PEP Argument Briefing Paper
Background Canon XXVI provides for deputies to “a Provincial Synod,” wording adopted in 2007 to replace more specific wording for what is currently known as Province III, a regional grouping of Episcopal Church dioceses. Argument · The main purpose of the revision is to restore the reference to the Episcopal Church province of which Pittsburgh is a member, rather than to refer to whatever synod there might be should the diocese find itself in a different Anglican Communion province. · Whereas the pre-2007 canon referred to the “Province of Washington,” the suggested revision refers to “Province III,” the current name of what used to be the “Province of Washington.” That the provincial name has changed should have been an alert that it might again change in the future. Better that Canon XXVI refer to the “province to which the Diocese is assigned by Episcopal Church canon” or some such. · Canon XXVI would be more parallel with the proposed Article XII if the explanation of the time of election was similarly stated. The suggested revision says that deputies “shall be elected concurrently with Deputies to the General Convention at the Annual Diocesan Convention which is held within two years preceding the regular General Convention.” The proposed revision of Article XII says that deputies to the General Convention shall be elected at the annual convention “held not more than two nor less than one year before the regular General Convention.” Saying only that deputies are to be elected concurrently with the election of General Convention deputies would remove the apparent inconsistency. · Section 2 is perhaps not well phrased. In part, it mirrors the clumsy wording proposed for Article XII, which here becomes “by resignation, removal from the Diocese, death or otherwise.” Better would be “by resignation, removal from the Diocese, death, or other contingency.” Supporting Information Resolution (from Preconvention Journal 2009, pp. C-18–19, http://www.episcopalpgh.org/wp-content/uploads/file/Documents/2009%20DioConv/2009DioConventionPacketV3.pdf):
10. Canon XXVI, Of Deputies to the Provincial Synod, shall be restated in its entirety as follows:
Canon XXVI Of Deputies to the Provincial Synod Section 1. Deputies to the Synod of Province III shall be elected concurrently with Deputies to the General Convention at the Annual Diocesan Convention which is held within two years preceding the regular General Convention in the following manner: The member of the Clergy receiving the highest number of votes as a Deputy to the General Convention shall be declared the Clerical Deputy to the Provincial Synod, and the member of the Clergy receiving the next highest number of votes shall be declared the Supplemental Clerical Deputy. The two Lay persons receiving the two highest number of votes as Deputies to the General Convention shall be declared the Lay Deputies to the Provincial Synod, and the two Lay members receiving the next two highest number of votes shall be declared the Supplemental Lay Deputies, with priority of right in rotation according to plurality of the aggregate vote received by them respectively.
Section 2. The Deputies so selected shall serve a three-year term, beginning with their election. Should a vacancy occur by resignation, removal from the Diocese, death or otherwise among the Deputies or Supplemental Deputies between the stated times of election, it shall be filled by the Deputy in the respective order to the General Convention who received the next highest number of votes.
Section 3. It shall be the duty of the Deputies to make a report as a deputation to the Annual Diocesan Convention following each meeting of the Provincial Synod.
Rationale: Canon XXVI as currently worded does not make it sufficiently clear that the Provincial Synod to which we send representatives is the one prescribed by the Canons of The Episcopal Church. The canon was changed in anticipation of the attempt to withdraw the diocese from The Episcopal Church and is therefore generic in its terminology.
The current wording of Canon XXVI to be replaced is the following:
Canon XXVI Of Deputies to the Provincial Synod
Section 1. Deputies to a Provincial Synod in which the diocese shall be a participating member shall be elected concurrently with Deputies to the General Convention at the Annual Diocesan Convention which is held within two years preceding the regular General Convention in the following manner: The member of the Clergy receiving the highest number of votes as a Deputy to the General Convention shall be declared the Clerical Deputy to said Provincial Synod, and the member of the Clergy receiving the next highest number of votes shall be declared the Supplemental Clerical Deputy. The two Lay persons receiving the two highest number of votes as Deputies to the General Convention shall be declared the Lay Deputies to said Provincial Synod, and the two Lay members receiving the next two highest number of votes shall be declared the Supplemental Lay Deputies, with priority of right in rotation according to plurality of the aggregate vote received by them respectively.
Section 2. The Deputies so selected shall serve a three-year term, beginning with their election. Should a vacancy occur by resignation, removal from the Diocese, death or otherwise among the Deputies or Supplemental Deputies between the stated times of election, it shall be filled by the Deputy in the respective order to the General Convention who received the next highest number of votes.
Section 3. It shall be the duty of the Deputies to make a report as a deputation to the Annual Diocesan Convention following each meeting of the Provincial Synod.
N.B. In the Preconvention Journal, “Section 3.” was omitted from the last paragraph. |