Every three years, DioCal youth and chaperones attend the Episcopal Youth Event (EYE), a large, joyful, and high-energy international gathering of youth ages 15-19. This year’s EYE took place in July at the University of Maryland. Learn about the experience of those who attended this year’s EYE!
Bonus points if you knew that our very own Caren Miles is a part of the organizing committee for EYE
Eligibility to vote in the Electing Convention is determined by the Constitution and Canons of the Diocese of California, which are publicly available from both the DioCal and Diocesan Convention websites: diocal.org and diocalconvention.org; and the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church.
Lay Delegates for the Electing Convention
Congregational leadership (Vicars, Rectors, and Wardens) should be prepared to report their elected delegates and alternates as soon as possible following their congregational annual meetings for 2023. An online form is available for this purpose.
All clergy who are canonically resident are eligible to participate and vote at the Electing Convention scheduled in December:
All canonically resident clergy are eligible and expected to participate at Convention, including:
All canonically resident clergy who have the Bishop’s consent to work outside of the Church, provided they have filed their 2023 annual report on their ministry prior to the Convention; DioCal Article VI – 6.2(a)(iii) and TEC Canon I.6.2
All canonically resident clergy not included in a parochial report of a church in the Diocese of California must complete the Report of Non-Parochial Ministry. Click here for more information about clergy whose ministries are not in parochial reports.
A list of all clerics eligible to vote will be prepared by the Bishop’s office well ahead of the Electing Convention. Any dispute regarding a cleric’s eligibility to vote will be resolved by the Convention after reviewing the recommend
All canonically resident retired clergy who, according to the Church Pension Fund, have retired or are on permanent disability leave from ministry within the Diocese. DioCal Article VI – 6.2(b)
All retired clergy are asked to complete a Retired Clergy Report.
A list of all clerics eligible to vote will be prepared by the Bishop’s office well ahead of the Electing Convention. Any dispute regarding a cleric’s eligibility to vote will be resolved by the Convention after reviewing the recommendations of the Committee on Credentials. DioCal Canons 2.01-2.03
If you have questions about your eligibility to participate in Convention, please contact Denise Obando, the Diocesan Canon for Transition Ministry (deniseo@diocal.org).
Artículo de Pamela Stevens
[1 de septiembre de 2023] El Buen Pastor de Belmont, una pequeña pero creciente misión especializada de la Diócesis de California, los miembros de la congregación reflejan en el Tiempo de la Creación en 2023 comprometiéndose a conocer a uno de sus vecinos más molestos: los desechos plásticos.
Manuel Morales, músico y miembro de la congregación señala que “en mi comunidad hay basura por todas partes y mucha de ella es plástico. El plástico es para siempre. No es un buen vecino”.
Marta Álvarez, activista residente de la comunidad, señala que “los latinos necesitan ejercer su voz para recuperar el poder de sistemas opresivos de todo tipo”. Sugirió centrarse en los sistemas que han creado el desperdicio que les recuerda todos los días su marginación.
La congregación se comprometió a ver juntos la película “Plastic Wars” de NPR Frontline, a participar en debates sobre su propio papel en el daño al planeta y a explorar cómo pueden tomar medidas personales y comunitarias para luchar contra la contaminación. También participarán en una práctica reflexiva de recoger. Compartirán fotografías y escribirán reflexiones para compartir en una presentación de diapositivas sobre la experiencia.
En la Estación de la Creación en 2022, la congregación hizo su primer pacto de cuidado de la creación: limitar todas sus compras de suministros a materiales reutilizables o totalmente compostables a base de plantas. Desplegó el compromiso del Tiempo de la Creación en un servicio de Confirmación para diez de sus miembros.
Paty Herrick, miembro de la congregación de muchos años, afirma que “Somos muy afortunados de ser parte de una diócesis donde el Obispo Marc es un líder en el área del Cuidado de la Creación. Él modela ese activismo.”
Según la Agencia de Protección Ambiental, las comunidades hispanas/latinas tienen más del 40% más de probabilidades de vivir en lugares donde con frecuencia hace demasiado calor para trabajar un día completo al aire libre y de experimentar los efectos de los contaminantes en el flujo de desechos.
Article by Pamela Stevens
[September 1, 2023] At El Buen Pastor de Belmont, a small but growing specialized ministry congregation of the Diocese of California, congregation members greeted the start of the 2023 Season of Creation by committing to get to know one of their most annoying neighbors: plastic waste.
Manuel Morales, musician and member of the congregation noted that “trash is everywhere in my community and much of it is plastic. Plastic is forever. It is not a good neighbor.”
Marta Álvarez, the community’s resident activist, said that “Latinos need to exercise their voice to take back power from oppressive systems of all kinds.” She suggested a focus on the systems that have created the waste that reminds them every day of their marginalization.
The congregation committed to watching “Plastic Wars,” the NPR Frontline film, to engage in discussions about their own roles in buying plastic products that harm the planet and to explore how they can take personal and community action to fight pollution. They will also engage in a practice of picking up that is reflective. They will share photos and write reflections to create a slideshow about the experience.
In 2022, the congregation made its first-ever creation care covenant: to limit all of its purchases of supplies to reusable or fully plant-based compostable materials. It deployed the Season of Creation commitment at a confirmation service for ten of its members.
Paty Herrick, a long-time member of the congregation, affirms that “we are fortunate to be part of a diocese where Bishop Marc is a leader in the area of Creation Care. He models that activism for us.”
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Hispanic/Latiné communities are more than 40% more likely to experience the effects of pollutants in the waste stream and to live in places where it will frequently be too hot to work a full day outside.
Written by Todd Bryant
I went to EYE 2023 (Episcopal Youth Event) as an adult leader. It took place on the campus of the University of Maryland in beautiful swamp-sweat Baltimore over three days in July. There were about 1100 people of which roughly 1000 were youth. EYE is the second largest event that the Episcopal Church sponsors next to General Convention. I’m not going to describe each component of the event because social media pages do an excellent job of that.
If you just went over to Facebook to look at the experience, you saw that it was high energy, full of joy, and full of life. One of the participants told me that it was the first time they thought the church wasn’t just full of old people. As one of those old people (who is also clergy), I was overjoyed to participate and experience vitality in the workshops, group worship, and the preaching. Just hanging out playing cards and talking over meals was pretty excellent too.
I have the vantage point of growing up with church revivals in the 1980’s. It was a very different experience from EYE. The 80’s were also high energy, but there was a dark edge to them. In those bad ol’ days, you worried about your eternal soul, and God was really freaked out by every thought that passed through your head. EYE had all of the good parts of a big revival event, with none of this baggage. It was fully queer inclusive. The leaders and speakers were diverse in race and class. The calls for political engagement and environmental activism were clear and inviting.
EYE focused on young people figuring out their ministry right now. I heard this refrain more than once, ”You’re not the church of the future You are the church of now”. All people were welcome, all people were leaders, and all people had a voice. I want to specifically thank Caren Miles and The Rev. Maggie Foote for the hard work they did leading up to and during the event. Many lay leaders and clergy from around the country gave so much for this to go so well. As an aside, Caren loved riding ebikes, just ask her*. Even Spider-Man endorsed EYE on day three (you had to be there).
I’m not writing as a fundraiser, but as somebody who completely believes that EYE is a part of the vital future we need. Please pray for financially support and give your time to the youth and young adults in the Episcopal Church. They are the church now, and EYE 2026 is almost here.
*it turns out you can forget how to ride a bike – Caren
Welcome to the Social Justice Timeline of The Episcopal Church in the San Francisco Bay Area!
At the forefront of social justice for decades, The Episcopal Church in the San Francisco Bay Area has a rich history of advocating for equality, compassion, and inclusivity in our communities. Our historical timeline, spanning from pre-colonial times to modernity and postmodernity, showcases our commitment to making a positive impact.
Our timeline is a testament to our dedication to creating a more just and compassionate society. Dive deeper into our inspiring journey by exploring the complete Social Justice Timeline.
We invite you to celebrate our legacy and join us in working towards a brighter future. Together, we can continue making a difference in the lives of those we serve.
Did you know? One of our diocesan institutions, Ohlhoff House, has been helping people recover from addiction for 60 years! Not only that, it was recognized and ranked in the Top 20 in Newsweek’s list of Best Addiction Treatment Centers in California in 2021.
A special ministry of The Episcopal Church, Ohlhoff House receives funds that are for its women’s program thanks to the Episcopal Impact Fund (EIF), DioCal’s outreach arm.
You can learn more about Ohlhoff House on their website. You can also donate to support their continued work.
