Episcopal Press and News
California Conference Draws Nearly 1,000 for Day of Leadership Training
Episcopal News Service. June 8, 1995 [95-1137]
Sarah Haviland Blackmun, Interim editor of the Pacific Church News in the Diocese of California
(ENS) Members of 80 out of 86 parishes of the Episcopal Diocese of California turned out in record numbers for the diocese's first leadership conference, "Churches for the New Millennium: Moving Toward the 21st Century," held April 1 at the Oakland Convention Center.
Some 950 people -- lay leaders and clergy -- participated in more than 50 workshops led by 40 workshop leaders.
"It is something to see that many people -- on a beautiful spring morning after a long, rainy winter -- committing themselves to a day of learning," said Bishop William Swing in his column in the diocesan newspaper. "I saw the Diocese of California change right before my eyes. In a second. We will never be the same. And I'm not exactly sure what it means."
Many workshops were reserved to capacity well before the conference, and would-be registrants had to be given their second or even third choices. Even so, some people (including Swing) sat on the floor rather than miss a session that seemed especially valuable.
The point of it all? Not to rack up a record-breaking attendance (though that did happen), but to provide a rich curriculum of learning opportunities related to all sorts of congregation-based ministries.
The day's workshops were grouped into five clusters: congregational life, congregational identity and structure, liturgy and worship, community ministry, communications. In addition, an all-day stewardship seminar offered a keynote session and five workshops. And the annual all-day administrators' and treasurers' workshop ran in parallel with the rest of the program.
"The genius of this occasion was that the regular workshops we had planned around the diocese were all brought together," Swing said. "Everything happened at one time, in one place. Plus other offerings were added."
The entire diocesan staff, together with several boards and commissions, designed, organized, and executed the program, and acted as shepherds through the day for workshop leaders and participants.
Within the diocese, "there will be times when our common agendas call for a particular focus that is of keen interest throughout the diocese," Swing said. "Other times the focus misses the mark for lots of people. We happen to be in sync at this moment. Folks are deeply concerned about the plight of children in this violent society and about congregational development. And they turn out in great numbers to bring better ministry to both these areas."