58th General Council of the Reformed Episcopal Church

58th General Council of the Reformed Episcopal Church

Historic Richmond, Virginia

Bishop Sutton, Bishop Manto, and the members of the Diocese of the Central States are pleased to invite you to the 58th General Council of the Reformed Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia! It seems like it was just yesterday that we gathered at General Council for our 150th anniversary celebration. Yet three years have passed, we are just months away from our next General Council (June 10-12).

It is an honor for our youngest Diocese, the Diocese of the Central States, to host General Council for the first time since it began in 2008. It is also a special occasion in the life of the Diocese as the opening Communion Service will include the installation of their new Bishop Ordinary. The Rt. Rev. Peter Manto, after faithfully serving the Diocese since its inception and leading the Diocese as Bishop Ordinary since 2020, will transition his office as Ordinary to The Rt. Rev. Jason R. Grote.

Arrangements have been made for us to stay and meet at the Omni Hotel near the heart of the capital city of Richmond, Virginia. Founded at the falls of the James River, Richmond served as a pivotal backdrop for the American Revolution – most famously at St. John’s Episcopal Church, where Patrick Henry delivered his “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech. The city’s skyline is anchored by the Virginia State Capital, an architectural masterpiece designed by Thomas Jefferson, located just blocks from the Omni hotel. The hotel also sits just steps away from the gas lamps of Shockoe Slip where cobblestone streets, specialty shops, and the Canal Walk await. Within miles, Richmond is home to historic St. John’s Episcopal Church, the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, the American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar, the Maymont estate mansion and gardens, Hollywood Cemetery (resting place of several notable figures, including two Presidents), among others. Richmond is also just an hour away from the Historic Triangle of Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. Plan to come early or stay an extra day and explore the rich heritage of Richmond.        

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Dates

General Council will convene on Wednesday morning, June 10, with our Communion service at a local church in Richmond. The rest of the worship services, meals, and proceedings will be held at the Omni Hotel in downtown Richmond. Adjournment will be on Friday, June 12, after all business is completed (anticipated to be 3 pm or before). General Council attendees staying at the hotel should plan their travels to arrive on Tuesday afternoon/evening – June 9. You may leave on Friday, if desired, but you should avoid booking flights prior to 6 pm to allow for a potential afternoon business session and adequate transition time to the airport. If you choose to stay Friday night, the rate at the Omni Hotel will be the same as the group rate through Sunday checkout, but rates are subject to room availability at the hotel. Likewise, if you choose to arrive earlier than Tuesday, the group rate will be available starting on Sunday evening subject to availability.

DIOCESE OF CENTRAL STATES ATTENDEES: The Diocese of the Central States will host an abbreviated Synod at St. Jude’s, Richmond, on Tuesday afternoon. If you belong to the DCS and plan to attend that business session, make your travel arrangements to participate in the meeting scheduled from 1 to 4 pm on Tuesday, June 9.

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Condensed Schedule

 

Wednesday, June 10

6:30a – 7:30a	Breakfast at hotel (for those who purchased)
7:30a –	Busses load (if purchased) Busses will depart for Church at 7:45a sharp!
8:00a – 8:45a	Clergy arrival and vesting (@ Derbyshire)
9:00a – 11:15a	Holy Communion service (@ Derbyshire) Bp. Jason Grote installation as Ordinary – The Diocese of the Central States Bp. Peter Manto, preaching
11:30a – Noon	Return to Omni Hotel (busses will leave at 11:30a sharp!)
Noon – 1:30p	Lunch & Women of the Church Mtg
1:45p – 3:15p	Business Session #1
3:15p – 3:30p	Break
3:30p – 4:30p	Business Session #2 – Mission Greetings & Board of Foreign Missions
4:30p – 6:30p	Break to get ready for Banquet (clear room so they can reset)
6:30p – 7:00p	Reception hour (cash bar available)
7:00p – 9:30p	Banquet Dinner (@ Hotel)

 

Thursday, June 11

7:00a – 8:00a	Breakfast at hotel (for those who purchased)
9:00a – 9:45a	Morning Prayer (@ Hotel)
9:45a – 10:45a	Teaching Presentation – The Rev. Canon Michael Vinson
10:45a – 11:00a	Break
11:00a – 11:45a	Business Session #3 – REC100 (USA)
12:00p – 1:15p	Lunch (@ hotel)
1:15p – 2:00p	REC100-Europe! Greetings
2:00p – 2:45p	Business Session #4
2:45p – 3:00p	Break
3:00p – 3:30p	Other Greetings & Updates
3:30p – 4:15p	Business Session #5
4:15p – 4:30p	Break
4:30p – 5:00p	Evensong
5:00p –	Adjourn for the day (Dinner on your own)

The Anglican School Association (ASA) dinner and presentation will be held in the Magnolia Room at 6:00pm on Thursday. This is only for those who registered and purchased the dinner in advance through the ASA.

 

Friday, June 12

7:00a – 8:00a	Breakfast at hotel (for those who purchased)
9:00a – 9:45a	Morning Prayer (@ Hotel)
9:45a – 10:45a	Teaching Presentation – The Rev. Canon Tony Melton
10:45a – 11:00a	Break
11:00a – 11:15a	Greetings from Cuba
11:15a – Noon	Business Session #6
Noon – 1:00p	Lunch (@ hotel)
1:00p – 3:00p	Final Business Session (only if needed)
When done	Adjourn (absolutely no later than 3pm)

Note: Adjournment will occur after all business has been completed. This may be earlier or later than scheduled depending on the Business Sessions.

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Registration Information

Registration for General Council is closing soon!

The normal registration deadline attendees ended on April 30th. Late registration will end Sunday, May 10th. The cost for General Council is $525 (plus $25 late fee). This includes registration fees which cover our expenses for worship, travel, hotel service charges (24%), A/V equipment & setup, registration system & credit card fees, beverage stations during the day, honorariums, and all the other aspects of hosting General Council. This cost also includes all seven of the offered meals. Specifically, this includes a private hot breakfast buffet each morning (Wed-Fri), lunches each day (Wed-Fri), and the Banquet dinner on Wednesday evening. For those who may not need or desire breakfast, you will have the ability to opt out of the breakfast package which would reduce your cost by $100.

There will be an option for those who are not attending General Council but would like to purchase a ticket only for the Women’s Day lunch & meeting and/or the Wednesday Banquet. The will be a $15 registration system cost in addition to the cost of the chosen meal(s). The Women’s Day lunch will be $55 and the Banquet dinner will be $95.

Late Registration ends May 10th

To register for General Council, you will need to do these things:

1. Complete the online registration form and submit payment for each individual attending. Just click the blue button below!
2. Book your hotel room directly (if needed). We do not do this for you! See Hotel section below.

After May 10th, you will not be able to register online. You must contact Bishop Jason Grote ([email protected]) to see if there is still availability for the meals.

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Hotel Information

We are hosting our event at the Omni Hotel Richmond in downtown Richmond, VA. The hotel is located about 8 miles from the Richmond airport (RIC). You can choose to rent a vehicle, but note that the hotel  only offers valet parking (discounted to $32/nt). If you are flying, it may be more cost effective to Uber and to take the charter bus ($20 per seat) from the hotel to the church on Wednesday morning. The rest of the activities for General Council will all be at the hotel, so there won’t be a need for a vehicle unless you wish to sight-see. The hotel does offer a free shuttle within a 5-mile radius, but this does not include the airport or the church.  

The group rate is $172/nt (double occupancy). We have currently exceeded our blocked rooms and the hotel has graciously extended a few more rooms to us until May 10th. Unfortunately, the only rooms available are rooms with two double beds instead of Kings/Queens.

You can use the blue button below to reserve your room(s). It should automatically apply our group code and cost. If you prefer to call the hotel to make a reservation, you can use the phone number below and tell them that you are with the 2026 General Council (group code 060926EPISGEN).

Council will begin first thing on Wednesday morning. It is recommended that you arrange your travel and arrival for check-in on Tuesday afternoon/evening. We plan to adjourn Council no later than 3pm on Friday. You may arrange your choice of travel knowing that information.

Note: The Diocese of Central States members will host a Synod on Tuesday from 1pm to 4pm. If your Tuesday travels will not allow enough time, we encourage you to arrive on Monday instead.

The Omni Hotel Richmond
100 South 12th Street
Richmond, VA 23219

Phone: 800-344-7000
Hotel Website

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Reports & Journal

The report packet for General Council 2026 and the Journal of the previous Council (2023) will be available electronically on this site by May 24th. They will also be emailed to each registrant at the email address provided during registration. Most people will download these reports to their devices and/or print their own personal copy in advance of General Council.

You should read through the current report packet PRIOR to General Council. This will allow us to file many reports and move efficiently through our business. You do not need to print these reports, but you should have them available on your electronic devices during the business sessions.

We do NOT print or distribute reports at General Council.

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FAQ

If you have any questions or problems about registration, please contact Bishop Jason Grote at [email protected]

This section will continue to be updated. Please check back for additional details.