The Acts of Convention

House of Bishops

The House of Bishops Committee on Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music presented its Report #20 on Resolution C010 (Invite All to Holy Communion) and moved adoption.

Original Text of Resolution:

(C010)

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 78th General Convention of the Episcopal Church expresses awareness of growing favor within the Episcopal Church for a practice commonly called “Open Table,” that all persons, baptized and unbaptized, may be invited to receive Holy Communion, and

Expresses awareness that some communities within the Episcopal Church have already been experimenting with the practice of Open Table on an unofficial basis, and that it has not been unknown in the history of the Church for changes in local practice occasionally to precede and inform changes in wider-Church doctrine; and

Expresses awareness of the complexity of changing the canons for authorizing the practice of Open Table on an official church-wide basis, recognizing that there are significant liturgical, theological, relational, and other factors deserving of our careful and ongoing discernment; and be it further

Resolved, That the 78th General Convention calls for the formation of a task force, the members of which shall be jointly appointed by the Presiding Bishop and President of the House of Deputies, to study and facilitate church-wide dialogue concerning the practice of Open Table in consultation with the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, the Standing Commission on Constitution and Canons, the Standing Commission on Interreligious and Ecumenical Relations, and the Theology Committee in the House of Bishops, and to report its findings and recommendations to the 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church; and be it further

Resolved, That the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget, and Finance consider a budget allocation of $10,000 per year of the 2015-2018 triennium for the implementation of this Resolution.

Proposed Amendment:

The Rt. Rev. W. Andrew Waldo (Upper South Carolina) moved an amendment in paragraph one of the second Resolve adding "include a balance of diverse theological perspectives" after the word "shall".

The question was called.

Motion carried

Debate terminated

A vote was taken on the amendment.

Motion carried

Amendment adopted

A vote was taken on Resolution C010.

The results of the vote were: 77 Yes and 79 No.

Motion defeated

Resolution rejected

(Communicated to the House of Deputies in HB Message #137)