Convention 2024

  Posted on October 28, 2024  by admin  No comments

I have not been to a Convention of the Episcopal Church since the early 2000s so it felt a little surreal entering the spacious and well-appointed Bristol Events Centre which this year hosted the 240th Convention of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. Our parish was well represented by our Rector, Father Daniel and Father Paul (our Associate Rector) as well as the delegates you selected this year during our annual meeting James McNutt and me. We were also joined on the second day by Bethany Gugliemino
who as she explores her vocation to the priesthood was invited to attend by the Diocesan Bishop. It was heartening to see 15 or more folks that are either already postulants (or somewhere on the road to discerning a vocation) at Convention as it means the church is growing.

The weekend was as usual a mix of church business with some 500 persons representing parish delegates, canonically resident clergy, as well as members of the ECCT Standing Committee or Mission Council and non-voting members including postulants and candidates, ECCT staff and non-resident clergy, reviewing and voting on the 10 resolutions submitted including the over seven-million-dollar budget. ($7,183,586 to be precise).

There was one resolution on changes to the budget procedure that was not passed but most of the other resolutions and amendments to the Canons on issues that ranged from clarifying the composition of the membership of the reparations Board to consideration of a new Canon which outlines procedures for the removal of a member of an ECCT Committee, Commission or Board, to approving the merger of six churches in different parts of the state. Of significance is the fact that the resolution on the Reparations Board now ensures that both historically black churches as well as churches that have predominantly black congregants in the Diocese will have a voice on that body. Of the three mergers one close to home was that of St. Paul’s Fairfield and St. Timothy, Fairfield. The other two were Good Shepherd Shelton and Immanuel Derby and St. Mark’s New Britain and St. James Parish Farmington. As members of those communities took the microphone, we were reminded of how painful a process this is but at
the same time how rife with new possibilities for all involved.
On the lighter side Convention this year was full of music that was different but oh so familiar, provided by the amazingly talented Theodicy Jazz Collective which gave a whole new twist to standard black gospel spirituals like “This Little Light of Mine,” put a whole new spin on Taize favorites and added some soul into our rendition of “Sweet Holy Spirit,” among others. The dance renditions of the eight young dancers of the Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet also reminded us of the many ways in which our God
can be meaningfully praised.

The highlight for me was the Diocesan Bishop’s address. Bishop Jeffery Mello noted how important it was for us to be “Church” at this time and exhorted the faithful gathered to remember that “Justice work is long and hard” and that we should not stop doing that work because of challenges, but rather should makes changes wherever and however we can. He shared the number of changes he had made during the past year as he reorganized ECCT including establishing the office of Regional Deans and
filling new positions, which still continues. He also mentioned a new Deacon’s Handbook that had recently been completed and paid tribute to the outgoing Canon for Congregations and Transitions Canon Tim Hodap who is retiring as well as another key member of the ECCT Staff Robin
Hammeal-Urban who is moving on. He addressed the issue of feeling “disconnected” which he said reflects the times in which we live but he ended for me on what was a hopeful note reminding us that no matter who wins the next election, “we will still need to be the body of Christ in this world.” As I left Convention his words that we need to seek connection and build trust to do the work we are called to do
in God’s vineyard, resonated with me. The theme of this year’s conference was “One Vine Many Branches “and Bishop Mello let us know that we are all branches of the vine across ECCT.

As we struggle with the issue of having enough volunteers for our work at St. Paul’s his call to parishes across ECCT is worth remembering: “When you look at uncertainty in our Church and say “yes” anyway, you are the branch.”
Convention for me was also a time to renew relationships with others outside our parish with whom I work closely such as the Racial Healing, Justice and Reconciliation Network. These are folks I work with most of the year via Zoom but see in person less often, so it was so good to able to reconnect and share. So, Convention is over, but I have come back renewed and invigorated to do God’s work, as one of the branches in the ECCT vineyard in collaboration with all the other branches of our community at St. Paul’s.

Gail Bindley-Taylor, Delegate to ECCT Convention