155th Annual Diocesan Convention (2025)
The 155th Annual Diocesan Convention will be a joint convention with the Diocese of Bethlehem on Friday, October 17 and Saturday, October 18, 2025, at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center in Scranton, PA.
Read the Annual Convention Recap Article.
View the Special Rules of Order that will be in effect at the Convention. You can also view the Convention Archive or last year’s Convention Minutes for reference.
Agenda
See the official schedule of Convention events here.
Hotel Blocks
Should you need to reserve a last-minute hotel room, try one of these nearby hotels:
Annual Reports
All diocesan ministry and leadership groups are required to submit an annual report on the status of their ministry from October 2024 through September 2025.
View Annual Reports
Creation Care
Shaped by Faith
Necrology
The names of those who have died since our last Convention — who have served as officers or delegates to Convention, on Diocesan committees and commissions, or who have held parish leadership positions — will be printed in the Worship Booklet and honored in the Courtesy Resolutions.
Constitution and Canons
At Convention, we will vote to adopt the Transitional Canons, the Constitution, and the Canons of The Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna. These documents were drafted by the Transition Working Group on Constitution and Canons and updated to reflect feedback gained during listening sessions that took place over the summer.
Constitution of The Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna
Canons of The Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna
After reviewing, clergy and voting delegates had a chance to submit pre-filed amendments to these documents. These pre-filed amendments will be presented and discussed at Convention; amendments will not be considered from the floor.
Review the proposed amendments here.
Additional information about the process for creating these documents is available on the reunification website.
Budget
The 2026 Budget for The Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna has been approved by councils in both the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania and the Diocese of Bethlehem, and will be adopted at Convention.
The 2026 Clergy Compensation Schedule for parishes currently within the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania has been approved by the Council of Trustees in the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania. The Diocese of Bethlehem will follow its own Clergy Compensation Schedule for 2026. Each diocese will adopt its own Clergy Compensation Schedule at the 2025 Convention. Starting in 2027, there will be one Clergy Compensation Schedule for The Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna, which will be adopted at our 2026 Convention.
We held two pre-Convention meetings specifically to review the Budget and Clergy Compensation Schedules on September 16 and 18.
Nominations
At Convention, in accordance with the Transitional Canons, we will elect:
- Three clergy and three laypeople to serve on the Diocesan Council. The deadline for nominations was July 18, 2025. View all the nominees here.
- Four clergy and four laypeople to serve as Deputies and Alternates to the 82nd General Convention. The deadline for nominations was July 18, 2025. View all the nominees here.
The bodies of the Standing Committee and the Disciplinary Board will remain as is during the interim year (2026).
Resolutions
Resolution to Adopt the 2026 Budget for The Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna
Resolution to Adopt the 2026 Clergy Compensation Schedule for the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania
Resolution to Close St. John’s Episcopal Church, Westfield: In accordance with our Diocesan Constitution and Canons, Convention must vote to affirm the closure of a parish. St. John’s, Westfield, has decided to close at the end of this year and seeks Convention approval.
Resolution to Adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger: The Agreement and Plan of Merger is a legal document outlining exactly how our two dioceses will merge to become The Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna. It must be approved at Convention and then submitted to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for approval. This document will be available to review by September 15th.
Additional Resolutions From the 81st General Convention: The following four resolutions, to be considered at Convention, were passed at our 81st General Convention in Louisville in 2024, and are now asked to be affirmed by each diocesan convention in The Episcopal Church. Three of them address changes to the Constitution of The Episcopal Church and one to the Book of Common Prayer:
Resolution to Amend Constitution Article X With Clarifying Amendments
Resolution to Increase by One the Possible Number of Bishops Suffragans in a Diocese
Resolution to Amend Constitution Article VIII Regarding Clergy in Local Ecumenical Partnerships
Resolution to Revise Marriage Rites for Inclusion in the Book of Common Prayer
Social Justice Resolutions: At a typical Diocesan Convention, fruitful conversation surrounding social justice issues also happen, with resolutions being proposed to signify our support and encourage congregations to take action. Because this year’s Convention will be focused on reunification and only reunification-focused resolutions will be considered, we are excited to announce that the Diocese of the Susquehanna will host a Social Justice Summit in Spring 2026, where these vital conversations will take place. Read more.
Fall Convocation Meetings
Fall Convocation meetings were a time for lay delegates, alternates, and clergy to gather in preparation for Annual Convention. Reunification updates and other important business were reviewed at each meeting.
- West Branch: Monday, September 22, St. Paul’s, Lock Haven
- Southern: Wednesday, September 24, St. Andrew’s, York
- Lancaster: Thursday, September 25, St. John’s, Marietta
- Harrisburg: Tuesday, September 30, St. Andrew’s, Shippensburg
- Northern Tier: Wednesday, October 1, 6:00 p.m. on Zoom
- Susquehanna: Thursday, October 2, St. Andrew’s, Lewisburg
- Altoona: Tuesday, October 7, St. Andrew’s, State College
Children, Youth, Young Adults, and Families
At the 2025 Convention, we will feature a video presentation highlighting children, youth, young adults and families. In addition, our Youth and Young Adults Panel will take place Friday evening featuring members ages 13 through 30.
Childcare
Childcare will be available for children ages 0 through 12 at convention. To register your child for childcare, please fill out this form.
For questions about any Children, Youth, Young Adults, and Families convention programming, contact Canon Micalagh Moritz.
Ministry Fair: Explore, Connect, Share
Parishes, diocesan ministries, and Episcopal organizations from both the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania and the Diocese of Bethlehem will showcase their work and engage with attendees at the Convention’s Ministry Fair. If you have signed up for the Ministry Fair and have questions prior to Convention, please contact Cathy Bailey.
Questions?
All questions should be directed to Paula Lapinski, Missioner for Finance & Administration in the Diocese of Bethlehem.