A Message from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

The events at our Capitol today are deeply disturbing – we believe the actions of armed protestors represent a coup attempt. We are a democracy with longstanding institutional norms that must be honored, foremost among them following the processes laid out in the Constitution and federal statute to facilitate the peaceful transition of power. Today’s protesters pushed through police barricades and forced their way into Congressional chambers and the Capitol building and are now threatening the safety of lawmakers, their staff, and others who work in the Capitol complex. This threatens the integrity of our democracy, the national security of our nation, the continuity of government, and the lives and safety of our legislators, their staff, and all who work in the Capitol.

This year, diocesan convention will be a virtual event on Saturday, February 13, using Zoom. Churches will select their delegates and alternates at their upcoming annual meetings, to be held by the end of January. Those delegates and alternates will then need to register for diocesan convention. Visitors will be able to watch the live proceedings of convention via Youtube. As has been the case with other dioceses that have now tried virtual conventions, we expect the convention to be much shorter than normal, and we will concentrate on the business that needs to be done rather than on a long program.

We will hold elections for several diocesan committee positions during the business session (see the list of open positions and nomination process below). In addition to these general elections, each convocation usually meets before the Saturday business session in order to elect convocational representatives to Executive Council. This year, we are asking each convocation to hold its convocational meeting the week prior to convention. At this meeting, all clergy from the convocation as well as all delegates and alternates should convene virtually and elect a person for the appropriate Executive Council position. The diocesan office will communicate with the dean of each convocation about the open position and the process.