Explanation

In their Blue Book Reports for this General Convention both the Disciplinary Board for Bishops and the Court of Review mentioned that they lost members over the course of the biennium due to a death and the election of a priest to the episcopacy, but after making multiple requests for a replacement to be appointed, no appointments were made by the President of the House of Deputies whose duty it is.

In a regular Title IV case for a Bishop, ten of the eighteen members of the Disciplinary Board for Bishops serve on either the Conference Panel or Hearing Panel. With multiple cases happening at one time (currently six at the time of writing this explanation), the Disciplinary Board needs all positions to be filled so that the important work of Title IV can be done. It is a similar case for the Court of Review.

The amendments to Title IV proposed in this resolution would require the Presiding Bishop and President of the House of Deputies to make the appointments within a two-month window for finding a nominee, gaining their consent to serve, and, in the case of the Disciplinary Board for Bishops, receive the consent of the appropriate members of the Executive Council. With multiple issues regarding Title IV processes over the last year in our church, this resolution will help commit us to ensure that all cases are worked on efficiently and accurately.

This legislation was authored by Ms. Laura Ammons of the Diocese of Florida and Mr. Richard Pryor, III of the Diocese of Ohio.