The 189th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine
Bangor Civic Center - Friday, October 24, and Saturday, October 25, 2008
October will be here before you know it!
Here you will find all of the preliminary information, instructions and forms needed for convention.
Convention Information
Delegate Certificate
Nomination Form
Youth Dinner Reservation
Convention Lunch Reservation
Call to Convention - Clergy
Rules regarding Delegates
The 188th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine
Bangor Civic Center - Friday, October 26, and Saturday, October 27, 2007 please scroll to the bottom for audio and video from diocesan convention
The Diocese of Maine has elected the Rev. Stephen Lane, Canon to the Ordinary, Diocese of Rochester, NY, as the bishop coadjutor-elect. Ballot results and biographical information is available at www.bishopofmaine.org.
Upon accepting the post the bishop coadjutor-elect spoke to those gathered over a speakerphone, "I'm very excited to be with all of you and to begin God's work together. Thanks for your trust in God and the discernment process. This is something we will do together." Lane continued, "I am humbled by the opportunity and thank the Search and Transition Committees for their care and Debra and Linda for their companionship."
The Rev. Debra Kissinger, diocesan staff at the Diocese of Bethlehem, PA, and the Rev. Linda Grenz, president of Leader Resources, were finalists in the search process with Lane.
Other news from the 188th Annual Convention
Congratulations to Chancellor of the Diocese, Joe Delafield of St. Alban's, Cape Elizabeth, on being honored today with the Fred C. Scribner Award for Distinguished Service. The award, first made in 1983, honors from time to time a lay person who has served the diocese in an exemplary way. Delafield is the ninth recipient.
The following elections were announced on Friday, October 26.
Mr. Alan Shaver, Grace Church, Bath, Secretary of the Diocese
Mr. Ken Barrett, St. George's, York Harbor, Treasurer of the Diocese
The Rev. Nancy Moore, St. Augustine's, Dover-Foxcroft, Standing Committee Clerical Member
Mr. Ralph Davison, St. George's, York Harbor, Standing Committee, Lay Member
The Rev. Anne Stanley, Christ Church, Norway, Provincial Synod Clerical Deputy
Mr. David Nutter, Grace Church, Bath, Provincial Synod Lay Alternate
On Saturday, October 27, 2007, the following elections were announced.
General Convention 2009 Deputies - Clerical
The Rev. Paige Blair, St. George's, York Harbor
The Rev. Cn. Linton Studdiford, Canon to the Ordinary for Deployment and Congregational Development
The Rev. The Rev. Anne Stanley, Christ Church, Norway
The Rev. Calvin Sanborn, St. Matthew's, Hallowell
General Convention 2009 Deputies - Clerical Alternate
The Rev. Susan Latimer, St. Mark's, Waterville
The Rev. Michael Ambler, Grace Church, Bath
The Rev. Ben Shambaugh, Cathedral Church of St. Lukes, Portland
The Rev. Lev Sherman, All Saints, Skowhegan, and St. Martin's, Palmyra
General Convention 2009 Deputies - Lay
Mr. Peter Bickford, Christ Church, Norway
Dr. Harold Brown, St. Patrick's, Brewer
Ms Brenda Hamilton, St. Andrew's, Newcastle
Ms Rita Redfield, St. Andrew and St. John, Southwest Harbor
General Convention 2009 - Lay Alternates
Dr. Dan Summers, St. Matthew's, Hallowell
Mr. Gordon Gayer, Esq., St. Alban's, Cape Elizabeth
Ms Barbi Tinder, Christ Church, Norway
Ms Sheila Seekins, St. Peter's, Rockland
Diocesan Review Committee - Clerical
The Rev. Geoff Smith, Trinity Church, Portland
Diocesan Review Committee - Lay
Mr. David Drysdale, Church of the Good Shepherd, Houlton
On Saturday morning Resolution #7, Clergy Compensation for 2008, which proposed an increase in clergy compensation to approach the Province 1 median, met with opposition. A group of delegates, with the blessing of the house, stepped off the floor to develop a substitute resolution. The new resolution, which passed with virtually no opposition, instructed congregations to use the Clergy Compensation for 2007 with an increase of five percent and a small increase in supply clergy stipend as well as the charge to form a committee to explore stewardship in the Diocese of Maine to help move from an attitude of scarcity to a theology of abundance.
Resolution #8, Support for the Presiding Bishop's Call for a Multifaith Conference to Address Climate Change, passed overwhelmingly though not without debate. The resolution puts the Diocese of Maine on record to support the Presiding Bishop's efforts to promote the Genesis Covenant, a unified program to address climate change.
Earlier, on Friday, the most intriguing resolution of the day, Resolution #2, was also the most controversial, passing by a fairly slim margin of 175 to 135 votes. Submitted by the Committee on Indian Relations, the resolution calls for the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Queen of England to disavow and rescind the 1496 Royal Charter issued to John Cabot and his sons. The charter authorized the Cabots "to find, discover, and investigate whatsoever islands, countries, regions, provinces of heathens and infidels...which before this time were unknown to all Christians." The Charter also reads in part, "John and his sons or their heirs may conquer, occupy and possess, as our vassals and governors lieutenants and deputies therein, acquiring for us the dominion, title and jurisdiction of the same towns, castles, cities, islands, and mainlands so discovered."
This "doctrine of discovery" set forth by King Henry VII was relied upon as justification for the dispossession of lands and the subjugation of non-Christian people. The resolutions further requires that Bishop Knudsen officially convey the expression of the resolution to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Supreme Governor of the Church of England (Queen Elizabeth II), presumably when she is in England in the summer of 2008 at the Lambeth Conference. The resolution also requires that a similar resolution is submitted to the General Convention in 2009 for its consideration.
John Dieffenbacker-Krall, a member of St. James', Old Town, and the Executive Director of the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission spoke passionately about the resolution. While some members of convention spoke against the resolution in favor of focusing on the future and expressed concern about how we treat the four tribes in Maine today, Dan Summers, a member of St. Matthew's, Hallowell, stated, "We who enjoy so much privilege owe it to those whose privilege was taken away to call a wrong a wrong."
Peggy Mansir, also a member of St. Matthew's, Hallowell, whose husband and children are members of the Quebec Band of Maliseets, said, "Let's not wait another 511 years to recognize them as full members of the Church."
Two resolutions that passed on Friday were proposed by the Clerical and Lay Employee Compensation Committee. The first, Resolution #3, set the level of minimum compensation for lay employees who work more than 250 hours annually to no less than $8.50 an hour or its equivalent in salary.
The second, Resolution #4, clarifies the language of the diocesan canon that deals with compensation to support the long-standing diocesan practice of providing health and dental insurance to rectors and their families and to support clergy continuing education and two other small changes.
Resolution #1 was the second reading of a constitutional change related to the filing of parochial reports to be in compliance with the constitution of the Episcopal Church.
Resolution #5, submitted by the Maine Chapter of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship, passed overwhelmingly though with some discussion. The resolution promotes diocesan support and participation in active nonviolence training in creative peacemaking, including support for the training of training facilitators with existing scholarship funds. The resolution was prompted by a 2006 General Convention resolution (DO18) calling on dioceses to assist members and congregations in addressing conflicts, controversies and divisions brought about by a culture of violence in our society at large.
The Rev. Jonathan Appleyard, rector of St. Saviour's, Bar Harbor, said, "My community - moms and dads - are desperate for this kind of help, and I have nowhere to send them. I support this resolution. We need this."
Unanimous support was shown for Resolution #6 to extend the Diocese of Maine's companion diocese relationship with the Diocese of Haiti for a second five year period. Bishop of Haiti, the Rt. Rev. Zache Duracin, spoke to those gathered prior to the consideration of the resolution. His appreciation on behalf of the people of Haiti - Episcopalians as well as other citizens and children who have benefited from the many points of connection the people of Maine have with the people of Haiti - extended beyond the Maine's support for schools, parishes, and communications and technology.
"Thank you very much," said Bishop Duracin. "You have helped the ministry of our Church because your bishop is a woman. She and Bishop Cathy Roskam of New York were with us when we ordained our first woman priest. How symbolic that was! Now we have two young women at our seminary and more would like to attend. In the years ahead we will have more women priests."
Bishop Duracin knows Bishop Coadjutor-elect Stephen Lane through their mutual involvement in Province 2 events. "He will be a good supporter of our church," said the Bishop. "And you can all visit Bishop Chilton in Haiti when she retires!" he said, referring to the Bishop's plans to serve in the Diocese of Haiti after she retires in September 2008 and "has a little rest."
The proposed 2008 diocesan budget, presented by Diocesan Treasurer Ken Barrett, passed without comment.
For the full text of the resolutions, biographies of candidates for diocesan offices, and the proposed 2008 budget, please click the link for the convention booklet below.
Multimedia Links from Convention
Audio Files
(mp3 files that will open with itunes and other media players. Click the links and give them a moment to fire up.)
Bishop Knudsen's Convention Sermon
Part 1 Bishop Codman's sermon after his election and the Diocese of Maine's poetic response - 1900
Part 2 "I am the vine and you are the branches."
Bishop Knudsen's Diocesan Address
Part 1: This is Not a Parting Address
Part 2: The State of the Diocese
Part 3: An Episcopal presence in all of Maine
Part 4: Challenges to the Diocese
Video Files (links to youtube.com)
Welcome to new clergy in the Diocese (you asked to see it on youtube and here it is!)
Bishop Coadjutor-elect Steve Lane talks to members of the Diocese a few minutes after his election
