2013 Diocese Canons
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CANONS of the DIOCESE OF THE MISSOURI VALLEY As Amended by the 33rd Diocesan Synod – June 2013 CANON 1 frequently as may be required to meet the spiritual NAME needs and reasonable requests of the people committed to his charge. The Daily Office of The name of this jurisdiction of the Anglican Morning and Evening Prayer should be read in the Church in America shall be the Diocese of the church, or otherwise publicly, wherever practicable. Missouri Valley. C. It is the responsibility of every communicant CANON 2 member of the Church to celebrate and keep the OBJECTS AND PURPOSES Lord's Day (Sunday), and the other Holy Days of Obligation, by participating in the public worship of The objects and purposes of this Diocese shall the Church, and to receive the Holy Communion at be to provide for the advancement, well-being, least on the Feasts of Easter, Christmas and right-ordering and good government of Christ's Whitsunday every year. flock within this jurisdiction. 3.3 Admission to Communion CANON 3 WORSHIP An instructed, baptized person who has not had the opportunity to be Confirmed by a Bishop in 3.1 Standard of Worship Apostolic Succession, but is, in the judgment of his priest, "ready and desirous to be Confirmed" and The Book of Common Prayer in its 1928 edition capable of discerning the Body of the Lord (1 Cor. or 1962 Canadian edition shall be the Standard 11:26-29) may be admitted to Holy Communion with of Public Worship in this jurisdiction, together the written approval of the Bishop Ordinary. with missals and devotional manuals based on and conforming to those Books of Common 3.4 Officiants at Services Prayer. The 1549 Prayer Book has been the model for current developed worship and, as No person shall regularly officiate nor shall he such, should be used for guidance and reference. regularly assist in any official role, at any service of The Hymnal 1940, together with the 1939 the Church in this Diocese unless he be a Canadian Book of Praise, shall be the primary Communicant in good standing, or a member musical standard for public worship. preparing for admission to Communion, duly trained for his role, examined as to training and 3.2 Corporate Worship qualifications and approved by the Incumbent, and licensed by the Bishop Ordinary where required. (A A. In every parish where a priest is available, person not in Communion with this Church may be the Holy Communion must be celebrated every invited by the Incumbent upon occasion to fulfil an Sunday, on the other Holy Days of obligation - official function, provided that he perform no acts those being the Feast of the Circumcision (Jan. reserved by the Book of Common Prayer to those in 1), the Ascension, All Saints (Nov. 1), and Holy Orders.) Exceptions to this Canon may be Christmas Day (Dec. 25)-, and on those days for specifically authorized by the Bishop Ordinary in which Propers appear in the Book of Common exceptional circumstances. Prayer. B. It is the responsibility of every priest with CANON 4 cure of souls to celebrate (or provide for the ACCESSION celebration of) the Holy Communion as This Diocese accedes to the Constitution and Canons of the Anglican Church in America, and shall be Synod for the purpose of electing a Bishop Ordinary bound and governed by the provisions thereof. not less than twenty-five nor more than ninety days following receipt of the Writ of Election. CANON 5 DIOCESE AS A CORPORATION B. The Guardians of the Spiritualities, with the assent of the President of the House of Bishops, shall This Diocese is incorporated in the State of also arrange with a Bishop of this Church for Illinois as a Nonprofit Corporation under the episcopal oversight of the Diocese until a new provisions of Illinois statutes. The members of Bishop Ordinary can be elected, ordained and the Standing Committee are the Directors of the consecrated (or, if already a Bishop, translated). Corporation. With the assent of the President of the House of Bishops, such episcopal oversight shall include CANON 6 acting as President of the Electoral Synod. ECCLESIASTICAL AUTHORITY C. Candidates for Bishop Ordinary may be nominated by the Vestry of any constituent 6.1 Ordinary congregation of this Diocese, or any five Electors, The ecclesiastical authority within this Diocese, whether clerical or lay, at the Election Synod. with Ordinary Jurisdiction and Authority, shall 7.3 Election to Other Bishoprics be the Bishop Ordinary. A. With the advice and consent of the Diocesan 6.2 Standing Committee Synod and of the President of the House of Bishops If there be a Vacancy in the See, the Standing (or the House of Bishops if the Bishop of this Committee shall be the Guardian of the Diocese is the President of the House of Bishops), Spiritualities of this Church and See; except that the Bishop Ordinary may establish one or more such authority of the Standing Committee shall Suffragan or Assistant Bishoprics within the Diocese. not extend to the performance of episcopal acts. Appointment to such a bishopric shall be by the Bishop Ordinary. CANON 7 B. With the advice and consent of the Diocesan OFFICE OF THE BISHOP Synod, the Bishop Ordinary may petition the 7.1 Bishop Ordinary President of the House of Bishops (or the House of Bishops if the Bishop of this Diocese is the President The Bishop Ordinary of the Diocese shall be the of the House of Bishops) for a Writ of Election of a Chief Executive Officer of the Diocese. Bishop coadjutor of this Diocese. Upon receipt of such Writ, the Bishop Ordinary shall Summon a 7.2 Election of Bishop Ordinary special Meeting of the Diocesan Synod to be convened as an electoral Synod for the purpose of A. Upon the death, resignation or removal electing a Bishop Coadjutor, not less than twenty- of the Ordinary, the Standing Committee five nor more than ninety days following receipt of becomes the Guardians of the Spiritualities of the Writ of Election. The Bishop Ordinary, if he be the Diocese, and shall apply immediately to the the President of the House of Bishops, or with the President of the House of Bishops of the assent of the President of the House of Bishops, may Anglican Church in America for a Writ of act as President of such Electoral Synod. Election. Upon receipt of the Writ of Election, the Chairman of the Guardians of the 7.4 Composition and Conduct of Election Spiritualities (i.e., the Vice-Chairman of the Synods Standing Committee now having assumed the Chairmanship in the absence of an Ordinary) A. Each Electoral Synod of this Diocese for any shall issue without delay a Writ of Summons, election to the Episcopate thereof or therein shall be causing a Special Meeting of the Diocesan composed of (1) Clerical Electors who shall Synod to be called and convened as an Electoral comprise the Clerical House of Electors of this Diocese, and (2) Lay Electors who shall comprise the 2 Lay House of Electors of this Diocese. G. No Electoral Synod of this Diocese shall have any legislative authority or jurisdiction, or transact All Priests and Deacons of this Church any other business than that of the election to the canonically resident in this Diocese, who are in Episcopate specified in the Writ of Election good standing therein, shall be, act and serve as concerned. All matters or questions regarding Clerical Electors of this Diocese and be parliamentary procedure shall be left to the discretion members of its Clerical House of Electors. of the President of the Electoral Synod concerned. The canonical Delegates to the Diocesan Synod H. Upon receipt of any Writ of Summons to an from each congregation in canonical union with Electoral Synod of this Diocese by the appropriate this Diocese shall be, act and serve as Lay authority, pursuant to the Constitution and Canons of Electors of this Diocese and be members of its this Church or Diocese, any Elector (clerical or lay) Lay House of Electors. of this Diocese shall be under formal, canonical B. The President and Presiding Officer of obligation to attend the said Synod unless he have the any Electoral Synod of this Diocese shall be the express leave of the President thereof. President of the House of Bishops or his duly appointed Episcopal Deputy. I. The Order of Business of an Electoral Synod in C. A canonical quorum in either House of this Diocese shall be as follows: Electors shall consist of not less than sixty 1. All Electoral Synods shall begin with the percent of those Electors entitled to seat and celebration of the Holy Communion for the guidance vote, provided that at least one Elector shall be of the Holy Spirit in the endeavors thereof. The present from at least sixty percent of the celebrant shall be the President of that Synod, who congregations in canonical union with this may present his Charge to the Synod in lieu of the Diocese. Sermon. D. For there to be any canonical election to 2. Upon the President's call to order of the the Episcopate in this Diocese, save where two Houses of the Synod in joint session, the License otherwise provided in the Constitution and and Writ of Election, the Writ of Summons, and any Canons of this Church, or of this Diocese, the Writ of Commission to the President shall be read person so elected must receive a two-thirds out. majority, separately, in each House of Electors, of those present and voting, a canonical quorum The President shall then appoint a Recording being present in each House.