Jennifer Haemmerle, co-Chancellor, moved for adoption of this revision. The motion was seconded and Jennifer went on to explain the rationale for this proposed change. The 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church adopted substantial revisions to the Canons for Ecclesiastical Discipline and this revision of the Diocesan canon will bring it into compliance with the general Canons of the National Church. This change also allows for the Diocese to enter into and implement an agreement with one or more neighboring dioceses to share assets and resources consistent with the provisions of Title V. Bishop Thom gave a brief summary of the process that is being put in place (that will, hopefully, never have to be used). He reported that he and Jennifer are working with the Diocese of Montana to create a shared a disciplinary panel. He will appoint two clergy and two lay persons to serve on this nine-member Board. In addition, two people (one male and one female) will be appointed to serve as intake officers. After a brief discussion, a vote was taken and the canonical change was accepted.
As I understand it, quite a few dioceses are in process of considering partnerships to staff the disciplinary panels and other intake and review offices created in the new Title IV. I believe Southern Ohio and Ohio have done so, and I know we in Pittsburgh are exploring this with Northwestern Pennsylvania. It seems to me to make a good deal of sense both in achieving some efficiency and also for a clearer sense of integrity of any inquiry.
Bruce Robison
The Dioceses of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont have a similar shared way of dealing with Title IV proceedings.
This is now common across TEC. The burden of complying with Title IV is so onerous that there is little choice but to use this method.
This is yet another example of the adjustments TEC needs to make in order to accommodate the flood of converts coming from its recent decisions. If one looks carefully, there are many signs that the fabric is giving way.
“You will know them by their fruit,” indeed.
Not that I disagree too much, but this action (and other types of cooperative agreements) will easily be used as the founding arguments for amalgamation of dioceses. Out here, centralized administrative and payroll offices are already in existence. To see a very large geographical diocesan structure that takes in the eastern dioceses in Washington, Oregon and California, plus Navajoland, Nevada, Idaho, and Montana and Wyoming, plus Utah, is simply imaginable.
I was surprised, though, to hear above of the cooperative Title IV talks among other dioceses in TEC. Who is initiating those thoughts? From where is the seed being planted? Not anxious, just for full disclosure’s sake.