Convention 156
The 156th Convention of the Diocese of Central New York will take place on Friday, October 18th on Zoom and October 19th at our Diocesan Gathering Spaces as well as on Zoom.
The Diocesan Gathering Spaces are:
- Trinity Episcopal Church – Watertown, NY
- Christ Episcopal Church – Binghamton, NY
- Grace Episcopal Church – Utica, NY
- Sts. Peter & John Episcopal Church – Auburn, NY
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord is God!
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him, bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures for ever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Inspired by Psalm 100, “A Joyful Noise” is the theme for this year’s diocesan convention, where we come together as a community to celebrate and give thanks for the boundless love and grace of God. In a spirit of unity and joy, we will lift our voices in praise, acknowledging the Lord’s enduring faithfulness and steadfast love. We recognize together that the joy of the Lord can be found in all we do: from our worship and prayer, to care for the earth, to striving for justice and acceptance for all God’s beloved and beautiful children. This convention will be a time to rejoice, serve with gladness, and reflect on the blessings that enrich our lives and our diocese. Join us in making a joyful noise unto the Lord, embracing the joyous spirit that Psalm 100 so beautifully embodies.
The Very Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas, Ph.D
The Very Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas, Ph.D., is Interim President of the Episcopal Divinity School. From 2017 to 2023, she was Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary and Professor of Theology. She was named the Bill and Judith Moyers Chair in Theology at Union in November 2019. She also serves as the Canon Theologian at the Washington National Cathedral and Theologian in Residence at Trinity Church Wall Street.
Prior to Union, Douglas served as Professor of Religion at Goucher College where she held the Susan D. Morgan Professorship of Religion and is now Professor Emeritus. Before Goucher, she was Associate Professor of Theology at Howard University School of Divinity (1987-2001) and Assistant Professor of Religion at Edward Waters College (1986-1987). Ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1983, Douglas holds a master’s degree in theology and a Ph.D. in systematic theology from Union.
Douglas is the author of many articles and six books, including Sexuality and the Black Church: A Womanist Perspective, Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God, and Resurrection Hope: A Future Where Black Lives Matter, which won the 2023 Grawemeyer Award in Religion. Her academic work has focused on womanist theology, sexuality and the Black church. – Image and biography from Episcopal Divinity School