The 121st Annual Convention will be held at Parish Episcopal School, 4101 Sigma Road, Dallas, 75244, on Saturday, November 5, 2016.
The Constitution requires that proposed new canons or alterations or amendments to the Constitution and Canons be submitted in writing to the Secretary of Convention no later than sixty (60) days before the meeting of the Convention. No other amendments or alterations to the canons may be considered at the Diocesan Convention except by unanimous consent of the Convention.
Submission of proposals for new canons and for proposals to alter, amend, or repeal existing Canons of the Diocese of Dallas must be delivered either by email (
), mail, or by hand no later than the deadline date, noted below.
Likewise, Resolutions (see format example on following page) are requested no later than the deadline so that they may be included in the pre-convention materials that are distributed to all parishes and missions in advance of the Convention. Resolutions received after the deadline will be the responsibility of the presenter to provide copies for all delegates of the Convention.
DEADLINE:
Proposed New Canons, Alterations or Amendments to the Constitution and Canons, and Resolutions
Due on 4 p.m., Monday, September 5, 2016
Proposals must be addressed and submitted to:
SECRETARY OF CONVENTION
Diocese of Dallas
c/o Amy Wooten
1630 North Garrett Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75206
or
Format for Submitting Resolutions to Diocesan Convention
In order to simplify debate on resolutions during Annual Convention, please use the following guidelines:
1) Descriptive Title
2) “Resolved” paragraph
3) Heading “Rationale”
4) Explanatory information
5) Submitted by
6) Please do not use “Whereas” clauses
The Nominating Committee, chaired by the Rev. Robert Corley, will receive nominations for the following open positions:
Secretary of Convention 1 Clergy or 1 Lay
Standing Committee Members 1 Clergy and 1 Lay
Executive Council Members 2 Clergy and 4 Lay
University of the South Trustee 1 Lay
* Provincial Synod Delegates (2018) 4 Clergy and 4 Lay
* General Convention Deputies (2018) 4 Clergy and 4 Lay
It is important that they receive suggestions and nominations representing the full breadth of our diocese; so, please prayerfully consider those you know who might be of good service to the diocese in one of these areas.
You can easily nominate an individual online.
For the nominator: https://www.jotform.com/edod/nomination-part-one
For the nominee: https://www.jotform.com/edod/nomination-part-two
Contact Amy Wooten at
or at the Diocesan Office (214-826-8310) if you have any questions or need a blank paper form to fill out rather than doing so electronically.
The deadline for consideration of your nominations is 4 p.m., Wednesday, August 3, 2016.
Nominations received after the deadline date, noted above, will not be printed in the convention booklet, and it will be the responsibility of the presenter to provide copies of the completed nomination bio for all delegates of the Convention.
Secretary of the Diocesan Convention (See Canon 7)
The Secretary for the Convention serves a one-year term and is responsible for the official record of the proceedings of the Diocesan Convention.
The Standing Committee (see Article 10 and Canon 6)
The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Dallas consists of three priests (entitled to seats at the Convention) and three lay communicants (in good standing with their churches) from the diocese, elected by Convention for three-year terms. It functions as a committee of advice to the bishop and is called at the bishop's discretion, or it may meet of its own accord. The Standing Committee gives consent for person to become candidates for Holy Orders, consent for ordinations and consent to elections of bishops in other dioceses. When there is no bishop, bishop coadjutor, or bishop suffragan, the Standing Committee becomes the ecclesiastical authority of the diocese. The committee meets the second Tuesday of the month. Because Standing committee members need an understanding of various diocesan functions, the diocese recommends only individuals who recently served as a member of the Executive Council, or have comparable experience at the diocesan level, be nominated for Standing Committee. Therefore, the Nominating Committee will recommend and submit to the Convention only the nominations of individuals who have recently served on the Executive Council or have comparable experience at the diocesan level.
The Executive Council (see Canon 5)
There shall be eighteen elected members of the Executive Council to be chosen at the annual convention by a concurrent vote of a majority of each order from the following categories: six members of the clergy, entitled to seats in the Convention, and twelve persons, who are confirmed communicants in good standing of parishes and missions in union with the Convention. Two members of the clergy and four lay persons shall be elected at each Convention for a term of three years. No member who has served three consecutive years shall be eligible for re-election until the lapse of one year after the expiration of last period of service. The Executive Council of the Diocese of Dallas has as its purpose the administration of the missionary, educational and social service work of the diocese. The Bishop is the executive head of this work. The Executive Board carries on the work of the Convention between meetings. The executive Council submits the Proposed Budget to the Convention. The committee meets the second Tuesday of the month.
The Trustee for the University of the South (see Canon 23)
There shall be elected by the Diocesan Convention three Trustees of the University of the South, consisting of one clerical and two lay person. One trustee is to be elected each year for a three-year term. Trustees to the University of the South are elected for a three-year term and may serve for two consecutive terms. A trustee who has served two consecutive terms may not serve again until at least one year after the expiration of the second term. Trustees meet for a mandatory meeting each year in October and an optional meeting each May at Sewanee, TN. The Board of Trustees is responsible for establishing the policies of the university and for the concurrence to the election of the vice-chancellor. Travel costs to attend the meeting(s) are generally the responsibility of the trustee, unless the trustee is unable to pay, and the diocese may provide assistance. The pattern of election is one year lay, next year lay, and following year clergy.
Delegates and Alternates to 2018 Provincial Synod (See Canon 27)
At each annual convention next preceding a stated meeting of the Provincial Synod, four members of the clergy and four lay persons shall be elected to represent the Diocese in the Provincial Synod, who shall continue in office until their successors are elected. The clerical delegates will be canonically resident in the Diocese and also entitled to seats in the Diocesan Convention which elects them, and the lay persons shall be communicants of the church and residents of the Diocese. The Convention shall also in like manner elect four members of the clergy and four lay persons, with the same qualifications as the other Delegates, as Alternative Delegates to act in cases hereafter provided. The names of the delegates and of the alternate delegates shall be entered in the journal in accordance with the priority of their election and in such order that the one receiving the highest number of votes necessary to an election on any ballot shall be placed first, and so on. The Province meets every three years at Synod to handle the business of the province. Provincial Synod is held prior to the General Convention in the spring or summer of 2018. See
http://www.province7.org for more information.
Deputies to the 2018 General Convention of the Episcopal Church (see Article 11)
The Annual Convention in the second year preceding a stated meeting of the General Convention shall elect by ballot four priests or deacons and four lay persons to act as deputies from the Diocese to the General Convention, a concurrent vote of a majority of both orders being necessary to elect. Following the election of the last deputy chosen, the floor shall be opened for nomination of alternate deputies in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and one ballot shall be taken (unless further voting shall be necessary because of a tie) upon those then nominated and those who had been nominated as Deputies (including those who withdrew), and the four in each order receiving the most votes (both orders voting together) shall be declared elected as alternate Deputies. Deputies and alternates shall take office immediately upon election and shall hold office until their successors are chosen.
Note: Regarding Nominations and Elections for Provincial Synod and General Convention Representatives
Dallas in one of the few (if not only) dioceses to have different representatives for Provincial Synod and General Convention. This change was made around 2003. Our deputies to General Convention are at a disadvantage, because attendance at Provincial Synod helps to prepare representatives to operate more effectively at General Convention. A change to the canons to unify these two offices is in the works, but will not be in place for this election. At the upcoming convention in Dallas, the hope is to elect the same people to both offices at our upcoming convention. To prepare for this, the Nominating Committee has been asked to nominate the same candidates for both Provincial Synod and General Convention representatives.
