Welcome to the 111th Convention
The congregations of St. Thomas' Episcopal Church and la Iglesia Episcopal de Santo Thomas in Plymouth, Indiana welcome you to the 111th Convention of the Diocese of Northern Indiana. St. Thomas' Rector is the Rev. Canon John E. Schramm. This vibrant and historic parish last hosted the Convention in 1950. Please take your time to read this letter of welcome from Fr. John. As Convention draws near, this section of the site will be filled with all the relevant information that clergy and delegates attending will need.
St. Thomas' is located in downtown Plymouth just two blocks from the Yellow River at 412 N. Center Street. For directions, please consult this map. For detailed driving instructions, a parking diagram, and information on hotels in the area, please consult this document.
Bishop's Address and Resolutions
The Bishop's Address is now available. Three resolutions were offered at the convention that passed. One commending the Boys Scouts of America, one commissioning a mission study group, and one restructuring the deaneries of the diocese.
Resources for Clergy & Lay Delegates
All the relevant documents and forms for clergy and lay delegates attending the 111th Convention can be accessed using the menu above. The availability of documents will coincide with their creation. Until the item is available, clicking on a link for it will redirect the user to this paragraph. For example, the profiles of nominess to various offices will be published in the early fall. Until that time, its link will not be functional. If you believe that you have been directed to this paragraph in error, please contact the diocesan office.
The first mailing, the second mailing, and the third mailing have been sent to all clergy and delegates either electronically or by US Mail. All of the documents included in those mailings are available on this site.
Rules
Those wishing to review the rules by which the Convention is governed should consult the following documents: Diocesan Constitution and Canons, Rules of Order, Parliamentary Procedure Guide, and How To Write A Resolution.
Forms & Schedules
The nomination form, the schedule of events, the agenda, and the meal form are now available.
To nominate a person to an office that will be elected at convention, please obtain permission from that person first. Nominees are to complete a nomination form. They may do so by downloading this form and returning it in the mail or by submitting this electronic form. Nomination forms must be returned by September 3rd.
The following offices are up for election this year:
Standing Committee: One presbyter and one lay person, each elected to a 3-year term.
The Standing Committee serves primarily as a committee of advice and consent to the Bishop. It meets with persons recommended for ordination by the Commission on Ministry giving consent to the Bishop to ordain. It must approve of the encumbrance or sale of all church property. Another responsibility is to consent to the consecration of a bishop elected in another diocese. Its special responsibility is to stand in readiness in case the diocese is for some reason without a bishop. In that case the Standing Committee becomes the ecclesiastical authority and takes over the Bishop’s diocesan administrative responsibility until a new bishop is consecrated.
Ecclesiastical Trial Court: One lay person to be elected to a 3-year term. One presbyter to be elected to complete the last year of a vacant term.
In the event there is ever cause for an ecclesiastical trial court the members of this body sit as judges in the case. Causes for the court to be held are described Title IV, Section 1 of the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church.
Depending on parish custom, either a parish as a whole or individual delegates will purchase their lunches. Please consult with your parish office to see what your custom is. To reserve a meal, please use this form.
Nominees
To read profiles of the nominees, please consult this document.
A nomination may be made from the floor provided it is in writing and permission has been given by the nominee to do so.
Resolutions
To read the resolution that has been submitted, please consult this document.
Resolutions introduced from the floor must be in writing and will require a 2/3 vote of members of the Convention present in order to be considered, pursuant to Rule of Order 3.b.
Reports
The reports from the Treasurer and Finance Committee are now available: Treasurer's Report, 2010 Budget, 2010 Assessments, and the 2008 Parochial Report.
Please consult this document to read the reports from the Standing Committee, Diocesan, Council, Commission on Ministry, Foundation, Social Outreach Committee, Congregational Revitalization & Development Committee, Wawasee Episcopal Center, Summer Camp Director, Youth Ministry Director, Camp New Happenings, Companion Diocese Committee, Cursillo Community, Episcopal Church Women, St. Margaret's House, the Nothern Indiana School of Theology, and the Greater Cathedral Chapter.
Deanery Meetings
The following meetings have been scheduled:
The Wabash Valley Deanery will meet at St. Paul's, Gas City at 2:00 PM (EDT) on Sunday, September 13th.
The Elkhart Deanery will meet at St. John of the Cross, Bristol at 2:00 PM (EDT) on Sunday, September 20th.
The South Bend Deanery will meet at the Cathedral of St. James, South Bend at 4:00 PM (EDT) on Sunday, September 27th.
The Michigan City Deanery will meet at St. Andrew's, Valparaiso at 4:00 PM (CDT) on Sunday, October 18th.