Official Legislation and Actions of General Convention 2006

This page will contain links to the significant resolutions and actions passed (or rejected) by the General Convention this year in Columbus.

Official General Convention 2006 Legislation Page:  http://gc2006.org/legislation/ 
(includes legislation proposed by Standing Commissions as well as bishops, deputies and dioceses; includes proposer, current status, etc.)

Significant Legislation Actions:

A095: "Gay and Lesbian Affirmation" Passed
Proposer: National Concerns
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75th General Convention reaffirm the Episcopal Church’s historical support of gay and lesbian persons as children of God and entitled to full civil rights; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention reaffirm the 71st General Convention’s action calling upon “municipal council, state legislatures and the United States Congress to approve measures giving gay and lesbian couples protection[s] such as: bereavement and family leave policies; health benefits; pension benefits; real-estate transfer tax benefits; and commitments to mutual support enjoyed by non-gay married couples”; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention oppose any state or federal constitutional amendment that prohibits same-sex civil marriage or civil unions.

A159: "Commitment to Interdependence in the Anglican Communion" Passed
Proposer: Special Legislative Committee on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the 75^th General Convention of The Episcopal Church reaffirm the abiding commitment of The Episcopal Church to the fellowship of churches that constitute the Anglican Communion and seek to live into the highest degree of communion possible; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75^th General Convention reaffirm that The Episcopal Church is in communion with the See of Canterbury, upholding and propagating the historic Faith and Order as set forth in the Book of Common Prayer; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75^th General Convention join with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the primates, and the Anglican Consultative Council in making a commitment to the vision of interdependent life in Christ, characterized by forbearance, trust, and respect, and commend the Windsor Report and process as a means of deepening our understanding of that commitment; and be it further
Resolved, That as an expression of interdependence, the Presiding offices of both Houses work in partnership with the churches of the Anglican Communion to explore ways by which there might be inter-Anglican consultation and participation on Standing Commissions of the General Convention of The Episcopal Church.  

A160: "Expression of Regret" Passed
Proposer: Special Legislative Committee on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, that the 75^th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, mindful of “the repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation enjoined on us by Christ” (Windsor Report,  paragraph 134), express its regret for  straining the bonds of affection in the events surrounding the General Convention of 2003 and the consequences which followed; offer its sincerest apology to those within our Anglican Communion who are offended by our failure to accord sufficient importance to the impact of our actions on our church and other parts of the Communion; and ask forgiveness as we seek to live into deeper levels of  communion one with another.

A161: "Election of Bishops" Rejected by House of Deputies
Proposer: Special Legislative Committee on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion
Original Text: Resolved, the House of _____ concurring, That the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church regrets the extent to which we have, by action and inaction, contributed to strains on communion and caused deep offense to many faithful Anglican Christians as we consented to the consecration of a bishop living openly in a same-gender union. Accordingly, we urge nominating committees, electing conventions, Standing Committees, and bishops with jurisdiction to exercise very considerable caution in the nomination, election, consent to, and consecration of bishops whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion.
Note: A substitute resolution was introduced and rejected as unconstitutional without a vote; it is viewable here.

A163: "Pastoral Care" Passed
Proposer: Special Legislative Committee on the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion
Resolved, that the House of Bishops concurring, That the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church affirm the centrality of effective and appropriate pastoral care for all members of this church and all who come seeking the aid of this church; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention commit the Episcopal Church to the ongoing engagement of and sensitive response to the request and need of all the people of God – in particular, but not exclusively, those who agree and those who disagree with the actions of this body, those who feel isolated thereby, and gay and lesbian persons within and without this Church; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention recognize the agonizing position of those who do not feel able to receive appropriate pastoral care from their own bishops, and urges the members of the House of Bishops to seek the highest degree of communion and reconciliation within their own dioceses, using when  requested in good faith the Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight (DEPO) process detailed in the March 2004 statement of the House of Bishops, “Caring for All the Churches”; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention urge continued  maintenance of historic diocesan boundaries,   the authority of the diocesan bishop, and respect for the historical relationships of the separate and autonomous Provinces of the Anglican Communion.
Explanation: "...affirms the process...known as Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight and the ancient practice that bishops exercise their ministries within their own dioceses or elsewhere only with permission of the diocesan bishop..."

A165: "Commitment to Windsor and Listening Processes" Passed
Proposer: Special Legislative Committee on the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75th General Convention of The Episcopal Church commend the Windsor Report “as offering a way forward for the mutual life of our Communion” (Primates’ Communiqué), and as an essential and substantive  contribution to the process of living into deeper levels of communion and interdependence across the Anglican Communion; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention commit The Episcopal Church to the ongoing “Windsor Process,” a process of discernment as to the nature and unity of the Church, as we pursue a common life of dialogue, listening, and growth, formed and informed by the bonds of communion we share ; and urge all members of this church to commit themselves to the call of greater communion and interdependent life; and be it further
Resolved, that the 75th General Convention commend the “listening process” as recommended in the Windsor Report, “so that greater common understanding might be obtained on the underlying issue of same gender relationships” (Windsor Report, ¶135), and be it further
Resolved, that the 75th General Convention gratefully acknowledge the practical steps taken by the Anglican Communion Office to begin a formal “listening process” across the Communion, and be it further
Resolved, that the 75th General Convention commit this church to participating fully and openly in this “listening process,” both at the local level and with the rest of the Communion (ACC 13, Resolution 12) , and be it further
Resolved, that a staff person at The Episcopal Church Center be identified to forward this listening process in coordination with the cognate person for the Communion and with our Communion partners.

A166: "Anglican Covenant Development Process" Passed
Proposer: Special Legislative Committee on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, as a demonstration of our commitment to mutual responsibility and interdependence in the Anglican Communion, support the process of the development of an Anglican Covenant that underscores   our unity in faith, order, and common life in the service of God’s mission; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention direct the International Concerns Standing Committee of the Executive Council and the Episcopal Church’s members of the Anglican Consultative Council to follow  the development processes of an Anglican Covenant in the Communion,     and  report regularly to the Executive Council as well as to the 76th General Convention; and be it further
Resolved,That the 75th General Convention report these actions supporting the Anglican Covenant development process,  noting such missiological and theological resources as the Standing Commission on World Mission and the House of Bishops’ Theology Committee to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Joint Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates, and the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion; and that the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church report the same to the Primates of the churches of the Anglican Communion.

A167: " 'Full and Equal Claim' for All the Baptized" Passed
Proposer: Special Legislative Committee on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75th General Convention of The Episcopal Church reaffirm that gay and lesbian persons are by Baptism full members of the Body of Christ and of The Episcopal Church as “children of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love, acceptance, and pastoral concern and care of the Church” (GC 1976-A069); and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention reiterate its apology “on behalf of The Episcopal Church to its members who are gay or lesbian, and to lesbians and gay men outside the Church, for years of rejection and maltreatment by the Church,” and recommit to “seek amendment of our life together as we ask God’s help in sharing the Good News with all people” (GC1997-D011); and be it further
Resolved, That, in evidence of that apology, The Episcopal Church pledge to include openly gay and lesbian persons on every committee, commission or task force developed for the specific purpose of discussing issues about sexuality and request the same of our sister churches in the Anglican Communion and Anglican Communion bodies; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention reiterate that “our baptism into Jesus Christ is inseparable from our communion with one another, and we commit ourselves to that communion despite our diversity of opinion and, among dioceses, a diversity of pastoral practice with the gay men and lesbians among us” (GC2003–C051).

B033: "On Election of Bishops" Passed
Proposer: The Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson, Jr. (Upper SC)
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75th General Convention receive and embrace The Windsor Report’s invitation to engage in a process of healing and reconciliation; and be it further
Resolved, that this Convention therefore call upon Standing Committees and bishops with jurisdiction to exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion.

D058: "Salvation Through Christ Alone" Discharged/would not consider
Resolved, the House of _____ concurring, That the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church declares its unchanging commitment to Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the only name by which any person may be saved (Article XVIII); and be it further
Resolved, That we acknowledge the solemn responsibility placed upon us to share Christ with all persons when we hear His words, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No-one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6); and be it further
Resolved, That we affirm that in Christ there is both the
substitutionary essence of the Cross and the manifestation of God's unlimited and unending love for all persons; and be it further
Resolved, That we renew our dedication to be faithful witnesses to all persons of the saving love of God perfectly and uniquely revealed in Jesus and upheld by the full testimony of Holy Scripture.

D069: "Supreme Authority of Scripture" Passed as Amended
Resolved, the House of _____ concurring, That the 75th General Convention acknowledges that the Bible has always been at the centre of Anglican belief and life, and declares its belief that Scripture is the Church’s supreme authority, and as such ought to be seen as a focus and means of unity.
Final wording: Resolved, That the 75th General Convention acknowledge the authority of the triune God, exercised through Scripture.


Elections/Consents & Results:

• Presiding Bishop Election
  Sunday, June 18 - 10:30 a.m.
  Official Results: The Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Bishop of Nevada, was elected the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church on the fifth ballot; the selection was confirmed by the House of Deputies.
  
  
• House of Deputies Election
  Final Resolution Adopted by House of Deputies: Ms. Bonnie Anderson elected President of the House of Deputies on (6/14/06).
  
  
• Consents to Diocesan Bishop Elections
  1. Bishop, California (Mark Andrus) (consent approved)
  2. Bishop Coadjutor, Albany (William Love) (consent approved)
  3. Bishop Coadjutor, Eastern Michigan (S. Todd Ousley) (consent approved)
  4. Bishop Coadjutor, Northern California (Barry Beisner) (consent approved)
  5. Bishop Suffragan, Texas (Dena Harrison) (consent approved)
  6. Bishop Suffragan, West Texas (David Reed) (consent approved)