3 of the 335 (and counting…)

At last count there were about 335 resolutions in the pipeline for General Convention’s consideration, with more, potentially, to come before the July 6 filing deadline.

Three originate from the Diocese of Massachusetts.

C056:  The Massachusetts Diocesan Convention in 2010 voted to request that General Convention change the word “may” to “shall” in Canon IV.6.3 on ecclesiastical discipline, as in:  “Any person other than the Intake Officer who receives information regarding an Offense shall promptly forward the information to the Intake Officer.  A Bishop Diocesan may [proposed change to shall] forward information to the Intake Officer whenever the Bishop Diocesan believes that the information may indicate conduct constituting one or more Offenses.”

Elsewhere the canon requires that members of the clergy report such information; the resolution seeks to hold bishops to the same requirement.

This request is now known as General Convention resolution C056 (C resolutions come from diocesan conventions).  If it makes it out of the legislative committee on ministry, to which it has been assigned, it will go to the House of Bishops for initial action.

D019:  Massachusetts deputy Byron Rushing proposed this resolution, “Extending the Rights of Laity,” which asks that Canon I.17.5 be amended to include “gender identity and expression” to the list of protected categories, so that it would read:  “No one shall be denied rights, status or access to an equal place in the life, worship, and governance of this Church because of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disabilities or age, except as otherwise specified by Canons.”

D019 (D resolutions come from deputies) also is assigned to the ministry legislative committee and then the House of Bishops for initial action.

D022:  Massachusetts deputy Sam Gould proposed this resolution asking for a churchwide response to bullying.  It encourages partnerships among “congregations, dioceses, campus ministries, National Association of Episcopal Schools, public schools, counseling centers and governmental organizations in order to support and offer preventative programs addressing bullying, harassment, and other related violence, especially with higher risk populations” and it asks that such partnerships avail themselves of preventive programs.

D022 is assigned to the social and urban affairs legislative committee and then the House of Bishops for initial action.

The rest of the 335 resolutions?  Check them out here.