A Convocation of the Diocese of Florida

"Many Members and One Body"

From the Convocation Steering Committee:

Dear Friends,

May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

At the Standing Committee’s invitation, a steering committee was formed with the intention to gather the diocese for the purpose of healing and reconciliation. This committed and capable team has been discerning and learning together as we design a series of convocations for the members of the Diocese of Florida.

The members are, alphabetically:

Mrs. Julie Davis, Good Shepherd, Jacksonville

The Rev. Joe Gibbes, Church of Our Saviour, Jacksonville, Chair

The Rt. Rev. Mary Gray-Reeves, Consultant

The Rev. Deacon Marsha Holmes, St. Philip’s, Jacksonville

Mr. Bob Hood, Holy Communion, Hawthorne

Mr. Warren Jackson, Trinity, St. Augustine                

The Rev. Mal Jopling, Retired

Dr. Marcy Muldrow Sanders, St. John’s, Tallahassee

The Rev. Leslie Roraback, St. John’s, Tallahassee                

The Rev. Raja Zabeneh, St. Paul’s, Jacksonville     

As you know, the first convocation is coming up in just a couple of weeks. We encourage you to register soon at this link. (Note: if you do not have a Camp Weed account, create one using 'New User Sign-Up' then you may register for Convocation.)

Plans for this Convocation, and Two Others Later This Year

Additionally, the second and third convocations are now scheduled for April 6 and May 18 of this year. The Steering Committee hopes to create three fruitful gatherings which build upon each other. These will offer a safe space for diocesan members to engage in processes that will lead to reconciliation between groups and individual members of the diocese, the wider diocese, and the Episcopal Church. Please note it is our intention to have varying configurations of clergy and lay participants at each of the gatherings in order to create a broad body of those committed and equipped to do the work of reconciliation over time.

For our first gathering those that attend should come with some commitment to the healing of the diocese. Participants can anticipate that they will worship and study scripture together, and experience a safe environment in which they can respectfully learn and reflect together.

We hope that participants will want to engage the process going forward. Learning objectives will include:

• Engaging the practice of holy listening without feedback or judgment,
• Creating safe space to hear one another’s experiences, and
• Ultimately developing relational skills that will empower leaders to solve their conflicts collaboratively.

The longer-term objective of the convocations and the homework built into the process is to cultivate tools for reconciliation and healing that will ultimately become part of the cultural pattern in the life of the diocese.  

The Steering Committee has explored and will use a variety of resources for this first convocation. We have not yet planned the second and third convocations. We believe we need to listen to those present at the first convocation to better understand where the Spirit is taking us on this path of reconciliation. We are, therefore, learning as we go, staying attuned to where God is leading.

Convocation Agenda and Resource Links

The agenda for the day can be found here.

The links below will take you to organizations that influenced our thinking, as well as provided resources that will be used in the convocation gathering. These will also appear in the “homework” that we will ask participants to introduce in their congregations. We encourage you to explore the websites as you prepare for the convocation.

Additionally, there are many good resources on these sites beyond what you will experience in the convocation that may be useful to you and your congregation in other contexts.

Resource Links:

• Lectio Divina: https://www.communitiesofcalling.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Lectio-Divina-Guide.pdf
• Becoming Beloved Community: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/beloved-community/
• Sacred Ground: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/sacred-ground/
• Kaleidoscope Institute Tool Kit: https://www.kscopeinstitute.org/kitoolkit
• https://livingroomconversations.org/conversation_agreements/, including the “click here” in the document for further explanation.
• Psychological Safety: https://hbr.org/2023/02/what-is-psychological-safety

We are aware that there are many prayers, thoughts and ideas in the hearts and minds of those in the diocese about these gatherings. The Steering Committee included in our discernment and planning the perspectives of those who took the time to write members of the Steering Committee.

We hope that you will honor the discernment and design decisions made by the committee, and that you will encourage us through prayer and supportive feedback as we plan future gatherings.

Finally, we invite your prayers as we approach this holy time together. May we be open to the Holy Spirit as we convene on January 27, prepared to hear one another and learn together about how God is calling us into deeper communion with one another in Christ Jesus, the One who is both savior and friend to us all.

Faithfully,

The Convocation Steering Committee