Misplaced Pages

#188811

30-800: Created by General Convention in 1978, the Navajoland Area Mission comprises portions of the Navajo Reservation as well as parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah (see map). Formally designated an "Area Mission" of the Episcopal Church, it functions much like a diocese but with more oversight from the Office of the Presiding Bishop and the House of Bishops. Prior to its creation, the Church's ministry to

60-744: A commission to take any action without the consent of the other house. The American Revolution was very disruptive to the Episcopal churches in the United States . There had been no Anglican dioceses or bishops in the Thirteen Colonies before the Revolution, thus when the American congregations were separated from the Church of England , "the chain which held them together [was] broken". In 1782, William White ,

90-417: A joint session, and the nominating committee nominates at least three bishops. During the joint session, any deputy or bishop can nominate additional candidates. The House of Bishops elects the Presiding Bishop from among all nominees. The results of the election are reported to the House of Deputies, which then votes to confirm or not to confirm the election. The presiding officers of the House of Deputies are

120-544: A position filled by joint appointment of the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies. The Executive Officer "oversees all aspects of the work of Church governance, from site selection through supervision and funding of the work mandated by the convention". He supervises the secretary, treasurer, and manager of the General Convention and heads the executive office of the General Convention which coordinates

150-586: A strong sense of purpose and focus on the building up of indigenous ministry. The Presiding Bishop then appointed Wesley Frensdorff, Bishop of Nevada until January 1985 and subsequently Assisting Bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona , as Assisting Bishop. Bishop Frensdorff held the position in Navajoland concurrently with his other appointments. Following Bishop Frensdorff's death in a plane accident in May 1988,

180-619: Is also the corporate secretary of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, the corporate body of the Episcopal Church, and one of the four senior officers of the church. The Rev. Canon Michael Barlowe is the Secretary of the House of Deputies, having been appointed upon the retirement of his predecessor, the Rev. Gregory Straub in 2013. Barlowe is also the Executive Officer of the General Convention,

210-474: Is divided into committees which consider resolutions. Resolutions arise from four different sources: Each properly submitted resolution is referred to a convention committee which makes its recommendation to the House. When one house has acted on the resolution it is sent to the other house for consideration. The presiding officer of the House of Bishops is the Presiding Bishop . Both houses take part in

240-576: Is often said that the Constitutions of the United States and the Episcopal Church were written by the same people. While this is not true, both were written around the same time in Philadelphia by people who knew each other and who sought to "replace hierarchical rule with egalitarian, democratic government". The House of Deputies is the older of the two houses having been formed in 1785. William White

270-595: The Diocese of Eau Claire (Wisconsin), served as Interim Bishop. Bishop Plummer, who is widely regarded as having brought stability to the Mission and having moved it along a path of self-determination, died in April 2005 following a long battle with cancer. Rustin Kimsey, retired Bishop of Eastern Oregon , was appointed Assisting Bishop and served from June 2005 to July 2006. Mark MacDonald

300-553: The Episcopal Church. House of Bishops The House of Bishops is the third House in a General Synod of some Anglican churches and the second house in the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America . The composition of a House of Bishops varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Typically, they consist of archbishops and/or Primates , diocesan bishops and sometimes suffragan and coadjutor bishops (who may, in turn, be elected as

330-409: The General Convention every three years. The constitution written in 1789 was very similar to White's plan, except that state conventions would elect representatives directly to the General Convention. Bishops would be democratically elected and responsible to the General Convention and their respective state (later diocesan) conventions. Bishops would be "servants of the Church and not its lords". It

SECTION 10

#1732851570189

360-477: The General Convention of the Episcopal Church made Navajoland a Missionary Diocese. 36°42′55″N 108°13′41″W  /  36.7152°N 108.2281°W  / 36.7152; -108.2281 General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America The General Convention is the primary governing and legislative body of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America . With

390-480: The General Convention resolution that orders their formation. The Executive Council, composed of the officers of General Convention and members elected by the General Convention and provinces of the Church, oversees the execution of the programs and policies adopted by General Convention. Each standing commission consists of five bishops, five priests or deacons, and ten laypersons. Priests, deacons, and lay persons are not required to be deputies. Bishops are appointed by

420-481: The General Convention. In addition, the secretary also notifies the bishops and secretaries of every diocese to actions of General Convention, especially alterations to the Book of Common Prayer and the constitution of the Episcopal Church. If the offices of president and vice president become vacant during the triennium, the secretary performs the duties of president until the next meeting of General Convention. The Secretary

450-562: The Navajo people was overseen jointly by the three Episcopal dioceses of the Rio Grande , Arizona and Utah . The first full-time appointment to Navajoland was Frederick W. "Fred" Putnam, Suffragan Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma since 1963. He commenced in January 1979 and served until his retirement in January 1983. Although 61 at the time of his appointment, he came to the Mission with

480-518: The Ordinary and Development Officer in the Diocese of Utah , as Interim Canon to the Ordinary for the Navajoland Area Mission, pending the election by the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops of the next Bishop of Navajoland. (The unusual election process relates to Navajoland's status as an area mission.) He was subsequently elected on March 24, 2010, and ordained to the episcopate on August 7, 2010. In 2024,

510-511: The President of the House of Deputies appoints a treasurer until a new election is held. The treasurer of the General Convention and the Executive Council is Kurt Barnes. At each regular meeting of General Convention, the secretary of the House of Deputies is by concurrent action of both houses made the secretary of the General Convention. The secretary oversees the publishing of the Journal of

540-492: The Presiding Bishop appointed William "Dub" Wolfrum, Suffragan Bishop of Colorado, as interim bishop. He served until March 1990. Steven Plummer was consecrated in March 1990. He was the first elected bishop, and the first indigenous appointee to the position. Bishop Plummer took a leave of absence from May 1993 to April 1994 following revelations of sexual misconduct in the 1980s. During his leave of absence, William Wantland, Bishop of

570-494: The Presiding Bishop while the other clergy and laypersons are appointed by the president of the House of Deputies. Members are appointed to rotating terms so that the term for half of the members expires at the conclusion of each regular meeting of the General Convention. The standing commissions are: The Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies are ex officio members of all commissions and can appoint personal representatives to attend commission meetings without

600-426: The church, like the state, should be a democracy. He proposed that congregations in each state should unite to form an annual convention (as opposed to a "convocation" or "synod", terms which denote a body called together by a bishop) of clergy and lay representatives of the congregations. In White's plan, the state conventions would send representatives to three provincial conventions which would elect representatives to

630-478: The diocese, and four lay deputies who are confirmed communicants in good standing. The Episcopal Church of Liberia is entitled to representation in the House of Deputies by two clergy deputies and two lay deputies, all with seat and voice but no vote. The Official Youth Presence is a group of eighteen high school youth, two from each province . They also have seat and voice but no vote. Resolutions must pass both houses in order to take effect. The convention

SECTION 20

#1732851570189

660-642: The exception of the Bible , the Book of Common Prayer , and the Constitution and Canons , it is the ultimate authority in the Episcopal Church, being the bureaucratic facility through which the collegial function of the episcopate is exercised. General Convention comprises two houses: the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops . It meets regularly once every three years; however, the House of Bishops meets regularly in between sessions of General Convention. The Bishops have

690-530: The father of the Episcopal Church, wrote in his pamphlet The Case of the Episcopal Churches in the United States Considered , "it would seem, that their future continuance can be provided for only by voluntary associations for union and good government". In America, the central unit of the church would be the congregation, rather than the diocese. White, a disciple of John Locke , believed that

720-406: The president and vice president. A treasurer is elected by the two houses at every regular meeting of General Convention. The treasurer formulates the budget of the Episcopal Church, receives and disburses all money collected under the authority of the convention, and with the approval of the Presiding Bishop invests surplus funds. If the office of treasurer becomes vacant, the Presiding Bishop and

750-664: The right to call special meetings of General Convention. All diocesan , coadjutor , suffragan , and assistant bishops of the Episcopal Church, whether active or retired, have seat and vote in the House of Bishops. Each diocese of the Episcopal Church, as well as the Navajoland Area Mission and the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe , is entitled to representation in the House of Deputies by four clergy deputies, either presbyters or deacons , canonically resident in

780-416: The right to vote. They jointly appoint Executive Council members as liaison persons to provide communication between the council and each commission. These liaison persons are not commission members and cannot vote; though, they do have voice. The Presiding Bishop also appoints a staff member to assist each commission in its work. Either house may refer matters to a commission, but one house cannot instruct

810-529: The selection of a new Presiding Bishop. The members of the Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop are elected from both houses. The House of Deputies elects one clerical and one lay delegate from each province, and the House of Bishops elects one bishop from every province to sit on the joint committee. When a new Presiding Bishop is to be elected, the houses meet together in

840-471: The work of the committees, commissions, boards, and agencies (CCAB's). Interim bodies, meeting in between sessions of General Convention, include the Executive Council, various standing commissions, and task forces constituted by the Convention which study and draft policy proposals for consideration and report back to General Convention. Task forces may vary in their size, membership, and duration depending on

870-632: Was appointed Assisting Bishop in July 2006. MacDonald had been appointed earlier in the year, and subsequent to accepting the position was invited to serve as National Indigenous Bishop for the Anglican Church of Canada . He served in both positions until September 2009, when he resigned as Bishop of Navajoland to focus on his work in Canada. A special convocation of the Episcopal Church in Navajoland on October 17, 2009, elected Canon David Bailey, at that time Canon to

900-420: Was the first President of the House of Deputies. The House of Bishops was formed in 1789 to win the support of those who wanted a greater role for bishops. The House of Deputies had the advantage because with an 80 percent majority it could override a veto of the House of Bishops until 1808 when both houses were given absolute vetoes. White became the first Bishop of Pennsylvania and the first Presiding Bishop of

#188811