Resolution Number: 2012-D019
Title: Amend Canon I.17.5 [Rights of Laity]
Legislative Action Taken: Concurred as Amended
Final Text:

Resolved, That Title I, Canon 17, Sec. 5 of the Canons of The Episcopal Church be hereby amended to read as follows:

Sec. 5. No one shall be denied rights, status or access to an equal place in the life, worship, and governance of this Church because of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disabilities or age, except as otherwise specified by Canons.

Citation: General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Indianapolis, 2012 (New York: General Convention, 2012), pp. 505-506.

Legislative History

Author: The Hon. Byron Rushing
Originating House: House of Bishops
Originating Committee: Ministry

House of Bishops

The House of Bishops Committee on Ministry presented its Report #15 on Resolution D019 (Amend Canon I.17.5 - Extending the Rights of Laity) and moved adoption with amendment.

Original Text of Resolution

(D019)

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That Title I, Canon 17, Sec. 5 of the Canons of the Episcopal Church be hereby amended to read as follows:

No one shall be denied rights, status or access to an equal place in the life, worship, and governance of this Church because of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disabilities or age, except as otherwise specified by Canons.

Committee Amendment

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That Title I, Canon 17, Sec. 5 of the Canons of the Episcopal Church be hereby amended to read as follows:

No one shall be denied rights, status or access to an equal place in the life, worship, and governance of this Church because of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or and expression, disabilities or age, except as otherwise specified by Canons.

The question was called.

Motion carried

Debate terminated

A vote was taken on Resolution D019.

Motion carried

Resolution adopted with amendment

(Communicated to the House of Deputies in HB Message # 66)

House of Deputies

The House of Deputies Committee on Ministry presented its Report #17 on HB Message #66 on Resolution D019 (Amend Canon I.17.5 - Extending the Rights of Laity) and moved concurrence.

Deputy Turner of Central Florida moved to amend the resolution.

Proposed Amendment

Replace “because of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or and expression, disabilities or age, except as otherwise” with “except as”.

Deputy King of Western New York moved the previous question.

Deputy Fish of Albany asked the President for a hearing of testimony in favor of the amendment before the President’s calling the question to end debate.

The President ruled that deputies who had been at the microphones in support of the amendment could speak before the House voted to end the current debate.

A vote was taken on the motion to move the previous question.

Motion carried

Debate terminated

A vote was taken on the amendment.

Motion defeated

Amendment defeated

Deputy Hart of Pennsylvania moved the previous question.

Motion carried

Debate terminated

Deputy Ambos of New Jersey asked the President to clarify whether the House was concurring with adoption or referral. At the President’s request, the Secretary explained that, as communicated in House of Bishops Message #66, the House of Bishops had passed an amended resolution and that the House of Deputies Committee on Ministry was recommending concurrence of the resolution as amended.

Motion carried

The House concurred

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

Resolution Concurred by Both Houses, July 9.

Abstract:   The 77th General Convention amends Canon I.17.5 to include gender identity and expression among reasons why no one shall be denied rights, status, or equal access in the Church.