The Diocese of Nebraska 144th ANNUAL COUNCIL HELD AT THE SANDHILLS CONVENTION CENTER NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA NOVEMBER 3-5, 2011 1 2 3 4 5 6 Exhibitors for the 144th Annual Council Organization Representative All Saints Omaha Sudan Mission Jim Yeates Bishop Clarkson Legacy Society Tim Anderson Committee on Scouting & Diocese Safety Office Wes Agar CORE Outreach Center, Inc. Janice Seldon Cursillo Christine Grosch Daughters of the King Suzanne Titus Diocesan Youth - Happening Janet Squires Environmental Stewardship Betsy Bennett Godly Play Ruth Jaynes Recovery Commission, Diocese of Nebraska Sandra Raney Saint Francis Community Services Mark Claussen Snow Mission Ellen and Robert Snow St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church Linda Winter St. Mark's Press, A Ministry of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Wichita Ted Blakley and Bob Blinn St. Monica's Behavioral Health Services for Women Rebecca Roberts The Order of St Luke Verneda Kelly Tri-Faith Initiative Nancy Kirk Episcopal Tri-Faith Foundation Tim Anderson Women's Ministries - Bishop's Quilt Raffle Sandra Squires 7 Annual Council 2011 Sandhills Convention Center, North Platte, Nebraska November 3 - 5, 2011 Faithful in little things "whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much” Luke 16:10 Pre-Council Workshop: Anti-Racism Training Workshop– Nancy Huston and Ernesto Medina - Snake River Room Wednesday - November 2nd - 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Thursday - November 3rd - 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.– 3:00 p.m. Thursday – November 3, 2011 All Day Prayer Room – Caboose Room 2:00-6:00 p.m. Registration at Sandhills Convention Center – Outside Niobrara River Room 2:00-3:30 p.m. Pre-Council Workshops at the Sandhills Convention Center Canons and Constitution - Woody Bradford - Dismal River Room Understanding Faith Asking - Beth Byrne - Calamus River Room Websites: What works and what doesn’t - Kate Baxley - Snake River Room 2:00-4:00 p.m. Commission on Ministry Meeting - Church of Our Savior 3:00-5:30 p.m. Standing Committee Mtg. - East Bound Room 4:00-5:00 p.m. Executive Commission Mtg. - Middle/South Loup River Room 5:00-6:30 p.m. Executive Commission Social/Dinner - North Loup River Room 5:30-6:30 p.m. Standing Committee Dinner - East Bound Room 7:00 -8:00 p.m. Worship Service - Church of Our Savior 8:00 p.m. Dessert Reception and Fellowship - Church of Our Savior Friday – November 4, 2011 All Day Prayer Room – Caboose Room All Day Exhibit Room – Niobrara River Room & North/East Hallway 7:00 a.m. Women Ministries Breakfast – EastBound Room 8:00 a.m. Registration & Coffee 8 8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer - Small Group Sessions- South Platte/Snake/Calamus River Rooms 9:30 a.m. Bishop’s Address - South Platte/Snake/Calamus River Rooms 10:00 a.m. Morning Break – Coffee and Danish 10:15 a.m. Keynote Speaker, Jason Byassee - South Platte/Snake/Calamus River Rooms 11:00 a.m. First Business Session - South Platte/Snake/Calamus River Rooms 12:00 noon Noonday Prayers - South Platte/Snake/Calamus River Rooms 12:10 – 1:15 p.m. Council Lunch Workshops: The Gifts of the Small Church, by Jason Byassee - North Platte River Room Centering Prayer: The Basics – North Loup River Room The Unbinding the Gospel Series, presented by Keith Winton and Fr. Jason Emerson – Middle/South Loup River Rooms 1:30 p.m. Small Group Sessions – South Platte/Snake/Calamus River Rooms 2:00 p.m. Second Business Session - South Platte/Snake/Calamus River Rooms 3:00 p.m. Visit Exhibits - Niobrara River Room & North/East Hallway 5:00 p.m. Council Eucharist - Church of Our Savior 6:30 p.m. Social hour (hors d’oeuvres, cash bar) - Sandhills Convention Center Ballroom 7:00 p.m. Council Dinner - Sandhills Convention Center Ballroom 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. Entertainment - Sandhills Convention Center Ballroom Saturday – November 5, 2011 8:00 a.m. - Noon Prayer Room – Caboose Room 8:00 a.m. - Noon Exhibit Room – Niobrara River Room & North/East Hallway 7:30 a.m. Deacon’s Breakfast – East/West Bound Room 7:30 a.m. Church Pension Group – North/Middle Loup River Room 8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer - Small Group Sessions - South Platte/Snake/Calamus River Rooms 9 9:30 a.m. Third Business Session - South Platte/Snake/Calamus River Rooms 12:00 noon Adjourn 12:00 noon Standing Committee Brief Meeting (Following Council Adjournment) South Loup Room 10 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ONE HUNDRED FORTY FOURTH ANNUAL COUNCIL OF THE DIOCESE OF NEBRASKA HELD AT NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA NOVEMBER 3-5, 2011 The 144th Annual Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska was held at the Sandhills Convention Center in North Platte, Nebraska, November 3-5, 2011, The Rt. Rev. J. Scott Barker, Eleventh Bishop of Nebraska, presiding. The meeting was opened with gathering music and Morning Prayer offered by Kate Hahn, an Intern from Resurrection House. Morning Prayer included a small group exercise introduced by The Rev. Canon Judi Yeates. The Rev. Jeffrey Nelson of Church of Our Savior, North Platte, welcomed the Council with a story from a letter written by Bishop Clarkson from June 24, 1867 to a friend in New York about his travels out west to North Platte for a Bishop visit. The Mayor of North Platte, Mark Kaschke, welcomed the council to North Platte. Mayor Kaschke read a proclamation that declared that today was 144th Council Day in North Platte and presented a key of the city to Bishop Barker. The Rev. Jeffrey Nelson welcomed Buffalo Bill to make a presentation. Buffalo Bill presented Bishop Barker with a Stetson hat. Bishop Barker welcomed honored guests Jason Byassee as the keynote speaker, Toni-Marie Sutliff from the Church Pension Group, and Rebecca Roberts from St. Monica’s home in Lincoln. Canon Tim Anderson brought greetings from the Province VI members. The synod for 2012 will be prior to General Convention and will be an important meeting. Canon Anderson’s term on Executive Council will be expiring in 2012 and he encourages ordained members to consider this position. COUNCIL COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS Bishop Barker read the following list of appointments to Council Committees: Appointed before Council, to serve at Council COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS Janice Seldon – Chair Bob Henrichsen Karen Watson John Titus Cloyd Clark Beth Huber Karen Gray DISPATCH OF BUSINESS James Visger – Chair 11 COMMITTEE ON ARRANGEMENTS Kate Baxley - Chair Brian Gardner Marcia Mapes Naomi Getty COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTIONS Ernesto Medina – Chair Ruth Tomlinson Betsy Bennett CREDENTIALS Hank Austin COURTESY RESOLUTIONS Craig Gavin PARLIMENTARIAN Woody Bradford Report on Credentials Bishop Barker called upon The Rev. Hank Austin for a report of the Committee on Credentials. Austin reported that a quorum was present; with 45 presbyters, 29 deacons, 96 lay delegates, 3 ex officio members, and 14 alternates representing 47 parishes of the Diocese. Election of Secretary and Treasurer for the Diocese A motion was made and seconded from the floor to elect The Rev. Canon Judi A. Yeates as Secretary of the Council. Motion carried. A motion was made and seconded from the floor to elect Todd Engle as Treasurer of the Diocese. Motion carried. Clergy Changes Bishop Barker introduced and welcomed The Rev. Kimberly Fretz to be recognized by Council as the only new Deacon in the Diocese since the last Council. Bishop Barker read her biography to Council and shared the passions of her ministry at All Saints and the Tri-Faith. Council welcomed her with applause. Also recognized later in the Council were The Rev’s Sahra Harding, Joyce Scheyer and Mary Jane Gockley who were ordained to the priesthood since last Council. Bishop Barker recognized two Deacons who have died since the last council, The Rev. Katherine (Betty) Gaston (Retired) and The Rev. John (Jack) Robson (Retired). Bishop Barker led the Council in Prayer. Bishop Barker directed the Council to see other clergy changes in the Council book. Recognition of Seminarian Present Bishop Barker welcomed Lara Shine as the Diocesan seminarian present at Council. Lara thanked the Council for their support as she continues her third and final year at Virginia Theological Seminary. Shine is not from Nebraska, but it has become her home. She asked to be kept in their prayers as she begins her General Ordination Exams. Shine also shared greetings from John Adams and Chris Slane who are also seminarians supported by the Diocese of Nebraska at VTS. Council greeted Shine with applause. 12 Bishop’s Address The Bishop addressed the Council. Full text of address and will be printed in the 2011 Journal. Council recessed for a break. Bishop Barker introduced Jason Byassee for the Keynote Address. BUSINESS SESSION I Report on Committee on Elections Janice Seldon, Chair of the Elections Committee, presented to the members of Council the vacancies needing to be filled on the Standing Committee and the Executive Commission. The Standing Committee will need to elect one clergy member and two lay members and the Executive Commission will need to elect two clergy members and two lay members. Balloting took place. Gift Cards Kate Baxley and Beth Byrne gave out gift cards to Council members. Resurrection House Interns Fr. Jason Emerson introduced the Resurrection House Interns for the 2011 – 2012 year. Steven Duvoisin will serve at St. Andrews’s in Omaha; Trevor Harvey will serve at All Saints in Omaha; and Kate Hahn will serve at Church of the Holy Spirit in Bellevue. Fr. Jason reminded the Council of the important work done by the interns during their work and the important time of discernment they experience in the Diocese of Nebraska.