Recap of the 194th Diocesan Convention: “Go Ahead to Galilee”

Recap of the 194th Diocesan Convention: “Go Ahead to Galilee”

From Thursday, January 30, to Saturday, February 1, 2025, over 400 clergy members, lay delegates, and guests gathered in Decatur, AL, for the 194th Annual Diocesan Convention. This year’s theme, “Go Ahead to Galilee,” was inspired by Mark 16:7: “But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.”

Day 1: Thursday, January 30, 2025

The convention officially began with registration at 1:00 PM at the DoubleTree by Hilton Decatur Riverfront. In the afternoon, attendees participated in church tours of two historic churches:

  • The Church of the Good Shepherd, Decatur, features a Cherokee heritage garden.
  • St. John’s, Decatur, renowned for its stunning historic architecture.

At 6:00 PM, the annual gathering officially opened with a Holy Eucharist at the Princess Theatre.

The Rev. Chase Ackerman, Rector of St. John’s Church, Decatur, preached on the convention theme, “Go Ahead to Galilee.” He reflected on the significance of Galilee in Jesus’ ministry, describing it as a place of calling, teaching, miracles, and mission—a region on the margins, far from the religious and political center of Jerusalem.

“Our convention theme this year is ‘Go ahead to Galilee,’ and so, to begin with, let us consider the significance of Galilee for Jesus. Galilee is where Jesus began his ministry. It is where he called his first disciples, taught on hillsides, fed multitudes, and performed miracles. Galilee is also a region on the margins—a place of mixed cultures, diverse peoples, and contested identities. In the time of Jesus, Galilee was far from the religious and political center of Jerusalem. It was, in many ways, a place of the ordinary, a place that didn’t immediately command any attention or prestige.”

“And yet, it is to Galilee that Jesus directs his disciples after his resurrection. Not to Jerusalem, not to the temple, not to the seats of power, but to Galilee. Why? Because Galilee represents life, the ‘real’ world, if you will. Some might call it the mission field. It is the space where life happens, where people live and struggle, where hope and despair intertwine. Galilee is the world in all its messiness and beauty, the very place where the risen Christ chooses to meet us.”

“When we hear the angel’s words, ‘Go ahead to Galilee,’ we are being called to move forward, to step out of the confines of our upper rooms of fear and hesitation, and to meet Christ in the world. This movement is not just a physical journey; it is a spiritual and missional one. It is an invitation to live into the resurrection by embodying the hope, love, and transformation that Jesus offers to the world.”

 Get the full Sermon Text Here

 The Celebration Eucharist was followed by a receptionist. 

Day 2: Friday, January 31, 2025

The day began with Morning Prayer at 8:30 AM, led by The Rev. Canon Geoff Evans at Ingalls Harbor. Following the prayer, Bishop Glenda Curry officially called the convention to order. She facilitated brief introductions and provided key updates, including:

  • The adoption of the convention agenda and order of conduct.
  • The introduction of individuals in formation for ordained ministry.
  • Expressions of gratitude to deans of convocation and the diocesan staff.
  • Recognition of youth representatives and worshipping communities.

The youth representatives granted full seat, voice, and vote from the Youth Department were:

  • Lauren Behm (Christ Church, Tuscaloosa).
  • Ann Wright Carlson (St. Mary’s on-the-Highlands).

New Clergy Introductions to the Diocese

Bishop Curry welcomed several new clergy members to the Diocese of Alabama:

  • Sam Burcham – Deacon, St. John’s, Decatur
  • The Rev. Corrie Cabes – Rector, St. Mary’s, Jasper
  • Lucian Cronkite – Pastoral Oversight, St. Matthias, Tuscaloosa
  • Will Fagan – Curate, Cathedral Church of the Advent
  • Malissa Hartley – Priest Associate, Church of the Nativity, Huntsville
  • Katie Kirk-Coastas – Associate Rector, St. Thomas, Huntsville
  • Chris Paul – Pastoral Oversight, Trinity Church, Clanton
  • Paul Petznick – Regular Supply Clergy, St. Paul’s, Carlowville
  • Becca Walton – Associate Rector, St. Luke’s, Mountain Brook

Bishop’s Opening Address

Bishop Curry highlighted various parishes that have adopted innovative approaches to hospitality, outreach, and community engagement. She emphasized the diocese’s commitment to:

  • Supporting smaller churches through grants and resources.
  • Investing in racial healing initiatives.
  • Strengthening camp and retreat ministries.

As part of her address, Bishop Curry formally announced her intention to retire and called for the election of the 13th Bishop of Alabama, signaling a new chapter in the diocese’s ministry. Her message was one of hope, resilience, and a deep commitment to revealing the risen Christ through the work of the diocese.

“So welcome to this 194th gathering of our diocese. Our theme already, I think we’ve made it available on everything. It’s probably even in the bathroom, “Go ahead to Galilee”. It’s the direction that the angels gave the frightened women and apostles when they found the empty tomb on Easter, and I think I have the scripture here somewhere. “He’s been raised. They said, come and see the place where he lay and then go quickly and tell his disciples he has been raised from the dead and the deed, he is going ahead of you to Galilee and you will see him.” And this is my message. So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to tell his disciples before he died Jesus promised them that he would go to Galilee and meet them there after he was raised up. And so our theme reminds us that all of our ministry together is meant to reveal the risen Christ alive, active, and walking with us every moment.”

Bishop Curry reflected on the distinctiveness of the Christian faith, emphasizing the presence of Emmanuel—God with us:

“You see in those days there were lots of gods that people were prone to worship, appease, report to and obey. Not like today, those pagan gods occupied a distant and unreachable realm, but there was really only one God, one God that claimed to be Emmanuel that claimed that he would be alive and touchable and with us wherever we were and that was Christ Jesus. So, the angel says, go to Galilee, you’ll see him there and when they encounter Jesus only two verses later in Matthew, Jesus tells them, do not be afraid. Do not be afraid, in spite of what you’ve just seen and heard in the last few days, do not be afraid. He says, go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee and they will see me. As I travel the diocese and I visit our 87 parishes, our four worshiping communities and our camp McDowell, our beloved Camp McDowell, I see Jesus everywhere healing and loving and at the same time challenging us to keep following, to never stop.”

She continued by sharing her personal reflections on seeing Christ at work throughout the diocese:

“I see Jesus everywhere healing and loving and at the same time challenging us to keep following, to never stop. Our job is to hope, I believe, to lead others to faith and the reality that Jesus has risen in spite of all other signs, no one else, no one else in the world can do that job but us. Everything we do should point to the reality that Jesus is with us alive and living right now. So welcome to this bishop’s address or my chance to share the big picture of who we are, where we started and where we’re headed in our common life and ministry. As I see it, I feel blessed to have the seat that I have and the chance that I have to see so many of you all over the place so regularly.”

Watch Bishop Address here.

Bishop Curry has opened Business Session II, welcoming the first guest speaker, Melina Luna Smith, founder of StoryMakers. Presentation slides are available HERE.

Election Process & Nominations

Bishop Curry invited the Election Chair, Bob Boylan, to provide an overview of the general election processes and nominations. Following his presentation, nominations were opened from the floor. All pre-filed nominations are available for review HERE

Election Results

Diocesan Council

Northern District

  • The Rev. Donavan Cain St. Thomas, Huntsville (Priest)
  • Gayle Ozbirn, Trinity, Florence (Lay)

Middle District

  • The Rev. H. Huey Garder, St. Mary’s on the Highlands (Priest)
  • Jennifer Boylan St. Luke’s, Mountain Brook, (Lay)

Southern District 

  • The Rev. Sarah Smith Halloran, Grace, Pike Road (Priest)
  • Billington M. Garrett, Church of the Ascension, Montgomery (Lay)

Disciplinary Board

  • The Rev. Worth Stuart, Holy Spirit, Alabaster (Priest)
  • George Carpenter, Trinity, Florence (Lay)

Standing Committee

  • The Rev. Emily Collette, The Church of the Ascension, Vestavia Hills (Priest)
  • Katherine Gould, Christ Church, Tuscaloosa (Lay)

Celebration Dinner of the Equipping the Saints capital campaign

Friday evening featured a special dinner celebration honoring the ongoing work of Equipping the Saints capital campaign.  The evening included:

  • Remarks from Chairs
  • Gratitude for Cabinet Members
  • Updates from Focus Areas
  • Updates on Fundraising Total

Watch Celebration Video Here

Saturday February 1, 2025, Business III

Convention Day 3: Closing Sessions & Key Updates

The final day of Convention began with Morning Prayer, led by the Youth Department, before proceeding to Business Session III. Bishop Curry introduced the Youth Department, who provided updates from their own convention and elections. The convention then heard a report from Sawyerville’s Executive Director, Kana Goldsmith, highlighting the ministry’s ongoing impact and initiatives.

 Keynote Speakers & Reports

Bishop Curry introduced the day’s second keynote speakers, Jim Davis and Michael Graham.

Presentation slides available here.

Additional reports and updates included:

  • 81st General Convention updates
  • Treasurer’s Report
  • Standing Committee Report on the election of the 13th Bishop presented by Chair Miriam Clark

Resolutions

Looking Ahead to the 195th Convention

The Rev. Derrick Hill, Executive Director of Camp McDowell, extended an invitation for the 195th Diocesan Convention to be held at Camp McDowell from February 6–8, 2026. A motion was moved for this invitation, seconded and then accepted. Bishop Curry called for the temporarily adjournment of the convention to be recalled as an electing convention in 2026.

The writer is the Director of Communications. She can be reached at nana@dioala.org.