With a theme of "Telling the Truth - Proclaiming the Dream," according to Article IV, Sections 1 (a) and 3(a) of the Constitution of the Diocese, and following the decision of the 195th Council, the 196th Annual Council of the Diocese of Mississippi will convene on Friday, January 27 through Sunday, January 29, 2023, in the Natchez Convention Center.
Bishop Seage, his staff, and the people of Trinty, Natchez (our hosts) hope you are making plans even now to attend! This year's event will mark a return to an entirely in-person, onsite event for the yearly business meeting and house party of our diocese.
Friday events will include an opening worship service of evening prayer, at which time Bishop Seage will offer his annual address to the Council. The service will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will include commissioning for newly licensed Lay Worship Leaders, those licensed for the first time during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 who were not able to be commissioned at the 194th and 195th Councils, as well as those newly licensed over this past year.
Registration will open at 2:00 p.m. that Friday. While a fuller schedule will be announced in January, mark your calendar now so that you can get on the road early to attend several hearings in the afternoon (Constitution & Canons and Resolutions) or arrive early enough for the orientation session for new members of the Council.
Look for an agenda in next month's edition of The Mississippi Episcopalian and in the coming days on the Council website: https://annualcouncil.dioms.org.
On this website, you'll find a great deal of helpful information to get you ready for Council and your trip to Natchez: a welcome letter from Fr. Ken Ritter, rector of our host parish; hotel information; updates and logistics items, as well as links for registration-both online or by mail. You can save some money by registering early.
The fee to attend is $175 per person, with a special rate of $125 per person for young adults (non-delegate under 35 years of age), college representatives (non-delegate), seminarians, seminarians' spouses, and retired clergy spouses. After January 1, registration in each category goes up $10; after January 15, the fee jumps another $10. Any cancellations must be made by January 15 to receive a $50 refund.
In addition to routine and special business this year, we plan to have a host of vendors/exhibitors. Also, we are finalizing an array of workshops that will take place on Saturday. Details on workshop offerings are forthcoming. Visit the Council website for exhibitor and workshop information.
Also, a Saturday evening social has been planned at historic Dunleith. A festival Eucharist will conclude our time together on Sunday morning.
While Council is a business meeting, it is also an opportunity for friends and family to connect in fellowship, worship together, set goals and priorities, and be immersed in a uniquely Mississippi Episcopalian experience, if only for one weekend a year.