The Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas will hold its 66th annual convention in Abilene Thursday-Saturday, with the theme, “One in Christ.”

Activities begin with optional workshops for delegates at 4 and 5 p.m. Thursday at the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St., followed by Evensong at 6 p.m., dinner at 6:30, and viewing of the documentary, The Philadelphia Eleven, at 7:30 p.m.. The documentary is about a group of women who defied the church in 1974 and were ordained as priests at the Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia–two years before the Episcopal Church authorized women’s ordination.

The Rt. Rev. J. Scott Mayer, bishop, Diocese of Northwest Texas

On Friday, delegates and guests will meet at 9:30 a.m. at Heavenly Rest for the Convention Holy Eucharist, with the Rev. Gay Jennings as guest preacher. Jennings served as president of the House of Deputies from 2012-2022 and was the first ordained woman to hold that position. Jennings, ordained in 1978, was a 10-time deputy from the Diocese of Ohio. She also was the Episcopal Church’s clergy representative to the Anglican Consultative Council in 2012 and 2016, and the first ordained woman to serve in that role. 

The first business session of the convention will begin at 1 p.m. Friday at the Hilton Doubletree and is scheduled to end at 4 p.m. A social hour at the Doubletree will begin at 6 p.m., followed by a dinner at 7:15. During the dinner, the ministry of the Rev. Canon Mike Ehmer will be celebrated. Ehmer retired effective July 1 of this year, which marked the 25th anniversary of the beginning of his active ordained ministry. The date also was the 12th anniversary of his appointment as Canon to the Ordinary, which is an assistant to the bishop of the diocese. 

The opening session on Saturday will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Doubletree. The convention is scheduled to conclude at noon Saturday.