megan and Alta California Dean the Very Rev. Tammy Smith-Firestone.
After the service, St. Nicholas entered a period of hibernation, reflection, and germination of the seeds of new growth. Although worship is suspended, it is hoped that new life will emerge in the new year under the leadership of a church planter. The service was bittersweet, but joyful and hopeful. Following the service, a beautiful reception and time of fellowship was enjoyed by all.
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Top: The Cathedral Sanctuary was transformed into a theatre-style space for the screening of the movie. Following the screening, several of the many ordained women in our diocese gathered for a group photo.
Left to Right: The Rev. Jo Weber, The Rev. Susan Reeve, Canon Julie Wakelee, The Rev. Anne Dryden McKeever, The Rev. Lynell Walker, The Rev. Canon Tina Campbell, The Rev. Mary Morrison.
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On Saturday, July 13, Trinity Cathedral was transformed into a theatre space to show the newly-released documentary, The Philadelphia Eleven. In this feature-length film, the stories are told of the first women to be ordained in the Episcopal church, in 1974. The courageous actions of these women 50 years ago paved the way for generations of women to become ordained.
Following the screening, there was a reception in the Lexis Gallery, featuring an exhibit comprised of some 20 art pieces by seven women artists, all of whom attend Trinity Cathedral.
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Highlights from the latest Board of Trustees Meeting | |
This is a short synopsis of what happened at the most recent Board of Trustees meeting. While this is not a full report of our meeting, it does share some of the highlights of our work. | |
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At the July Board of Trustees meeting, we heard reports from the staff members who attended General Convention in Louisville. Bishop Megan shared the spirit of the House of Bishops as they worked together throughout the week which was full of camaraderie and respect. Bishop Megan shared her excitement for Presiding Bishop Elect Sean Rowe and his plans for adaptive change throughout the church.
Canon Julie Wakelee reported that she was proud of the Northern California deputation for leading the work on climate change and coming out of convention with legislation that passed and had money attached to it. Canon Julie also reported that the Book of Common Prayer is no longer just the published little red book but can now be found officially online (The Online Book of Common Prayer (bcponline.org)) with alternate approved texts and services. It is a place to go to know which services have achieved “full prayer book status.” Director of Operations Kati Braak shared her perspective from “behind the scenes” as a member of the public safety team. Overall, the staff was happy to see that most of our deputation spoke on topics that were important to them and were full of mutual respect.
The Board also began our work on the 2025 budget. We accomplished a lot towards building a budget that supports our missional goals for next year, but we still have more work to complete.
Margie Harrison-Smith, Vice President
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Missioner for Disaster Resilience | |
Avoid Disaster Recovery Scams | |
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As we find ourselves beset by wildfire again, we see the fraudulent fundraisers rise again. By playing on sympathy, criminals can trick us into giving money to them, rather than supporting those in need. When we combine this decades old scam with the recent increase in “gift card” emails supposedly from trusted sources, and the advent of “deep fake” media impacting this year’s election cycle, how are we supposed to know who is legitimate in the disaster recovery world?
Recently, the FBI shared that church leaders and members should consider being extra alert for AI generated deep fakes on robocalls, scamming calls and videocalls, social media, and streaming sites. AI can be used to carry out scams and promote misinformation (simply false information), disinformation (false information perpetuated to mislead people), and malinformation (factual information taken out of context or used with the intention to mislead people).
When you are presented with information or requests that “just don’t feel right,” SIFT them to determine your level of trust:
- Stop
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Investigate the source
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Find better information about the source
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Trace the information/request to its original context
Perhaps the easiest way to share your support is politely tell those asking for your assistance “no,” and instead donate to agencies that have built your trust in the past.
Last week, the Mission for Disaster Resilience supported small and large animal evacuations from the Shelly Fire, worked with Northern Valley Catholic Social Service to support human evacuees from the Shelly Fire, and continued to work with partner agencies to provide trauma-informed care for survivors of past events who are finding themselves anxious again, now that smoke is in the air.
None of this can be done without your support, and the diocese is a trusted agency asking for your donation – 100% of your gifts go towards disaster resilience work.
Peace, Mark
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Missioner for Church Life | |
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We’re excited to announce that we will have a diocesan-wide New Camino training on September 27 & 28, 2024 at St. John’s, Chico. The Rev. Anthony Guillen, the Episcopal Church’s Missioner for Latino/Hispanic ministries will be here to help us explore opportunities for Latino/Hispanic ministry in our diocese. This training is suitable for individuals as well as church teams.
Please go to: https://form.jotform.com/232965467198170 to indicate your interest in attending and to receive updates regarding lodging and expenses.
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What is a Vital Congregation?
During the Fearless Faith Revival, members of the Board of Trustees conducted a pop-up survey on congregational vitality. One of the three-year strategic goals of the Board of Trustees is “Growing Vital Congregations.” We wanted to hear your ideas on congregational vitality. You have spoken and we listened and now we are pondering steps for increasing congregational vitality in our Diocese.
We received an overwhelming response from Revival attendees – between the two sites at St. John’s in Roseville and Christ Church in Eureka, 182 folks filled out the survey. The survey asked “On a scale of 1 to 5, what is the vitality of your congregation?” Responses ranged the whole spectrum, but overall the median score was 4, meaning good but needing improvement.
Several themes emerged to the question which asked for three characteristics of a vital congregation. (See the Word Art image above.) A key theme was community, both in the sense of relationships working together within the congregation and outreach into the neighboring community. Inclusive, welcome, open and diversity were interlinked regarding age, race and ethnicity. Openness also related to being open to change, curious, willing to experiment. One respondent answered: “Willing to incorporate new things and compost old stuff.” Other responses highlighted worship that feeds and sends, preaching that encourages service and outreach, uplifting music both traditional and new. Some responses related to governance, naming the importance of both lay and clergy leadership: committees that work, long-term financial stability and everyone participating. Other responses focused simply on love: love of God, love for all, nonjudgemental, doing no harm.
This survey was a small step towards getting conversation going on congregational vitality. The Board of Trustees members who are working specifically on this goal are: Diane Curtis-Page, Fernando Dizon, Bob Hall, Barbara Jewell and the Rev. Geri Cunningham. Working with the Rev. Canon Julie Wakelee, who heads up the Vitality Improvement Project, we are looking at developing an achievable program to bring awareness of available resources such as the Congregation Vitality Assessment (CVA) to all congregations in our Diocese. Two objectives of our goal are for each parish/mission take the CVA and encourage realistic reflection of strengths and needs. There is exciting work ahead.
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Upcoming Events around the Diocese | |
Mark Dibelka, Jay Elmquist, and Emily Hyberg to be Ordained Saturday at Trinity Cathedral | |
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On Saturday, July 20, The Rev. Mark Dibelka, Jay Elmquuist, and Emily Hyberg will be ordained into the priesthood and diaconate respectively. The service will be at Trinity Cathedral, beginning at 11:00 am. There will be a reception to follow.
If you can't make it in person, the service will be live-streamed at: https://boxcast.tv/channel/hdob7csh50famlcfmcj5
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Job Openings in The Diocese | |
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The Office of the Bishop is seeking a Missioner for Communications
View Job Description here.
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Clergy Openings in The Diocese | |
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St. John the Evangelist | Chico is seeking a Full-time Rector
View Job Description here. Receiving Names until July 31.
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St. Michael’s | Carmichael is seeking a Full-Time Interim Priest |
View Job Description here. Receiving Names until July 31
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The ENews is published weekly on Tuesdays.
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The Episcopal Diocese of Northern California
Making Disciples, Raising Up Saints & Transforming Communities for Christ
www.norcalepiscopal.org
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