137th Diocesan Convention – November 11-12 2011

137th Convention of the Diocese of Southern Ohio 

Hope Hotel & Richard Holbrooke Conference Center
11-12 November 2011

 


      • Theme: “On Eagles’ Wings”

 

      • Total Attendance: 351
        • 237 Lay
        • 114 Clergy

 

      • St.Mark’s Delegates
        • Father Mike Kreutzer
        • Deacon George Snyder
        • Jim Rudd
        • Carol Nancarrow
        • Don Nancarrow
        • Katherine Wagner


      • Special Report on Haiti
        • College student shared experiences of growing up in Haiti
        • Diocese of Haiti is part of Episcopal Church
          • Rich in mission
          • >200 congregations
        • Earthquake on Jan 12,2010
          • >1,000,000 people left homeless
          • 70% of churches destroyed
        • Rebuilding Holy Trinity Cathedral in Haiti
          • Christ Church Cathedral of Cincinnati pledged $30K
          • Goal of$30K for Diocese of Southern Ohio
            • Collected – $3K as offering during Eucharist
        • Bishop Breidenthal will match Diocesan pledge with William Cooper Procter Funds

 

      • Elected Lay & Clergy Leaders of Diocese
        • Budget Committee
        • Diocesan Council
        • Episcopal Community Services Foundation
        • Standing Committee
        • Trustees of Church Foundation
        • Trustees of Diocese

 

      • Bishop’s Address: 5 Mission Priorities (Task Forces) 
        • 1. Supporting Healthy Congregations
          • Congregations should interact with one another
        • 2. Engaging New Audiences
          • Focus less on growth of individual congregations
        • 3. Formation
          • Focus on local congregations
          • Need weekly adult forums
          • “Family” can be inclusive
        • 4. Mission
          • Move from outreach to systemic change
            • Need state to support education
        • 5. Stewardship of Resources
          • Ensure structures support mission priorities

 

      • Passed Budget
        • Appropriated and approved execution of $3,729,236 for 2012 Operating Budget expenditures (balanced budget)
        • Supports 5 Mission Priorities

 

      • Denominational Health Plan
        • New church-wide program
        • Equal access to health care coverage for ordained & lay employees
        • At least 1,500 hours of compensated work per year
        • General Convention resolution mandates full compliance by 1 Jan 2013
          • Phase 1: Diocesan employees (including those @ Proctor Center) & 6-8 pilot congregations by 1 Jan 2012
          • Phase 2: Other congregations by 1 Jan 2013
        • Employees covered by spouse’s healthcare insurance plan may opt out of Denominational Health Plan

 

      • 8 Resolutions Approved
        • R11-0 1 A resolution in support of diocesan missionaries, the Dohns
          • Doctors Anita & Michael Dohn as medical missionaries
          • Supports Haiti & Dominican Republic
        • R11-02 Support of Cincinnati Union Bethel and Anna Louise Inn
          • Provided safe & affordable housing for women for 102 years in current location
          • Being contested by business in area
        • R11-03 Deepening our kinship in Christ with the Episcopal Church of Liberia
          • Additional 2 years of dialogue
          • Identify & implement common ministry projects
        • R11-04 Seeking peace and reconciliation and honoring the ministry of James Diamond
          • Invite congregations to study & implement ways to seek peace
          • Bishop Breidenthal encouraged to apply knowledge of Christian ethics to guide clergy & laity toward appropriate study materials
          • Conduct diocesan workshop in 2012

 

        • R11-05 Concerning the practice of high-volume, horizontal hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking
          • Moratorium on high-risk, unconventional deep-shale gas drilling in Ohio 
          • Study impacts of natural gas on water resources & life-cycle impacts of fracking fluids
          • Preliminary results expected by 2012 & study completed by 2014
        • R11-06 Structural reform of The Episcopal Church
          • Administrative & governance structures now ~ 47% of church-wide budget
        • R11-09 A resolution dissolving the union between St. Phillip’s, Northside and the Diocese of Southern Ohio
          • Vestry & congregation mutually agreed to close
        • R11-10 A resolution dissolving the union between S1. Cypian, Columbus and the Diocese of Southern Ohio
          • Vestry & congregation mutually agreed to close


      • 2 Resolutions Defeated
        • R11-07 Theology of the Mission Share
            • Congregations whose Average Sunday Attendance is affected by daily ministry to poor be supported by Mission Share Formula
        • R11-08 Support for job creation policies
          • Bold new federal program, solely focused on the creation of new jobs
          • National legislation more supportive of union movement


      • The 138th Diocesan Convention will be held in Columbus