| Resolution Number: | 1994-C004 |
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| Title: | Reaffirm Canon on Equal Access to Ordination Process for Men and Women |
| Legislative Action Taken: | Concurred As Substituted and Amended |
| Final Text: | |
Resolved, The 71st General Convention reaffirms the existing canon, Title III.8.1, guaranteeing both men and women access to the ordination process in this Church; and be it further
Resolved, This General Convention recognizes that women are not ordained to the priesthood in all dioceses at this time; and be it further
Resolved, This General Convention acknowledges that those who support and those who oppose the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate each hold a recognized theological position in this Church; and be it further
Resolved, That the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies, in consultation with two bishops, whom they shall designate, from the dioceses where such ordinations do not occur, appoint a committee to promote dialogue and understanding and to discuss how the canon can be implemented in every diocese of this Church; and be it further
Resolved, That the following shall be among the matters discussed:
- Opportunities for full access for women to the ordination process in this Church;
- Opportunities for ordained women to carry out their ministries in every diocese of this Church;
- Opportunities for congregations that desire the ministries of ordained women to have access to them in every diocese; and
- Opportunities for those persons who oppose the ordination of women to have access to the ordination process and to carry out their ministries in every diocese; and be it further
Resolved, That this committee shall report to the interim meeting of the House of Bishops in 1995 and subsequently to the Executive Council.
| Citation: | General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Indianapolis, 1994 (New York: General Convention, 1995), p. 842. |
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Legislative History
| Author: | |
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| Originating House: | House of Bishops |
| Originating Committee: | Committee on Ministry |
House of Bishops
Original Text of Resolution:
(C004)
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That Canon III.14.4(a)(1) be amended by adding the following sentence at the end thereof:
No Member of the Clergy who has been invited to officiate within a Congregation in accordance herewith shall be prohibited from doing so because of being a woman or a man; and be it further
Resolved, That Canon III.16.2 be amended by adding the following sentence at the end thereof:
No member of the Clergy shall be denied a license because of being a woman or a man; and be it further
Resolved, That Canon III.16(d) be amended by adding the following sentence at the end thereof:
No member of the Clergy shall be denied Letters Dismissory because of being a woman or a man. Nor shall the Ecclesiastical Authority refuse to accept Letters Dismissory because the member of the Clergy on whose behalf they are presented is a woman or a man; and be it further
Resolved, That Canon III.17.3 be amended by adding the following as the penultimate sentence thereof:
The fact of being female or male shall not be a factor in the Ecclesiastical Authority's determination of whether such person is a duly qualified Priest.
Proposed Committee Substitute:
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 71st General Convention reaffirms the existing canon, Canon III.8.1, guaranteeing both men and women access to the ordination process in this Church; and be it further
Resolved, That this General Convention recognizes that this canon is not implemented in all dioceses at this time; and be it further
Resolved, That the Presiding Bishop and the President to the House of Deputies, in consultation with two bishops, whom they shall designate, from the dioceses where the canon is not implemented, appoint a committee to promote dialogue and understanding and to discuss how the canon can be implemented in every diocese of this Church; and be it further
Resolved, That the following shall be among the matters discussed:
- Opportunities for full access for women to the ordination process in this Church;
- Opportunities for ordained women to carry out their ministries in every diocese of this Church;
- Opportunities for congregations that desire the ministries of ordained women to have access to them in every diocese;
- Opportunities for those persons who oppose the ordination of women to have access to the ordination process and to carry out their ministries in every diocese providing they uphold the discipline of this Church; and be it further
Resolved, That this committee shall report to the interim meeting of the House of Bishops in 1995 and subsequently to the Executive Council.
The Presiding Bishop asked that the House meet in table groups to discuss Resolution C004.
The House rose from table groups at 3:10 p.m.
The Bishop of Eau Claire moved the substitution of the original text of Resolution C004.
The Bishop of Colorado moved to table the resolution.
Motion defeated
Debate continued on the committee's substitute for C004.
Proposed Amendment:
Bishop Parsons moved to amend the substitute resolution by adding at the end of the fourth resolved, "since they hold a theological position recognized in this Church."
The Bishop of East Tennessee moved the previous question.
Motion carried
Debate terminated
A vote was taken on Bishop Parsons' amendment.
Motion carried
Amendment adopted
The Bishop of New Hampshire moved to omit in the fourth resolved "providing they uphold the discipline of this Church."
Motion carried
Amendment adopted
The Bishop of Eau Claire moved to amend as follows:
Proposed Amendment:
- In the second resolved delete "this canon is not implemented" and insert "women are not ordained to priesthood".
- In the third resolved delete "the canon is not implemented," and insert "such ordinations do not occur".
- In the third resolved delete in the last clause "implemented" and replace it with "addressed."
The Bishop of Pennsylvania moved the previous question on the Bishop of Eau Claire's amendment.
Motion carried
Debate terminated
Bishop Charles requested that the question be divided.
A vote was taken on the first section of the amendment.
Motion carried
Amendment adopted
A vote was taken on the second section of the amendment.
Motion carried
Amendment adopted
A vote was taken on the third section of the amendment.
Motion carried
Amendment adopted
A division was called for on the third section. There were 78 "yes" votes and 70 "no" votes.
The Bishop of Eau Claire withdrew his motion to substitute.
Bishop MacBurney moved to substitute the original text of Resolution C004.
Motion defeated
The Bishop of East Tennessee moved the previous question.
Motion carried
Debate terminated
A vote was taken on the committee's substitute as amended.
Motion carried
Substitute resolution adopted as amended
(Communicated to the House of Deputies in HB Message #181)
House of Deputies
Committee No. 16 on Ministry presented its Report #21 on House of Bishops Message #181 relating to Resolution C004s (Amend Canons to Prevent Discrimination Against Ordained Women). The Committee recommended that the House concur with the substitute resolution with an amendment.
Deputy Robbins of Southern Ohio, Vice-Chair of Committee No.16 on Ministry, presented the committee amendment.
Proposed Committee Amendment:
In line 20, strike the word "addressed" and restore the word "implemented" which had been stricken.
In line 29, strike the words "since they hold a theological position recognized in this church".
Debate followed.
Deputy Koscheski of South Carolina moved an amendment to C004s, as follows:
Proposed Amendment:
Following the fourth resolved, add:
"Resolved, that under provision of Section 2 of the third resolved, no bishop of any diocese which has a clergy sexual conduct policy which prohibits genital heterosexual or homosexual behavior outside the arena of Christian marriage be required to offer non-celibate lesbians the opportunity to carry out their ministries in his or her diocese; and be it further".
Debate followed on the Koscheski amendment to C004s.
The question was called to terminate debate on the Koscheski amendment to C004s.
Motion carried
Debate terminated
A vote was taken on the Koscheski amendment to C004s.
Motion defeated
Koscheski amendment defeated
Deputy Baer of Western Louisiana moved an amendment to C004s.
Proposed Amendment:
Strike the committee amendment and return to the original House of Bishops' substitute language.
Debate followed.
The clerical deputations from Atlanta, California, El Camino Real, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Vermont and Washington; and the lay deputations from Atlanta, California, El Camino Real, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, and Virginia moved a vote by orders on the Baer amendment.
Deputy Bradberry of Southern Virginia moved to extend debate on C004s for ten minutes.
Motion defeated
A vote by orders was taken on the Baer amendment to C004s.
The Secretary read the results of Ballot #18 (Baer Amendment to C004s).
| Type | Total | Necessary | Yes | No | Divided | Results | |||
| Lay : | 109 | 55 | 35 | 66 | 8 | Defeated | |||
| Clerical: | 109 | 55 | 32 | 67 | 10 | Defeated |
Baer amendment defeated
Deputy Hanna of Pennsylvania requested that the Chair declare Ballot #18: Vote by Orders, moot, based on HD Rule of Order XII.47. The Chair overruled the Hanna request. Deputy Hanna challenged the ruling of the Chair.
A vote was taken on the ruling of the Chair.
Chair upheld
The question was called to terminate debate on C004s.
Motion carried
Debate terminated
The clerical deputations from Fort Worth and the lay deputations from Quincy and San Joaquin requested a vote by orders on the proposed amendment to C004s.
Ballot #19 was taken on the proposed amendment to C004s, by orders.
The Secretary read the results of Ballot #19 on C004s (Amend Canons to Prevent Discrimination Against Ordained Women).
| Type | Total | Necessary | Yes | No | Divided | Results | |||
| Lay | 109 | 55 | 91 | 12 | 6 | Carried | |||
| Clerical | 110 | 56 | 88 | 14 | 8 | Carried |
Motion carried
The House concurred with amendment
(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message #319)
House of Bishops
The Presiding Bishop, at the request of the House of Deputies, appointed a Committee of Conference on the matter of Resolution C004sa (Amend Canons to Prevent Discrimination Against Ordained Women) consisting of the Bishop of Atlanta, the Bishop of Western North Carolina, the Bishop of Central New York, and the Bishop of Bethlehem.
House of Deputies
Deputy McGonigle of Texas reported that the Committee on Conference unanimously agreed to adopt the language of the House of Deputies on C004sa (Amend Canons to Prevent Discrimination Against Ordained Women). The House acknowledged the announcement with applause.
The Chair reminded the House that the House of Bishops had yet to act on the matter.
House of Bishops
The Committee on Ministry presented a report from the Committee of Conference on House of Deputies Message #319 on Resolution C004sa (Amend Canons to Prevent Discrimination Against Ordained Women) and moved concurrence.
Proposed Substitute:
(C004sa)
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, the 71st General Convention reaffirms the existing canon, Title III.8.1, guaranteeing both men and women access to the ordination process in this Church; and be it further
Resolved, That this General Convention recognizes that women are not ordained to the priesthood in all dioceses at this time; and be it further
Resolved, That the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies, in consultation with two bishops, whom they shall designate, from the dioceses where such ordinations do not occur, appoint a committee to promote dialogue and understanding and to discuss how the canon can be implemented in every diocese of this Church; and be it further
Resolved, That the following shall be among the matters discussed:
- Opportunities for full access for women to the ordination process in this Church;
- Opportunities for ordained women to carry out their ministries in every diocese of this Church;
- Opportunities for congregations that desire the ministries of ordained women to have access to them in every diocese;
- Opportunities for those persons who oppose the ordination of women to have access to the ordination process and to carry out their ministries in every diocese since they hold a theological position recognized in this Church; and be it further
Resolved, That this committee shall report to the interim meeting of the House of Bishops in 1995 and subsequently to the Executive Council.
The Bishop of Milwaukee moved to amend by adding after the second resolved the following:
Proposed Amendment:
Resolved, this General Convention acknowledges that those who support and those who oppose the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate each hold a recognized theological position in this Church.
The Presiding Bishop asked that the House meet in table groups at 5:00 p.m.
The House rose from table groups at 5:10 p.m.
The Presiding Bishop asked that the House move into a Committee of the Whole to perfect the motion, and the Chair of the Committee on Dispatch so moved.
Motion carried
The House rose from the Committee of the Whole at 5:40 p.m. The Bishop of Northern Indiana moved the previous question on the Bishop of Milwaukee's amendment.
Motion carried
Debate terminated
A vote was taken on the Bishop of Milwaukee's amendment.
Motion carried
Amendment adopted
The Bishop of Eau Claire moved to replace "implemented" with "addressed" in the fourth resolved.
Bishop Charles moved the previous question.
Motion carried
Debate terminated
A vote was taken on the Bishop of Eau Claire's amendment.
Motion defeated
Amendment rejected
A vote was taken on the concurrence with Resolution C004sa as amended.
The House concurred with amendment
(Communicated to the House of Deputies in HB Message #287)
House of Deputies
Deputy McGonigle of Texas, Chair of Committee No. 16 on Ministry, read the amendment adopted by the House of Bishops on C004sa (Amend Canon to Prevent Discrimination against Ordained Women).
Deputy McGonigle of Texas, moved C004sa, as amended by the House of Bishops, recommending further debate.
Debate followed.
The question was called to terminate debate on C004sa.
Motion carried
Debate terminated
Deputy Russell of West Tennessee requested that the Secretary be asked to call the roll.
The Chair ruled that there was a quorum.
Deputy Russell of West Tennessee appealed the ruling of the Chair.
A vote was taken to sustain the ruling of the Chair that a quorum was present.
Chair upheld
Quorum present
A vote was taken on C004sa.
The House concurred
(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message # 364)
Resolution Concurred by Both Houses, September 2.
| Abstract: | The 71st General Convention reaffirms Canon Title III.8.1 which guarantees to both men and women access to the ordination process. It recognizes the theological positions of those who support and those who oppose the ordination of women and directs that a committee discuss how the canon can be implemented in every diocese. |
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