Virginia Episcopalian Magazine Spring 2012 Issue | Page 15

RESTRUCTURING A CENTRAL FOCUS AT GENERAL CONVENTION
JP CAUSEY
The 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church meets in Indianapolis, Ind., July 5-12,
2012. General Convention consists of a House of Bishops, of which all bishops are members,
and a House of Deputies, which is comprised of up to four clerical and four lay deputies
from each diocese. The Episcopal Church Women’s Triennial meets concurrently with the
General Convention and the event attracts many church-related groups, vendors and other
interested people. Upwards of 10,000 people are expected in Indianapolis for the meetings
and related events.

General Convention is the legislature for the Episcopal
Church and has the sole power to amend the constitution
and canons, revise the Book of Common Prayer or the Church
Hymnal, adopt a triennial budget and pass resolutions for
the Church. It operates as a bicameral legislature and for an
action to be an action of General Convention, it needs to be
approved by both the House of Bishops and the House of
Deputies.

Issues expected to be considered at the 77th General
Convention include:
• A triennial budget for the church, including

the askings to the dioceses for the
support of the Episcopal Church;
• Consideration of whether to sign

the Anglican Covenant;
• Election of a Nominating

Committee to nominate the
successor of the Rt. Rev.
Katharine Jefferts Schori, whose
term as presiding bishop expires
in 2015;
• Consideration of possible liturgies to

recognize same-sex unions;
• Restructuring.

Restructuring is expected to be an overarching discussion
because of its widespread impact on the organization and
its finances. Restructuring is not a new issue for General
Convention, but prior attempts at major structural changes
has been largely stymied and there is a new urgency to it as
membership and financial resources dwindle.

Renewed efforts to review the structure of the Church
commenced shortly after the 76th General Convention in
2009 and the Executive Council and several other groups
began to engage the issue. Their focus was on what kind
of structure would best enable the church to carry out its
mission, while keeping in mind the structural safeguards for
the roles of bishop, clergy and lay people.

By early 2011, the Executive Council felt that, while
good progress on ideas for restructuring was being made in

various groups, those efforts were in some cases overlapping
and in some cases diverging. At the behest of the Executive
Council, a consultation was convened in May of 2011 with
representation from the Executive Council, including the
presiding bishop and the president of the House of Deputies,
and representatives of several other commissions and
agencies. The outcome will be reflected in the report of
the Standing Commission on the Structure of the Church to
General Convention, but the concept is one of “subsidiarity,”
meaning developing and utilizing structures which
place the major efforts (and financial support) at
the lowest level on which the mission efforts
can be effectively carried out, while still
retaining an organizational structure
which also generally preserves the
balance our governance has between
the power and authority of bishops,
clergy and lay people. The discussion
received additional impetus which
the Rt. Rev. Stacy Sauls, who was
appointed chief operating officer of the
church in late May 2011, presented his own
ideas on restructuring at a meeting of the
House of Bishops.
The issues of structure are complex and sensitive.
It is essential that the issues be addressed intentionally
and thoroughly, and that the impacts of any proposed
changes be carefully evaluated to ascertain not only their
effectiveness to improve the church’s work but also to
not unintentionally