by Rev. Dr. Jim Warnock
This is the time for the annual convention of the Diocese of Olympia. I’m going as your vicar. Our delegates are Liz Larson and Kresha Warnock. Charla Connor is our alternate.
This will be a bit different than last year’s. It’s held on one day as opposed to two. It’s also a bit of a hybrid as it’s mostly on Zoom. The diocese’s long-term plan is to alternate in-person two-day conventions with those online. For the latter, there remains a need to gather together as a community. To enable this, five parishes have been designated for delegates to meet. A Eucharist will be offered at each place as a starting point for the discussions. The business meeting will follow. Our delegation is meeting at St. Mary’s in Lakewood.
Five resolutions are on the agenda. The first sets the parish assessment rate at 14.5%. This is down from 20% in 2004-2006. Congregations have been paying their assessments in full, which helps in the reduction. The second resolution is a cost of living adjustment for 2026 and adjusts the clergy salary scale according to the 2.7% cost of living increase from June 2024 to June 2025. Resolution 3, Humanitarian Aid to Gaza, regrets the conditions of famine and starvation in Gaza and calls for greater provision of aid to Palestinians. It directs churches and individuals to designate funds for this purpose. Resolution 4 lists all diocesan and General Convention resolutions on the conflict in the Middle East. It calls these the policies of the Episcopal Church and directs the diocese to implement their provisions.
Resolution 5 calls on the Church to “decolonize” the diocesan seal. Adopted in 1910 or 1913, it romanticizes white supremacy in ways that were common in that era but are no longer helpful or useful.
The Resolutions Committee recommended that the first four resolutions be passed. It offers no opinion on the fifth. For myself, I intend to vote yes on all but the third resolution. I have no problem at all with feeding the hungry in Gaza or elsewhere. My concern is in the explanation of the resolution. It lays all the blame for the circumstances on Israel. Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization, gets no mention. I believe this is ahistorical and deeply biased. I believe it’s also poor strategy. If this diocese is to have any impact on the Middle East, I would argue we need to be able to talk to all the parties involved. By laying all of the blame on Israel, we immediately alienate that community, and do so to no good end.
All of these resolutions are available on the diocesan website. If you have any questions about them or about my votes, please get in touch. I’m happy to talk about this.