Convention Will Focus on Ministry & Mission

by Alice Clayton and Pam Doty
Canon to the Ordinary and ETE Editor
The theme will be "To grow in people and in resources for ministry and mission," taken from the diocesan vision statement written by Bishop Charles vonRosenberg -- “The Diocese of East Tennessee is One Church. We are called to love in the name of Christ and to grow in people and in resources for ministry and for mission. We anticipate miracles as God works through us.”

The Radisson Hotel in Knoxville will be the site of the Eighteenth Annual Convention of the Diocese of East Tennessee to be held Feb. 8-10, 2002.

The Rev. Matthew Dutton-Gillett, St. Elizabeth's, Knoxville, is the Chair and Ann Holtz, St. James, Knoxville, is the Co-Chair of the 2002 convention. Other members are Cathy Wadley, Linda Dietrich and Michael Doty. To ensure the continuity of convention arrangements, the Chair and Co-Chair of the 2003 convention will be serving on the committee. They are Jim Frierson, Good Shepherd, Lookout Mountain and the Rev. Margaret Mullen, St. Peter's, Chattanooga.

The convention is an annual event at which clergy and lay delegates from 48 Episcopal Churches in East Tennessee gather to conduct the diocese's business, elect diocesan leaders to various posts, adopt a budget, as well as socialize and worship together.

The convention will open Friday evening with Evening Prayer, a general business session, followed by a reception. The work of convention will continue on Saturday with business sessions in the morning and afternoon. Between sessions, workshops or information sessions will be held. These learning opportunities will be open to non-delegates. Saturday will end with dinner and entertainment. The convention will close with a Eucharist on Sunday morning to which all East Tennessee Episcopalians are invited to attend.

At the convention, delegates will be electing lay and clergy members of Standing Committee and Bishop and Council. A clergy representative on University of the South, Trustees, and four clergy and four lay deputies to General Convention which will be in Minneapolis in 2003.

Present members of Bishop and Council whose terms expire at this convention are: The Rev. Peter Keese, Ms. Ann Lamb, Ms. Wanda Morrell, the Rev. Perry Scruggs, and Dr. Robert Strimer. Those continuing to serve are: the Hon. Joe Ayers, the Rev. Matilda Dunn, the Rev. Albert Lewis, Mr. Dwight Runge, the Rev. Lee Schaefer, the Rev. Harry Bahlow, the Rev. John Bonner, III, the Rev. Craig Kallio, Ms. Sharon Monroe, and Dr. James Morris.

Present members of the Standing Committee whose terms expire in February 2002 are: the Rev. Joseph H. Ballard, Jr., and Mr. Robert Newman. Members continuing to serve are Ms. Mary Rayson, the Rev. Dan Matthews, the Rev. Jocelyn Bell and Mr. Harry Chase.

Trustees of the University of the South are the Rev. Hunter Huckabay (term expires in 2002), Ms. Prestine Huckabay and James Cate.

Deputies and alternates for the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America will also be elected to serve at the 2003 Convention in Minneapolis. Deputies and alternates for the 2000 Convention in Denver were: Ms. Alice Clayton, the Ven. Michael Doty, Ms. Linda Dietrich, Dr. Jim Morris, the Rev. Carter Paden, Mr. Jim Shearouse, the Rev. Suzanne Smitherman, the Rev. John Talbird, and the Rev. Craig Morgan.

Proposed Constitution and Canons Changes to be presented at the convention.