2014 North American Dean's Conference 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Greetings to all as we end one liturgical year and get set to start another! I want you to get this on your calendars (and in your budgets) as we begin planning for our next gathering. The North American Deans' Conference will be held here in Miami May 1-4, 2014. Our focus will be on restoration and preservation. The reality is that many of us have big, old buildings, some rarely filled to capacity. What is their purpose and mission in the 21st century? How do we maintain them? Where do we find the funds to keep them going? What can they contribute to the surrounding community? There will be lively discussions and presentations, and plenty of time for fellowship. We will begin as usual with Evensong on Thursday night, and conclude with a festive Eucharist on Sunday.

If you have not attended a Deans' Conference before, I encourage you to join us. We come from all over the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean, and indeed from cathedrals around the Anglican Communion. We represent all sizes of congregations and all theological perspectives. We share a mission of guarding the "mother church" of our respective dioceses, and the conversation around common issues and challenges is invaluable.

I promise you blue skies and warm weather, and...to entice you a bit more, we are adding an optional four-day cruise which will leave on Monday after the conference and return to Miami early Friday morning. American Airlines has given us discounts on airfare, and along with balmy tropical weather, it should provide a pleasant post-Easter break for us all.

Please feel free to call or email if you have questions. More information will be forthcoming, but I wanted to send this now, particularly because we need to have a count of those who would like to go on the cruise by December 20th.

 

Blessings of the season,

 

The Very Reverend Douglas Wm McCaleb

Dean