The Committee on Constitution and Canons presents two resolutions to be considered at the 40th annual convention of the Diocese of East Tennessee on Saturday, February 10, 2024. You may find a copy of the resolutions below. Both the presentation and hearing are available above. The minutes from the hearing are available below the copy of the resolutions.
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN EAST TENNESSEE
2024 DIOCESAN CONVENTION
Resolution #2024-03
TITLE: Amendment to. Title V. Canon 2: Lay Ministries
PROPOSED BY: The Honorable L. Marie Williams, St. Pauls’s Chattanooga, Chair of Constitution and Canons Committee on behalf of the committee.
REPRESENTATIVE’s CONTACT INFORMATION:
The Honorable L. Marie Williams
2109 Fairmount Rd., W. Signal Mountain, Tn.
423-886-1067
Marie @court-room.com
REPRESENTATIVE AT CONVENTION:
The Honorable L. Marie Williams
DATE: January 19, 2024
RESOLVED, That TITLE V. CANON 2. be amended to include the following language:
Sec. 1. Lay Ministers requiring licensing in accordance with Title III, Canon 4 of the Canons of The Episcopal Church shall be encouraged in this Diocese and said Licensing shall be in compliance with the above Canon and in conformity with the training required by this Diocese.
Sec. 2. Lay Ministers shall be trained as required by (a) the Canons of The Episcopal Church and (b) the written policy of the Bishop (as amended from time to time).
Sec 3. No licensing shall be required of Lectors. A Lector shall be appointed by the Member of the Clergy in charge of the congregation in which the Lector is to serve to read lessons or to lead Prayers of the People.
Sec 4. A Lector is a person trained in reading the Word and appointed without license by the Member of the Clergy in charge of the Congregation to read lessons or to lead the Prayers of the People.
EXPLANATION OF RESOLUTION:
The proposed revisions align this Canon with The Episcopal Church Canon. These revisions make space for an evolution of offerings by the Episcopal Church in East Tennessee as well as accommodation as the Canons of the Episcopal Church potentially change.
The Episcopal Church in East Tennessee currently offers discernment, formation, and licensing for Pastoral Leader, Worship Leader, Preacher, Eucharistic Minister, Eucharistic Visitor, and Catechist. Those are clearly listed in the Canons of the Episcopal Church (TEC). As well, The Episcopal Church in East Tennessee offers discernment, formation, and licensing for Evangelist Facilitator (a slight revision to TEC’s list), and Pastoral Care Leader, a significantly different lay ministry than Pastoral Leader as listed. There are other Lay Ministries that The Episcopal Church in East Tennessee recognizes, celebrates, and supports but does not currently provide formation and licensing for.
The editorial changes remove the unnecessary listing of lay ministries, correct a typographical error in Sec. 3. and clarify the inconsistency in Sec. 3. and Sec 4.
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN EAST TENNESSEE
2024 DIOCESAN CONVENTION
Resolution #2024-04
TITLE: Amendment to. Title IV. Places of Worship
PROPOSED BY: The Honorable L. Marie Williams, St. Pauls’s Chattanooga, Chair of Constitution and Canons Committee on behalf of the committee.
REPRESENTATIVE’s CONTACT INFORMATION:
The Honorable L. Marie WIlliams
2109 Fairmount Rd., W. Signal Mountain, Tn.
423-886-1067
Marie @court-room.com
REPRESENTATIVE AT CONVENTION:
The Honorable L. Marie Williams
DATE: January 19, 2024
RESOLVED, That Title IV Canon 1 Sec.2 be amended to include the following language:
Sec. 2. Each Parish shall be incorporated according to the laws of the state in which the Parish is located. A copy of the proposed corporate Charter and Bylaws shall be submitted to the Bishop, who will review, and may revise them, in consultation with the Chancellor. If after the Bishop grants his or her approval, the Parish shall proceed to become incorporated as a not for profit. Within thirty days of incorporation, a copy of the corporate Charter and Bylaws shall be filed in the Bishop’s office. Any amendments to the Charter and Bylaws shall follow the same procedure. Each Parish shall comply with all state requirements to maintain its not for profit corporate status; and be it further
RESOLVED, That Title IV Canon 1 Sec 8. Be amended to include the following language:
Sec. 8. The Vestry shall administer the temporal affairs of the Parish; shall elect and call the Rector, unless otherwise set forth in these Canons, shall provide for the regular and well-ordered worship of Almighty God, and shall cooperate with the Rector in all efforts to develop the spiritual life of the Parish. Temporal affairs including merger falls withing the authority and approval of the Vestry. The Vestry shall, at all times, keep the church in proper condition for its uses, and likewise give proper care to all buildings and grounds belonging to the Parish. A quorum shall consist of not less than a majority of all the members of the Vestry in office immediately before a meeting begins and Vestry decisions shall be made by a majority vote unless otherwise provided by the By-laws of the Parish; and be it further
RESOLVED, That Title IV, Canon 3 be amended to include the following language:
Canon 3: Merging Parishes
In any area within the Diocese, if two or more existing parishes desire to merge into one existing or new Parish, then, the Vestry of each Parish must first submit to the Bishop a request to merge Parishes into one new or existing Parish.
Upon receipt of the request, the Bishop shall forward copies thereof for written comment to any existing Parish within a 10-mile radius of the proposed location of the new Parish. Such written comments shall be sent to the Bishop within sixty (60) days of receipt of the request. After the expiration of such sixty (60) day period, the Bishop shall send the request, together with the Bishop’s comments and any written comments received from the existing Parishes to the Standing Committee for its consideration and consent. For good cause, so stated, the Bishop may shorten the sixty (60) day period to no less than twenty (20) days.
If the Standing Committee consents and the Bishop concurs, the parishes wishing to merge must follow the laws of the state in which they are located for merger of not-for-profit corporations and must comply with all Parish responsibilities under the Constitution and Canons; and be it further
RESOLVED, That Title IV Canon 3 be renumbered as well as the Canons numbered in the remaining Title IV.
EXPLANATION OF THE RESOLUTION:
The Proposed Revisions address the need for a process for parishes to merge. Specifically, the changes in Sec 2 address a typographical error and bring the section into compliance with The Episcopal Church (TEC). The changes in Sec 8. require a majority of the Vestry of each church to vote for a merger and clarifies the role of the Vestry. New Canon 3. Provides a process for churches to merge.
Constitution and Canons Committee Hearing
Monday February, 5th
12:00 pm
The Rev. Christopher Hogin, Secretary of Convention, called the hearing to order by opening in prayer.
- He then gave an overview of the purpose of the Convention of the Diocese of East Tennessee. In his words, the purpose of the Diocesan Convention is to:
- Worship as a body
- Legislation
- Elect officers
- To connect and learn
The Hon. L Marie Williams then gave an introduction to the resolutions at hand.
- Two Resolutions from Constitutions and Canons for consideration at this Convention.
- The committee does not amend the Constitution or Canon’s of the Diocese
- The committee’s role is to keep an eye on how the documents are drafted and to make sure that they remain in alignment with the TEC constitution and canons
- The committee therefore proposes resolutions for the Convention
- Both resolutions for this Convention are being brought with the recommendation to pass, but the committee welcomes discussion, etc…
The two resolutions this year involve lay ministry and the mergers of parishes.
Resolution 1
- Addressed by Canon Beverly Hurley Hill
- The Constitution and Canon’s of the Dioceses of East Tennessee do not represent what is happening in practice on the ground involving lay ministry
- The list currently provided is unnecessary and conflicts with TEC Constitutions and Canon’s
- Removal of the language will bring clarity and align them with TEC
- The Hon. L Marie Williams then conducted the formal reading of the resoultion
- Time for questions and comments was then begun
- Amy Howleger, St. Elizabeth’s, asked if lay leaders who lead offices such as Noonday Prayer need to be licensed.
- Cannon Hill said not necessarily but that there is training for worship leaders available for lay members to take part in
- Bishop Cole then spoke about the theme of the convention that all are called to ministry and that includes lay ministry in addition to ordained ministry.
- All are called but what are we individually called to
- The bishop said that cleaning up the language in this resolution is key to the diocese’s mission that all are called to ministry; cleaning up the canon allows us to be clear about what our goals and values are as a diocese.
- The Hon. L. Marie Williams then closed the discussion on Resolution 1
The Rev. Gary Callahan then introduced Resolution 2
- The recent merger of St. Timothy’s and St. Christopher’s brought to the committee’s attention that there were no canons regarding parish mergers.
- There are many reasons for parish mergers that may impact the diocese in the future, so this is a way that those communities can faithfully go about that.
- The proposed canon includes the basic components for the process: the role of the vestries, the Bishop, and the Standing Committee.
- Also included is the ability for neighboring parishes to react to a potential merger.
- Also included is that a merger should include incorporation as a not-for-profit in the state of Tennessee in union with the Diocese and TEC.
- The. Rev. Gary Callahan then formally read the resolution
- The Hon. L Marie Williams then opened the floor for discussion
- The Rev. Jon Hermes, St. Michael’s Kingsport, thanked the committee for their work on this resolution.
- Bishop Cole then offered some lively conversation for the committee:
- Bishop Cole reflected on the early sermons of Bishop Sanders which he has been reading recently and how they assumed growth in the diocese.
- However, he notes that our churches also experience a life cycle, sometimes where something ceases to be but also how something new can begin.
- The Bishop noted how the people of St. Timothy’s and St. Christopher’s recognized something new was going on and how they wanted the help of the Diocese.
- Also, the support of St. Paul’s in Kingsport has been invaluable to the merger between St. Timothy’s and St. Christopher’s.
- We now have a framework for how this could happen in the future, which is in large part to St. Timothy’s and St. Christopher’s
- Rev. Hogin then gave a perspective from history
- An enormous amount of churches were built in the post-war era.
- This is not a bad thing that we have this new canon, but rather correcting an overextension of the Church.
- This canon does not mean the Church is in trouble but rather reacting to the reality we find ourselves in.
- The Hon. L Marie Williams asked if these resolutions could be passed by acclamation at the upcoming convention
- This will not be rolled into the consent agenda
- It will be brought to the convention floor
- The Hon. L. Marie Williams asked if the meeting could be concluded early with a prayer
- The meeting concluded in prayer
- The Rev. Christopher Hogin then thanked all in attendance for their participation
- He noted that doing the hearing on Zoom has allowed more people to attend than in the past
- The hearing was then adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
The Rev. William Simerly
Assistant Secretary to Convention