The 189th Annual Convention

Register | Business | Budget | Elections | Resolutions | Hotel | Map | Booklet

Friday, October 23 – Saturday, October 24, 2026
Episcopal School of Baton Rouge
3200 Woodland Ridge Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70816
Campus Map | Directions

Register for Convention

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All people of the diocese are invited to attend the 189th Annual Convention. Registration is required. The cost is $80 per person.

Note to delegates: Voting will be conducted electronically via Election Runner. Each delegate will need access to their own email to vote using their own smartphone or tablet.

Registration for the 189th Annual Convention will close on September 23. If you have any questions or need additional support, please call the Diocesan Office at (504) 895-6634.

Welcome Letter From Bishop Duckworth

Dear friends in Christ,

I’m delighted to invite you to the 189th Annual Convention to celebrate our diocese and do the important work of shaping its future.

The Next Faithful Step is our three-year diocesan theme, rooted in my commitment to strengthen our diocese in every way, spiritual and physical. This year’s theme, Truth, asks us to look clearly at where we

stand–listening to the lived experience of our ministries, acknowledging what is growing and what feels dormant, and asking whether we’re allocating our time, money, and attention to meet the needs of our congregations as they actually are today, not as they were fifteen years ago. Truth-telling may also mean revisiting old assumptions about what shaped our traditions, and having the courage, when we learn something new, not simply to return to how things were, but to uphold our Baptismal Covenant in light of it. We must consistently ask ourselves how we foster transformation in ourselves and in the communities we serve.

From that clarity comes the second component of our time together, Laying the Groundwork. Through this, we will discern together what is ours to do next: strengthening connections across ministries, aligning mission and resources, and investing in what will outlast us. Not every decision will arrive fully formed, but we build knowing that anything built with Jesus at the center of our ministry is built on solid ground.

At Convention and in the year ahead, we will hold fast that:

Truth reveals where we are.

Trust guides where we are going.

Transformation is God’s work among us.

The business of Convention is vital. Practically, we need a quorum of clergy and lay persons present to do the work of the diocese, including a second vote on Constitutional changes. But, even more importantly, this is our yearly diocesan reunion!

In addition to our regular business sessions, we also welcome The Rev. Chris Epperson, Chaplain of The University of the South at Sewanee. Not only will he preach, but he and I will lead a panel discussion on the work that the University is doing around racial healing and the Roberson project. We will also have a candid conversation with our youth, and a reformatted, hands-on ministry experience reflecting this year’s theme. We promise that you will leave inspired and equipped to continue the good ministry ahead of you.

Come be part of what is already flourishing. I see evidence of this all around me, from one congregation to another. I love this work we share, and I look forward to seeing you October 23–24 at Episcopal School in Baton Rouge.

Yours in Christ,

The Rt. Rev. Shannon Rogers Duckworth
Bishop of Louisiana

Preconvention Zoom Meeting

Time: 6:00 p.m.
Date: October 14, 2026
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81584251045?pwd=NnLnSa50n8blUUbpEXvNjdII2bknxB.1

Meeting ID: 815 8425 1045
Passcode: 533112

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Business at Convention

If you have any questions about the business at Convention, contact Tamika Gerhardt, Chair of the Dispatch of Business, at tgerhardt@edola.org.

Order of Business:

Rules of Order of the Convention

Read Here

Elections & Nominations

2026 Diocesan Convention Nominations Form

Using this form, you can complete your Nominee Biography. Responses will be published as part of your biographical information on the Convention webpage. The deadline for submissions is September 23, 2026.

Nominees in the Clerical Order must be canonically resident in the Diocese of Louisiana.

Offices Open for Nomination:

Secretary of the Diocese

Treasurer of the Diocese

Executive Board: 1 Clerical, 2 Lay

Standing Committee: 1 Clerical, 1 Lay

Disciplinary Board: 3 Clerical

Sewanee Board of Trustees: 1 Clerical (Term begins October 2027)

Treasurer of the Diocese - 1 to be elected

Duties: The Treasurer is elected by The Convention. The duty of the Treasurer to receive and disburse the funds of The Diocese in accordance with the annual budget. The Treasurer shall make an annual report to The Convention of all sums received and disbursed during the preceding year and shall include in such report a statement of the condition of the assets of each Parish and Diocesan Mission with regard to its annual financial commitment to The Diocese for the work of the Church. (See Canon 3)

Term: One year (term to expire 2027)

Nominee- 1 to be elected

Keith Crawford

Trinity Episcopal Church, New Orleans

What motivated you to seek nomination for this committee?

I desire to serve the Diocese in the way that I think best fits my abilities.

If nominated, what added value would you bring to the diocese in moving the committee forward with God’s work?

I believe that my 30+ years experience in financial management and strategy will provide great value as the Diocese navigates a complicated financial landscape in both the short and long term. I further believe that my 10 years experience as Treasurer of my home church (Trinity New Orleans) will allow me to take on this responsibility understanding the pastoral and liturgical aspects of the work, always trying to find the best ways to manage the resources entrusted to us.

Occupation: CFO of Peter A Mayer Advertising, Inc.

Relevant experiences, skills and talents:

30+ years experience in various financial management roles, including current roles as CFO of a regional advertising agency and owner / operator of a multi-family real estate firm. I have also served as Treasurer of my church for 10 years, and have served on the Executive Committee of the Diocese for 1 year

Secretary of the Diocese - 1 to be elected

Duties: The Secretary serves as Secretary of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana and The Convention. It shall be their duty to give timely notice of all annual and special meetings of The Convention, to prepare the list of lay members of The Convention, to record and publish the proceedings of The Convention, to preserve its journals and records, to attest, as occasion may require, its public proceedings, and faithfully to deliver into the hands of his successor all books and papers in his possession relative to the concerns of The Diocese and of The Convention. (See Canon 3)

Term: One year (term to expire 2027)

Nominee- 1 to be elected

Marsha Wade

St. James Episcopal Church, Baton Rouge

What motivated you to seek nomination for this committee?

I have been honored to have been elected to serve as Secretary since 2012 and would be pleased to continue to serve in that role.

If nominated, what added value would you bring to the diocese in moving the committee forward with God’s work?

I bring a deep love of the Episcopal Church and a desire to see it flourish under the stewardship of good governance. To that I add my experience as vice chancellor for many years and as past chair of the Committee on Constitution and Canons, as well as experience in the position of Secretary of the Diocese.

Occupation: Lawyer

Relevant experiences, skills and talents:

I have served in several areas of the work of the Diocese and St. James Church, including Christian Education, Spiritual Formation, EfM co-mentor, Diocesan EfM Coordinator, past search committees for Bishop of the Diocese and for Rector of St. James Church, vocational discernment committees and other projects and tasks over the years as requested by Bishops Jenkins, Thompson and Duckworth and the clergy at St. James Church.

Executive Board - 1 clerical and 2 lay to be elected

Duties: The Executive Board shall have charge of the development and prosecution of the work of the Church, subject to the provisions of the Constitution and Canons of the Diocese and to the direction of The Convention. It shall have the power and authority to implement and carry out the programs and policies adopted by The Convention and to act for The Convention between meetings thereof, except where the authority is reserved to the Standing Committee. The Bishop shall be the executive head of all such work, and the Board shall assist the Bishop in the administration thereof. (See Canon 7.1)

Term: Three years (term to expire 2028)

Clerical Nominees – 1 to be elected

Lay Nominees – 2 to be elected

Standing Committee - 1 clerical and 1 lay to be elected

Duties: The work of the Standing Committee, as set forth in Canon 4, Section 3, of the Canons of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, “shall be to fulfill all functions required of it by the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church and of The Diocese and to act as a council of advice for The Bishop.” The Standing Committee works with the Commission on Ministry to ensure the canons are followed in regard to the ordination process. This includes interviews with candidates throughout their ordination process. The Standing Committee also processes requests from other dioceses for consent to the election of bishops. The Standing Committee oversees the election process should there be an election for Bishop. The Standing Committee also is required to approve transactions involving any immovable property held in the name of the Diocese. Meetings are held as necessary, with required attendance at the Ministry Conference in January.

Standing Committee members will be most effective if they work will with others, understand and appreciate the complexity of ministry, possess an understanding of sound business practices, and have a deep love of the Lord and of the Church.

Term: Four years (term to expire 2030)

Clerical Nominees – 1 to be elected

Lay Nominees – 1 to be elected

Disciplinary Board - 3 clerical

Duties and Eligibility: There shall be a Disciplinary Board consisting of nine persons, five of whom shall be Priests or Deacons canonically resident in The Diocese and four of whom shall be lay persons who are adult confirmed communicants in good standing of a Parish or Mission in union with The Convention of The Diocese. No member of the Executive Board, the Standing Committee or The Bishop’s staff shall be eligible elected or serve as a member of the Board. No Chancellor or Vice-chancellor of The Diocese and no person serving as Advisor, Conciliator, Church Attorney, Intake Officer or Investigator shall be eligible to be elected or serve as a member of the Board.

Term: Three years. Terms shall be staggered so that one-third of the Board is reelected each year. A member of the Board shall not serve for longer than two successive three-year terms, but shall be eligible for election to the Board after having been a non-member for one Convention year. Each term shall run until the conclusion of the annual meeting of The Convention held three years following the date of the member’s election. (term to expire 2028)

Clerical Nominees – 1 to be elected

Lay Nominees – 2 to be elected

Sewanee Board of Trustees - 1 lay clerical (term begins Oct 2027)

Duties: The University of the South has, as part of its governing system, two boards —— the Board of Reagents and the Board of Trustees. The Board of Regents is somewhat like a vestry, and handles much of the fiduciary responsibility of the school. The Board of Trustees, on the other hand, is a board of people that are interested in promoting the University and its Seminary. In turn, they are to be agents of information for those in their dioceses. The annual meeting of the Board of Trustees usually occurs in late October, when new members are installed , when honorary degrees are given, and the business of the board occurs. Each diocese has one clerical and two lay representatives. The by-laws of the university do stipulate that some actions of the Regents must be approved by the Trustees.

Term: The term is for three years. (Term begins October 2026 and term ends October 2029)

Clarical Nominee(s) – 1 to be elected

Resolutions

Convention rules require resolutions to be submitted to the Committee on Dispatch of Business 30 days prior to Convention or else receive the consent of two-thirds of the members of Convention to be moved from the floor. The deadline for submitting resolutions is September 23.

Resolutions from the floor of Convention require the consent of the Convention.
Resolutions for consideration by Convention must be submitted; electronic and written submissions will be accepted.
Convention rules require resolutions to be submitted to the Committee on Dispatch of Business 30 days prior to Convention or else receive the consent of two-thirds of the members of Convention to be moved from the floor.

2026 Resolutions Form

Amendments to the Diocesan Constitution & Canons submitted for consideration at the 189th Annual Convention

Read Constitution and Canons Letter 2026

**The resolutions were adopted at the 188th Diocesan Convention and brought before the 189th Diocesan Convention for a second vote in accordance with Article VIII, Section 1, Constitution of the Diocese of the Episcopal Church of Louisiana.

CCR1	**Amend Article V, Sections 3 and 4	Purpose: To amend Article V, Sections 3 and 4 of the Constitution of the Diocese to provide for parity in rights seat, voice and vote of presbyters and deacons at meetings of The Convention.	Amended by the Committee on Constitution and Canons Passed as amended at the 188th Diocesan Convention
CCR2	**Enact Article V, Section 4.1	Purpose: To enact Article V, Section 4.1 of the Constitution of the Diocese to provide for rights to seat, voice and vote of the clergy at meetings of The Convention.	Passed at the 188th Diocesan Convention
CCR3	**Amend Article VIII, Section1, first paragraph (b)	Purpose: To amend Article VIII, Section 1, first paragraph (b) of The Constitution of the Diocese to shorten notice period for proposed ammendments to The Constitution and to at least thirty (30) days and electronically tansmitted or mailed.	Passed as amended at the 188th Diocesan Convention
CCR5	**Amend Article VIII, Section 1	Purpose: To amend Article VIII, Section 1, to allow for electronic notice and to reduce the time of notice to thirty (30) days.	Passed as amended at the 188th Diocesan Convention

Budget

Click the toggles below to view the budget documents for the 189th Annual Convention. If you have any questions, please contact Chris Speed, Diocesan Administrator, at cspeed@edola.org.

2027 Budget Documents for Approval at Convention

Please review the 2027 documents for approval at Convention.

2027 Diocesan Operations Summary Budget
2027 Diocesan Operations Full Budget
2027 Assessments by Congregation
2027 Clergy Minimum Compensation Package
2027 Gaudet Fund Budget
2027 Solomon Episcopal Conference Center Budget

2025 Budget Unaudited Documents for Review

Please review the 2025 end-of-year unaudited financial documents.

2025 Diocesan Assessment and Program Totals
2025 EDOLA Analysis of Revenue and Expenses
2025 Operations Final Budget Analysis
2025 Diocesan Balance Sheet
2025 Gaudet Fund Balance Sheet
2025 Gaudet Fund Income Statement
2025 Solomon Center Balance Sheet
2025 Solomon Center Budget Analysis

Plenary Session

Coming soon.

Eucharist

Convention Eucharist will be held on Friday at 3:30 p.m. in the The Lewis Family Memorial Chapel of the Good Shepherd at Episcopal School of Baton Rouge.

All members of the diocese are welcome to attend. Clergy will vest in red stoles.

Convention Ministry Experience

This year, we are hosting a convention experience instead of the typical ministry fair. Part of the experience will be highlighting activities that happened in the diocese in the past year through images. We have most of these from our EDOLA newsletters. However, if you have some good photos for us to consider, feel free to share. (The final set will be enlarged and on a wall, so no promises as to what will make the final cut.)

The other part of the experience will be exploring the ministries of the diocese. However, instead of dividing by ministry, we will have five tables divided by type of ministry:

Grow Leaders
Love Neighbors
Build Beloved Community
Form Generations
Journey Together

We have already identified where each ministry fits, so no stress there!

So that all ministries can be viewed and understood and highlighted, we are asking you to plan for an 18″x18″ display space (height also should be no more than 18″). Your assigned space will be marked clearly on the table. You are invited to include information that people can take with them or just look at.

There is not a necessity for anyone to “man the tables.” However, if you want to periodically hang out by your table and try to answer questions about any of the ministries on the table, you are definitely welcome to do so if you are attending the convention.

There is no fee for your display. We want to represent your ministry!

The contact person for questions about the Convention Ministry Experience is Grace Rose at grose@edola.org.

Ministry Signup

Necrology Form

Names of clergy, former diocesan officers, and/or lay delegates who have died since the last meeting of the Diocesan Convention, October 26, 2025, will be read during Convention prayers. Submissions are due by September 26, 2026.

Please add the names of clergy who have died since the 188th Annual Convention to the form below.

2026 Necrology Form

Hotel Block Informations

Renaissance Baton Rouge Hotel
7000 Bluebonnet Boulvard
Baton Rouge, LA 70810

(225) 388 5731

Room rate: $169.00 USD per night
Last Day to Book: Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Reserve Hotel Room with Block Rate HERE