RESOLUTION CARRIED

Subject: Section 3 of the Declaration of Principles—Membership in General Synod

Moved By: Chancellor David P. Jones, Diocese of Edmonton

Seconded By: The Rt. Rev. Susan Moxley, Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island   

Be it resolved that this General Synod:

give Second Reading to amend sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Declaration of Principles to read as follows:

3.     Membership

a)     The General Synod of The Anglican Church of Canada shall be organized in three Orders:  the Order of Bishops, the Order of Clergy and the Order of Laity.

b)     Members of the Orders of Clergy and Laity shall be members of the diocesan synod, or eligible to be members of the diocesan synod, of the diocese they represent.

c)     The number of clergy and lay members elected by each diocese shall be determined relative to the size of the diocese.

d)     Each diocese shall elect the same number of lay members as clergy members.

e)     Each diocese shall be entitled to elect or appoint one youth representative in addition to the clergy and lay members it is entitled to elect.

f)      Other non-diocesan or quasi-diocesan jurisdictions in the Church may also be entitled to representation as specified in the Constitution.

g)     The Constitution may provide for ex officio members of the General Synod.

4.     Sessions

The three Orders shall sit and vote together, except where specifically provided for in the Constitution, Canons or Rules of Order.

5.     Voting by Dioceses

The Rules of Order shall make provision for a vote by dioceses where demanded.

Source: Governance Working Group

Submitted By: The Council of General Synod

Does this motion contain within it any financial implications?      Yes     No X

If yes, has the General Synod Expenditures Committee considered the implications?   Yes    No

EXPLANATORY NOTE/BACKGROUND

For many years, a number of provisions contained in the Declaration of Principles have been duplicated in the Constitution.

The GWG presented four resolutions to General Synod 2010 to deal with this situation—one amended the Declaration of Principles, two amended the Constitution, and one amended the Rules of Order.

The amendment to the Declaration of Principles must be approved at two sessions of General Synod.[1]

PROCEDURE FOR ADOPTION (A)

In accordance with section 11(a)(ii) of the Declaration of Principles, an amendment to the Declaration of Principles must be approved by a two-thirds majority in each Order voting at two successive sessions of General Synod.

Note: This type of amendment to the Declaration of Principles must also be referred to all diocesan and provincial synods for information (not consent) after first approval by General Synod.  This has occurred.