| Resolution Number: | 1976-B005 |
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| Title: | Amend Canon III.9 [Add Sec. 1: Of General Provisions Respecting Ordination] |
| Legislative Action Taken: | Concurred |
| Final Text: | |
Resolved, That a new Section 1 of Title III, Canon 9 be adopted, with renumbering of the present Section 1 and following, the said Section 1 to read as follows:
Section 1. The provisions of these canons for the admission of Candidates, and for the Ordination to the three Orders: Bishops, Priests and Deacons shall be equally applicable to men and women.
| Citation: | General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Minneapolis, 1976 (New York: General Convention, 1977), p. C-52. |
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Legislative History
| Author: | |
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| Originating House: | House of Bishops |
| Originating Committee: | Committee on Ministry |
House of Bishops
On the fourth day, the Bishop of Maine, Chairman of the Advisory Committee to the House of Bishops, called upon Bishop Richards to outline further procedure for group meetings to continue to discussion on the Ordination of Women.
The Bishop of Chicago, Chairman of the Committee on Ministry, distributed a proposed Resolution to initiate discussion.
The House recessed at 11:27 a.m. for the Bishops to convene with their groups.
The Presiding Bishop convened the House of Bishops at 2:04 p.m.
The Chairman of the Committee for the Dispatch of Business proposed that the First Report of the Committee on Ministry concerning the Ordination of Women be open to a two hour debate.
The Bishop of Chicago, Chairman of the Committee on Ministry, reported and moved the adoption of the Resolution (B-5).
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, that a new Section 1 of Title III, Canon 9 be adopted, with renumbering of the present Section 1 and following, the said Section 1 to read as follows:
Section 1. The provisions of these canons for the admission of Candidates, and for the Ordination to the three Orders: Bishops, Priests and Deacons shall be equally applicable to men and women.
Bishop Gordon seconded the motion.
The Bishop of Oregon presented the following Resolution (Substitute--Ordination of Women):
Whereas, requirements for Ordination are governed by the Constitution of the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A., and the Ordinal of The Book of Common Prayer, therefore
Be it resolved, that Article VIII of said Constitution be amended pursuant to the process set forth in Article XI, by substituting the words "he or she" for the word "he" in lines two and seven of paragraph one of Article VIII, and in line three of the last paragraph thereof, and be it further
Resolved, that the appropriate Committees be directed to bring all Canons relating to Ministry, and the Ordinal of this Church into compliance with this Article as amended.
The Bishop of East Carolina seconded the motion.
After the discussion of the original and substitute motions, the Presiding Bishop called for the beginning of the two hour debate at 2:40 p.m.
After two hours of debate, the Bishop of Dallas moved that the debate cease.
Seconded by Bishop Mosley.
Motion carried
The Bishop of Colorado moved that the Rules of the House be suspended in order that a motion could be entertained to require a two-thirds vote on the motion for substitution.
Seconded by the Bishop of Lexington.
Motion defeated
The vote of substitution was then taken, and the substitution was defeated by a vote of 59 for, and 96 against.
The vote on the original motion (B-5) as presented by the Committee on Ministry was 95 for, 61 against and 2 abstained.
The Roll Call vote is recorded as follows:
Affirmative
Bishop Barton
Bishop Gordon (Resigned)
Bishop Gibson
Bishop Welles
Bishop Burrill
The Bishop Suffragan for the American Congregations in Europe
The National Coordinator for the House of Bishops Committee on Pastoral Development
Bishop Stark
The Bishop of the Central Gulf Coast
Bishop Mosley
Bishop Marmion
The Bishop of Southwestern Virginia
Bishop Doll
Bishop Goddard
The Bishop of Indianapolis
The Bishop of Central & South Mexico
The Bishop of Minnesota
Bishop Corrigan
The Bishop of Southern Virginia
Bishop Blanchard
The Bishop of the Southern Philippines
The Bishop of Washington
The Bishop Suffragan of California
The Bishop of Western Michigan
Bishop Kellogg, Paul (Retired)
The Bishop Suffragan of New York (Wetmore)
The Bishop of North Carolina
The Bishop of South Carolina
Bishop Butterfield
The Bishop Coadjutor of Tennessee
Bishop Burgess
The Bishop Suffragan of Oklahoma
The Bishop of New York
The Bishop of Newark
The Bishop of Central New York
The Bishop of Kentucky
The Bishop Coadjutor of West Texas
The Bishop of California
The Bishop of Puerto Rico
The Bishop of North Dakota
The Bishop of Texas
The Bishop Suffragan of Oregon
The Bishop of Western Kansas
The Bishop of New Jersey
The Bishop of Central Pennsylvania
The Bishop of Virginia
The Executive for Ministries
The Bishop of Ohio
The Bishop of Easton
The Bishop of Spokane
The Bishop of Rochester
The Executive for Administration
The Bishop of Arkansas
The Bishop of Hawaii
The Bishop of Pittsburgh
The Bishop of Western New York
The Bishop of Montana
The Bishop of East Carolina
The Bishop of Maine
The Bishop of Maryland
The Bishop of Costa Rica
The Bishop of Eastern Oregon
The Bishop of Wyoming
The Bishop of New Hampshire
The Bishop of Western Massachusetts
The Bishop of Bethlehem
The Bishop of Taiwan
The Bishop of Alabama
The Bishop of Southern Ohio
The Bishop Suffragan of Washington
The Bishop of Utah
The Bishop of Rhodes Island
The Bishop of Michigan
The Bishop Coadjutor of Connecticut
The Bishop of the Rio Grande
The Bishop of Iowa
The Bishop Suffragan of Massachusetts
The Bishop of Panama and the Canal Zone
The Bishop of Nevada
The Bishop of the Dominican Republic
The Bishop Suffragan of Chicago
The Bishop of Upper South Carolina
The Bishop of West Virginia
The Bishop Suffragan of Virginia
The Bishop of Erie
The Bishop of Vermont
The Bishop of Mississippi
The Bishop of Florida
The Bishop of Alaska
The Bishop Suffragan of New Jersey
The Bishop of Missouri
The Bishop of Delaware
The Bishop of Northern Michigan
The Bishop Coadjutor of Newark
The Bishop Coadjutor of Arizona
Negative
Bishop Gesner
Bishop Gooden, Heber (Resigned)
Bishop Moody
Bishop Watson
The Bishop of Oklahoma
Bishop Higgins
The Bishop of Fond du Lac
The Bishop of Arizona
The Bishop of Tennessee
Bishop Carman
The Bishop of Kansas
The Bishop of Northern California
Bishop Brown, Allen
Bishop Thayer
The Bishop of Connecticut
The Bishop of Southeast Florida
The Bishop of Chicago
Bishop Chambers
The Bishop Suffragan of Albany
The Bishop of Western Mexico
The Bishop Suffragan of Oregon
The Bishop Suffragan of Tennessee
The Bishop of Colorado
The Bishop of West Texas
The Bishop of San Joaquin
The Bishop of Nicaragua
The Bishop of the Southern Philippines
The Bishop of Eau Claire
The Bishop of Georgia
The Bishop of Central Florida
The Bishop of Lexington
The Bishop of Dallas
The Bishop of South Dakota
The Bishop of Liberia
The Bishop Suffragan to the Armed Forces
The Bishop of Ecuador
The Bishop of Haiti
The Bishop of West Missouri
The Bishop of Northwest Texas
The Bishop of Colombia
The Bishop of Springfield
The Bishop of the Virgin Islands
The Bishop of Idaho
The Bishop of Northern Indiana
The Bishop Suffragan of Maryland
The Bishop of Guatemala
The Bishop of Milwaukee
The Bishop of Western North Carolina
The Bishop of Quincy
The Bishop of Oregon
The Bishop Suffragan of New York (Wright)
The Bishop of Albany
The Bishop of San Diego
The Bishop of Southwest Florida
The Bishop Coadjutor of Long Island
The Bishop of the Northern Philippines
The Bishop Suffragan of Dallas
The Bishop of Olympia
The Bishop Suffragan of Texas
The Bishop of Louisiana
The Bishop Coadjutor of Southern Virginia
Abstain
Bishop Hobson
The Bishop of Northern Mexico
Resolution adopted
(Communicated to the House of Deputies in HB Message #56)
The Bishop of Eau Claire read the following statement:
We stand committed to the Episcopal Church, and we are determined to live and work within it. We cannot accept with a good conscience the action of this House. We believe that to do so would violate our ordination vows to be faithful to and to defend the Word of God in Holy Scripture.
Furthermore, we cannot acknowledge the authority of this General Convention to decide unilaterally and in the face of the expressed disapproval of our Roman, Old Catholic and Orthodox brethren, a question which ought to be decided by an ecumenical consensus.
The ordination and consecration of women priests and bishops will raise for us the gravest of questions--that is, how far this Church can accept such ministrations without fatally compromising its position as a Catholic and Apostolic Body. We ask our brothers in this House to take heart our resolution. We ask the whole Church to take note of our unshaken loyalty to the Episcopal Church, its teachings, its spirituality, its priesthood and its sacraments.
"I concur in this statement that has been read to the House, and I wish my name to be recorded as concurring."
Joseph Harte
Paul Reeves
A. Donald Davies
William H. Folwell
Edwin B. Thayer
John VanderHorst
Albert W. Hillestad
Robert E. Terwillinger
George Browne
E. Paul Haynes
Robert C. Witcher
Addison Hosea
William R. Moody
A. Carral
Melchor Saucedo-Mendoza
Stanley Atkins
Charles E. Hobgood
Walter Jones
Edward M. Turner
William R. Sheridan
Clarence R. Haden, Jr.
Edward C. Turner
Robert M. Wolterstorff
W. Fred Gates, Jr.
Roger H. Cilley
Albert A. Chambers
Richard A. Abellon
Luc A. J. Garnier
Charles B. Persell
William H. Brady
James B. Brown
C. Charles Vache
Robert H. Mize
The Parliamentarian moved that the provisions of B-5--The Ordination of Women--Title III, Canon 3, Section 1, take effect immediately.
The motion was seconded by Bishop Barton.
Motion carried
Bishop Mosley who voted for the motion moved reconsideration because of many signing the statement by the Bishop of Eau Claire when the vote was taken.
The motion was seconded by the Chairman of Dispatch of Business.
Motion to reconsider passed
The Bishop of Southeast Florida then moved that the motion B-5 take effect immediately to be tabled.
The motion was seconded by the Bishop of South Carolina.
Motion defeated
Bishop Mosley then moved that the vote on the motion that B-5 take effect immediately to be postponed.
The motion was seconded by the Bishop of Western Massachusetts.
The motion to postpone carried 73 to 63.
Motion to postpone carried
House of Deputies
On the Fifth Day, the Chairman of the Committee on Ministry, the Very Rev. David Collins (Atlanta), presented Report #3 of the Committee regarding Resolution B-5 and House of Bishops Message #56, new Title III, Canon 9, Sec. 1, as follows:
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, that a new Section 1 of Title III, Canon 9 be adopted, with renumbering of the present Section 1 and following, the said Section 1 to read as follows:
Section 1. The provisions of these canons for the admission of Candidates, and for the Ordination to the three Orders: Bishops, Priests and Deacons shall be equally applicable to men and women.
Dean Collins addressed the House on the historic significance and the process in preparation of this legislation.
The Chairman moved concurrence.
The Chair called for amendments.
Several amendments were offered but all were lost.
There followed a lengthy debate on the main motion.
Deputies speaking to the issue:
Affirmative
Wentt, So. Ohio
Regas, Los Angeles
Bryant, Virgin Islands
Kenny, Massachusetts
Burke, Michigan
Jones, Alaska
Ardery, Kentucky
Sherman, Liberia
Jones, Central Pennsylvania
Crump, Tennessee
Mitchell, Virginia
Bailey. Atlanta
Bowers, Atlanta
Reese, Texas
Eisenhart, Washington
Whitman, West Missouri
Romig, Washington
Guthries, Massachusetts
White, Springfield
Stines, Chicago
Anderson, So. Carolina
Dyer, Massachusetts
Brewster, Central New York
Prie, Virginia
Sister Mary Jean, Milwaukee
Lago, Puerto Rico
Sellers, Pennsylvania
Newman, Rio Grande
Satrang, San Diego
Negative
Hungerford, N.W. Texas
Sadler, Los Angeles
Fosberg, Eastern Oregon
Grubbs, Rio Grande
Gusweller, New York
Warner, West Missouri
Black, Central & South Mexico
Butler, Quincy
Moody, Northern Indiana
Robinson, Connecticut
Frascona, Colorado
Rogers, Dallas
Noris, Chicago
Plowe, So. Dakota
Center, Northern Indiana
Lockwood, California
Rohane, Rio Grande
Foster, San Joaquin
Searfoss, Bethlehem
Carthy, New Jersey
Weitzel, Central Pennsylvania
Carroll, Chicago
Muniz, Nicaragua
Goldman, Springfield
Leeson, Milwaukee
Olnhausen, Milwaukee
Gore, San Diego
Casper, Long Island
Swinford, Lexington
The debate being ended, Dean Collins called for a five minute period of silent prayer.
A vote by orders was called for by the deputation of Fond du Lac.
The Chair announced the result of the ballot on concurring with House of Bishops Message #56, Resolution B-5 on the Ordination of Women as follows:
| Clergy | ||
| 114 votes cast | ||
| 58 votes needed for affirmative action | ||
| 60--Yes | 39--No | 15--Divided |
| Lay | ||
| 113 votes cast | ||
| 57 votes needed for affirmative action | ||
| 64--Yes | 36--No | 13--Divided |
Resolution carried in both orders.
The House concurred
(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message #51)
Ten delegations requested to be polled, the results of which are:
| Erie | ||||||||||
| Clerical Vote--Divided | Lay Vote--Yes | |||||||||
| Kline | Yes | Bull | Yes | |||||||
| Baker | Yes | Brett | No | |||||||
| Hovencamp | No | Chase | Yes | |||||||
| Philipson | No | Armstrong | Yes | |||||||
| Los Angeles | ||||||||||
| Clerical Vote--Divided | Lay Vote--No | |||||||||
| Hultgren | No | Fogg | No | |||||||
| Regas | Yes | Holland | No | |||||||
| Sadler | No | Marshall | No | |||||||
| Kouletis | Yes | Bylin | Yes | |||||||
| Milwaukee | ||||||||||
| Clerical Vote--No | Lay Vote--No | |||||||||
| Trueman | No | Simpson | No | |||||||
| Olnhausen | No | Sr. Mary Joan | Yes | |||||||
| Leeson | No | Olnhausen | No | |||||||
| Smith | Yes | Overton | No | |||||||
| New Hampshire | ||||||||||
| Clerical Vote--Yes | Lay Vote--Yes | |||||||||
| Getman | Yes | Abbott | Yes | |||||||
| Werner | No | Nichols | Yes | |||||||
| Sokoloff | Yes | Michael | Yes | |||||||
| Corringham | Yes | Urion | No | |||||||
| New York | ||||||||||
| Clerical Vote--Yes | Lay Vote--Yes | |||||||||
| Gusweller | No | Auchinloss | Yes | |||||||
| Hall | Yes | Sr. Andrea | Yes | |||||||
| Uyeki | Yes | Lawrence | Yes | |||||||
| Pike | Yes | Potter | Yes | |||||||
| Rochester | ||||||||||
| Clerical Vote--Yes | Lay Vote--Yes | |||||||||
| Simpkins | Yes | Butler | Yes | |||||||
| Wainwright | Yes | Barrett | Yes | |||||||
| Prichard | Yes | Rockwell | Yes | |||||||
| Stivers | No | Beardsley | Yes | |||||||
| Tennessee | ||||||||||
| Clerical Vote--Yes | Lay Vote--Divided | |||||||||
| Greenwood | Yes | Crump | Yes | |||||||
| Matthews | Yes | McNeilly | Yes | |||||||
| Tharp | No | Walker | No | |||||||
| Winters | Yes | Ragon | No | |||||||
| Vermont | ||||||||||
| Clerical Vote--Yes | Lay Vote--Yes | |||||||||
| Clayton | Yes | Daniel | Yes | |||||||
| Smith | Yes | Gibson | Yes | |||||||
| Costin | Yes | Park | Yes | |||||||
| Beale | No | Larson | No | |||||||
| Western Massachusetts | ||||||||||
| Clerical Vote--Yes | Lay Vote--Divided | |||||||||
| Crockett | No | Morgan | Yes | |||||||
| Wissemann | Yes | Douglas | No | |||||||
| Cox | Yes | Gilman | Yes | |||||||
| Middleton | Yes | Mangam | No |
The Chair called upon the Chaplain to lead the House in prayers.
The Rev. Kenneth E. Trueman, Deputy from Milwaukee, was recognized to read the following statement:
We stand committed to the Episcopal Church, and we are determined to live and work within it. We cannot accept with a good conscience the action of this House.
Furthermore, we cannot acknowledge the authority of this General Convention to decide unilaterally and in the face of the expressed disapproval of our Roman, Old Catholic and Orthodox brethren, a question which ought to be decided by an ecumenical consensus.
The ordination and consecration of women priests and bishops will raise for us the gravest of questions: That is, how far this Church can accept such ministrations without fatally compromising its position as a Catholic and Apostolic Body. We ask our brothers in this House to take heart our resolution. We ask the whole Church to take note of our unshaken loyalty to the Episcopal Church, its teachings, its spirituality, its priesthood and its sacraments.
The Chair asked that all who wished to affirm and affix their signatures to the preceding statement please do so.
| Abstract: | The 65th General Convention amends Canon Title III.9.1 to give women the right to ordination. |
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