2020 General Convention

Business Matters

Excerpted from the Lammas 2020 issue of Glad Tidings:

“Among the matters to be discussed and voted upon are the election of a new Convention President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Chancellor. The second reading shall be given to the Preface to the Constitution of the UECNA which was given its first reading and approved at the 2017 General Convention. The text of this is to be found on the UECNA website …

Also slated to be discussed is a thorough revision of the Canons. The present Canons of the UECNA currently occupy approximately 120 foolscap pages, single-spaced being a variation and slight simplification of the 1958 Canons of the Protestant Episcopal Church, USA. This set of Canons was produced at the time when PECUSA had over ninety dioceses and three million baptized members. Needless to say, they contain a great deal of material which is irrelevant to the life of the United Episcopal Church, and procedures which it is all but impossible to undertake within our church due to lack of manpower and the widely scattered nature of our dioceses and missionary districts. It is hoped, therefore, that a simpler code of Canons, which ultimately derive from the 1860 PECUSA Canons, will be adopted. The aim is to simplify procedures, eliminate unnecessary regulation, and make the Canons easier to understand and follow. It is thought that the new code will be about half the length of the present document. If the new Canons are approved Titles 1 through 3, and 5 covering the Ministry, Parish Life, Discipline and Miscellaneous Matters will go into effect on January 1st 2021, whilst Title 4 ‘Of General Synod’ will go into effect once a Constitutional amendment allowing joint session of the House of Bishops and House of Delegates receives a second reading, hopefully in August 2023.”

COVID19 Concerns

There is a limit on the number of attendees due to the ongoing public health situation. Although no problems are anticipated in hosting all who wish to register, clergy and delegates will have priority over observers.

Hotel

• • Quality Inn, 640 W. Broad Street, Waynesboro, VA 22980.
  • The hotel is directly across the street from the church.
  • Rates for Wednesday and Thursday nights are $80-109 per night, depending on room type.
  • Mention “United Episcopal Church” to receive this rate.

Travel

Auto

• • Waynesboro lies in the middle section of the Shenandoah Valley, close to the junction of I-81 and the eastern section of I-64, which runs from Staunton to Norfolk.
  • The city is served by the following exits from I-64: 94, 96, 99.

Air

• • The nearest airports are Shenandoah Valley (SHD), 20 miles; and Charlottesville-Albemarle (CHO), 34 miles.
  • SHD is served by United Airlines from Dulles and Chicago O’Hare.
  • CHO is served by United Airlines from Dulles, Chicago O’Hare, Charlotte, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and New York La Guardia.

Rail

• • Amtrak serves Staunton (10 miles) and Charlottesville (26 miles).
  • Convention is timed to coincide with the thrice-weekly Cardinal to/from Staunton.
  • Charlottesville is served daily by the Crescent and Northeast Regional trains.

Ground Transportation

• • Piper Robinson will be coordinating transport from the airports (SHD or CHO) or Amtrak station, or for those who will be renting a vehicle and are willing to carpool. Click here to contact her.

Weather

October weather in Waynesboro is an average high of 67 F and low of 43 F, with 6 days of rain.

Note: The Convocation of the Missionary Diocese of the East will be held on the afternoon of Friday, October 16th, from 1:00-4:30 p.m. Click here for more details.