"I delight in our gathering at Diocesan Convention…"
by the Right Reverend Thomas Clark Ely, Bishop of Vermont
Mountain Echo, November 2009

I delight in our gathering at Diocesan Convention for many reasons, not the least of which is the opportunity to celebrate our common life together as a diocese. This edition of the Mountain Echo anticipates that gathering, and the next edition will tell the story of our assembly. I hope many of you will find a way to be present for some portion of this Convention. Maybe it will be the Forum Friday afternoon with Bishop Steven Charleston, or perhaps at one of the presentations of the movie Traces of the Trade being shown at the Hilton Hotel on Friday, or at one of the worship services, or the Friday night banquet. If you can’t be there in person, please hold those of us who are in your prayers.

One of our customs at Diocesan Convention is to receive an outreach offering at the Saturday morning Eucharist for distribution to one or more entities involved in ministries connected to the theme of Convention. Over the years, people have been extraordinarily generous with this offering, and I hope this year will be no exception. Our Convention theme this year is “Formed for Ministry—Transforming our Culture,” and so our Convention offering will be given to two recipients who are engaged in ministries of formation and transformation, one here in Vermont and one in the Diocese of Bor, in Southern Sudan. Please read on for a bit for information about each. As you do, perhaps you’ll think of a way for your congregation to have an ingathering and send a parish contribution along with your delegates!

The Vermont recipient is the Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity (formally known as ALANA). Their mission statement proclaims: “For the people of Vermont we work to strengthen fairness and diversity in our communities by eliminating prejudice and discrimination of all kinds. We help community members understand and advocate for their rights; educate communities on the realities and challenges of living in a world of differences; and we teach the skills people need in order to thrive. We provide information and recommendations to policy makers on issues that impact the quality of life for those who are most disenfranchised.” Their aspiration is “to create communities throughout Vermont where differences among individuals are not only embraced and affirmed bet are perceived as normal and natural.” You can learn more about their work and programs at their web site: www.alanavision.org.

Our global partner engaged in formation and transformation is the Malek Bible College in the Diocese of Bor, in Southern Sudan. I was introduced to the Malek Bible School and its principal, the Reverend Nathaniel Bol Nyok, during my sabbatical visit to the Diocese of Bor in 2007. Since that time I have kept in touch and helped with the cost of transporting the school’s books from the Kakuma Refugee Camp, where the school had carried on much of its work during the most recent Civil War. Since 2007 and the return of refugees to their homes in Bor, the Reverend Nathaniel has tirelessly led the effort to rebuild Malek Bible School on the property in Malek, where over 100 years ago Archibald Shaw first established a school for Christian formation. His efforts are paying off, thanks in large part to the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis, which has raised much of the cost for the current effort to rebuild three buildings at the site in Malek. About $7,000 remains to complete this step in the reestablishment of the Malek Bible School, and I hope our diocese can help meet that goal.

As our Presiding Bishop reminded us at General Convention, “Mission is the heartbeat of the Church,” so if you are coming to Convention, please plan ahead to make a generous offering in support of these ministries and think about how you might invite others in your congregation to “send” an offering of love and support to Convention for the support of these ministries along with you. If you prefer, you can mail a contribution to the Bishop’s Discretionary Fund earmarked for “2009 Convention Offering,” and mail it to the Diocesan Office at 5 Rock Point Road, Burlington, VT 05408. Together we can make a powerful statement not only about our generosity but also about our commitment to God’s transforming mission in the world.

Faithfully and generously yours in Christ,
+Thomas

Go to index of Bishop Ely's Mountain Echo columns and letters to the diocese