Structure Commission Considering Recommendations for General Convention
Diocesan Press Service. December 23, 1974 [74364]
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- The Standing Commission on the Structure of the Church held its second meeting in St. Louis November 21-23, 1974, with all but one member present. The Rev. John B. Coburn, President of the House of Deputies, also attended.
Committees of the Commission on Executive Function, Legislative Function, Judicial Function and Regional Groupings met preceding the Commission sessions. In preparing for their reports these Committees had sent letters and questionnaires to Bishops, Deputies, Triennial Delegates, Executive Council members, Diocesan Chancellors and other Church leaders to secure their views on various issues.
The Commission will distribute throughout the Church copies of a preliminary report containing the principal items to be presented to the 65th General Convention in Minneapolis in 1976. Comments will be requested of the recipients of the preliminary report and will be taken into consideration in the drafting of the Commission's final report.
Significant items approved by the Commission for inclusion in the preliminary report include:
Recommendation of a Joint Committee on Nominations for Presiding Bishop to consist of one Bishop, one Clerical and one Lay Deputy from each province, the Bishops to be elected by the House of Bishops upon nomination of the Bishops from the respective Provinces and the Clerical and Lay members to be elected by the House of Deputies upon nomination by the respective Provinces. Nominations for Presiding Bishop are to be reported to a Joint Session at General Convention which will be open for discussion of the nominees and at which, additional nominations may be made by Bishops and Deputies from their respective Provinces.
Recommendation that two members of the Executive Council be elected by each Province, one a Bishop or Presbyter, and the other a lay person, that Provincial representatives be elected for the same terms as those members elected by the General Convention, that Provincial members be elected on a rotating basis in the same manner as members elected by General Convention are elected and hold office, and that should General Convention meet biannually each member of the Executive Council would serve a four year term.
Recommendation that the Committees on Constitution and on Canons of the two Houses be combined into a Joint Standing Committee on Constitution and Canons which not only would meet during General Convention, but in the interim to consider in advance of General Convention proposed amendments to the Constitution and Canons.
A majority of the Commission was of the preliminary opinion that there is no necessity for a Judicial Council or other national body to interpret the Constitution and Canons, but the preliminary report will solicit further opinions from the Church at large as to whether such an interpretive body is needed.
The final meeting of the Commission is scheduled for November 20-22, 1975.
Members of the Commission are: Bishop William H. Folwell of Central Florida; Bishop Richard Millard, Suffragan of California; Bishop Milton L. Wood, Jr., executive for administration of Episcopal Church Center staff, New York City; the Rev. George E. Bates, Pendleton, Ore.; the Rev. Robert R. Parks, New York City; the Rev. Joseph A. Pelham, Rochester, N.Y.; Mrs. Donald C. Barnum, Bethlehem, Pa.; George W. Brandt, New York City; Charles M. Crump, Memphis, Tenn.; John H. Farquharson, Boston, Mass.; Paul M. Roca, chairman, Phoenix, Ariz.; Ross H. Sidney, Des Moines, Iowa; and K. Wade Bennett, consultant, Los Angeles, Calif.