The Acts of Convention

House of Bishops

Original Text of Resolution:

(A089)

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That Articles I, II, and IV of the Constitution are hereby amended to read as follows:

ARTICLE I.

Sec. 2. Each Bishop Diocesan of this Church having jurisdiction, every Bishop Coadjutor, every Suffragan Bishop Suffragan, every Assistant Bishop, and every Bishop who by reason of advanced age or bodily infirmity, or who, under an election to an office created by the General Convention, or for reasons of mission strategy determined by action of the General Convention or the House of Bishops, has resigned a jurisdiction, shall have a seat and a vote in the House of Bishops. A majority of all Bishops entitled to vote, exclusive of Bishops who have resigned their jurisdiction or positions, shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

ARTICLE II.

Sec. 4. It shall be lawful for a Diocese, with consent of the Bishop of that Diocese, to elect one or more Suffragan Bishops Suffragan, without right of succession, and with seat and vote in the House of Bishops. A Suffragan Bishop Suffragan shall be consecrated and hold office under such conditions and limitations other than those provided in this Article as may be provided by Canons of the General Convention and by the Canons of the electing Diocese not inconsistent with this Constitution or the Canons of the General Convention. A Suffragan Bishop Suffragan shall be eligible for election as Bishop Diocesan or Bishop Coadjutor of a Diocese, or as a Bishop Suffragan in another Diocese.

Sec. 5. It shall be lawful for a Diocese to prescribe by the Constitution and Canons of such Diocese that upon the death of the Bishop Diocesan a Suffragan Bishop Suffragan of that Diocese may be placed in charge of such Diocese and become temporarily the Ecclesiastical Authority thereof until such time as a new Bishop Diocesan shall be chosen and consecrated; or that during the disability or absence of the Bishop Diocesan a Suffragan Bishop Suffragan of that Diocese may be placed in charge of such Diocese and become temporarily the Ecclesiastical Authority thereof.

Sec. 7. It shall be lawful for the House of Bishops to elect a Suffragan Bishop Suffragan who, under the direction of the Presiding Bishop, shall be in charge of the work of those chaplains in the Armed Forces of the United States, Veterans' Administration Medical Centers, and Federal Correctional Institutions who are ordained Ministers of this Church. The Suffragan Bishop Suffragan so elected shall be consecrated and hold office under such conditions and limitations other than those provided in this Article as may be provided by Canons of the General Convention. The Suffragan Bishop Suffragan shall be eligible for election as Bishop Diocesan or Bishop Coadjutor or Suffragan Bishop Suffragan of a Diocese.

Sec. 8. A Bishop who has for at least five years next preceding, exercised jurisdiction as the Bishop Diocesan Ordinary, or as the Bishop Coadjutor, of a Diocese, may be elected as Bishop Diocesan, Bishop Coadjutor, or Suffragan Bishop Suffragan, of another Diocese. Before acceptance of such election a resignation of jurisdiction in the Diocese in which the Bishop is then serving, conditioned on the required consents of the Bishops and Standing Committees of the Church to such election, shall be submitted to the House of Bishops, and also, if the Bishop be a Bishop Coadjutor, a renunciation of the right of succession. Such resignation, and renunciation of the right of succession in the case of a Bishop Coadjutor, shall require the consent of the House of Bishops.

ARTICLE IV.

In every Diocese a Standing Committee shall be elected by the Convention thereof, except that provision for filling vacancies between meetings of the Convention may be prescribed by the Canons of the respective Dioceses. When there is a Bishop in charge of the Diocese, the Standing Committee shall be the Bishop's Council of Advice. If there be no Bishop Diocesan or Bishop Coadjutor or Suffragan Bishop Suffragan canonically authorized to act, the Standing Committee shall be the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese for all purposes declared by the General Convention. The rights and duties of the Standing Committee, except as provided in the Constitution and Canons of the General Convention, may be prescribed by the Canons of the respective Dioceses.

Proposed Committee Amendment:

Add"; and be it further

Resolved, That this resolution be sent to the Secretary of the Convention of every Diocese to be made known to the Diocesan Convention at its next meeting."

Bishop Benitez (Retired, Texas) moved an amendment.

Proposed Amendment:

In Sec. 5, add "However, if the Bishop Suffragan be serving as the Ecclesiastical Authority of the diocese, that same Bishop Suffragan shall not be eligible for election as Bishop Diocesan of that diocese."

Bishop McKelvey moved to call the question on the proposed amendment.

Motion carried

Debate terminated

A vote was taken on the Benitez amendment to Resolution A089.

Motion defeated

Amendment defeated

Bishop Smith (West Virginia) moved to call question to terminate debate.

Motion carried

Debate terminated

A vote was taken on Resolution A089 as amended.

Motion carried

Resolution adopted with amendment

(Communicated to the House of Deputies in HB Message #221)