Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
People of God in the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio,
It brings me great joy to extend the official call to our 151st Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio — a time together to pray and deliberate, learn and connect.
Beyond a canonically-required governance meeting, a diocesan convention is a time to gather the leaders of our communities together to build relationship across distance, to increase our capacity for mission and discipleship, and to celebrate our unique ministry as the Body of Christ in Southern Ohio.
As we have in previous years, the business portion of our gathering will provide for the participation of online attendees. However, it is my deep desire that our delegates, clergy, and other attendees will be present in-person, investing in the formal and informal opportunities in our gathering to learn, discern, and share in fellowship together.
We are joined this year by my friend and colleague, the Rt. Rev. Carrie Schofield-Broadbent, XV Bishop of the Diocese of Maryland. Prior to her election as bishop, she served on a diocesan staff in transition ministry and congregational development, as a coach around conflict resolution, and as a trainer for the College for Congregational Development. Her diocese is a leader in our church around racial reconciliation, reparations, and telling the truth about the church’s complicity in the sin of racism.
Together we’ll explore our theme, Love Divine, All Loves Excelling: what it means to be disciples and beacons of Christ’s love and justice amid the realities of today.
Along with other workshops centered around our theme, it’s my hope that our gathering is a time of rich reflection and engagement of what it means to put our love into word and action.
Beloved, I so look forward to this time of learning, worship, fellowship, and yes, the holy and important work of church governance. Please use the information below to learn more about and prepare for our annual gathering taking place November 14-15, and to complete your registration. We will see you there!
Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Kristin Uffelman White
X Bishop of the Diocese of Southern Ohio
Dates and deadlines
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August 16 |
Deadline for proposed changes to the Constitution and Canons. |
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September 11 |
Requested deadline for nominations (to provide information ahead of pre-convention meetings). |
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September 17 |
Western Region online Pre-Convention Meeting and Candidate Forum. |
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September 18 |
Eastern Region online Pre-Convention Meeting and Candidate Forum. |
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September 25 |
Central Region online Pre-Convention Meeting and Candidate Forum. |
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September 30 |
Deadline to submit proposed resolutions. |
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October 1 |
Southwest Region online Pre-Convention Meeting and Candidate Forum. |
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October 15 |
The Second Call to Convention is distributed by email including the final draft budget, nominations, and proposed resolutions. |
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October 30 |
Deadline to book a room at the hotel. |
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October 31 |
Deadline to register for convention. |
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November 7 |
The Final Call to Convention is distributed by email including final logistics. |
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November 14-15 |
The 151st Diocesan Convention in Hamilton, Ohio |
Prepare for convention
The work of convention extends well beyond the two days we’ll be gathered in Hamilton. Please use the following links for any required or optional submissions, to review materials ahead of time, and to register.
Prepare for the event
- Review the draft schedule.
- Read about our keynote speaker and theme. Workshop descriptions to come!
Participate in our governance and connection
- Submit a resolution.
- Submit a nomination.
- Submit an annual commission or committee report.
- Submit your congregation’s necrology.
- Submit photos from your local faith community for our slideshow.
Review materials of our business meeting
- Review the current nominees for elected office – additional nominees will be added on a rolling basis until the final deadline.
- Review the 2026 Draft Budget – will be updated after participants in pre-convention meetings provide questions and feedback.
- Review proposed resolutions – resolutions will be added on a rolling basis until the final deadline.
Understand our rules and structure
- Refer to our Constitution and Canons.
- Refer to the 2025 Rules of Order – will be available at the bottom of this page after October’s Diocesan Council meeting.
Register
- Submit your hotel reservation (Group Code: 1152 / Password: 690004260).
- Submit an application to host an exhibit booth.
- Submit your RSVP for an online pre-convention meeting:
- RSVP for Western Region – 9/17
- RSVP for Eastern Region – 9/18
- RSVP for Central Region – 9/25
- RSVP for Southwest Region – 10/1
- Submit your registration for convention.
Pre-convention meetings
With time for our business meeting at convention limited, the pre-convention meeting is an opportunity to discuss and ask questions about proposed resolutions and the budget ahead of time. All delegates and voting clergy are invited and expected to attend.
Nominees who submit their materials ahead of the requested deadline (Sept. 11) will be invited to provide a short video to briefly introduce themselves to the voting members of convention and articulating their sense of call to their respective offices. These videos will be shared at each of the four pre-convention meetings.
This year, instead of one large meeting, we’ll gather as regions. All pre-convention meetings will take place from 6-7:30 pm. You must RSVP (separately from your convention registration) in order to receive your Zoom link.
| Western Region – September 17 RSVP Eastern Region – September 18 RSVP | Central Region – September 25 RSVP Southwest Region – October 1 RSVP |
Unsure of which region you’re in? Find your congregation on this list. If you’re unable to attend the pre-convention meeting for your region, you are welcome to attend another region. At least one pre-convention meeting will be recorded for later viewing.
Call for nominations
The leadership of our diocese is shared amongst several governing bodies seeking to serve God in this place: strategizing for mission, stewarding our resources, and managing connections from each individual congregation to our wider denomination and Anglican Communion.
At convention, we will elect according to our canons several positions of leadership in our diocese. We seek nominees for these positions that are broadly representative of our body: racially, socioeconomically, generationally, regionally, and from all sizes and forms of faith community.
Please prayerfully consider if God is calling you to serve in a position of leadership in our diocese and whether there are others you know with gifts, skills, and experience for these roles that you might encourage to self-nominate.
At our 2025 151st Diocesan Convention we will elect:
| Budget Committee No election required in 2025. Diocesan Council* 1 Lay – 1-Year Term (2026) 1 Lay – 2-Year Term (2027) 1 Clergy – 2-Year Term (2027) 3 Lay – 3-Year Term (2028) 2 Clergy – 3-Year Term (2028) Standing Committee 1 Lay – 3-Year Term (2028)1 Clergy – 3 Year Term (2028) Trustees of the Diocese 1 Lay or Clergy – 5-Year Term (2030) | Trustees of the Church Foundation* 1 Lay or Clergy – 5-Year Term (2030) Procter Center Board of Advisors 1 Lay or Clergy – 3-Year Term (2028) Deputies and Alternate Deputies to the 82nd General Convention of The Episcopal Church (2027) 4 Lay Deputies 4 Clergy Deputies 4 Lay Alternate Deputies 4 Clergy Alternate Deputies Regional Disciplinary Board* 1 Lay – Fill Unexpired, 2-Year Term (2027) |
Some of these vacancies have been corrected since our initial call for nominations went out last June. Those offices are marked with an asterisk.
Click here for a full list of vacancies including descriptions of the elected service to the diocese. The requested deadline for submissions is September 11 (ahead of the regional pre-convention meetings). The final deadline is September 30.
Photo slideshow
To share the story of ministry in our local faith communities, all congregations and affiliated organizations are invited to contribute up to ten photos for our convention slideshow.
Final selection of photos will be determined by the communications office of the diocese. Please avoid submitting photos that:
- depict only inanimate objects or buildings – we want to see people in ministry!
- are blurry – only in-focus, high quality photos will show up well when enlarged by the projector.
- show faces of people seeking our outreach services – respecting the dignity of every human being means we can’t assume strangers’ consent in having their photo shared, especially when seeking help.
- include any overlaid text – just send the photo, please don’t add any captions or any kind of text in the image; we’ll add it!
- are gallery-style – one photo at a time, please!
Contact Canon Katie Forsyth with any questions. Please submit your photos no later than October 31.
Location
Our Convention Center
Champion Mill Conference Center at Spooky Nook
600 North B Street
Hamilton, OH 45013
Overnight Accommodations
For those traveling to Hamilton in need of overnight accommodation, a block of rooms has been set up at the Warehouse Hotel at Champion Mill and available Thursday night and Friday night. The rate is $119.
Book your room at this link by October 30. Our Group Code is 1152 and our password is 690004260.
Registration
The 151st Convention of the Diocese of Southern Ohio will take place on Friday and Saturday, November 14-15, 2025.
While it is preferred that all attendees participate in-person, some aspects of our convention will be offered via livestream or Zoom, including Saturday’s business meeting. Please see our draft schedule for details.
All registrations – whether as an individual or delegation, and whether attending in-person or online – must be submitted no later than October 31.
