What is Annual Council?
Annual Council is the
yearly business meeting of the Diocese of Virginia. It brings
together clergy and lay delegates representing each congregation
in the diocese.
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All licensed
clergy have voice and vote.
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Each congregation
is entitled to one lay delegate; larger churches have more.
Lay delegates are elected by their vestries and have voice
and vote.
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Critical issues
may require a majority vote by the separate lay and clerical
orders.
The functions of
Annual Council are to:
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Elect Bishops as
needed.
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Have
responsibility for and be in charge of property and finances.
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Determine by vote
the canons (rules) and program priorities of the Diocese.
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Appoint committees,
some of which share approval powers with the Bishop.
Registration forms for delegates and alternates, and their
guests, and
Registration form for exhibitors for the 214th Annual
Council will be posted online.
Nomination forms for the following positions are also
available online and should be submitted by December 5:
- Standing Committee - two clergy, two lay.
- General Convention Deputy - four clergy, four lay.
- Provincial Synod - one clergy, two lay.
- Related Organization Boards
Hotel reservations can be made by calling 800-233-1234. Reservations
should be made by January 6 to guarantee the group rate.
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The 214th Annual Council of the Diocese of Virginia
will convene
January
23-24, 2009, at the at the Hyatt
Regency in Reston, Virginia. |
About the Diocese’s
213rd Annual Council
Almost 1,000 clergy, lay delegates and guests
gathered at the Reston Hyatt Hotel January 25-26 for the 213rd Annual Council
of The Diocese of Virginia. Annual business included the election of members
of the Standing Committee, a council of advice to the bishop; deputies and
alternates to General Convention, the highest governing body of The Episcopal
Church; and representatives to Provincial Synod, a regional assembly of the
dioceses of The Episcopal Church.
Council approved a 2008 budget of just over $4.8 million budget, which
represents an increase of over 6.6% from 2007. In addition to supporting such
ministries as church planting, ecumenical partnerships and administrative and
staff support, the Diocese was able to increase its budget for scholarships
to Shrine Mont summer camps thanks to the generosity of members of Council.
When faced with a $6,790 cut to the scholarship program that underwrites all
the camps, delegates, clergy and staff from across the floor took up a
collection with pledges totaling over $19,000 for Shrine Mont scholarships.
“While we heard much at this Council about the level of parish giving to
the Diocese being the lowest across the church, this is a decades-old issue
for Virginia,” said Patrick Getlein, secretary of the Diocese. The
Diocese of Virginia is one of only a few dioceses in The Episcopal Church
where parish giving is based on a voluntary system of giving rather than
assessments. “The increase in giving for 2008 and the remarkable show of
support for what we do together in the area of youth ministry is very
encouraging,” he said.
Members of Council also approved a number of courtesy resolutions to honor
people who had made significant contributions to the life of the Church, as
well as eight other resolutions which addressed such topics as environmental
protection; inclusiveness in the ordained ministry; Hispanic/Latino ministry;
Native Americans in Virginia; payday lending; support for Sudan; and a humane
immigration policy.
On January 26, the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee addressed Council in
his
annual pastoral report, noting that “Virginia is blessed as a church
family in continuity with the past and confident in the future, grateful all
along for the evidence of God’s abundant love for us.” Attendees also heard from the Rt. Rev. Shannon Sherwood
Johnston, bishop coadjutor,
and from the Rt. Rev. David Colin Jones, bishop suffragan.
-- Emily Cherry, Diocese of Virginia’s communicator
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Resolutions adopted
R-1a:
Action for Environmental Protection and Reducing the Impacts of
Climate Change (adopted as amended)
R-2: Governmental
Policies Toward Immigrants (combined with R-9)
R-3s:
Inclusiveness in Ordained Ministry (adopted)
R-4:
Hispanic/ Latino Ministry (adopted as submitted)
R-5a:
Native Americans in Virginia (adopted)
R-6:
Payday Lending (adopted)
R-7:
Sudan Leadership and Support (adopted)
R-8a:
Sudan Divestment (adopted as amended)
R-9s:
Working for a Just and Humane Immigration Policy (adopted)
Canonical and Constitutional Amendments
adopted
C-1:
Composition of Council
(adopted on second reading)
C-2:
Composition of the Council (referred to special committee)
Budget
Available in Adobe Acrobat format
Elections
Officials Elected at Council
Other
The R-5 Commission Report
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About the Diocese’s
212th Annual Council
The 212th Annual Council for the Diocese of
Virginia met January 26 and 27 in Richmond. Approximately 600 lay and clergy
members of Council attended. This year, the Annual Council, in addition to
conducting its normal business of voting on resolutions, Canonical amendments,
and passing a budget, also elected a Bishop Coadjutor to replace Bishop Lee.
After only three ballots we elected the Very Rev. Shannon Johnston,
Rector of All Saints Episcopal Church, Tupelo, Mississippi, as Bishop
Coadjutor. As required by the Canons, the Rev. Johnston was elected with a
majority of votes from both the clergy voting and from the lay delegates. Mr.
Johnston received the most votes of any of the candidates from the initial
ballot and was elected with over 70% of the total votes cast in the third
ballot. He will be consecrated Bishop Coadjutor on May 26 at the Washington
National Cathedral. Bishop Lee will resign as Bishop of Virginia, as required by
the Canons of the General Church, no later than three years from the
consecration of the Bishop Coadjutor or the date on which he turns 72 years of
age. Bishop Lee, who will turn 72 in 2010, has indicated that he may resign
earlier than 2010.
In other business, the Annual Council
adopted a modified resolution calling on Bishop Lee to establish a commission to
discern a possible emerging consensus regarding permitting a local option that
would allow individual parishes to bless same-sex unions, and report back to
next year’s Annual Council. The Council also adopted resolutions supporting the
actions of elected officials and community leaders who establish sites where day
laborers are treated fairly, a resolution streamlining the resolution process,
and a resolution in support of those faithful Episcopalians in congregations in
which a majority of members have voted to leave the Episcopal Church. Among
proposed canonical and constitutional amendments, a canonical amendment to allow
for absentee voting for parish elections generated the most discussion on the
floor of Council of all those proposed. This amendment failed, with most
opponents citing both the importance of in-person congregational meetings and
difficulties in administering absentee voting. Additional resolutions and
amendments addressed at Council can be found on the Diocese’s Web site at
www.thediocese.net. The Council also
adopted an annual budget for the Diocese of approximately 4.5 million dollars.
Throughout Council, collegiality among the
lay and clergy delegates was apparent. The theme selected for Council this year
was "One Church, One Mission." There was a sense that, despite difficulties over
departing congregations over the past year, the vast majority of the members of
Council both supported the actions of Bishop Lee, and supported the work of the
Church and the Diocese. Council was concluded without any harsh words over any
differences in theology or over actions within the national church. One moving
moment was a standing ovation given the delegates in attendance elected by newly
constituted vestries of three of the churches whose members have voted to leave
the Episcopal Church. Those delegates and their vestries join fellow
parishioners now worshipping in alternative sites until they can reenter their
churches.
It was an honor to represent St. George’s
at Council, and an honor to be part of the 90,000 people coming together in 193
communities of faith to be the Diocese of Virginia.
-- Mike Bernier,
off-going Lay Delegate
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Resolutions adopted
R-1:
Day Laborers
R-3:
Millennium Development Goals
R-4:
Designation of October 30 as a Memorial for James Markham Ambler
R-5:
"Local Option" Regarding the Blessing of Same-Sex Unions
R-6: Support for Faithful Episcopalians in
Congregations within which a Majority Vote to Leave the Episcopal
Church
R-7:
Companion Diocese Relationship Study
Canonical and Constitutional Amendments
adopted
C-4:
Amend Article III
C-5:
Amend Canons 22, 23 and 24
Budget
Available in Adobe Acrobat format
Elections
The Very Rev. Shannon Johnston elected Bishop Coadjutor
(Press
release) (Info about our
Bishop-elect) (Ballot tallies)
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