The Annual Meeting of
the Convention of the
Episcopal Church in Western Oregon

Reglas de la casa del 2023 (propuestas) en Español

View as a PDF

2023 House Rules (Proposed)
Annual Meeting of the Convention of the Episcopal Church in Western Oregon

The 135th Annual Meeting of the Convention of the Episcopal Church in Western Oregon will be held remotely on Saturday, October 28, 2023 using an electronic meeting platform.  All voting delegates who log into the platform will be considered “on the floor” of the Annual Meeting.  Alternates and guests will not be allowed on the floor but will instead be allowed to view the Annual Meeting through online web streaming.

DELEGATE CHANGES must be reported by the cleric, senior warden, or vestry/BAC clerk of a congregation by Tuesday, October 13, 2023, using the delegate change form available here.  In the event a delegate needs to request an emergent change after that date, the cleric, senior warden, or vestry/BAC clerk of a congregation must contact the Secretary of Convention.  These requests will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

At the beginning of the Annual Meeting, a QUORUM shall be determined when Clergy from a majority of the congregations entitled to representation and Lay Delegates from a majority of the congregations entitled to representation are present on the electronic platform.  Delegates are to edit their name in the electronic platform to include their congregation and town/city.

VOTING will primarily be done using electronic polls but may also include using the Raise Hand function in the electronic platform.

RAISE HAND will be the way delegates indicate a desire to speak, such as to ask a question, to make a motion or amendment, or for a point of order.  Before speaking, the delegate must wait to be recognized by the President of Convention or a designee.  Delegates will first identify their name and congregation before speaking.  Delegates will be muted upon their arrival on the floor and will be expected to remain muted, unless called upon to speak.

BUDGET The members of the diocesan council are elected to represent the diocese and are entrusted to utilize the budget process in order to approve a budget that is submitted to the Convention for adoption. This year’s pilot budget process has included the opportunity for input and feedback from the convocations. The budget was revised, based on that feedback, and the diocesan council approved this proposed budget to be submitted to the Convention at the Annual Meeting. Therefore, no amendments to the budget will be allowed at the annual meeting.

LATE RESOLUTIONS require the approval of at least 3/4 of delegates to be considered.  When the Annual Meeting is online, late resolutions will not be allowed due to the inability to hold a canonically mandated hearing once the Annual Meeting has convened.  When the Annual Meeting is in person, late resolutions must focus on a topic of immediacy that precluded submission by the canonical deadline and must be submitted to the Chair of Dispatch of Business or to the Secretary of Convention before the first day of the Annual Meeting.

Delegates are encouraged to speak to resolutions at the established Resolution Hearing. When the Annual Meeting is in session, DEBATE for any one resolution will be limited to 20 minutes.  After a resolution has been introduced, there will be a period of one minute for delegates to identify their desire to speak to it.  To get in line to speak, delegates must both use the Raise Hand function and type into the chat either SPEAKING FOR, if speaking in favor, or SPEAKING AGAINST, if speaking against.  If either Raise Hand or the chat identification are not used, the delegate will not be considered in line to speak.

Line order will be guided by the time stamp of when SPEAKING FOR/SPEAKING AGAINST (en español: PRO/CONTRA) was posted in the chat.  When there are people speaking to both sides, the line order will be structured to allow alternating views.  Each delegate will have up to 2 minutes to speak, and no one may speak a second time until all those who wish to speak on the item of business have had the opportunity to do so.

No motions to amend will be allowed within the first six minutes of debate.  ALL MOTIONS TO AMEND a resolution need to be in writing, using the chat function.  To identify more easily what is being amended, written submissions must include the line number(s) within the resolution where the proposed change will happen.

The CHAT FUNCTION of the electronic platform will only be utilized for business when the Annual Meeting is in session.  Delegates are not to type in the chat except to get in line for debate, to officially file an amendment, to raise a point of order, or if otherwise directed.  Delegates are to avoid using the chat to help resolve issues being discussed.  Side conversations, pleasantries, and messages between delegates are discouraged.  Chat that does not fall into the identified instances will be considered out of order. 

Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised, 12th edition, will be the parliamentary authority for this Annual Meeting.

Bishop’s Nominations for Elected Officers | Nominaciones de la Obispa para los Oficiales Electos

Appointments at Convention | Nombramientos a la Convención

The following people are appointed at the 135th Annual Convention / Las Siguientes personas están nombradas para la 135 Convención Anual:

Parliamentarian / Parlamentaria Paul Belz-Templeman

Committee on Dispatch of Business / Comité para Despacho de Asuntos

• The Rev. Wes Sedlacek, Chair
• Gwen Best
• The Rev. Laura Sheridan Campbell
• Cindy Russell

Committee on Resolutions of Policy / Comité para Reglamento de Resoluciones 

• Alan Murray, Chair
• Emily Karr
• The Rev. Wes Sedlacek

Committee on Resolutions of Courtesy / Comité para Resoluciones de Cortesía

• The Rev. Martin Elfert
• The Rev. Jeanne Kaliszewski
• Holly Puckett

Committee on Credentials / Comité sobre los Títulos

• The Rev. Laura Sheridan Campbell
• Tracy Esguerra
• Alli Gannett

Nominating Committee / Comité para Nominaciones

• The Rev. Bingham Powell, Chair
• The Rev. Tricia Gates Brown
• The Rev. Everett Charters
• The Rev. Shawn Dickerson
• Kevin Gardner
• Ann Peck McBride
• Sonja Miller
• Abby Mulcahy
• The Rev. Dawn Reynolds
• Hana Rubens
• The Rev. Jaime Sanders
• The Rev. Laura Sheridan-Campbell
• Nancylee Stewart
• Katie Thomas

Constitution and Canons Committee / Comité para la Constitución y Cánones

• Derek Moyer, Chair
• Emily Karr, Chancellor
• Marie Bagwell
• The Rev. Nathan LeRud
• The Rev. Brandon Filbert
• Martin Loring
• The Rev. Laura-Sheridan Campbell
• Becky Snow

Commission on Ministry / Comisión para el Ministerio

• The Rev. Jeanne Kaliszewski
• The Rev. Raggs Ragan
• The Rev. Lainie Allen
• The Rev. Deacon Tracy LeBlanc
• The Rev. Martin Elferts
• Beth Ferguson
• The Rev. Marlene Mutchler
• The Rev. Deacon Cindra Gray

Convocation Deans / Decano de la Convocación

• Central Convocation – The Rev. Judith Jones
• Columbia Convocation – The Rev. Shana McCauley
• Metro East Convocation – The Rev. Andria Skornik
• South Coast Convocation – The Rev. Dawn Reynolds
• Southern Convocation – The Rev. Ernestein Flemister
• Sunset Convocation – The Rev. Beth Mallon
• Willamette Convocation – The Rev. Chris Hertlein

Below are the nominees for the diocesan governing bodies.  To read more about the nominees for diocesan leadership, please see this PDF.

*Elected

• *Pamela Filbert – St. Timothy, Salem
• Lori Murphy Cole – St. Thomas, Dallas

• *The Rev. Linda Lee, Deacon – St. Timothy, Brookings
• The Rev. Tom Sramek, Jr. – All Saints, Hillsboro

• *Sonja Miller – All Saints, Portland
• Ron Scharfer – St. Mary, Eugene

• *The Rev. Jeanne Kaliszewski – St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukie
• The Rev. Jaime Sanders – Christ Church, St. Helens

• The Rev. Everett Charters – St. Gabriel, Portland
• *Hana Rubens – St. Luke, Grants Pass

• *Mary Elles Andrew – St. Andrew, Florence
• *Nikolaus Grimsby – St. Luke, Grants Pass
• Cindy Russell – St. Francis of Assis, Wilsonville

• The Rev. Cathy Clark – St. Barnabas, McMinnville
• *The Rev. Ruth Krueger, Deacon – Good Samaritan, Corvallis
• The Rev. R. Scott Painter – St. Michael & All Angels, Portland
• *The Rev. Birch Rambo – Church of the Resurrection, Eugene

• 2024 Diocesan Budget Timeline
• 2024 Approved Diocesan Budget
• 2024 Budget Narrative

Resolutions of Policy: 

These resolutions are in their final form presented by the committee. The

• Proposed Resolution to Repudiate Doctrine of Discovery – passed as amended – English | en Español
• Proposed Resolution Support of Palestinian Christians – passed as presented – English | en Español
• Proposed Resolution Safeguard the Rights of Palestinian Children – passed as amended – English| en Español 

Canonical Amendments: 

• Proposed Canonical Amendment to Canon 1.1 Annual Meeting of Convention – passed as presented – English | en Español
• Proposed Canonical Amendment to Canon 3.8 The Commission on Ministry – passed as presented – English | en Español
• Proposed Canonical Amendments to Canon 1.1 and 1.4 Official Youth Presence – passed as presented – English | en Español

Use this template to complete your report. Please submit all reports to the Secretary of Convention by October 20.

Format:
– 12 pt. font in Times New Roman
– 1” margins
– 1-page reports (2 pages, if absolutely necessary)

Completed Reports (listed in alphabetical order):

• Camping Ministry
• Campus Ministry, University of Oregon, Eugene
• Campus Ministry, Oregon State University
• Clinical Pastoral Education/Training
• Commission on Ministry
• Constitution and Canons Committee
• Cursillo – Oregon & SW Washington
• Diocesan Council
• Education for Ministry (EFM)
• Episcopal Church Women (ECW)
• Finance Committee
• Latino Ministry
• Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center Chaplaincy
• Property Committee
• Socially Responsible Investing Stakeholder Advisory Committee
• Task Force for Palestinian Human Rights
• Task Force for Trans & Non-binary persons
• Thriving Leaders
• United Thank Offering
• Working Groups, Committees, & Task Forces:
  • Creation Care
  • Engaging Racial Justice
  • Housing Crisis
  • Liturgy and Music
  • Prison
  • Recovery
  • Truth and Reconciliation
  • Universal Healthcare
• Youth Ministry