Report on ECCT Convention 2023
By Murray Harrison
The 239th Episcopal Church of Connecticut (ECCT) Convention was held on Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28 at the Hartford Civic Convention Center and Christ Church Cathedral. There was a high level of attendance of both lay and clergy delegates, in an atmosphere more reminiscent of “pre-Covid” times, despite intermittent appearance of masks and accommodations being made for persons requiring greater social distancing precautions. The recently renovated Christ Church Cathedral—a project led and conceived by Trinity’s Duo Dickinson—was filled to capacity for the Saturday morning worship service. The “Salt and Pepper Singers”—of whom Trinity’s Sheila Bonenberger and Gloria Hoda are members – invoked a musically reverent, joyful celebration in the Holy Spirit for those gathered!
In his Address to the Convention on Saturday morning, Bishop Jeffrey Mello shared that what has brought him joy over his first year has been “the amount of Good Courage… witnessed in every corner of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut… It is for many, a hard time to be the church. It is hard to see the challenges we face as a denomination, as a state, as a country and as a world and still hold out hope that change is possible. It takes hope to imagine it. And it takes courage to do it…. The are challenges in front of us are real. But so is the hope that is in us, and the God that is with us in Christ Jesus.”
Bishop Mello went on to describe numerous innovations being implemented to address matters and concerns identified across the following areas:
ECCT at the Diocesan Level
Advocacy/Justice and Reconciliation Work
Ordained Vocations
Lay Vocations
Congregational Life, Support and Transitions.
Acknowledging that ECCT’s website / database are in need of update and ongoing maintenance, and its Communications strategy due for review, Bishop Mello announced that Trinity Parish Member Sarah Woodford had just been hired as ECCT’s new Canon for Communications & Media. Bishop Mello described Sarah’s role as one that “will help support…internal and external communications, helping us to better connect to one another in clear and faithful ways, and to get our message out to a world who needs to hear the Good News of God in Christ that we proclaim.”
The following resolutions were passed with nearly unanimous support of the Convention:
Budget of Convention: The 2024 budget reflects a cost-of-living adjustment to offset increased inflation of 3.05% with four additional new staff at the Commons. The sources of Common Mission Support, a sustainable Investment draw of 5.35% of the three-year average of the unitized value from Missionary Society’s endowments, and a grant from the Trustees in Support of the Bishops will fund the budget.
Clergy Compensation Resolution: Proposes a minimum compensation level for clergy within ECCT. The annual increment for years of ordination and the Cost of Living (COLA) is established by this action and becomes the minimum base for clergy compensation in parishes. Periodic parity adjustments are made as well.
Consideration Of Amendment of Diocesan Canon XVI – Bishop Transition Process: ECCT’s current process for electing bishops, adopted in 2018, provided the canonical framework for our most recent episcopal election. The members elected to the Bishop Transition Committee for that election have worked with the Faith and Order Commission to revise the framework that will support future episcopal elections.
Repudiating Discriminatory Legislation and Harmful Rhetoric Targeted at Transgender, Non-binary, and Gender Non-conforming Persons: Building on a resolution passed by the 234th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut, the present resolution is grounded in the beliefs that all Christians are called to actively repudiate anything that diminishes or harms God’s children and that discriminatory legislation and fear-based rhetoric are inconsistent with the Gospel of Christ.
Appropriation of $20,000 for Historical Analysis of ECCT Endowments and to Support Congregations Desiring to Join in the Work of Racial Reparations: ECCT will hire a professional firm experienced in forensic accounting to historically analyze the sources and value of financial gifts to ECCT to determine which, if any, may represent the financial gains derived directly or indirectly from either the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the labor and/or the sale of enslaved persons, or other fruits of the bodies or labor of enslaved persons.
Acknowledging the 175th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery in the State of Connecticut and Creating an Episcopal Church in Connecticut (ECCT) Reparations Fund: Acknowledging and reaffirming Resolution 7 passed in 2020 at the 236th Convention, this resolution creates a Reparations Fund, and calls upon all congregations and members of the ECCT to reflect on, in a formal and communal way, the long journey to achieve abolition of slavery in the State of Connecticut.
Ending the Requirement for a Racial Justice Addendum to the Episcopal Church in Connecticut (ECCT) Parochial Report: The ECCT form duplicates information now required by The Episcopal Church and therefore represents an unreasonable and an unnecessary burden on parishes to report the same information in a different format.
Merger of St. Mary’s Parish in Manchester and St. John’s Parish in Vernon: It is anticipated this merger will support and permit both parishes to increase their outreach and decrease building preservation requirements, expanding their regional mission and enabling them to create a sustainable presence in their communities.
It has been my very great honor and privilege to participate with Geri Mauhs and our Clergy in representing Trinity Church at the 239th Diocesan Convention!
Respectfully submitted,
Murray Harrison
Photos by Geri Mauhs