One hundred years ago the Episcopal Church established parishes on the Ute Indian Reservation in eastern Utah and in Vernal. This past weekend, church members from around the state came to the same area to attend the Episcopal Diocese of Utah's 88th annual convention at the Western Park Conference Center.
Spiritual enlightenment and church business matters were the focus of the meetings."Our conventions are traditionally held in Salt Lake, but people requested they be held outside that area. The Uintah Basin and Vernal were chosen because the Episcopal Church has a long history there and has played a fairly major role in the area," explained Malin Foster, manager of community relations for the Diocese.
The first service on the reservation was held at Fort Duchesne in 1894; the Church of the Holy Spirit in Randlett was organized in 1895; St. Elizabeth's in Whiterocks in 1904; and St. Paul's Church in Vernal was organized in 1900.
Conventiongoers visited each of the churches on the reservation Saturday. That evening they were treated to a performance of Native American dancing by members of the Ute Indian Tribe dressed in traditional, colorful costumes.
The Rt. Rev. Bishop George E. Bates addressed church members Saturday, speaking on the hurried pace of life and how it affects health and spirituality. He urged members to stop and take note of what they are doing.
"Sometimes the pace we live normally is ridiculous, and it is dangerous. The pace of life for most of us can become, and often does become dangerous to our mental health, and spiritual health. It is, I believe, also anathema, a curse to our spiritual health. That is why the importance of private prayer, private devotions, is so critical to a busy person," stated Bishop Bates.
"I want to say, walk, don't march. I want to say Jesus walked. Jesus slept in the stern of a boat. Jesus relaxed with his friends. Jesus went up to the mountain to pray."
Bishop Bates also spoke on the importance of the community and accepting differences. "We all need community. We need Christian conviviality. The conviviality of sharing, of knowing each other, of knowing God's blessings.
"When this doesn't happen, all kinds of institutional garbage begins to happen and the family which was once held together by the ability to share and pray and know each other and be gentle yet honest with each other, becomes dysfunctional because the grace isn't there, because the conviviality isn't there.
"So I pray for diversity in this community. I ask you and I beg you, without being obvious and without being condescending, to reach out to all the diversity you possibly can within your congregations."
During the business portion of the convention, four new members were elected to the 11-member Standing Committee, the governing board of the Diocese. They include the Rev. John Dillon, a deacon at St. James Church in Salt Lake, and the Very Rev. Jack C. Potter, dean of The Cathedral Church of St. Mark in Salt Lake. Lay persons elected to the committee are Roger Bon and Carl Sturges, both of Salt Lake City.
There are 5,000 members of the Episcopal Church in Utah, with 216 of those living in the Uintah Basin.