The Acts of Convention

House of Bishops

Original Text of Resolution:

(A104)

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That Canon I.6 be amended as follows:

Sec. 1. A report of every Parish and other Congregation of this Church shall be prepared annually for the year ending December 31 preceding, upon the blank in the form prepared authorized by the Executive Council and approved by the Committee on the State of the Church, and shall be sent filed not later than March 1 to with the Bishop of the Diocese, or, where there is no Bishop, to the Secretary with the ecclesiastical authority of the Diocese. The Bishop or the Secretary ecclesiastical authority, as the case may be, shall keep a photocopy and send the original submit the report to the Executive Council not later than May 1. In every Parish the preparation and delivery filing of this report shall be the joint duty of the Rector and Vestry; and in every other Congregation the duty of the Member of the Clergy in charge thereof. This report shall include the following information: (1) the number of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burials during the year; the total number of adult baptized members, baptized members under 16 years of age, and total number of baptized members; the total number of adult communicants in good standing, the total number of communicants in good standing under 16 years of age, and the total number of communicants in good standing, and the total number of confirmed adult communicants. (2) a summary of all the receipts and expenditures, from whatever source derived and for whatever purpose used;

(3) a statement of the property held by the Parish, whether real or personal, with an appraisal of its value, together with a statement of the indebtedness of the Parish, if any, and of the amount of insurance carried; and (4) such other relevant information as is needed to secure an accurate view of the state of this Church, as required by the approved form. Every Bishop, Presbyter, or Deacon whose report is not included in a parochial report shall also report on the exercise of such office, and if there has been none, the causes or reasons which have prevented the same. And these reports, or such parts of them as the Bishop may deem proper, shall be entered in the Journal of the convention.

Sec. 2. Likewise, a report of every Diocese shall be prepared annually for the year ending December 31st preceding, upon in the blank form prepared authorized by the Executive Council and approved by the Committee on the State of the Church, and shall be sent, not later than April 1 September 1, to the Executive Council. The report shall include statistical information concerning the Parishes and Missions of the Diocese, the clergy and other ministries, and the institutions in any way connected with said Diocese; together with the financial information required by Canon I. 4. 6(e). It shall also include information concerning implementation by the Diocese of resolutions of the previous General Convention which have been specifically identified by the Secretary of General Convention under Joint Rule 13 as calling for Diocesan action; and be it further

Resolved, That Canon I.17.2. be amended as follows:

Sec. 2(a) All members of this Church who have received Holy Communion in this Church at least three times during the preceding year are to be considered communicants of this Church.

(b) For the purposes of statistical consistency throughout the Church, communicants sixteen years of age and over are to be considered adult communicants.

Committee Amendment:

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That Canon I.6 be amended as follows:

Sec. 1. A report of every Parish and other Congregation of this Church shall be prepared annually for the year ending December 31 preceding, upon the blank in the form prepared authorized by the Executive Council and approved by the Committee on the State of the Church, and shall be sent filed not later than March 1 to with the Bishop of the Diocese, or, where there is no Bishop, to the Secretary with the ecclesiastical authority of the Diocese. The Bishop or the Secretary ecclesiastical authority, as the case may be, shall keep a photocopy and send the original submit the report to the Executive Council not later than May 1. In every Parish the preparation and delivery filing of this report shall be the joint duty of the Rector and Vestry; and in every other Congregation the duty of the Member of the Clergy in charge thereof. This report shall include the following information: (1) the number of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burials during the year; the total number of adult baptized members, baptized members under 16 years of age, and total number of baptized members; the total number of adult communicants in good standing, and the total number of communicants in good standing under 16 years of age, and the total number of communicants in good standing, and the total number of confirmed adult communicants. (2) a summary of all the receipts and expenditures, from whatever source derived and for whatever purpose used and; (3) a statement of the property held by the Parish, whether real or personal, with an appraisal of its value, together with a statement of the indebtedness of the Parish, if any, and of the amount of insurance carried; and (4) such other relevant information as is needed to secure an accurate view of the state of this Church, as required by the approved form.

Sec. 2. Every Bishop, Presbyter, or Deacon whose report is not included in a parochial report shall also report on the exercise of such office, and if there has been none, the causes or reasons which have prevented the same. And

Sec. 3. These reports, or such parts of them as the Bishop may deem proper, shall be entered in the Journal of the Convention.

Sec. 4. Likewise, a report of every Diocese shall be prepared annually for the year ending December 31st preceding, upon in the blank form prepared authorized by the Executive Council and approved by the Committee on the State of the Church, and shall be sent filed, not later than April 1 September 1, to with the Executive Council. The report shall include statistical information concerning the Parishes and Missions of the Diocese, the clergy and other ministries, and the institutions in any way connected with said Diocese; together with the financial information required by Canon I. 4. 6(i). It shall also include information concerning implementation by the Diocese of resolutions of the previous General Convention which have been specifically identified by the Secretary of General Convention under Joint Rule 13 as calling for Diocesan action; and be it further

Resolved, That Canon I.17.2. be amended as follows:

Sec. 2(a) All members of this Church who have received Holy Communion in this Church at least three times during the preceding year are to be considered communicants of this Church.

(b) For the purposes of statistical consistency throughout the Church, communicants sixteen years of age and over are to be considered adult communicants.

Motion carried

Resolution adopted with amendment

(Communicated to the House of Deputies in HB Message #120)