Skip to main content

Welcome to the 2023 Annual Convention Information page for The Diocese of West Missouri. All the infromation you need for this year’s Convention is below.

Schedule and Agenda

Schedule

Friday, November 10, 2023

  • 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Diversity Workshop
  • 5:30 – 9 p.m. Ministry Fair
  • 6 – 7 p.m. Check-in
  • 7 p.m. Convention Eucharist
  • 8 – 9 p.m. Reception

Saturday, November 11, 2023

  • 7:30 a.m. Check-in
  • 8 a.m. Clergy Spouse Gathering
  • 8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
  • 9 a.m. Business session
  • 12:30 p.m. Noonday Prayer & Lunch
  • 1:15 p.m. Business session, followed by a commissioning service, prayers, and blessing.

Business Session Agenda

  • Organizing for Business
  • Nominations and Elections
  • Action on the Plan for Ministry
  • Noon Day Prayer & Necrology
  • Lunch
  • Reports of All Officers and Committees
  • Consideration of all remaining resolutions
  • Elections & Other Appointments
  • Closing Items & Adjournment

Registration

Registration has closed for the 2023 Annual Convention.

Change your mind?

We recognize that we’re pretty far out from our convention date and the situation is constantly changing. So, if your attendance needs change after registering, no problem; just let us know by October 13, 2024, by emailing the Bishop’s Asistant.

Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral

415 W 13th St,
Kansas City, MO 64105

November 10 – 11 2023

This year’s Convention will be held in-person only!

Resolutions

Extract from the Canons and Constitution

Business before the Convention

  1. No resolution shall be considered as before the house unless it has been submitted in writing (including electronic submission in a manner approved by the Bishop and the Secretary) and has been received by the Bishop and Secretary four weeks before the opening of Convention to allow distribution to all delegates and introduction by title at Convention.
  2. Any resolution which has not been presented to the Bishop and to the Secretary four weeks prior to the convention date will not be considered as before the House unless copies of such resolution are made available to every delegate and, at Convention, two-thirds of said delegates agree to consider such resolution.

Resolutions Deadline & Submissions

Resolutions should be submitted via email to resolutions@diowestmo.org on or before Friday, October 13.

Submit Resolution

Sample Resolution

Title: Request for feasibility study for establishing a new congregation.

Proposer: Vestry of St. John by the Pond Church, Enterprise City, Vestry of St. Sebastian’s Arrowville.

Resolved: that the Diocesan Convention direct the Congregational Development Commission to undertake a research project to determine the feasibility and potential success of a new congregation in Jones County, Missouri and be it further,

Resolved: that the Convention allocate $500 from the Church Planting Fund to cover the cost of the study and be it further,

Resolved: that the Convention direct the Commission to report results of the study no later than six weeks prior to the 2014 Diocesan Convention.

Explanation:

Jones County is the third fastest growing geographic area in the diocese. New residents have been attracted by the satellite campus of South Lake Community College, the new microchip factory and the Amazon.com warehouse in Pike Center, the largest town in the county. The availability of jobs and the attractive surroundings of Jones County suggest the likelihood that population will continue to grow.

At this time, the two closest Episcopal Churches are St. Sebastian’s Arrowville and St. John by the pond Enterprise City. Both are more than one hour drive from Pike Center. Within a 25 mile radius of Pike Center, there are only three churches.

The proposers believe that sufficient population exists in Jones County to motivate a study in support of establishing a new congregation of the Episcopal Church. The proposers feel strongly that members of the Congregational Development Commission have the knowledge, expertise and experience to conduct and report a study that would provide additional information pertinent to a decision to establish a new congregation.

Nominees and Nomination Form

Lay members and clergy canonically resident in The Diocese of West Missouri and who are interested in serving on the Diocesan Council or the Standing Committee of the diocese should use this form to place their name in nomination.

Please note you must submit a photograph to the Communications Director after submitting this form. The photograph will be used for publication on the convention website and will also be published in convention materials.

Deadline for submitting nominations has closed.

Submit Nomination

Council Nominees

Susan J Roberts Headshot Cropped

The Rev. Susan Roberts

Clergy

<span>Supplied image</span>

The Rev. Joe Pierjok

Clergy

The Rev Jean Long

The Rev. Jean Long

Clergy

nominee Chris Morrison x

Mr. Chris Morrison

Lay

Hayley Cobb

Ms. Hayley Cobb

Lay

Regina Berens

Ms. Regina Berens

Lay

Anne Breid

Ms. Anne Breid

Lay

Standing Committee Nominees

<span>Supplied image</span>

The Rev. Canon Robin James

Clergy

The Rev Ron Verhaeghe

The Rev. Ron Verhaeghe

Clergy

The Rev Brittany Sparrow Savage

The Rev. Brittany Sparrow Savage

Clergy

The Rev William Jeffrey Hurst

The Rev. William Jeffrey Hurst

Clergy

<span>Supplied image</span>

Ms. Alexandra Connors

Lay

Eric Rhodes

Mr. Eric Rhodes

Lay

Reports

How to Submit a Report

If you are responsible for preparing a report please follow the guidelines below, and please ensure a roster of your membership with contact information is included as an addendum to your report.

Using bullets or full sentences as you prefer, please submit your reports to answer the following questions:

  • How many meetings were held?
  • Who are the members of your commission, committee or ministry (with email address, if possible)?
  • What are the highlights of your ministry for 2023?
  • What are your plans for ministry in 2024?

Careful and considered answers to these questions will continue to help guide us in being more missional minded and more consistent in thinking through how our ministries meet or fail to meet the imperatives of the Gospel.

Reports Received

2023 Reports

Convention Materials

Draft Minutes

View the draft of the minutes for the 2022 Annual Convention of The Diocese of West Missouri.

Voting Information

Cast your vote or learn more about the voting registration process.

Draft Plans for Ministry

View the draft plans for ministry (also known as the budget document).

Order of Service

Read and download the Order of Service for this year’s Convention Eucharist.

Rules of Order

View the Rules of Order; a guide on resolutions and motions, procedures, and other vital rules that the diocese follows for Annual Convention.

Convention Booklet

Download the Convention Booklet.

Necrology

  • Mrs. Barbara Mason, spouse of the Rev. Richard Mason (d.)
  • The Rev. Alfred “Al” Jewson
  • The Rev. Edgar “Ed” Whelan
  • The Rev. Brian Ticknor, spouse of the Rev. Patsy Ticknor (ret.)
  • The Rev. Mary Cay Armer
  • The Rev. Carolyn Stockwell Tangeman
  • Mrs. Jean Ellsworth, spouse of the Rev. Bradford Ellsworth (ret.)
  • The Rev. Martha “Marty” Byer

Ministry Fair

  • Vestment Exchange
  • Campus Ministry
  • BSP/CPE
  • St. Paul’s Day School
  • Access for All God’s Children
  • Stewardship Commission
  • University of the South, Sewanee
  • St. Augustine’s Jewerly Ministry
  • Peace & Justice Committee
  • Hospice: The End Can Be as Beautiful as the Beginning by Beck Schubert, Book Selling
  • Bishop Kemper School for Ministry
  • Episcopal Veterans Fellowship
  • Archives