Convocation & Synod 2021
Join the clergy and lay delegates of the Diocese of Christ Our Hope for our annual meeting at Church of the Redeemer in Greensboro, NC. Enjoy deep fellowship and timely teaching while voting on important canonical issues.
Convocation
At each point in history there are cultural assumptions and philosophical perspectives about the nature of humanity that call the gospel into question, as well as our embodied existence as God’s creation. In this year’s Convocation, we are going to be asking fundamental questions like:
What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be made in God’s image? What do we mean when we say that Jesus reveals what it means to be truly human? And why does it matter that we have bodies?
How does a Christian theology of human nature—a Christian anthropology—inform the way we respond to challenging issues Christians face each day: race, gender, mental health and disability, mortality, and work and faith?
And how are we formed as followers of Jesus by the ordinary practices of parish life, like the sacraments and the ways we mark time.
Speakers
Plenaries
Dr. Marc Cortez
In a broad lecture, Dr. Marc Cortez will focus on the meaning of the image of God, why it matters, and how it relates to the body, as well as using the image to introduce the importance of Christology for thinking about what it means to be human.
Dr. Marc Cortez
In this talk, Dr. Cortez will build off the body emphasis of the first lecture. It will do some basic biblical work explaining the importance of the body, what to do with body/soul/spirit language, and how to think about the body in a culture that both valorizes the body (e.g. the beauty and fitness industries) and simultaneously disparages the body (e.g. the body as a problem that needs to be fixed).
Dr. Julie Canlis
In the third plenary, Dr. Julie Canlis will guide us to the places where our theology of the human person and the church’s practices meet. With a grounding in our baptism, she will unpack how the early church discipled and formed its people through following the Church Year—where the humanity of Christ and our humanity intersect. These ordinary practices will keep us rooted in Jesus.
Schedule
| Thursday 3:30pm | Check-In |
| Thursday 4:30pm | Opening Address |
| Thursday 5:00pm | Plenary 1 |
| Friday 8:30am | Morning Prayer |
| Friday 9:30am | Plenary 2 |
| Friday 10:45am | Plenary 3 |
| Friday 12:00pm | Lunch |
| Friday 1:00pm | Panel Discussion |
| Friday 2:30pm | Break |
| Friday 5:00pm | Dinner |
| Friday 7:00pm | Consecration of Alan Hawkins |
| Saturday 8:00am | Morning Prayer |
| Saturday 9:00am | Synod |
Registration
Registration is now closed.
If you can't make it or are uncomfortable attending in person, the entire event
will be live-streamed on our Youtube channel.
Please contact our administrator, Anne Hammond, if you have any questions.
Hotel
We have an agreement with the Hilton Garden Inn - Greensboro Airport for a discounted rate of $99/night.
Our room block has been filled.
If you need lodging, the following hotels are within a few minutes of the event venue:
Church Delegations to Synod
Please access the Synod Document Center below for all of the items necessary for your role as a 2022 Synod delegate.
Synod Document Center
Canonical Committees
Diocesan Council Expansion
Since we became a Diocese in the ACNA we have grown considerably. In order to effectively balance the workload of the Diocesan Council and keep up with our rate of growth, the Diocesan Council recently voted to expand its membership, in accordance with our Canons (Title I. Canon 3. Section 1.1), maintaining a two-to-one ration of laity and clergy members and ensuring a full and fair representation from an even geographic distribution of the entire Diocese.
Therefore, at this year’s Synod two additional lay members and one additional clergy member will be elected. In order to establish the appropriate staggering of three-year terms, the initial terms for the new members will be: one lay member for a 3 year term, one lay member for a 2 year term, and one clergy member for a 1 year term. All three new members will be eligible for re-election at the end of their initial term. For a fuller picture of the Diocesan Council rotation plan, please see this graphic.
All questions can be directed to Canon Ben Bowman.
Positions Needed:
- 1 Clergy position for 3 years
- 1 Clergy position for 3 years
- 1 Clergy position for 2 years
- 1 New Clergy position for 1 year
- 1 Lay position for 3 years
- 1 New Lay position for 3 years
- 1 New Lay position for 2 years
For further details on the nomination and election process for Diocesan Council, please see Title I, Canon 3, Section 2 of our Canons. The deadline to submit a nominee is August 8, 2022.
Submit a Diocesan Council Nomination
Constitution and Canons Committee (CCC)
Positions Needed:
- 2 Lay positions for 3 years