2026 Diocesan Convention
Call to the 2026 Diocesan Convention
Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
A diocese is many things. Following the practice of the Roman Empire, a diocese is a geographically contiguous subdivision of a larger administrative area. The word itself is derived from the Greek word for “administration.” In Christian use, a diocese is also a geographic subdivision of a larger area, in our case Province II of The Episcopal Church. Specifically, an Episcopal diocese is a region overseen by a bishop who administers the churches in the region. Each worshiping community represents the larger whole in the local area. We exist as a church in mutual and reciprocal relationships to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All of us together are “the diocese.”
We meet officially as the diocese once a year in our annual meeting which we call Diocesan Convention. It’s then when all of us together take counsel for the life of our church. And while our decisions must conform to the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church and the Religious Corporation Law of New York State, we make decisions for our context, our needs, and our sense of God’s call to us. Our work together creates the culture and character of the Diocese of Western New York and makes us unique among the 106 dioceses of The Episcopal Church.
I hope you will want to be part of the fellowship and culture-making that are the essence of our gathering as a diocese. Every parish is needed to shape our decisions in our collective image and to help us be the people God intends us to be. Listed below you will find all the information you need to register and to begin to prepare to make thoughtful and prayerful decisions.
I look forward to seeing you in October.
Blessings,
+Steve
This year’s convention theme is:
WE ARE THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH!
We are excited to announce that our keynote speaker will be: The Rev. Molly F. James, Ph.D.
Molly currently serves as the Interim Executive Officer of General Convention for The Episcopal Church. She holds a PhD in Theology from the University of Exeter (UK), a Masters of Divinity from Yale Divinity School and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Tufts University. She grew up in Maine and was ordained as a priest in 2005. She has served on the Bishops’ Staff in Connecticut, as a parish priest, and a hospital chaplain, as well as an adjunct professor focusing on ethics and pastoral care. Her doctoral research focused on suffering and grief. Her work, With Joyful Acceptance, Maybe was published in 2013 by Wipf and Stock. Molly previously served as co-chair of Young Clergy Women International (an ecumenical organization of clergy women under 40), and as a board member for the Society of Scholar Priests. She is currently co-chair of the Faith Communities Today research consortium, a board member for the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, and the Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance. She has two children and loves cooking, reading, travel, and spending time in the splendor of God’s creation.
Molly will also preach at the Convention Eucharist on Friday, October 23rd.
| Convention Location Our 189th Diocesan Convention will be held in Celeron, NY at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel on October 23 & 24, 2026.Convention Business begins at 10am, Oct. 23rd and continues thru noon, Oct 24th. DIRECTIONS A limited number of hotel rooms have been reserved for attendees starting at $139 for Thursday, Oct 22 & Friday, Oct. 23. Rooms may be booked online or by calling the Hotel directly (716-489-2800) and ask for the 2026 WNY Diocesan Convention rate.For booking online, choose SELECT & GO TO THE NEXT STEP when prompted in the booking app to choose your dates and room type. |
| Nominations Nominations for an open office need to be submitted by August 24th. For information on the Governance Offices, CLICK HERE. Open OfficesStanding Committee: 1 clergy and 1 lay (4 year term)Diocesan Council:1 clergy and 2 lay (3 year term)Trustees:2 lay (3 year term) |
| Resolutions Convention Resolutions need to be submitted by August 24th. To view the WNY Constitution & Canons, CLICK HERE To view the Resolutions from the 2025 Convention, as an example of the format, CLICK HERE |
| Delegate Registration Registration is now open for Clergy, Delegates, Alternates, and Guests and will close September 21st.Registration remains at $50 for each person and covers approximately one-third of the convention meal costs. Payments may be made using a credit card thru the Diocesan PayPal account at the bottom of the online registration. A PayPal account is not needed…Select PAY WITH DEBIT OR CREDIT CARD in the PayPal app.Up to six persons may be registered with one submission. If you have additional persons, please submit another registration. If you are unable to register online, please contact Shawn Slother. |
Outreach Ingathering
As we’ve done at past conventions, we invite you to join us in a outreach ingathering that supports our convention’s local community.
This year, we’ll be collecting donations for the Jamestown Community College Food Pantry. Many college students experience food insecurity and struggle to afford everyday essentials, and together we can help make a meaningful difference.
If you’re attending the convention, we encourage you to bring nonperishable food items and personal hygiene products to donate. Every contribution, big or small, helps support students in need. Thank you for joining us in this opportunity to care for our neighbors!
For a list of suggested items, CLICK HERE
UTO
United Thank Offering (UTO) was created to support work that lacked funding by encouraging Episcopalians to give thanks for the gifts in their lives and then “pay it forward” via UTO.
At the 2026 convention, we will continue our tradition of having delegates bring their congregation’s UTO donations forward during the Eucharist.
Checks should be payable to the Episcopal Diocese of WNY with UTO in the memo line, and one check will be sent from the diocese for the total collection.
To obtain FREE UTO supplies, CLICK HERE
| Vendor Tables A limited number of tables are available on a first come, first served basis. If you would like to reserve a table for displays and/or presentations, please request one by August 24. |