Reflections on the 232nd Annual General Convention

This week’s letter is written by parishioner Chad Eckles, who attended Annual General Convention as a delegate for Grace Church.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) The Gospel proclaimed on Friday centered on the theme of this year’s Convention, Read the Book. Tell the Story. A theme grounded in both Biblical reflection and a call manifest the reflection to action in the world. It goes without saying that the world today is full of uncertainty and often somber times, but the Holy Spirit was present in Fredericksburg this weekend and I walk away with hope and renewed energy that through love and the Incarnate Word, our path will be bright and it will shine into the world.

Our first keynote speaker, the Very Rev. Dr. Ian Markham, Dean of Virginia Theological Seminary and General Theological Seminary, reminded us that we are a Biblical tradition rooted in the belief of John’s Gospel that God is revealed through Jesus, the Eternal Word made flesh and it is in scripture that we engage with the Eternal Word. When we live our life in the Bible, we are constantly challenged in God’s call to be more generous, more caring, and more loving of the others, outcasts, and marginalized. In this generosity we are able to Tell the Story.

To frame our call to Tell the Story, our second keynote speaker, the Rt. Rev. Craig Loya (Bishop of the Diocese of Minnesota) turned to the striking imagery of Ethiopia’s church forests. Amid land drained of nutrients by over farming, these holy groves endure as sanctuaries of life. Bishop Loya used this metaphor to honor the response of his diocese during ICE’s Operation Metro Surge. By rallying together to lift up the oppressed and marginalized, they embodied Christ’s love through food pantries, laundry service, and prayer. He reminded us that these transformative acts weren’t grand organizational campaigns. Instead, they began as small, faithful seeds of a single tree that, when planted, flourished under the light of the Eternal Word into a thriving forest of action deeply rooted in our faith and tradition.

Saturday, we turned our attention to business, and you could still feel the energy of Spirit in the room. We gave thanks for the gifts of Mark Eastham (Chief of Staff) and Bill Martin (Assistant to the Secretary) as their journey with the Diocesan staff comes to a close and their next adventure in life begins.

New members of the Standing Committee were elected and resolutions were passed. I circle back to the words of Dean Markham, “the Diocese of Virginia is a very healthy diocese” and I witnessed that this weekend.

I am spiritually renewed by the witness of Dean Markham and Bishop Loya and I encourage you all to watch their speeches on the Diocese’s YouTube page. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent this amazing parish at General Convention, and I pray that Grace will continue to Tell the Story in our own lives and in our community.

Faithfully yours,
Chad Eckles