Delegates from throughout central and southern Indiana in the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis gathered October 29-31 in Indianapolis to celebrate mission with a 172nd convention theme of  “Companions in the Valley.”  

• Opening choral Evensong and the Bishop’s address at St. Paul’s, Indianapolis, host parish for the convention, featuring the combined choirs of St. Paul’s, Christ Church Cathedral. and Trinity, Indianapolis.
• A unique half-day Eucharistic liturgical and teaching experience with Bishop Waynick, which included delegates dispersing around the city to tackle various mission challenges.  Delegates and other parish volunteers made candy Christmas wreaths for Ministry on the River, wrote letters to a Hoosier troop serving in Afghanistan, served lunch to homeless persons at Dayspring Center, and painted at the John P. Craine House for women who have been incarcerated and their children.  They also worked with the new Trinity Episcopal Church Outreach Center in the Mid-North Food Pantry and Neighborhood Legal Services, worked on public policy advocacy especially around the issue of health care, and did several projects at the interfaith Shepherd Community Center.  They reconvened to continue the Eucharist and discuss their experiences.  Some made plans to build upon the work that had begun.
• A resolution affirming basic healthcare as a right for all.
• Canonical language changes to reflect the role of the Investment and Finance Committee in the diocese and guidelines for parish improvement to real estate or equipment involving indebtedness.     
• Receiving St. David’s, Bean Blossom, as a parish.
• Receiving Canterbury House/Indiana University campus ministry.
• A Global and National Missions report depicting conditions and affirming progress toward the Bishop’s Mission Challenge of diocesan-wide support for educational projects in the partner dioceses of Bor (Sudan) and Brasilia.
• A series of video “Mission Minutes,” highlighting and celebrating the outreach work of the majority of parishes in the diocese. 

Reflection /Teaching for All Saints’
Diocesan Convention 2009

Worship and Liturgy are part of what defines us as Christians in the Anglican tradition. Our celebrations are the articulation of our beliefs—we say that the "law of praying is the law of believing". If we want to know what The Episcopal Church believes about Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Marriage, sickness, death, ordination…we must look to the Book of Common Prayer. Our beliefs are embedded in our prayers; our prayers are rooted in Scripture, Tradition and Reason.

We are accustomed to gathering for a liturgy we call the Eucharist—a time of worship we expect to last a bit more than an hour, depending upon how many hymns are sung and how long the sermon is! But today is different. Today we have gathered, we have heard lessons read, the Gospel proclaimed, and following this reflection we will include in our worship items of business—the consideration of resolutions, acts of service in the world, conversation about budget priorities, the fellowship of sharing a festive dinner—all within the context of our liturgy.

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This the text of Bishop Cate's Address to the 172nd Diocesan Convention. You can also download a copy of the address.

 Bishop Waynick's Address to the 172nd Convention (PDF)

Companions through the Valley

The planning committee for this convention chose the theme “Companions Through the Valley.” It was appropriate – since this last year has been the toughest many of us can remember.

Last October the country was coming to grips with the fact that we were definitely in a Recession – with a capital ‘r.’ The unemployment rate had risen, the value of investments had fallen, there had been record numbers of mortgage foreclosures, corporate bankruptcies and takeovers; some banks and investment firms had done what they ought not to have done, regulators had left undone what they ought to have done, and there was little health in our economy.

Anxiety and pessimism have characterized many aspects of our lives, as families, businesses, philanthropies, service agencies, and churches have had to tighten their belts and hunker down for what we feared would be a very long time. Early predictions that the Swine flu would hit us hard have proven true. We are still at war, elections around the world are contested as dishonest, Sudan is still in turmoil and the suffering remains intense in Dar Fur, Asia and Indonesia are wracked by earthquakes, typhoons, and tsunamis, drought is once again causing deaths in Ethiopia, the permafrost continues to melt and the rising level of the seas is claiming land at an alarming rate. During the duration of this convention several thousand people around the world will die of starvation and preventable disease.