GENERAL SYNOD RESOLUTIONS
https://archives.anglican.ca/link/official10550
- Date
- 2016 March 10-13
- Type
- Resolution 05-16-03 [sic i.e. 05-03-16]
- Mover
- Cynthia Haines-Turner
- Seconder
- David Jones
- Prologue
- The Very Rev. Peter Wall requested that one piece of the resolution be dealt with later this evening. This resolution concerns the usage of tablets at the General Synod.
- Brian Bukowski, Web Manager was invited to provide a presentation on the application designed for tablets that would be utilized at the General Synod. Mr. Bukowski demonstrated the various icons of the application that will provide members and delegates to instantly access any information they will need during the meetings.
- The Very Rev. Peter Wall explained that by allowing each delegate and member to receive a tablet upon registration and returning at the end of the Synod would reduce paper production and the number of people required to make things work. The final cost of tablets would be within budget at an estimated cost of $12,000.
- Deputy Prolocutor Cynthia Haines-Turner and Dean Wall then presented the number of motions which councils would vote to commend for consideration to General Synod 2016.
- Text of motion
- Be it resolved:
- That this Council of General Synod commends the following motion for consideration to General Synod 2016 (See Appendix A)
- CARRIED #05-16-03 [sic i.e. 05-03-16]
- Notes
- APPENDIX A – Resolutions for General Synod 2016
- 005-16-03 PUBLIC WITNESS FOR SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL JUSTICE COORDINATION COMMITTEE
- This Council of General Synod commends the following motion for consideration to General Synod 2016
- Subject: Social and Ecological Investment Task Force
- That this General Synod request the Council of General Synod
- - 1. To appoint a task force as soon as possible
- -- a) To review the investment policies and practices for the management of the General Synod assets and those of the General Synod Pension Plan in light of the Church’s faith and mission, including the Church’s social and environmental responsibilities;
- -- b) Building on previous work, to address environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices of corporations and industries in which our Church invests, to develop guidelines for constructive dialogue, and where necessary divestment, leading towards a low carbon economy;
- -- c) To present an interim report by May 2017 to the Council of General Synod;
- -- d) To report annually on actions taken or under consideration that would make visible the Anglican Church of Canada’s commitment to environmental, social and governance principles and to propose a strategy for ongoing engagement and monitoring.
- - 2. To include in the task force the widest possible range of internal stakeholders including those charged with the ministry of financial responsibility in matters pertaining to the General Synod and General Synod Pension Plan, and those with interests related to sustainable environmental investing.
- ****
- Subject: Investment Task Force Relationships
- That this General Synod, as a tangible expression of our desire to move to a low-carbon economy
- - a) Become a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investing http://www.unpri.org/about-pri/the-six-principles/; and
- - b) Make full use of its affiliate membership with Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE) and encourage dioceses to become affiliate members.
- Explanatory Note/Background Information
- Public Witness for Social and Ecological Justice Coordinating Committee, in conversation with the Creation Matters Working Group, gave consideration to the following in proposing these two motions:
- - 1. The 5th Mark of Mission, “To Strive to Safeguard the Integrity of Creation and Sustain and Renew the Life of the Earth” and the associated baptismal promise, and
- - 2. The direction from the meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion in Canterbury, England Jan. 2016 to “get behind the (United Nations) Sustainable Development Goals” that address the root causes of poverty including environmental abuse and the universal need for development that works for all people and creation; and
- - 3. The plea from a group of Anglican Bishops gathered near Cape Town in February 2015 viz. “We call for a review of our churches’ investment practices with a view to supporting environmental sustainability and justice by divesting from industries involved primarily in the extraction or distribution of fossil fuels”; and
- - 4. Experience of work undertaken in the Dioceses of Ottawa, Montreal, Huron and Quebec which through strategic divestment or re-investment have led these bodies to significantly re-align their investment practices with their faith convictions; and
- - 5. As members of the Anglican Church of Canada we recognize the right to decent work (Sustainable Development Goal #8) and look for the well-being of those workers transitioning to sustainable jobs throughout Canada with unique needs; and
- - 6. The principle of free, prior and informed consent in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Anglican policy – 2010 General Synod resolution A176; 2013 Joint Declaration; TRC Call to Action 48), and the June 26, 2014 Supreme Court of Canada Tsilhqot’in in Aboriginal Title decision, the first time in Canadian history that a court has declared Aboriginal title to lands outside of a reserve; and
- - 7. A mandate for such a group could well include among other things, consideration of justice for non-human creation, the interests of future generations of humanity, and support for environmental sustainability and justice; and
- - 8. Suggest a membership reporting to the Primate and the Council of General Synod as follows:
- -- The General Secretary
- -- A member of the Investment Committee
- -- A member of the Financial Management Committee
- -- An administrator and a member of the General Synod Pension Plan
- -- Two members of the PWSEJ/Creation Matters team
- -- At least two persons who are Indigenous
- -- A theological resource person
- -- An investment professional
- -- A representative from a diocese directly affected by changing economic realities
- -- A representative from a diocese above with experience in divestment
- - 9. Suggest that through an existing formal relationship with the Anglican Church of Canada that SHARE provide support to the task force proposed above.
- 006-06-16-03 FAITH, WORSHIP AND MINISTRY COMMITTEE
- Liturgical Texts
- That this Council of General Synod commends to the General Synod of 2016 the following motion:
- - That this General Synod receive with gratitude the Report of the Liturgy Task Force and authorize the following for trial use and evaluation for a period of three years:
- -- Seasonal Forms of Daily Office: Morning and Evening Prayer;
- -- Additional Collects and Prayers following the Revised Common Lectionary
- -- Inclusive Language Liturgical Psalter
- Future Work on Liturgical Texts
- - That this General Synod encourage the work begun within the term limit of the Liturgy Task Force (2010-2016) to continue, guided by the Liturgical Principles and Agenda for Liturgical Revision as adopted by the General Synod 2010, and in light of evolving priorities in the General Synod’s ministry.
- Ecumenical Relationships
- Anglican-United Church Dialogue
- - That this General Synod:
- -- receive with gratitude the final report of the latest iteration of the dialogue between the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada;
- -- endorse the report’s recommendations, including the establishment of a national coordinating committee for unity and mission between at least our two churches, whose size, membership, and mandate will be determined by the Council of General Synod in consultation with the United Church of Canada and any other participating churches.
- Anglican-Mennonite Dialogue
- -- Welcome the establishment of a new bilateral dialogue with Mennonite church Canada for a period of five years;
- -- Direct the Faith, Worship, and Ministry Coordinating Committee, in consultation with Mennonite Church Canada, to determine the size, membership and mandate of the dialogue.
- Ministry and Theological Ethics
- The Iona Report, and Competencies for the Diaconate
- -- 1. receive The Iona Report, including the Competencies for the Diaconate, and commend it to the dioceses for study and fur use in review of their existing guidelines and practices with respect to the diaconate, sending their feedback to Faith, Worship, and Ministry no later than October 2018;
- -- 2. request the Primate convene a study of The Iona Report within the House of Bishops and report to the Faith, Worship, and Ministry;
- -- 3. request that the Faith, Worship, and Ministry Committee review the Ordinal, in light of current scholarship and best practices, and present to the General Synod of 2019 a revision of the liturgical text for the Ordination of a Deacon.
- 027-0-16-03 GOVERNANCE WORKING GROUP
- This Council of General Synod commends the following motion for consideration to the General Synod 2016
- - The Governance Working Group is asking CoGS to send three sets of amendments to General Synod 2016:
- -- A. Amendments to Canon XXII requested by the Sacred Circle,
- -- B. Amendments to Canon XXII requested by the Anglican Military Ordinariate, and
- -- C. Housekeeping amendments to the Declaration of Principles, the Constitution, other Canons, and the Rules of Order and Procedure.
- PART A
- AMENDMENTS TO CANON XXII
- (NATIONAL INDIGENOUS MINISTRY)
- BACKGROUND
- The Sacred Circle in August 2015 asked General Synod to make two amendments to Canon XXII to:
- - 1. Remove the current 9 year term limit on the National Indigenous Anglican Bishop.
- - 2. Increase the term of Office for members of the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples (“ACIP”) from the current three years to six years, and to provide that the terms of half of the members expire at each Sacred Circle, so as to permit continuity. (Sacred Circle meets approximately every three years.)
- PROPOSED RESOLUTION
- RESOLVED THAT:
- Canon XXII be amended as follows:
- - 1. Delete the following words in entirety:
- -- The term of office for the NIAVB is nine years from the date of installation. The NIAV whose term has been completed is eligible to stand for election for a further term.
- - 2. Reword the following paragraph by adding the words shown in bold: [In electronic database, "bolded" text is indicated by < > brackets.]
- -- Except for the NIAV, the terms of ACIP members will end at the conclusion of the second Sacred Circle
- -- after their election, Where a vacancy occurs , ACIP may appoint a replacement for a person who was elected by the Sacred Circle, and the NIAV may appoint a replacement for a person whom the NIAV had appointed. A person who has served on ACIP is eligible for re-election.
- - 3. ACIP shall determine which of its current members will have terms ending at the conclusion of the next Sacred Circle (2018), and which will have terms ending at the conclusion of the second next Sacred Circle (2021).
- The following table shows the present wording and the proposed wording. [In electronic database, information is presented NOT in table form. "Present Wording" column first and then "Proposed Wording" column information follows.]
- Present Wording
- Term of Office for the NIAB
- The term of office for the NIAB is nine years from the date of installation. The NIAV whose Term has been completed is eligible to stand for election for a further term.
- The NIAB must retire on reaching the age of 70.
- …………………………….
- Except for the NIAB, the terms of ACIP members will end at the conclusion of the next Sacred Circle. Where a vacancy occurs on the Council between Sacred Circles, ACIP may appoint a replacement for a person who was elected by the Sacred Circle, and the NIAB may appoint a replacement for a person whom the NIAB had appointed. A person who has served on ACIP is eligible for re-election.
- Proposed Wording
- (deleted)
- Except for the NIAB, the terms of ACIP members will end at the conclusion of the Sacred Circle after their election, Where a vacancy occurs , ACIP may appoint a replacement for a person who was elected by the Sacred Circle, and the NIAB may appoint a replacement for a person whom the NIAB had appointed. A person who has served on ACIP is eligible for re-election.
- ACIP shall determine which of its current members will have terms ending at the conclusion of the next Sacred Circle (2018), and which will have terms ending at the conclusion of the second next Sacred Circle (2021).
- PART B
- CANON XXII [sic i.e. XXIII]
- (ANGLICAN MILITARY ORDINARIATE)
- General Synod 2013 enacted amendments to Canon XXII to allow for the election of the Bishop Ordinary by the members of the Ordinariate. In the course of preparations for the election this Spring of the next Bishop Ordinary, it became apparent that it would be desirable to make the following amendments.
- - 1. The following definitions be amended or added in the Glossary section of the Handbook:
- -- a) Anglican Military Ordinariate The Anglican Military Ordinariate is composed of all the Anglican clergy and lay service personnel in the Canadian Armed Forces and their families.
- -- b) Bishop Ordinary to the Canadian Armed Forces A bishop elected with the concurrence of the Primate and the Metropolitans who has Episcopal jurisdiction over the chaplains of The Anglican Church of Canada serving with the Canadian Armed Forces.
- -- c) Chancellor of the Anglican Military Ordinariate A judge or barrister who is appointed to advise the Bishop Ordinary to the Canadian Armed forces.
- - 2. All of the references in the Handbook to “Canadian Forces” be amended to “Canadian Armed Forces”.
- - 3. Section 5 b) of Canon III (The Primate) be amended to read as follows:
- -- Subject to the provision of financial requirements, the Primate and the four Provincial Metropolitans may concur in the election by the Anglican Military Ordinariate of the Bishop Ordinary who shall have Episcopal jurisdiction over the members of the Anglican Military Ordinariate in accordance with any applicable Canon.
- - 4. Section 1 a) of Canon XVII (The Licensing of Clergy) be amended to read as follows:
- -- “chaplain” means full and part-time priests commissioned as officers in the Canadian Armed Forces, and mandated by the Chaplain General.
- - 5. Explanatory Note 1 at the end of Canon XIII be amended to read:
- -- …if the Bishop Ordinary-elect is a serving member of the Regular Force or Primary Reserve, that person must forthwith submit a formal request for release from the Canadian Armed Forces, may be consecrated as bishop upon proof of acceptance of that request, but may not commence his or her duties as Bishop Ordinary until the effective date of release from the Canadian Armed Forces.
- PART C
- HOUSEKEEPING AMENDMENTS
- The following are housekeeping amendments.
- BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
- - 1. Section 11 c) ii) of the Declaration of Principles be amended to read as follows:
- --- All other Canons may be approved or amended by a two-thirds majority of each Order voting separately.
- -- This is to remove the last vestige of clergy and laity voting together (the old Lower House) with the bishops voting separately (the old Upper House).
- -- Procedure: This amendment will require a two-thirds majority in each of the Orders voting separately at two successive sessions of the General Synod.
- - 2. Section 16 i) of the Rules of Order be amended to read as follows:
- --- A motion that the debate be closed, to be carried, requires a two-thirds majority of all three orders voting together.
- -- Procedure: This amendment will require a two-thirds majority in the three Orders voting together.
- - 3. Section 5 c) of Canon III (The Primate) be amended to read as follows:
- --- Subject to the provision of financial requirements, the Primate and the four Provincial Metropolitans may concur in the election by the Sacred Circle of the National Indigenous Bishop who shall have a Pastoral Episcopal relationship with all indigenous ministries, in Accordance with any applicable Canon.
- - 4. Change the period at the end of Section 5 a) ix) in Canon III to a semi-colon and add Section 5 a) x) as follows:
- --- 5 a) x) have Metropolitical jurisdiction over the Bishop Ordinary, the National Indigenous Anglican Bishop, and any other extra-diocesan bishop with a national ministry.
- -- Procedure: This amendment will require a two-thirds majority in the Order of Bishops and of the Orders of Clergy and Laity voting together.
- - 5. The following be added to Canon XIV:
- --- 5. Prayer Number 4 in “Prayers and Thanksgivings upon Several Occasions” is to be deleted from use and omitted from further printings of The Book of Common Prayer.
- -- When Section 4 was adopted, deleting the third Collect, for the Conversion of the Jews, from the Good Friday lectionary, it appears that by oversight a similar, albeit not identical, prayer – Prayer 4 on page 41 – was left in. It would be appropriate to deauthorize this prayer and omit it from future printings of the BCP.
- - 6. The following be added to Canon XVIII:
- --- 6 iii) The National Indigenous Anglican Bishop
- -- The National Indigenous Anglican Bishop needs to be included in the discipline canon.
- - 7. Canon XX be amended as follows:
- --- A. In Section 3 i), adding the words shown in bold: [In electronic database, "bolded" text is indicated by < > brackets.]
- ---- If any member of the court dies, or declines to act or becomes incapable of doing so, or develops an interest in the case, or if a bishop ceases to hold Episcopal office as aforesaid, before the hearing is commenced, the vacancy shall be filled in the same way. If the vacancy occurs after the hearing has commenced the remaining members of the court may continue the hearing and give judgment or in their discretion direct that a new court be appointed and the hearing recommenced.
- -- The current wording omits the possibility of a change of Order.
- --- B. In Section 4 a), adding the words shown in bold: [In electronic database, "bolded" text is indicated by < > brackets.]
- ---- The other assessors shall be provincial or diocesan chancellors, appointed in the same manner as members of the court.
- --- C. In Section 10 a), changing the words shown in bold: [In electronic database, "bolded" text is indicated by < > brackets.]
- ---- Before delivering judgment on a question of doctrine, the Supreme Court shall refer the question to the members of the Order of Bishops and ask for the individual written opinion of each such bishop on the question and shall consider the opinions of the bishops who reply to the request within two months after the making of the reference in reaching its decision.
- -- The current wording refers to provisions which were previously located in the Declaration of Principles, and are now located in the Constitution. In addition, the proposed wording adds the Bishop Ordinary, the National Indigenous Bishop, and assistant bishops exercising Episcopal functions within their diocese. All of these are members of the Order of Bishops.
- -- Procedure: These amendments will require a two-thirds majority in each of the Orders voting separately at two successive sessions of the General Synod.
- - Respectfully submitted by:
- - The Ven. Harry Huskins
- - Cynthia Haines Turner
- - Chancellor David Jones, Q.C. (Chair)
- 029-16-16-03 OTHER – ACRAC [Anglican Communion Relations Advisory Council]
- NOTE: To be passed at meeting.
- This Council of General Synod commends the following motion for consideration to the General Synod 2016.
- --The General Synod session of 2013 enacted a resolution in regard to the Anglican Communion Covenant.
- -- This resolution:
- --- 1) Requested that the conversation in the Anglican Church of Canada about the proposed Covenant for the Anglican Communion continue during the next triennium; and
- --- 2) Directed the Council of the General Synod to bring a recommendation regarding the adoption of the covenant to General Synod 2016.
- -- The resolution also directed that the Anglican Communion Relations Advisory Council “monitor continued developments about the proposed Covenant for the Anglican Communion and report to the Spring 2016 meeting of the Council of the General Synod”.
- -- The Anglican Communion Relations Advisory Council, as directed by this resolution, has considered the situation in regard to the Covenant. It would seem that the situation remains much as it was when the General Synod last considered the matter in 2013 and that there is no common mind in the Canadian Church for either the adoption or rejection of the covenant.
- -- Given this, the ACRAC thinks it best to put a range of possible motions before the Council of the General Synod and allow the Council members to choose both the intent and wording of the motion that the Council has been directed to send to the floor of the 2016 General Synod session.
- - This council of General Synod commends the following motion for consideration to the General Synod 2016
- -- 1. A motion that directs that the present consultation process continue:
- --- That this Synod acknowledges that the Anglican Covenant process has had the positive effect of leading many to think deeply about the nature of Anglican ecclesiology and the nature of inter-Anglican relationships, and directs the Council of General Synod to continue to monitor developments related to the Anglican Covenant.
- --- Further, that this Synod commits the Anglican Church of Canada to full participation in the Instruments of Communion, the Continuing Indaba, the Consultation of Anglican Bishops in Dialogue and the strengthening of relationships through initiatives such as the establishment and nurturing of Companion diocese relationships.
- Consensus
- Resolutions from Financial Management Committee
- - Be it resolved:
- -- That the audited Consolidated Financial Statements of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada for the fiscal year ended as at December 31st, 2015 and including transfers from Internally Designated Net Assets of $xxxx be approved. (See Schedule 1)
- -- That the audited Financial Statements of The Anglican Church of Canada Consolidated Trust Fund for the fiscal year ended as at December 31st, 2015be approved.
- -- That the audited Financial Statements of The Anglican Church of Canada Resolution Corporation for the fiscal year ended as at December 31st, 2015 be approved.
- This Council of General Synod commends the following motion for considerations to the General Synod 2016
- -- That the unaudited Financial Statements of The Missionary Society of the Anglican Church of Canada for the fiscal year ended as at December 31st, 2015 be approved.
- Subjects
- Anglican Church of Canada. General Synod (41st : 2016 : Richmond Hill, Ont.) - Rules and practice
- Church and computers - Anglican Canada
- Tablet computers
- Anglican Church of Canada. General Synod (41st : 2016 : Richmond Hill, Ont.) - Resolutions