Clergy and lay delegates will gather next month for Diocesan Convention, taking up the annual policy and budget-setting business of the diocese with the diocesan mission strategy in mind, which calls the community to embrace brave change by reimagining congregations, building relationships and engaging the world.
The convention’s "Way of Love" theme seeks to highlight how the commitment to intentional spiritual practice undergirds disciples in mission, and it carries forward the message that Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry proclaimed during his April visitation in the Diocese of Massachusetts, as well as the set of seven " Way of Love" spiritual practices that Curry has been inviting Episcopalians to take on as part of their journey as followers of Jesus. A team of chaplains from the Bethany House of Prayer in Arlington will be a special presence at the convention, offering a series of brief reflections and prayers throughout the course of the day in support of the gathered community and its deliberations.
The day-long convention takes place on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Back Bay Events Center in Boston, with the service of Holy Eucharist to be celebrated at 1:30 p.m. at nearby Emmanuel Church.
A live webcast of the proceedings at the Back Bay Events Center, including Bishop Alan M. Gates’s annual address during the morning’s opening session, will be available via www.diomass.org/diocesan-convention-2019. The event's social media hashtag is #DioMassCon19.
Four resolutions have been proposed for the convention's consideration this year, ranging from engaging young adults fully in the life of the church to action on creation care, ending life-without-possibility-of-parole prison sentences in Massachusetts and becoming a "Safe Haven" diocese in solidarity with marginalized persons. The convention will also vote on the $9.1-million diocesan budget proposed for 2020, and will elect deputies to the Episcopal Church's 2021 General Convention, along with members of other diocesan governing bodies and groups.
Find the order of business, the nominees for election and the full text of proposed resolutions in the convention Handbook, here. The online registration link, all materials and updates are posted at www.diomass.org/diocesan-convention-2019.