The Acts of Convention

House of Deputies

The House of Deputies Committee on Congregational and Diocesan Vitality presented its Report #7 on Resolution A156 (Establishing a Task Force on the State of Membership in The Episcopal Church) and moved adoption with amendment.

Original Text of Resolution:

(A156)

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,

That the 80th General Convention authorizes the creation of a task force to re-envision membership as defined in Canon I.17.1-4: Of Regulations Respecting the Laity and Canon 1.6.1: Of the Mode of Securing an Accurate view of the State of This Church; and be it further

Resolved, That the Presiding Bishop and President of the House of Deputies appoint the members of this task force to include at least 3 bishops, 5 clergy and 7 laypeople with appropriate representation from urban and rural congregations, congregations in which people of color are a majority, and congregations that represent the full geographic and economic diversity of the Episcopal Church; and be it further

Resolved, That the task force be charged with developing new and relevant membership definitions that reflect the experience, practices, and needs of congregations, including membership definitions that are:

• expansive and applicable to a wide range of cultural and regional contexts
• easy to ascertain and report in yearly parochial reports
• faithful to the distinct role and sacramental understanding of the baptized in the life of the church
• new and expansive, including those who are not yet baptized or whose baptisms are not recorded in an Episcopal church; and be it further

Resolved, That the task force be charged with examining the impact that a changed understanding of membership would have on diocesan canons and congregational bylaws; and be it further

Resolved, That the task force reevaluate the present connection between confirmation and membership; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention request the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance to consider a budget allocation of $50,000 for the implementation of this resolution.

Committee Amendment:

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,

That the 80th General Convention authorizes the creation of a task force to re-envision membership as defined in Canon I.17.1-4: Of Regulations Respecting the Laity and Canon 1.6.1: Of the Mode of Securing an Accurate view of the State of This Church; and be it further

Resolved, That the Presiding Bishop and President of the House of Deputies appoint the members of this task force to include at least 3 bishops, 5 clergy and 7 laypeople with appropriate representation from urban and rural congregations, congregations in which people of color are a majority, and congregations that represent the full geographic and economic diversity of the Episcopal Church; and be it further

Resolved, That the President of House Deputies is encouraged to include as an additional member one who has served on the most recent House of Deputies State of the Church Committee; and be it further

Resolved, That this task force work closely with the Task Force to Study Congregational Vitality Indicators (A132) and the House of Deputies State of the Church Committee; and be it further

Resolved, That the task force be charged with developing new and relevant membership definitions that reflect the experience, practices, and needs of congregations, including membership definitions that are:

• expansive and applicable to a wide range of cultural and regional contexts
• easy to ascertain and report in yearly parochial reports
• faithful to the distinct role and sacramental understanding of the baptized in the life of the church
• new and expansive, including those who are not yet baptized or whose baptisms are not recorded in an Episcopal church; and be it further

Resolved, That the task force be charged with examining the impact that a changed understanding of membership would have on diocesan canons and congregational bylaws; and be it further

Resolved, That the task force reevaluate the present connection between confirmation and membership; and be it further

Resolved, That the task force issue a report to the 81st General Convention; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention request the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance to consider a budget allocation of $50,000 for the implementation of this resolution.

Deputy Cole of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe moved an amendment.

Proposed Amendment:

In the first Resolved, add "including at least one member from outside the United States of America."

Motion carried

Amendment adopted

A vote was taken on Resolution A156 as amended.

Motion carried

Resolution adopted with amendment

(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message #168)