He said, “We who have been so amazingly blessed need,
periodically, to be reminded that these gifts were not given
to us for no reason, and that we were intended to be stewards
of these gifts. We were intended to be the kind of people who
would reach out to brothers and sisters, who would identify
critical needs in our communities and be a constant witness
to the love and grace of God – in every community, in
which we have been placed. This is the noble, this is the grand,
vision to which we are called.”
The convention saw no real controversies and only modest,
if spirited, debate on a proposal to change the way parish
apportionments are calculated. The convention adopted the apportionment
proposal presented by the Council of Trustees and supported
by Bishop Wolfe, which will take effect for the 2006 diocesan
budget. It uses box A of the annual parochial report for figuring
parish income, calculates apportionment on a three-year average
of parish income (a different method is provided for parishes
with declining incomes), includes a sliding formula for figuring
apportionment percentages and eliminates extraordinary apportionments
in the future.
Other procedural changes to the diocesan canons and constitution
passed easily, and the lone debatable resolution was referred
to the Council of Trustees for study.
Six ballots, and some additional parliamentary procedures,
were required to select the clergy deputies to the 2006 General
Convention. All four lay deputies were selected on the first
ballot. Convention delegates also elected at-large members
of the diocesan Council of Trustees.
Bishop Wolfe guided the convention through action to deal
with three parishes that had not paid all the required apportionments
to the diocese for 2003. Two – St.
Alban’s, Wichita and St. Paul’s, Kansas City – had
their past-due payments forgiven and their lay delegates seated
with voice and vote. Christ Church, Overland Park, which is
withholding the majority of its payments to the diocese to
protest General Convention actions last year, did not seek
to have its lay delegates recognized with voice or vote. They
were, however, seated on the convention floor to allow their
participation in worship and fellowship during the day.
Treasurer Doug Anning, a member of St. Michael’s, Mission,
presented the proposed diocesan budget for 2005, which passed
without debate or a dissenting vote. It will total $1,311,205,
an increase of some $53,000 over the 2004 budget.
Elections
New members of the Council of Trustees elected to three-year
at-large seats at convention were the Rev. Michael
Munro, rector of St. Paul’s, Leavenworth; and Rogene
Schille, St. Paul’s, Coffeyville.
Convention delegates also affirmed selections to that body
made by the four convocation boards at fall meetings. They
are Bob Skaggs, St. Francis, Overland Park,
northeast convocation; Michael Murphy, St.
Mark’s, Blue Rapids, northwest convocation; WendySheedy,
Calvary, Yates Center, southeast convocation; and Michael
Morrow, St. John’s, Wichita, southwest convocation.
In a post-convention organizing session, Morrow was elected
president of the body.
Deputies elected to General Convention, which will meet June
13-21, 2006 in Columbus, Ohio are (listed in the order in which
they were elected):
Lay:
Larry Bingham, St. Michael’s, Mission
(elected on the first ballot)
Sarah Knoll-Williams, St. Margaret’s,
Lawrence (elected on the first ballot)
Frank Connizzo, St. Paul’s, Manhattan
(elected on the first ballot)
Michael Morrow, St. John’s, Wichita
(elected on the first ballot)
Alternates are Tom Gossen, St. James’,
Wichita; Jim Lawing, St. Stephen’s,
Wichita; Dave Seifert, St. Michael’s,
Mission; and Gery Schoenrock, Church of the
Covenant, Junction City.
Clergy:
The Rev. Jo Ann T. Smith, canon to the ordinary,
Topeka (elected on the first ballot)
The Rev. Robert C. Lord, St. Michael’s,
Mission (elected on the second ballot)
The Ven. James E. Upton, St. Matthew’s,
Newton (elected on the fourth ballot)
The Rev. C. P. “Sam” Criss, St.
James’, Wichita (elected by majority voice vote following
the sixth ballot)
Alternates are the Rev. Jerry Adinolfi, St.
Paul’s, Coffeyville; the Rev. Matthew Cobb,
St. Francis Canterbury at Kansas State University, Manhattan; the
Rev. Michael Munro, St. Paul’s, Leavenworth;
and the Rev. Barbara Bloxsom, Epiphany, Sedan.
The same people, both lay and clergy, were elected to serve
as delegates and alternates to the Synod of Province 7, of
which the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas is a part.
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