|
(PDF VERSION)
|
|
ORDINANCE I
COMPOSITION OF PROVINCIAL SYNOD
Section 1 - MEMBERSHIP
In accordance with Article VII of the Constitution and of the Title I Canon entitled "Of Provinces",
both of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, the Dioceses designated in said Canon
as the Second Province have constituted themselves a Provincial Synod consisting of a House of Bishops and a House
of Deputies. The House of Bishops and the House of Deputies may sit and deliberate either separately or together.
Either House may initiate action, but the concurrent majority of both Houses, voting either separately or together,
shall be necessary to constitute the will of the Synod.
Section 2 - HOUSE OF BISHOPS
(a) The House of Bishops shall consist of every Bishop of this Church having jurisdiction within the Province,
every Bishop Coadjutor, Suffragan Bishop and Assistant Bishop, and every Bishop whose episcopal work has been within
the Province, but who by reason of advanced age or bodily infirmity has resigned. Each such Bishop shall have a
seat and vote in the House of Bishops.
(b) The House of Bishops shall elect its own Secretary when it sits and deliberates separately.
Section 3 - HOUSE OF DEPUTIES
(a) Each Diocese within the Province shall be entitled to representation in the House of Deputies by four presbyters
or deacons canonically resident in the Diocese they represent and four lay persons who are communicants in good
standing of the Episcopal Church.
(b) Each Diocese shall determine the manner in which its Deputies shall be chosen.
Section 4 - QUORUMS
A quorum for the transaction of business of the Provincial Synod meeting in joint session shall consist of at least
one Bishop or Deputy from each of a majority of the Dioceses. A quorum for the transaction of business in the House
of Bishops, when acting separately, shall consist of at least one Bishop from each of a majority of the Dioceses,
except that a quorum need not be present for the purpose of convening prior to a joint session of the Synod. A
quorum for the transaction of business in the Houses of Deputies, when acting separately, shall consist of at least
one deputy from each of a majority of the Dioceses.
ORDINANCE II
PURPOSE OF THE PROVINCE
The purpose and function of the Province is to foster and support the Church's mission and ministry in a regional
coalition of Dioceses by providing regular channels and systems of communication, promotion, support, education
and fellowship among the Dioceses of the Province.
ORDINANCE III
OFFICERS OF THE PROVINCE
Section 1 - PRESIDENT
(a) The President of the Province may be one of the Bishops, Presbyters,
Deacons or Lay Persons of the Province elected by the Synod voting
as provided in Ordinance V hereafter.
(b) The President shall preside at the meetings of the Synod when
both Houses sit and deliberate together and of the House of which
a member when it sits and deliberates separately.
Section 2 - VICE PRESIDENT
(a) The Vice President of the Province may be one of the Bishops,
Presbyters, Deacons or Lay Persons of the Province, elected by
the Synod voting as provided in Ordinance V hereafter, provided
that if the President is a Bishop, then the Vice President shall
be either a Presbyter, Deacon or Lay Person of the Province, and
if the President is either a Presbyter, Deacon or Lay Person,
then the Vice President shall be a Bishop.
(b) The Vice President shall preside at the meetings of the House
of which a member when it sits and deliberates separately.
Section 3 - SECRETARY
(a) The Secretary of the Province, who shall also serve as Secretary
of the House of Deputies when it sits and deliberates separately,
shall be elected by a concurrent majority of all the votes cast
in each House.
(b) The Secretary shall whenever necessary procure from each Diocese
within the Province a duly certified list of Bishops and Deputies
from each jurisdiction.
(c) At all meetings of the Synod the Secretary shall record the
names of all persons entitled to a seat, voice or vote and if
there be a quorum present, shall so declare. The Secretary shall
keep full records of the proceedings of the Synod and publish
them.
(d) The Secretary may, with the approval of the Synod, appoint
an Assistant Secretary.
Section 4 - TREASURER
(a) The Treasurer of the Province shall be elected by a concurrent
majority of all the votes cast in each House.
(b) The Treasurer shall receive and disburse all monies of the
Province and shall render an audited account of such monies at
each meeting of the Synod.
(c) The Treasurer shall, after the first day of January each year,
notify the several Dioceses within the Province of the amount
which the Synod, by resolution, has fixed as the share of each
Diocese.
(d) The Treasurer may, with the approval of the Synod, appoint
an Assistant Treasurer.
Section 5 - CHANCELLOR
The Chancellor shall be nominated by the President, and elected
by a concurrent majority of all votes cast in each House in the
Synod.
Section 6 - ELECTION, PRIVILEGES OF OFFICERS, TERM OF OFFICE,
AND VACANCIES
(a) All officers of the Province shall be elected at a Synod meeting
prior to General Convention.
(b) The officers, if not members of the Synod, shall be entitled
to seats on the floor of the Synod or in the House of Deputies,
and with the consent of the presiding officer, may speak on subjects
pertaining to their respective offices.
(c) Each officer shall serve for a term of three years and until
a successor is duly elected and qualifies. No person may serve
for more than two full consecutive terms in any office. The President,
Vice President, Secretary and Chancellor shall take office at
the close of the meetings at which they were elected. The Treasurer
shall take office on the first of January following the election.
(d) A vacancy in the office of President occurring during the
adjournment of the Synod shall be filled by the Vice President
assuming the office, and the successor President thereupon shall
fill the resulting vacancy in the office of Vice President by
the appointment, with the consent of the Provincial Council, of
a person belonging to the House other than that to which the successor
President belongs.
A vacancy in the office of Vice President (other than as provided
next above) Secretary, Treasurer or Chancellor, occurring during
the adjournment of the Synod, shall be filled by appointment of
the President with the consent of the Provincial Council.
ORDINANCE IV
MEETINGS OF THE SYNOD
Section 1 - REGULAR MEETINGS
The Synod shall meet in May preceding General Convention at a
date, time and place to be set by the Provincial Council.
Section 2 - SPECIAL MEETINGS
Subject to the consent of the Provincial Council, the President, or in the case of absence or disability, the Vice
President or the Secretary, may call a special meeting.
Section 3 - NOTIFICATION
The Secretary shall mail notices of the date, time and place of each regular and special meeting of the Synod to
every member thereof at least sixty days prior to such meeting.
ORDINANCE V
VOTING
On any question considered by the Synod, the concurrent majority vote of the Bishops and of the Deputies present
shall suffice unless otherwise ordered by the Canons of the General Convention or by these Ordinances; provided,
however, on any questions, other than the election of a President or of a Vice President, a vote by orders in the
House of Deputies shall be had upon the request of one-third of the members present and voting. In the case of
a vote by orders, the two orders shall vote separately, each clerical Deputy having one vote in the clerical order
and each lay Deputy having one vote in the lay order. The concurrent vote of the two orders by not less than a
majority of those voting in each order shall be necessary to constitute a vote in the House of Deputies.
ORDINANCE VI
COMMITTEES OF THE SYNOD
Section 1 - COMMITTEES
(a) The Committees of the Synod shall include:
(1) Committee on Dispatch of Business
(2) Nominating Committee
(3) Committee on Resolutions
(4) Committee on Ordinances
(b) Except as otherwise ordered by the Synod, the President shall appoint the members to all committees to serve
until their successors are duly appointed.
(c) Additional committees may be created by resolution.
(d) The Order of Business at all sessions of the Synod shall be arranged and reported by the Committee on Dispatch
of Business, unless such order shall be changed by a two-thirds vote of the Synod.
ORDINANCE VII
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL OF THE PROVINCE
Section 1 - ORGANIZATION
The Provincial Council of the Province is hereby created with
power to administer and carry on such work as may be committed
to it by the General Convention, or by the Presiding Bishop and
the Executive Council. Subject to the Synod the Provincial Council
shall also supervise the program and work of the Province and
seek always to effect closer cooperation among the Dioceses of
the Province.
Section 2 - MEMBERSHIP
The Provincial Council shall consist of the President, Vice President,
Secretary, Treasurer and Chancellor of the Province, the Provincial
Representatives to the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church,
one Bishop (to be elected by the House of Bishops), and one clerical
and one lay Deputy (to be elected by the House of Deputies), the
representative on the Board of Governors of EPISCOPAL LIFE
elected by the Province, and other persons as, in the discretion
of the President, may be invited to attend Executive Committee
meetings with voice but without vote.
The Bishop elected by the House of Bishops and the clerical and
lay Deputies elected by the House of Deputies shall serve for
not more than one term of three consecutive years.
Section 3 - BUDGET
The Provincial Council shall submit to the Synod for its approval
triennial assessment budgets for its income and expenses.
Section 4 - ANNUAL REPORT
The Provincial Council shall submit to the Synod a triennial report
of its activities. The Provincial Council shall submit to the
Dioceses an annual report of its activities between meetings of
Synod for dissemination to Synod Deputies.
Section 5 - MEETINGS
The Provincial Council shall meet at the discretion of its President.
Section 6 - COMMITTEES
(a) The Synod Meeting shall consider issues of the national church.
The Provincial Council shall be the Program Committee. It shall
plan the Synod meeting and study and suggest action on specific
matters to be brought to the Synod meeting. It may appoint special
committees for such purpose.
(b) The program of the Synod shall support and coordinate the
various networks within the Province.
Section 7 - OTHER PERSONNEL
When so authorized by the Synod, the Provincial Council shall
have the power to employ and supervise an Executive Secretary
as well as such other persons as are needed to carry out the work
of the Synod.
ORDINANCE VIII
REPRESENTATION ON EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The Province shall be entitled to be represented on the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church by one Bishop
or Presbyter or Deacon canonically resident in a Diocese which is a constituent member of the Province, and by
one Lay Person who is a communicant of a Diocese which is a constituent member of the Province and the terms of
the representatives of the Province shall be so rotated that two persons shall not be simultaneously elected for
equal terms. Each said representative shall be elected by a concurrent majority of all the votes cast in each House.
The terms of office of the members of said Council shall be equal to twice the interval between regular meetings
of the General Convention and shall commence upon the adjournment of the first regular meeting of the General Convention
following their election.
No person who has served at least three consecutive years on the Executive Council shall be eligible for immediate
re-election for a term of more than three years. After any person shall have served six consecutive years on the
Executive Council, a period of three years shall elapse before such person shall be eligible for re-election to
the Council.
ORDINANCE IX
REPRESENTATION ON THE BOARD OF EPISCOPAL LIFE
The Second Province shall be entitled to be represented on the Board of Govenors of EPISCOPAL LIFE by
a Bishop, Priest, Deacon, or lay person who resides within the Second Province. The term of office shall be for
six years. The person elected at the meeting of the Synod when this Ordinance is adopted shall serve for a term
of six (6) years, commencing upon the adjournment of the regular triennial meeting of the General Convention.
ORDINANCE X
THE COURT OF REVIEW
The Synod, at its regular meeting prior to General Convention,
shall by a concurrent majority of both Houses, elect the judges
of the Court of Review in the Province. There shall be one Bishop
having jurisdiction within this Province, three Presbyters canonically
resident in one or the other of the Dioceses, and three lay communicants
of this Church, two of whom shall be persons learned in the law,
having domicile in the Province. The persons so elected shall
continue to be members of this Court for a term of three years
and until their successors be elected. The Bishop elected shall
be the presiding officer of the Court.
ORDINANCE XI
ENACTMENT, AMENDMENT, AND REPEAL
OF ORDINANCES
All ordinances shall be enacted, amended, or repealed by a concurrent majority vote of the members of both Houses
provided such notice of the substance thereof shall have been included in the notice of the meeting of the Synod,
and shall take effect on the first day of January succeeding the adjournment of the Synod at which the action was
taken, unless it is desired to have the said ordinances take effect immediately, in which case such a concurrent
two-thirds vote shall be required.
|
