Diocesan Convention 2026: Nominations and Resolutions

On November 6 and 7, clergy and lay delegates from across the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego will gather at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Poway for the 2026 Diocesan Convention. This annual gathering brings together representatives of our congregations to worship, discern, and make decisions about our shared ministry. It is an opportunity to celebrate the work God is doing throughout our diocese and consider how we are called to serve Christ and our neighbors in the years ahead.

God’s work may start small, but it rarely stays that way. Jesus tells us a parable about a small seed,  a mustard seed, that grows into something far greater than its beginnings suggest. The mustard seed reminds us that faithfulness is not always measured by size or certainty. God works through small acts that grow and spread in ways we could never anticipate. This year, as we gather for Diocesan Convention, we will celebrate the seeds already taking root in our diocese and consider where God may be asking us to plan for the future.

Whether you are representing your church as a delegate to Diocesan Convention or not, everyone is invited to learn more about the proposed diocesan budget and the resolutions facing the 2026 Diocesan Convention.

The Budget Hearings

October 24 at 9:00 am

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82984661968?pwd=k6jMhPILoV0QRCYsPWhAihCBL51UIR.1 

November 4 at 4:00 pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87533260071?pwd=i3E2QWrQPNoaX0nML1J33QkUg8IBjQ.1 

The Resolution Hearings

October 24 at 10:00 am

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83716691396?pwd=bMlWMK6naP52j1y83FaFK3sTxy2qAi.1

November 4 at 5:00 pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83296353669?pwd=dJ93aIhalRGtjfaSdIa2Qoafyx3TgX.1

Meet the Nominees

One of the Diocesan Convention’s most important responsibilities is electing leaders to guide the ministry and governance of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. These elections give delegates an opportunity to prayerfully consider the leadership our diocese needs in the years ahead. We invite you to learn more about this year’s nominees, their backgrounds, and the gifts they hope to bring to their service.

Secretary of Convention

Elect 1 clergy or lay to serve until 2028

The Rev. Brian Johnson

Disciplinary Board

Elect 1 clergy to serve until 2029 or elect 2 clergy and 1 lay to serve until 2029

David Bagley

The Rev. Michael Kilpatrick

The Rev. Karen Knieff

Executive Council

Elect 2 clergy to serve until 2030

Elect 2 lay to serve until 2030

Elect 1 lay to serve until 2029

The Rev. Kathrine Gordon

The Rev. Dan Kline

George Lynch

The Rev. Colin Mathewson

Allen Mutchler

Meredith Riffel

Vincent Walton

Standing Committee

Elect 1 clergy to serve until 2030

Elect 1 lay to serve until 2030

The Rev. Cindy Campos

The Rev. Willy Crespo

Cathedral Chapter

Elect 1 clergy to serve until 2030

The Rev. Paul Carmona

Resolutions Before Convention

Each year, Diocesan Convention considers resolutions that establish priorities and respond to matters affecting our common life and ministry. Resolutions provide a way for members of the diocese to bring important questions and proposals before the diocese for discussion and discernment. Through this process, clergy and lay delegates share responsibility for shaping our diocesan policies, commitments, and collective witness. The resolutions presented for consideration at the 2026 Convention are provided below. Please review them thoughtfully ahead of our gathering.

Resolution 26-01

From:   Andrew Brooks, Esq. Chancellor of EDSD

Date:  August 18, 2026 (as revised following comments from Committee on Canons)

Removing the requirement for “special circumstances” to incorporate a Mission; clarify the procedures to convert from Parish or Action Plan Parish to become a Mission.

Title II, Canon 2.05:

2.05 Effecting of Mission Organization. The organization of a new Mission shall be effected by the appointment by the Bishop of a Senior Warden and a Junior Warden, who shall be communicants of the Church, a Clerk and a Treasurer, such officers to be known as the Bishop’s Committee. Thereafter the Senior Warden shall be appointed annually by the Bishop, and such additional number of persons as the Bishop shall authorize, shall be elected at the Annual Meeting of the Mission to be called on reasonable notice and held as soon after the first day of January as practical. At the discretion of the Bishop the Mission may elect its Bishop’s Committee, with the exception of the Senior Warden, on a rotational basis. The Junior Warden shall be elected in accordance with Title II, Canon 6.00, and the Clerk and Treasurer in accordance with Title II, Canon 6.05. Any qualified elector shall be eligible for election or appointment to such offices, except that the Wardens shall always be communicants. In special circumstances, the The Mission may incorporate at the direction of the Bishop and Standing Committee as provided in Canon II.2.17.

Title II, Canon 2.06:

2.06 Organizing of Parochial Mission. The organization of a Parochial Mission shall be effected in the same manner as provided in Title II, Canon 2.05, except that appointments of officers shall be made by the Rector of the sponsoring Parish. Rotation of the Bishop’s Committee may be established with the consent of the Rector of the sponsoring Parish. In special circumstances, the The Mission may incorporate at the direction of the Bishop and Standing Committee as provided in Canon II.2.17.

Title II, Canon 2.11:

2.11 Title to Property Vested in the Diocese. Except as otherwise provided by this canon, the terms of the trust specified in a will, decree of distribution, deed of gift or other instrument of donation which shall have been accepted by the donee with the consents of the Bishop and the Standing Committee, the title to real property purchased, given or otherwise acquired for Mission purposes, shall be vested in “The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego,” a Corporation, sometimes referred to herein as the “Corporation of the Diocese”; provided, however, that nothing in this section shall be deemed to exclude the acquisition of any property the title to which is given and granted to or for the benefit of a specifically named or designated Mission; and title to all such property granted to the Corporation of the Diocese shall be held upon the trusts and with the powers as follows:

1. a) Such property shall be held for the use of the Mission for the benefit of which it was acquired, as long as such Mission shall continue to exist under the Canons of The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego provided, that upon organization of the Mission it shall make provision for, and pay, all taxes, insurance and other expenses pertaining to the care and preservation of all such property devoted to the use of said Mission.

1. b) The officers of a Mission shall not undertake construction or material modification of any structure on real property until plans and specifications for such work have first been approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation or the Committee on Facilities and Architecture to whom the Directors of the Corporation have delegated approval authority.

2. c) Notwithstanding paragraph a, if a Mission is or is allowed to remain incorporated under Canon 2.17, real property may be held by the Mission corporation in special circumstances as directed by the Bishop and Standing Committee.

Title II, Section 2.14:

2.14 Bishop May Dissolve Mission. The Bishop may dissolve a Mission, with the consent of the Standing Committee, when in the Bishop’s opinion, the failure to fulfill any of its pledges made to the Bishop shall warrant in doing so. In the event of such dissolution, the Bishop shall become the custodian of all personal property and fixtures of the Mission other than that held in trust by the Corporation of the Diocese under Title II, Canon 2.11 and may dispose of such personal property according to the Bishop’s best judgment in the interest of the general mission work of the Diocese. Any real property held by an incorporated Mission shall be held and disposed of in accordance with Canon 2.11(c) or 2.17.

Title II, Canon 2.17:

2.17 Incorporation of a Mission. In special circumstances determined by the Bishop and Standing Committee, and with With the permission of the Bishop and the Standing Committee, a Mission may incorporate or keep its previous incorporation. Executive Council shall serve as the board of directors of an incorporated Mission congregation, delegating day to day operation of the Mission to the Bishop’s Committee in a manner decided by Executive Council. The Vestry of the sponsoring Parish shall serve as the board of directors of an incorporated Parochial Mission congregation, delegating day to day operation of the Parochial Mission to the Bishop’s Committee in a manner decided by the Vestry of the sponsoring Parish.  Upon direction by the Bishop and Standing Committee to incorporate, a Mission shall incorporate under the laws of the state in which it is located. The Rector of the Mission shall be the Bishop (or in the case of a Parochial Mission, the Rector of the sponsoring Parish) who shall also be the ex officio Chief Executive Officer of the Mission Corporation’s Board of Directors, and the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws shall so provide. The Bylaws shall further state that the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church and the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, from time to time in effect, shall be incorporated in said Bylaws; and that in the case of any conflict between said Constitutions and Canons and said Bylaws, the former shall prevail over and in all respects supersede and to that extent effect the repeal of the said Bylaws. The Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws of any Mission, and any amendment to either of them, shall first be submitted to and approved by the Bishop, with the advice of a Chancellor and the advice and consent of the Standing Committee (referenced from Canon 3.07).

Further, an incorporated Mission shall be subject to the canons applicable to the incorporation of parishes in Canons 3.08, 3.09, 3.10, and 3.12.

Title II, Canon 3.11:

3.11 Dissolution of a Parish in Order to Become a Mission. Any Parish, incorporated or unincorporated, may request of the Convention, through the Committee on Admission of Parishes and Missions, with the approval of the Bishop and the Standing Committee, permission to dissolve the Parish association or corporation, and reorganize as a Diocesan or Parochial Mission, following the same procedure as for the organization of a Mission. Alternatively, if an Action Plan Parish is being converted to become a Diocesan or Parochial Mission it shall follow the procedures in Canon 3.13.

Title II, Canon 3.13.04:

3.13.04 At any time after the first 24 months and prior to the expiration of the four-year period since being declared an Action Plan Parish, the congregation may be restored to full and regular Parish status. Such action may be taken by the Bishop, with the consent of the Standing Committee, either upon the Bishop’s own initiative, or on petition of the Vestry of or Bishop’s Committee of the Action Plan Parish. The decision to restore to Parish status shall be based upon a finding that the congregation has successfully addressed or substantially ameliorated the conditions that led to the declaration of Action Plan Status. Alternatively, after two years, but within the four-year period, the Bishop may take action to either: a) designate that the congregation shall thenceforth be a Mission of the Diocese; or b) extend the congregations status as an Action Plan Parish for an additional period not to exceed three years. An action under a) above, shall be based on a finding by the Bishop in consultation with the Standing Committee and the Action Plan Parish Committee that the congregation has not made adequate progress toward ameliorating the conditions that led to its Action Plan Parish status; and, an action under b) above, shall be based upon a finding that some progress has been made, but additional steps are required to be accomplished before Parish status can be renewed. In this case, these ‘additional steps’ shall be set out in writing. In the case of action under either a) or b), consultation with the Clergy-person in charge and Vestry, and consent of the Standing Committee is required, and any congregation so affected, can, by majority vote of its members attending a properly noticed membership meeting, challenge said action by petitioning the next Diocesan Convention, such petition to be filed with the Secretary of Convention at least 30 days before the date of the Convention. If a congregation remains in APP status for more than 7 years, action may be taken by the Bishop (with consent of the Standing Committee), within 60 days, to either restore that congregation to Parish status, or have it converted to Mission status. In such events:

(i) If the congregation is restored to Parish status, and if the Bishop has previously appointed or designated a Priest in Charge, that Priest shall forthwith resign, and the Vestry shall call a Rector in accordance with the Parishes By-Laws and these Canons. The Priest in Charge is not barred from being called as Rector; and

(ii) If the congregation is converted to Mission status, and such action is not revoked by vote at Convention, the congregation and the Diocese should take the necessary steps to immediately organize itself as a Mission in accordance with these Canons. Pursuant to Canon 2.17, in the case of an incorporated Parish which converts to be an incorporated Mission of the Diocese, the Executive Council shall immediately have authority, acting as the incorporated Mission’s board of directors and (for purposes of California Corporations Code § 5056(a)) its sole member, after approval by the Bishop, with the advice of the Chancellor and the advice and consent of the Standing Committee, to adopt or amend the incorporated Mission’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws.

Resolution 26-02

Title: Develop Diocesan-Level Policy Regarding the Usage of Generative AI

Proposed By: The Rev. Madeline Elizabeth Polhill

Name, Address, Phone Number of Delegate: The Rev. Madeline Elizabeth Polhill, St. Peter’s, 334 14th Street, Del Mar, CA 92014; mpolhill@stpetersdelmar.net; (858) 755-1616, ext. 107

Convention Delegate Co-Sponsors: Mr. Joseph Augustine Rhodenhiser, The Rev. Paige Blair-Hubert, & The Rev. Jacob Ian Robling

Date: October 5, 2026

Whereas, Generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) has become ubiquitous within much of modern life in the United States; and

Whereas, Jesus gives us the greatest commandment, “‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Mark 12:30–31, NRSVUE); and

Whereas, we as Christians are called to examine how modern technologies align (or do not align) with the Christian call to prioritize love of God and love of neighbor.

Resolutions

Now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the 53rd Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego (“EDSD”) hereby directs:

1. EDSD to develop a diocesan-level policy regarding the usage of Generative AI by clergy and congregations within the diocese; and
2. That in the creation of this policy, EDSD consider especially those areas of ministry and church life incompatible with reliance on Generative AI (e.g., sermon preparation, pastoral care, ordination discernment, and other areas that require absolute reliance on the Holy Spirit), as well as issues of privacy and transparency about when Generative AI has been used; and
3. That such policy be developed by an ad hoc committee to be appointed by the Bishop (or her designee) and that such committee be made up of clergy and lay members having a variety of perspectives and backgrounds, including but not limited to technology, creation care, communications, the arts, and theology; and
4. That such committee submit a draft of such policy to the Executive Council for review and consideration at (or before) its meeting immediately following EDSD’s 54th Diocesan Convention in 2027.

Explanation: Proverbs 1:7 tells us, “The fear of the L ORD is the beginning of knowledge” (NRSVUE). God created us mortals; we are but dust (Genesis 3:19). Out of these teachings, we learn our own createdness, our own humanness. We are distinctly human, and we rely ultimately on God for and in all things. We are thus called to turn foremost to God, not to technology, for guidance and asked to test the fruits of any source of knowledge for its compatibility with God’s ways and God’s teachings.

Generative AI relies on culling online data to generate written and image-based content. In doing so, the technology does not give proper credit to the humans whose labor, intellectual property, and artwork were used as data in the creation of AI-generated content. Technology that blurs the lines between human labor and technological creations, particularly without giving credit where credit is due, cannot “respect the dignity of every human being” (BCP, p. 305), as we promise to do in our baptismal covenant.

Our baptismal covenant also asks us to “renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God” (BCP, p. 302). The serious and considerable environmental impacts of data centers, on which Generative AI technology relies, cause concern both for the created world and for those who live in communities most impacted by the environmental impacts of this technology, particularly as we as Episcopalians in this diocese seek to steward the gift that is God’s creation and to respect human dignity.

Theologically speaking, the impetus for taking a diocesan-level stance is clear. From a practical standpoint, clergy, staff, and members of parishes wonder about broader guidance about AI usage as the technological world changes rapidly. The creation of a single diocesan policy will allow individual congregations to move forward with clear action plans and expectations, instead of having to either devote their own resources to developing individual policies or, in the absence of sufficient resources, to acting without their own policies or standards. In addition, having the policy drafted by such a diverse group of people will allow members of every congregation to benefit from the wisdom and insights of an intentionally-created group of faithful people with diverse areas of knowledge and concern.