TO:
Rectors/Priests-in-Charge, Vestries & Bishop’s Committees
FROM:
The Rev. Anthony Jones, Secretary of Convention
SUBJECT: Notice of November 2026 Diocesan Convention and Election of Delegates
Greetings to all. It is time to plan and prepare for the 160th Diocesan Convention which includes electing your parish’s delegates to the 2026 Diocesan Convention. In accordance with Title II, Canon 4 of the Canons of the Diocese of Long Island, I am announcing that the 160th Convention of the Diocese of Long Island will convene on Friday, November 13, and Saturday, November 14, 2026, at the Marriott Melville Long Island in Melville, New York. Also, as required by that Canon, I announce that completed delegate certificates are to be filed at the Diocesan Office (Attention: Secretary of Convention) no later than June 15, 2026.
It is important to remember that, to vote at Convention, parishes must have completed delegate certificates, audits and parochial reports. Those parishes with incomplete or unfiled information will forfeit the rights of its lay delegates.
Please consider scheduling these elections at one of your next Vestry or Bishop's Committee meetings so as to comply with the deadline and allow sufficient time for the Diocesan Office to update its records. In this way, you and your lay delegates will be assured of receiving all material related to Convention in a timely manner.
Here you will find a delegate certificate prepared for this year. The number of delegates to which your parish is entitled is calculated based on the number of communicants in good standing as reported on the 2025 Parochial Report (Page 3, Line 11), and as outlined in the following table:
Please do not elect more delegates than your congregation is allowed according to the table above. Per our Constitution, Lay Delegates must physically reside within the bounds of the diocese; per our Canons, Youth Delegates must be under 18 years of age. Please remember to enter the name, address and date of birth of your youth delegate in the designated area of the certificate or write "none." Following the election of your delegates, please certify their credentials by signing the certificate where indicated. Improperly completed certificates will be returned; therefore, please review the certificate carefully before mailing to the Diocesan Office. Please retain a copy of the completed certificate for your records. As certificates are received, they will be recorded on the Diocesan website’s Convention page. Please check this site to ensure receipt of your church’s certificate.
This is also a good time—given the many annual elections taking place—to provide the Bishops Office with an up-to-date list of your vestry members, including mailing addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers. Please be sure to include your parish secretary or administrator to support clear and consistent communication.
To submit this information, please click here to download the Annual Vestry Update Form. Your cooperation ensures that the Bishop's Office can share important diocesan communications with the appropriate leaders at your church.
Once again, thank you for your prompt attention to this request and I look forward to working with all of you at our next Diocesan Convention.