186th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana

Jump to: Deadlines | Pre-Convention Meeting  | Register  |  Order of Business  |  Budget Documents  |  Nominations for Offices  |  Resolutions  |  Reports to Convention  |  Hotel Block  |  Speakers and Workshops  |  Vendors and Exhibitors  | Necrology

 

Dear friends in Christ,

It is with great joy that I invite you to the 186th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana. Our theme this year will be Faith Amplified. At my Ordination and Consecration as bishop almost a year ago, I outlined the tenets of Faith, Hope and Love as our guideposts over the next 3 years. This year’s convention will highlight the various ways in which our diocese is deepening our faith journey together. This will include a series of workshops, a festival Eucharist featuring the choir from Dillard University, a reception in which we can enjoy gathering as a community, and a celebration of the mission and vision of our unique and wonderful diocese. I am grateful to all who are a part of the planning of this event as well as St. Martin’s Episcopal School for providing such warm hospitality. I look forward to sharing this time with you.

Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Shannon Rogers Duckworth
Bishop of Louisiana

Date and Location

The 186th Annual Convention will be held October 27-28 in the Solomon Theater at St. Martin’s Episcopal School, 225 Green Acres Road, Metairie. Click here for directions.

View the campus map here

Upcoming Deadlines

August 25, 2023

  • Registration opens

September 27, 2023

  • Registration due for all clergy, lay delegates, and visitors
  • Deadline for submission of resolutions 
  • Deadline for submissions of nominations
  • Vendor and exhibitor registration due

October 10, 2023

  • Practice Election Runner ballot
  • Pre-convention Meeting via Zoom

 

Register for Convention

All people of the diocese are invited to attend the 186th Annual Convention. Registration is required. The cost is $80 per person. Please use the electronic registration form below. One form per person. If you are a member of a delegation (clergy, lay delegate, or lay alternate), please have a church representative submit the registration form for you. If you have any questions or need additional support, please get in touch with Tamika Gerhardt at tgerhardt@edola.org or (504) 895-6634.

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. 

 Open the registration form here

Pre-Convention Meeting

The Pre-convention Meeting will be held Tuesday, October 10 at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom. Further details soon.

Business at Convention

The 186th Annual Convention will be held October 27-28 at St. Martin’s Episcopal School. 

Download the Rules of Order of the Convention

View the Preliminary Order of Business Here

This is the preliminary Order of Business for the 186th Annual Convention. It is subject to change.

Friday, Oct. 27

11:30 AM    Check-in Opens

1:30 PM      Call to Order

1:45 PM      Business Session 1

3:30 PM     Holy Eucharist

5 – 6 PM     Reception

Saturday, Oct 28

7:30 AM     Continental Breakfast

Hearings

8:00 AM     Check-In Opens

9:00 AM     Reconvene/Morning Prayer II

9:30 AM     Bishop’s Address

9:45 AM     Business Session 2

11:00 AM   Breakout Sessions

12:00 PM   Lunch

1:00 PM     Reconvene/Noonday Prayer

1:15 PM     Business Session 3

2:30 PM    Adjourn

Nominations to Elected Offices

We seek people interested in serving in leadership positions in the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana. Read below for offices to be held by election at the upcoming 186th Annual Convention. Nominations will open on August 25. The deadline to submit nominees for elections at Convention is September 27, 2023.

The nominees will be announced following the September 27th deadline.

For questions or assistance: Contact Tamika Gerhardt at tgerhardt@edola.org.

Open the nomination form here

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

Nominees- 1 to be elected

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

Nominees- 1 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

 

Clerical Nominees – 1 to be elected

Lay Nominees – 1 to be elected

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

Clerical Nominees – 1 to be elected

Lay Nominees – 2 to be elected

Disciplinary Board - 3 clerical to be elected

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.

Clerical Nominees – 3 to be elected

Sewanee Board of Trustees - 1 clerical to be elected

Note: Term begins October 2024

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. 

Clerical Nominees – 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.

Resolutions to the 186th Annual Convention are due September 27, 2023

Open the resolution form here

Budget Documents

Click the toggles below to view the budget documents for the 186th Annual Convention

2024 Budget Documents for Approval at Convention

Please review the 2024 documents for approval at Convention.

2024 Diocesan Operations Summary Budget
2024 Diocesan Operations Full Budget
2024 Assessment and Program Pledges by Congregation
2024 Clergy Minimum Compensation Package
2024 Gaudet Fund Budget
2024 Solomon Episcopal Conference Center Budget

2022 Budget Unaudited Documents for Review

Please review the 2022 end-of-year unaudited financial documents.

2022 Diocesan Assessment and Program Totals
2022 EDOLA Analysis of Revenue and Expenses
2022 Operations Final Budget Analysis
2022 Diocesan Balance Sheet
2022 Gaudet Fund Balance Sheet
2022 Gaudet Fund Income Statement
2022 Solomon Center Balance Sheet
2022 Solomon Center Budget Analysis

Reports to Convention

Diocesan boards, committees, and commissions are asked to submit annual reports to Convention by September 27. Please email reports to Tamika Gerhardt at tgerhardt@edola.org.

Read the Reports to Convention

Reports from Committees, Boards, and Commission will be available soon.

  • Addiction Recovery Ministry
  • Board of Trustees
  • Chancellor’s Report
  • Chapel of the Holy Comforter
  • Chapel of the Holy Spirit
  • Commission on Ministry
  • Commission for Racial Healing
  • Community Mission Appeal
  • Constitutions & Canons
  • Ecumenical Commission
  • ECW
  • Environmental Commission
  • Episcopal School of Baton Rouge
  • Gaudet Committee
  • HIV/Aids Ministry
  • Inclusive Louisiana
  • Latino Ministry
  • Louisiana Interchurch Conference
  • Prison Ministry
  • St. Alban’s Chapel
  • St. Martin’s Episcopal School
  • Standing Committee
  • Stewardship Committee
  • The Solomon Episcopal Conference Center
  • University of the South
  • United Thank Offering
  • Youth Leadership Commission (DYLC)

Speakers and Breakout Session

Saturday Morning Breakout Session

Renaming Bishop’s Hall – The Rev. Andrew R. Thayer, Trinity Episcopal Church, New Orleans
Stewardship of Endowments – The Rev. Craig Dalferes, Grace Church, St. Francisville
Growing Congregations – The Rev. Peter Wong, Trinity Episcopal Church, Baton Rouge

 

Vendors and Exhibitors

Note: Our vendor registration is now full.

The vendor and exhibitors tables are a favorite gathering place during Annual Convention. This year, exhibitors will be located in Saints Dining Hall just adjacent to the St. Martin’s Solomon Theater. 

Cost: Any ministry affiliated with the diocese may register a table at no cost. Exhibitors that do not fall into this category will be charged a $50 fee.

Setup time: Friday, October 27 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Questions: Contact Tamika Gerhardt at tgerhardt@edola.org with any questions.

Open the vendor registration form here

Hotel Block

Hampton Inn & Suites New Orleans-Elmwood/Clearview Parkway Area

5150 Mounes Street,Harahan, LA 70123USA

Reserve your room by clicking here or by phone: 504-733-5646 (dial 0 to be transferred to the front desk agent)

The Group Code is EDL
The cut-off date for this block is October 6th.
All reservations are held with a major credit/debit card and will have a 72-hour cancellation policy.

For questions or assistance: Contact Tamika Gerhardt at tgerhardt@edola.org.

 

Necrology Form

Names of clergy, former diocesan officers, and/or lay delegates who have died since the last meeting of the Diocesan Convention, October 28, 2022, will be read during Convention prayers. Submissions are due by September 27, 2023.

Open the necrology form here

 

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