Finding the Sacred in the Struggle:
Clergy Craft in Times of Pandemic, Trauma, and Radical Change
May 9-11, 2022
Fort Worden, Port Townsend, WA
It has been a difficult two years to be clergy in the Episcopal Church – the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 has forever altered the way we hold Sunday services and community gatherings, and the cries for racial justice have forced us to confront the inequities within our church that many of us within the dominant culture have ignored for far too long. On top of all of this, many of us are living through the personal traumas of the pandemic, the added pressures of virtual connections, and economic uncertainty. How do we move forward while so much uncertainty remains and continue to build the vibrant, healthy communities God is calling us to?
Join us for this year’s Clergy Conference in-person at Fort Worden or virtually as we lean into the struggles so many of us have had to weather over the past two years. We’ll spend our time exploring frames for understanding and articulating the experiences of trauma we and those we serve have gone through, and we will revisit some of the basics of congregational leadership through the lens of pandemic and unrest in order to build new skills to take us into the coming year.
Draft Schedule:
Monday, May 9: 9:00am - 12:00pm, 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Tuesday, May 10: 9:00am - 12:00pm, 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Wednesday, May 11: 9:00am - 10:00am
**You do not need to call to reserve a room - the Office of the Bishop is making arrangements based on your registration.**
Registration is per person and includes:
- Up to 3 nights lodging at Fort Worden (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday), on Officers Row, in historic NCO (non-commissioned officers) houses, or “bachelor” dorms. Most houses include a fully-functioning shared kitchen. Each house varies in size with from two to six bedrooms. Housing assignments will be made in conjunction with Bishop's Leadership attendees.
- Breakfast, lunch, & dinner on Monday and Tuesday; Breakfast & lunch on Wednesday; Coffee service & beverages each day as well.
Registration fees per person:
- Overnight: $215
- Commuter (no overnight lodging): $150
- Remote/Virtual: $75
Registration deadline: Friday, April 22.
- Late registrations will be accepted based on capacity at prevailing rates; any increase in lodging cost due to late registration will be the responsibility of the individual.
Some scholarships are available, however, we are asking that you make every effort to have your congregation pay this very minimal fee (most newer LOAs include coverage of the cost of the annual clergy conference by the congregation). We have greatly subsidized this conference so that the cost to you and your congregations can be kept low. Please contact Bishop Rickel at grickel@ecww.org to make a request.
Registration Questions: contact Matt Koski at mkoski@ecww.org.
Program Questions: contact The Rev. Canon Alissa Newton at anewton@ecww.org.
Venue & Lodging Info: visit https://fortworden.org/.
