A146 Study of Lay Discipline for Elected and Appointed Offices

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,

That the Standing Commission on Structure, Governance, Constitution and Canons shall study and report back to the 82nd General Convention with recommended canonical changes, if any, to provide for the suspension or removal of lay persons, who are in elected or appointed offices in the church for:

  1. Significant or ongoing misconduct, criminal, professional, or otherwise, including harassment; or
  2. Significant or ongoing failure to abide by the Constitution and Canons of this Church or of the diocese in which the lay person is a member.

 

Explanation

This study resolution was written in response to the feedback the Standing Commission on Structure, Governance, Constitution & Canons received from the church following the Standing Commission’s survey in 2023. It is intended to cover elected and appointed offices at various levels of congregational, diocesan, and church-wide leadership.