Resolution Number: 2009-C061
Title: On the Topic of Amending Title III.1.2 [Access to Discernment Process]
Legislative Action Taken: Rejected
Final Text:

Resolution Rejected by Non-concurrence. See Legislative History for original text of resolution.

Citation: General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Anaheim, 2009 (New York: General Convention, 2009), p. 607.

Legislative History

Author: Diocese of Massachusetts
Originating House: House of Deputies
Originating Committee: Committee on World Mission

House of Deputies

The House of Deputies Committee on World Mission presented its Report #23 on Resolution C061 (Amend Title III.1.2) and moved adoption with amendment.

Original Text of Resolution:

(C061)

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That Title III, Canon 1, Sec. 2 of the Canons of The Episcopal Church is hereby amended to read as follows: No person shall be denied access to the discernment process for any ministry, lay or ordained, in this Church because of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disabilities or age, except as otherwise provided by these Canons. No right to licensing, ordination or election is hereby established.

Committee Amendment:

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That Title III, Canon 1, Sec. 2 of the Canons of The Episcopal Church is hereby amended to read as follows: No personAll baptized persons shall be deniedhave full access to the discernment process for any ministry in this Church, lay or ordained, in this Churchexcept as otherwise provided by these Canons. No person shall be denied access or have his or her discernment process terminated because of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disabilities or age, except as otherwise provided by these Canons. No right to licensing, ordination or election is hereby established.

Vote by Orders

Deputy Michell of Dallas, on behalf of the Clergy deputations of Dallas, Albany and Central Florida, requested a vote by orders.

Deputy Haskell of Albany moved to amend the resolution.

Proposed Amendment:

Delete the words “or expression.”

Deputy Trambley of Northwestern Pennsylvania moved the previous question on the amendment and the main motion.

Motion carried

Debate terminated

A vote was taken on the amendment.

Motion defeated

Amendment defeated

Deputy Shambaugh of Maine moved to amend the calendar to extend the adjournment time for the day to 7:00 p.m.

Motion defeated

Ballot #3 — Vote By Orders

A Vote By Orders was taken on Resolution C061 as amended.

Ballot #3 taken by orders

Results of Ballot #3: Vote By Orders on Resolution C061

The Secretary read the results of Ballot #3 including the no and divided votes by diocese:

DioceseLayClergy
AlabamaND
AlaskaYD
AlbanyNN
ArizonaYY
ArkansasYD
AtlantaYY
BethlehemYY
CaliforniaYY
Central EcuadorYY
Central FloridaNN
Central Gulf CoastND
Central New YorkYY
Central PennsylvaniaYY
ChicagoYY
Churches in EuropeYY
ColombiaYY
ColoradoYY
ConnecticutYY
DallasNN
DelawareYY
Dominican RepublicNN
East Carolina YY
East Tennessee YY
Eastern MichiganYY
Eastern Oregon YY
EastonYY
Eau ClaireYY
El Camino RealYY
FloridaNY
Fond du LacNN
Fort WorthYN
GeorgiaNY
HaitiNN
HawaiiYD
HondurasNN
IdahoYY
IndianapolisYY
IowaYY
KansasYY
KentuckyYY
LexingtonYY
Litoral Ecuador
Long IslandYY
Los AngelesYY
LouisianaNN
MaineYY
MarylandYY
MassachusettsYY
MichiganYY
MilwaukeeYY
MinnesotaYY
MississippiYD
MissouriYY
MontanaYY
Navajoland Area MissionDD
NebraskaYY
Nevada YY
New HampshireYY
New JerseyYY
New YorkYY
Newark YY
North CarolinaYY
North DakotaYN
Northern CaliforniaYY
Northern IndianaYN
Northern MichiganYY
Northwest TexasYY
Northwestern PennsylvaniaYN
OhioYY
OklahomaYN
OlympiaYY
Oregon YY
PennsylvaniaYY
PittsburghDN
Puerto RicoYY
Quincy YN
Rhode IslandYY
Rio GrandeNN
RochesterYY
San DiegoYY
San JoaquinYY
South CarolinaNN
South DakotaNY
Southeast FloridaYY
Southern OhioYY
Southern VirginiaYN
Southwest FloridaYN
Southwestern VirginiaYY
SpokaneYY
SpringfieldNN
TaiwanNN
TennesseeNN
TexasDN
Upper South CarolinaNN
UtahYY
Venezuela
VermontYY
Virgin IslandsDN
VirginiaNY
WashingtonYY
West MissouriYY
West TennesseeYD
West TexasDN
West VirginiaYY
Western KansasDN
Western LouisianaNN
Western MassachusettsYD
Western MichiganYY
Western New YorkYY
Western North CarolinaYY
WyomingYY
TypeTotalNecessaryYesNoDividedNo+DivResults
Lay:109558221627Carried
Clergy:109557228937Carried

Motion carried

Resolution adopted with amendment

(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message #149)

House of Bishops

The House of Bishops Committee on World Mission presented its Report #45 on HD Message #149 on Resolution C061 (Amend Title III.1.2) and moved concurrence.

The Bishop of Southwest Florida moved an amendment.

Proposed Amendment:

Delete the words “or have his or her discernment process terminated.”

The Bishop Suffragan of New York moved an amendment to the amendment.

Proposed Amendment:

Delete the entire sentence: “No person shall be denied access or have his or her discernment process terminated because of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disabilities or age, except as otherwise provided by these Canons.”

Motion carried

Amendment adopted

The Bishop of North Carolina moved to refer the resolution to the Standing Commission on Ministry Development.

Motion defeated

Referral defeated

A vote was taken on Resolution C061 as amended.

Motion carried

The House concurred with amendment

(Communicated to the House of Deputies in HB Message #197)

House of Deputies

The House of Deputies Committee on World Mission presented its Report #56 on Resolution C061 (Amend Title III.1.2) and moved the resolution, recommending rejection.

Deputy King of Western New York moved the previous question.

Motion carried

Debate terminated

A vote was taken on Resolution C061. The voice vote being inconclusive, the President called for an electronic vote. The result of the electronic vote was: Yes, 424 votes (60.1%) and No, 282 votes (39.9%).

Motion carried

Resolution rejected

Resolution Rejected: Adopted by One House Only

Abstract:   The 76th General Convention rejects a resolution to amend Title III.1.2 to add gender identity and expression to the list of attributes that cannot be used to deny access to ordination.
Notes:  

Resolutions 2009-C001 and 2009-C046 were discharged because the matter was already acted on in 2009-C061.