Welcome to the 112th Convention
The congregation of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Munster, Indiana welcomes you to the 112th Convention of the Diocese of Northern Indiana. St. Paul's Rector is the Rev. Bennett G. Jones II. As Convention draws near, this section of the site will be filled with all the relevant information that clergy and delegates attending will need. The Convention Eucharist will be held on Friday, October 22nd followed by dinner. The business meeting will begin on Saturday, October 23rd at 9:00 am (cdt).
St. Paul's is located at 1101 Park Drive on the east side of Columbia Avenue, just two blocks from Munster High School and Community Hospital. For directions, please consult this map. You may also download these sheets of driving and facility maps.
Resources for Clergy & Lay Delegates
All the relevant documents and forms for clergy and lay delegates attending the 112th 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.
Clerical and lay delegates have been mailed the 1st Convention Packet as of August 16th. Please review the information in its entirety before attending convention and bring a hard copy of those materials with you. In addition to hotel information, directions, facility maps, and various forms, it also includes the Bishop's invitation.
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 meal form is now available. If you are attending individually, please complete and mail payment to the dicoesan office. If you are part of a parish delegation, please contact your parish office to be sure they have included you on their reservation form.
A preliminary schedule of events is now available. A formal agenda will be available later.
The offices listed below are up for election this year. To nominate someone, please either use the electronic form or the printable form.
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 presbyter to be elected. By national Canon and the reformed Title IV, the Ecclesiastical Trial Court will be replaced on July 1, 2011 by the Disciplinary Board structure.
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.
Disciplinary Board: Two presbyters and two lay people, elected to a 3-year term. Note that the Disciplinary Board will begin to function on July 1, 2011.
Deputy to General Convention: Four persons in each order (lay and clerical) are elected to serve at the 2012 General Convention of the Episcopal Church to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Nominees
Profiles of those nominated to office will be posted here. 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
Resolutions submitted by the deadline will be posted here. 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 as 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 will be available in the fall.
Deanery Meetings
Pre-convention deanery meetings in the three deaneries will be held in the fall. Representatives to diocesan council are elected at these meetings. The meetings will be at:
Western - St. Andrew's, Valparaiso - Sunday, September 19th, 3:30 to 4:30 pm (cdt)
Central - Cathedral of St. James, South Bend - Sunday, September 19th, 5:00 to 6:00 pm (edt)
Eastern - Trinity, Fort Wayne - Saturday, September 25th, 10:00 to 11:00 am (edt)