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Resolution Number: 1979-A024
Title: Amend and Renumber Constitution Articles I-III, VII, VIII, X, XI as follows:
Constitution Article I.4 [House of Deputies--First Reading]
Constitution Articles II.3, 7, 8 [Election of Bishops--First Reading]
Constitution Article III [Bishops Consecrated for Foreign Lands--First Reading]
Constitution Article VII [Provinces--First Reading]
Constitution Article VIII [Requisites for Ordination--First Reading]
Constitution Article X [The Book of Common Prayer--First Reading]
Constitution Article XI [Alterations or Amendments to the Constitution--First Reading]
Constitution Article XI [Add Article XI: Interpretation of "Diocese"--First Reading]
Legislative Action Taken: Concurred
Final Text:

Resolved, That the Constitution be amended as hereinafter provided, and that the same be made known to the several Dioceses and Missionary Dioceses, and to the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe, to wit:

  1. That a new Article of the Constitution, to be numbered Article XI, be adopted, to read as follows:

    Whenever the term "Diocese" is used without qualification in this Constitution, it shall be understood to refer both to Dioceses and to Missionary Dioceses and also, wherever applicable, to all other jurisdictions entitled to representation in the House of Deputies of the General Convention.

  2. That the present Article XI be renumbered Article XII, and that the first paragraph thereof be amended to read as follows:

    No alteration or amendment of this Constitution shall be made unless the same shall be first proposed at one regular meeting of the General Convention and by a Resolve thereof be sent to the Secretary of the Convention of every Diocese, and of the Convocation of every Missionary Diocese and of the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe to be made known to the Diocesan Convention or the Missionary Diocese Convocation or the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe at its next meeting, and be adopted by the General Convention at its next succeeding regular meeting by a majority of all Bishops, excluding retired Bishops not present, of the whole number of Bishops entitled to vote in the House of Bishops, and by a majority of the Clerical and Lay Deputies of all Dioceses and of all Missionary Dioceses and the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe entitled to representation in the House of Deputies, voting by Orders, each having the vote provided for in Sec. 4 of Article 1.

  3. That Article I, Sec. 4 be amended by substituting for the first two paragraphs a new paragraph to read as follows:

    The Church in each Diocese which has been admitted to union with the General Convention shall be entitled to representation in the House of Deputies by not more than four Presbyters, canonically resident in the Diocese, and not more than four Lay persons, communicants of this Church, having domicile in the Diocese; but the General Convention by Canon may reduce the representation to not fewer than two Deputies in each order. Each Diocese shall prescribe the manner in which its Deputies shall be chosen.


    The Church in each Missionary Diocese beyond the territory of the United States of America, which shall have been established by the House of Bishops or by the Constitution, and the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe, shall each be entitled to representation in the House of Deputies equal to that of other Dioceses, subject to all the qualifications, and with all the rights, of Deputies, except as otherwise provided in this Constitution. Each such Missionary Diocese, and the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe, shall prescribe the manner in which its Deputies shall be chosen.


    The Church in each Diocese which has been admitted to union with the General Convention, and the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe, shall be entitled to representation in the House of Deputies by not more than four Presbyters, canonically resident in the Diocese, and not more than four Lay persons, communicants of this Church in good standing in the Diocese but not necessarily domiciled in the Diocese; but the General Convention by Canon may reduce the representation to not fewer than two Deputies in each order. Each Diocese, and the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe, shall prescribe the manner in which its Deputies shall be chosen.

  4. That Article I, Sec. 4 be further amended by deleting in the fourth paragraph thereof the words "and Missionary Diocese."
  5. That Article II, Sec. 3 be amended to read as follows:

    A Bishop shall confine the exercise of his office to his own Diocese or Missionary Diocese, unless he shall have been requested to perform episcopal acts in another Diocese or Missionary Diocese by the Ecclesiastical Authority thereof, or unless he shall have been authorized by the House of Bishops, or by the Presiding Bishop at its direction, to act temporarily in case of need within any territory not yet organized into Dioceses or Missionary Dioceses of this Church.

  6. That the last sentence of Article II, Sec. 7 be amended to read:

    He shall be eligible as Bishop or Bishop Coadjutor or Suffragan Bishop of a Diocese or he may be elected by the House of Bishops as Bishop of a Missionary Diocese.

  7. That Article II, Sec. 8 be a amended by deleting the words "or Missionary Diocese" and the words "or may be elected by the House of Bishops as a Bishop of a Missionary Diocese."
  8. That Article III be amended by deleting the words "or Missionary Diocese."
  9. That Article VII be amended by deleting the words "and Missionary Diocese."
  10. That Article VIII be amended by deleting the words "or Missionary Diocese."
  11. That the first paragraph of Article X be amended to read as follows:

    The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, together with the Psalter or Psalms of David, the form and manner of making, ordaining, and consecrating Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, the form of Consecration of a Church or Chapel, the office of institution of ministers, and the Articles of Religion, as now established or hereafter amended by the authority of this Church, shall be in use in all the Dioceses and Missionary Dioceses, and in the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe of this Church. No alteration thereof or addition thereto shall be made unless the same shall be first proposed in one regular meeting of the General Convention and by Resolve thereof be sent within six months to the Secretary of the Convention of every Diocese, and of the Convocation of every Missionary Diocese and of the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe ... (The rest of the paragraph to remain unchanged.)

  12. That the second paragraph of Article X be amended by deleting the words "and all the Missionary Dioceses, and the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe."
Citation: General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Denver, 1979 (New York: General Convention, 1980), p. C-42.

Legislative History

Author: The Joint Commission on Constitution and Canons
Originating House: House of Deputies
Originating Committee: Committee on Constitution

House of Deputies

On the fifth day, the Committee on Constitution presented its Report #2 on Resolution A-24, on Amendments to the Constitution, and recommended adoption of the Resolution without amendment:

Original Text of Resolution:

(A024)

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the Constitution be amended as hereinafter provided, and that the same be made known to the several Dioceses and Missionary Dioceses, and to the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe, to wit:

  1. That a new Article of the Constitution, to be numbered Article XI, be adopted, to read as follows:

    Whenever the term "Diocese" is used without qualification in this Constitution, it shall be understood to refer both to Dioceses and to Missionary Dioceses and also, wherever applicable, to all other jurisdictions entitled to representation in the House of Deputies of the General Convention.

  2. That the present Article XI be renumbered Article XII, and that the first paragraph thereof be amended to read as follows:

    No alteration or amendment of this Constitution shall be made unless the same shall be first proposed at one regular meeting of the General Convention and by a Resolve thereof be sent to the Secretary of the Convention of every Diocese, and of the Convocation of every Missionary Diocese and of the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe to be made known to the Diocesan Convention or the Missionary Diocese Convocation or the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe at its next meeting, and be adopted by the General Convention at its next succeeding regular meeting by a majority of all Bishops, excluding retired Bishops not present, of the whole number of Bishops entitled to vote in the House of Bishops, and by a majority of the Clerical and Lay Deputies of all Dioceses and of all Missionary Dioceses and the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe entitled to representation in the House of Deputies, voting by Orders, each having the vote provided for in Sec. 4 of Article 1.

  3. That Article I, Sec. 4 be amended by substituting for the first two paragraphs a new paragraph to read as follows:

    The Church in each Diocese which has been admitted to union with the General Convention shall be entitled to representation in the House of Deputies by not more than four Presbyters, canonically resident in the Diocese, and not more than four Lay persons, communicants of this Church, having domicile in the Diocese; but the General Convention by Canon may reduce the representation to not fewer than two Deputies in each order. Each Diocese shall prescribe the manner in which its Deputies shall be chosen.


    The Church in each Missionary Diocese beyond the territory of the United States of America, which shall have been established by the House of Bishops or by the Constitution, and the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe, shall each be entitled to representation in the House of Deputies equal to that of other Dioceses, subject to all the qualifications, and with all the rights, of Deputies, except as otherwise provided in this Constitution. Each such Missionary Diocese, and the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe, shall prescribe the manner in which its Deputies shall be chosen.


    The Church in each Diocese which has been admitted to union with the General Convention, and the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe, shall be entitled to representation in the House of Deputies by not more than four Presbyters, canonically resident in the Diocese, and not more than four Lay persons, communicants of this Church in good standing in the Diocese but not necessarily domiciled in the Diocese; but the General Convention by Canon may reduce the representation to not fewer than two Deputies in each order. Each Diocese, and the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe, shall prescribe the manner in which its Deputies shall be chosen.

  4. That Article I, Sec. 4 be further amended by deleting in the fourth paragraph thereof the words "and Missionary Diocese".
  5. That Article II, Sec. 3 be amended to read as follows:

    A Bishop shall confine the exercise of his office to his own Diocese or Missionary Diocese, unless he shall have been requested to perform episcopal acts in another Diocese or Missionary Diocese by the Ecclesiastical Authority thereof, or unless he shall have been authorized by the House of Bishops, or by the Presiding Bishop at its direction, to act temporarily in case of need within any territory not yet organized into Dioceses or Missionary Dioceses of this Church.

  6. That the last sentence of Article II, Sec. 7 be amended to read:

    He shall be eligible as Bishop or Bishop Coadjutor or Suffragan Bishop of a Diocese or he may be elected by the House of Bishops as Bishop of a Missionary Diocese.


  7. That Article II, Sec. 8 be a amended by deleting the words "or Missionary Diocese" and the words "or may be elected by the House of Bishops as a Bishop of a Missionary Diocese".
  8. That Article III be amended by deleting the words "or Missionary Diocese".
  9. That Article VII be amended by deleting the words "and Missionary Diocese".
  10. That Article VIII be amended by deleting the words "or Missionary Diocese".
  11. That the first paragraph of Article X be amended to read as follows:

    The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, together with the Psalter or Psalms of David, the form and manner of making, ordaining, and consecrating Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, the form of Consecration of a Church or Chapel, the office of institution of ministers, and the Articles of Religion, as now established or hereafter amended by the authority of this Church, shall be in use in all the Dioceses and Missionary Dioceses, and in the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe of this Church. No alteration thereof or addition thereto shall be made unless the same shall be first proposed in one regular meeting of the General Convention and by Resolve thereof be sent within six months to the Secretary of the Convention of every Diocese, and of the Convocation of every Missionary Diocese and of the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe... (The rest of the paragraph to remain unchanged).

  12. That the second paragraph of Article X be amended by deleting the words "and all the Missionary Dioceses, and the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe".

Resolution adopted

(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message #45)

House of Bishops

On the sixth day, HD Message #45 on Resolution A-24 was received.

The House concurred

(Communicated to the House of Deputies in HB Message #86)

Report Reference:   Joint Commission on Constitution and Canons, Reports to the 66th General Convention, 1979, pp. AA-7-AA-27.
Abstract:   The 66th General Convention votes to amend the Constitution by adding a new Article XI, with the present Article XI renumbered to XII, in order to make the term "diocese" refer to any jurisdiction entitled to Convention representation. It votes to amend Constitution Articles I, II, III, VII, VIII, X and XII to conform them to this definition by deleting references to Missionary Dioceses and the Convocation of American Churches in Europe.
Notes:  

With the addition of the new Article XI [Of the Term "Diocese"], the Constitutional Article formerly numbered XI [Of Amendments to the Constitution] is renumbered XII.

The second reading of these constitutional changes took place as a series of separate resolutions. For paragraph (1), see 1982-A007. For paragraph (2), see 1982-A006. For paragraph (3), see 1982-A009 [NB: the text of the second reading was changed without amendment by the addition of "or Deacons" after "Presbyters"]. For paragraph (4), see 1982-A002. For paragraphs (5), (6) and (7), see 1982-A004. For paragraph (9), see 1982-A003. Paragraphs (10), (11), and (12) were resubmitted in 1982 as first readings. No record can be found of a second reading for paragraph (8).