SOUTHEAST FLORIDA: Unity is theme of 38th convention

On afternoon of November 2, Timothy W. Whitaker, resident bishop of the Florida Council of the United Methodist Church, was also the preacher at the service, telling the congregation that their invitation to him to participate was a way of being part of Jesus' prayer for his disciples, "that they all may be one."

Recalling the roots of Methodism as an evangelical movement in the Anglican Church, Whitaker said, "I would hope that you Episcopalians would find in Methodism something of your own."

"Achieving a more visible unity among Christians must always be a priority," he said, "because the call of Jesus is always ringing in our ears."
  
In his address to convention, Frade also emphasized unity, both within the Church and within the diocese.

"I call our Church to pray constantly, 'Lord, make us one,'" he said. "Make us one as a church, make us one as a diverse people of God, of different races, languages and sexual orientations."

He commended progress toward "becoming a missionary diocese, committed to the proclamation of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ," noting the transformation of parishes that have participated in the Nehemiah Process, a diocesan program of intensive training for congregational leadership and growth, and the number of congregations reaching out into the mission field, both in this country and overseas.

Speaking of the response of the House of Bishops to the requests of the Anglican Primates, Frade said: "I sincerely believe that we did our best to accommodate all the requests that were made by the Primates…It is my understanding that the Diocese of Southeast Florida is in total compliance with the guidelines expressed in the Windsor Report and will remain so in the near future."

He assured the convention that "all the parishes of our diocese are in communion with their bishop, and that all the churches in Southeast Florida are fulfilling their diocesan obligations."

The theme of unity was also reflected in the presence at the altar of Bishop Christopher Epting, the Presiding Bishop's deputy for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, and Bishop Julio Holguin of the Dominican Republic, one of the two companion dioceses of Southeast Florida.

The bishops of the other companion diocese, Nassau and the Bahamas, Archbishop Drexel Gomez and Bishop Coadjutor Laish Boyd, delayed by Tropical Storm Noel, were not present for the first afternoon of the convention, but spoke briefly on November 3.

Two new archdeacons for the diocese were installed at the Eucharist. The Ven. Dr. J. Fritz Bazin, who was appointed by Frade in June as the diocesan officer for immigration and social justice issues, is now archdeacon for immigration and social justice; and the Ven. Thomas Bruttell is now archdeacon for deployment, the position formerly held by the Rev. Mary Gray-Reeves, who will be ordained and consecrated November 10 as bishop of the Diocese of El Camino Real.

The convention approved a 2008 budget of $3,119,466, and passed resolutions that:

• set diocesan guidelines for clergy compensation for 2008;
• changed the diocesan canons to include under criteria for declaring a parish a subsidized congregation an arrearage of six months in repayment of a loan from diocesan Property and Loan funds;
• will propose to the 2009 General Convention the inclusion in the church's calendar of saints of a Florida champion of racial justice, the Ven. John Culmer, archdeacon in the former Diocese of South Florida and rector of Historic St. Agnes in Miami for 34 years;
• asked for the establishment of a formal companion diocese relationship with the Diocese of Antanarivo in Madagascar, where former Southeast Florida missionary Todd McGregor is now area bishop for Tulear;
• designated the annual diocesan convention banquet as a Fund-Raising Banquet for Mission;
• acknowledged with regret the shortfall in the diocese's payment of its National Church Assessment (15% of total revenue of the diocese rather than the 21% asking) and approved payment of at least 50% of any positive net income for the years 2007 or 2008 toward reduction of this shortfall.

Two additional resolutions, which generated passionate but respectful debate, were rejected by the convention.

One called for the recruitment and funding of a diocesan youth missioner; the present system of organizing youth ministry is decentralized, with funding and planning under the control of the deaneries.

The other addressed issues of full inclusion of gay and lesbian persons, asking the convention to urge the Archbishop of Canterbury to invite the bishop of New Hampshire to "full participation" in the 2008 Lambeth Conference; encourage diocesan deputies to General Convention 2009 to work to "ensure full and equal participation of gay and lesbian persons in all aspects of the Church's ministry"; and "pursue all means possible to create public liturgies to bless same-sex unions."

Complete texts of all resolutions, include those that did not pass, and the diocesan budget are available here.

The Diocese of Southeast Florida includes 83 congregations, with approximately 38,000 parishioners, from Key West north to Jensen Beach and west to Clewiston.