“Continue in the Apostles’ Teaching and Fellowship”
Exerpts
from the diocesan
CONSTITUTION AND CANONS
concerning elections
DEANERIES
Sec. 35.1 The Diocese shall be divided into six (6) Deaneries. The Bishop may, from time to time, change the Deanery areas with the concurrence of the Convention.
Sec. 35.2 The Bishop shall appoint a Dean to serve at the Bishop’s pleasure. The Dean must be a member of the Clergy entitled to a vote in the Convention and residing in the Deanery.
Sec. 35.3 Each Deanery shall have a Council made up of all members of the Clergy residing in the Deanery who are entitled to a vote in the Convention, all the elected Convention Delegates for the Parishes and Missions of the Deanery, and the Lay Deanery Representative to the Executive Council.
Sec. 35.4 The Council of each Deanery shall meet annually prior to the Convention of the Diocese to elect on a rotating basis for three (3) years, one (1) member of the Clergy or one (1) of the two (2) Lay Representatives to the Executive Council by a concurrent vote of a majority of each order from the following:
a. The Clerical Representative must be a member of the Clergy entitled to a vote in the Convention and residing in the Deanery; and
b. The Lay Representative must be a Confirmed Adult Communicant in good standing in one of the Parishes or Missions of the Deanery, but not of the same Parish or Mission as the other Lay Representative.
The Council shall also meet in February, April, August, Pre-Convention and December.
Sec. 35.5 The term of office of Clerical and Lay Representative to the Executive Council of the Diocese shall be three (3) years on a rotating basis. The three (3) year rotation means one (1) representative elected to a full term each year. No member shall serve for more than six (6) consecutive years.
Sec. 35.6 A Lay Person from each Deanery Council is elected for a one (1) year term to serve as Sub-Dean. This person assists the Dean with agenda, business, secretarial and financial concerns of the Deanery and presides at meetings in the absence of the Dean. The Deanery Council may conduct other business as from time to time seems necessary for the furtherance of the Mission of the Church in the Deanery or as the Bishop or Executive Council of the Diocese may require.
Revised November 2001
CANONS
Canons consistent with this Constitution, and the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church, may be adopted, altered, amended, or repealed at any Annual Convention by a majority vote of the Convention; provided that no new Canon and no alteration, amendment, or repeal of an existing Canon shall be adopted unless the same shall have been filed in writing with the Secretary of the Convention not less than sixty (60) days before the meeting of the Convention. The Secretary shall, not less than forty-five (45) days before the meeting of the Convention, deliver copies of all proposed amendments or alterations to the Canons to the Chairman of the Committee on Constitution and Canons. The Committee shall report thereon to the Convention on the first day of the meeting.
Where any amendment of a Canon has been so proposed and referred to the Committee, amendments thereto may be made from the floor of the Convention if within the judgment of the presiding officer of the convention such amendments are germane to the pending amendment.
No other amendments or alterations to the Canons shall be considered at that meeting except by unanimous consent of the Convention.
Changes to the existing Canons shall take effect thirty (30) days after the adjournment of Convention. Typographical errors may be corrected by the Committee on Constitution and Canons and reported to the Convention.
ALTERATIONS AND AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
A proposal for an alteration or an amendment to the Constitution shall be presented in writing at an Annual Convention and shall be referred to and be reported upon by the Committee on Constitution and Canons consisting of at least two (2) members of the Clergy and two (2) Lay Persons. If the proposal, together with any amendments pertinent thereto, receive the majority vote of the Convention, it shall be printed in the Journal and shall lay over until the next Annual Convention. If approved by a concurrent majority of the vote of both orders at the next Annual Convention, the Constitution shall be altered or amended accordingly. Such alteration or amendment shall take effect thirty (30) days after the adjournment of the Convention. Typographical errors may be corrected by the Committee on Constitution and Canons and reported to the Convention.
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