“Churches exist for the gospel, and our diocese must support the churches in every practical way possible to advance its proclamation.” – Bishop Justin Holcomb
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida, insists that the diocesan office exists for the churches, for the gospel. That commitment serves as a guiding principle for the bishop and his staff, shaping the planning of the 56th Annual Diocesan Convention. This extends to a brand-new Convention component for 2025: educational sessions that support the gospel ministries of diocesan churches.
With the theme “For the Churches, For the Gospel,” the 2025 Convention will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church and School, Vero Beach, on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 24 and 25. Educational sessions, celebration of Holy Eucharist and a diocesan family dinner are scheduled for Friday, with Convention business reserved for Saturday. Visit CFDiocese.org/2025DioCon for detailed information and online registration.
Key Deadlines
With the Convention only two weeks away, several key deadlines are approaching; those and associated links are provided here. Please review all of the information at CFDiocese.org/2025DioCon before registering for educational sessions or ordering meals. See below for additional information about educational sessions.
During the online registration process, delegates will be guided to select their breakout sessions and order and pay for meals; please be familiar with the options before registering. PLEASE NOTE: Submitting your certificate of election of lay delegates does not register them or clergy for educational sessions or meals.
- Jan. 10: Deadline to order meals; use this link.
- Jan. 14: Deadline to submit parish certificate of election of lay delegates; use this link.
- Jan. 14: Deadline to submit mission certificate of election of lay delegates; use this link.
- Jan. 14, please note: No additional names may be added to either parish or mission certificates of election of lay delegates after this deadline. For information on submitting changes, see Jan. 25 deadline below.
- Jan. 14: Deadline to register for educational sessions; use this link.
- Jan. 21, 7 p.m.: Diocese-wide practice voting session via Zoom webinar (see additional information under “Voting” below). Registered delegates will receive a Zoom link via email.
- Jan. 25: Deadline to submit changes to the status of already-submitted names of lay delegates and alternates for parishes and missions; please send email with details of any changes to rsvp@cfdiocese.org.
Pictured above, pre-Convention deanery meetings completed and forthcoming at the time of publication
Pre-Convention Deanery Meetings
One of the pre-Convention deanery meetings took place prior to publication of this article. Please see the related graphic for information on deanery meetings yet to come, including locations, times, dates and election information.
Parking
The Community Church of Vero Beach is our primary Convention parking location. The church and its staff have been most helpful, and the diocese is grateful for their assistance in providing safe, secure and convenient parking for our Convention attendees.
Click here for directions to parking at Community Church. Shuttles will transport attendees to the Trinity, Vero, campus. Click here to view shuttle and lots map.
Voting
Voting at the 56th Annual Diocesan Convention will take place in person using VPOLL. All delegates will need a smartphone, tablet or laptop connected to the internet at the convention site. A demo video of the VPOLL voting process is available below; you may also watch it at this link.
A diocese-wide practice voting session will be held via Zoom webinar on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. A Zoom link will be sent to all delegates once they have been entered in the VPOLL system. Technical support will be available during the Convention as in the past; however, the diocese strongly encourages participation in the practice voting session by all delegates.
Convention Educational Sessions
“By offering educational sessions, we’re investing in our clergy and lay leaders,” Bishop Holcomb said. “We’re hoping to provide what leaders in the diocese have told us they need: practical training for ministry. And the educational content that is there at Convention is the bull’s-eye of what emerged as we have discerned together the vision and direction for the diocese.”
The Rev. Canon Dr. Dan Smith, canon to the ordinary, saw the impact of educational sessions in other dioceses where he served and, as early as 2023, began brainstorming with Holcomb about the possibility of incorporating them into Central Florida’s annual Convention. “My hope is that Convention becomes more than a business meeting and an opportunity for fellowship,” Smith said. “Those are important aspects of Convention that continue, but I want people to look forward to coming to Convention because they know they’re going to be fed. That’s what this educational component is all about.”
Smith also noted that educational sessions provide an opportunity to flesh out the bishop’s vision for the diocese. “I think that’s what these particular workshops do,” Smith said. “They allow us to build on the vision the bishop casts in his address or even in previous Convention addresses.”
Clergy and lay delegates are strongly encouraged to take advantage of Friday’s educational sessions, with additional church leaders welcome to attend as well. Delegates are required to attend Saturday. “This Convention is truly offering practical, on-the-street knowledge and expertise to enhance the ministries of each and every one of our clergy and lay leaders,” Smith noted.
3 Foundational Sessions
On Friday of the 2025 Convention, three foundational general sessions will be held in the Trinity sanctuary, which has enough seating for all Convention participants. General session topics build on one another, starting with “Leading Safe Churches” hosted by Holcomb and Mike Sloan, director of safeguarding for GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment). The second general session, titled “Making Connections: Reaching the Dechurched,” will be led by the Rev. Jim Davis, co-author of “The Great Dechurching.” Finally, the Rev. Cynthia Brust, rector of Christ Church, Suntree-Viera, will present “Cultivating a Culture of Belonging.”
“These three general sessions are about the church, the ministry of the church and the culture of the church,” Holcomb explained. “The first one is, ‘What kind of church are we?’ We need to have safe churches, and that’s essential. Then, our churches have the opportunity to respond to what we’re realizing about the dechurched. Churches need to be intentional and strategic as we reach out to them. And when they accept a simple invitation to come back home, our churches are high on hospitality. We have to continually cultivate a culture of belonging because belonging is one of the key needs of the dechurched. It all fits together.”
6 Breakout Sessions to Choose From
In addition to the three general sessions, six educational breakout sessions will each be available twice on Friday. Three of these make up a financial track, and three are offered in the mission track. Their repetition allows participants to select the two sessions that will have the most impact on their leadership roles, whether that’s a session in each track or two sessions in one track.
“Church is both an organism and an organization,” Holcomb said. “You need to have organizational structures in place, so there’s the organizational component with breakouts on insurance and benefits, stewardship and endowments. Then you have the mission of the church. We’ve been entrusted with the message of the gospel, so there’s a breakout on that, on Alpha and mission mindset. There are pathways for everybody.”
“What we’re presenting here is balance,” Smith said. “It takes a healthy organization to support our mission. It is a business, and our business is the gospel.”
Space is limited for breakout sessions, so review educational options and register early at CFDiocese.org/2025DioCon.
Prepare to Learn and Lead
Please review this article for important deadlines and additional Convention information. In addition, the information page at CFDiocese.org/2025DioCon provides everything delegates and guests need to take full advantage of all that’s being offered at the 2025 Convention. This includes descriptions of educational sessions; a campus map and schedules for both days; and details on lodging, meals, parking and displays as well as the deadline-driven information and materials listed near the top of this article.
Pray, prepare and come ready to learn and lead with your diocesan family as we work together: for the churches, for the gospel.