TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE CANONS

OF

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE DIOCESE OF NORTHWEST TEXAS

Current October, 2002

I. THE CONVENTION

    Canon 1. Clerical Members of Convention 

        Section 1. Clergy List

        Section 2. Disputes

    Canon 2. Lay Delegates to Convention 

        Section 1. Lay Delegate Certification

        Section 3. Disputes

        Section 4. Vacancies after Convening of Convention

        Section 5. Attendance

        Section 6. Acts Binding

        Section 7. Nonrepresentation

        Section 8. Term

    Canon 3. Secretary of Convention 

        Section 1. General Duties

        Section 2. Journal

        Section 3. Convention and Journal Expenses

    Canon 4. Business of Convention 

        Section 1. Call to Order

        Section 2. Quorum

        Section 3. Order of Business

        Section 4. Nominations from the Floor

        Section 5. Resolutions

        Section 6. Reports

        Section 7. Distribution of Reports and Resolutions

   Canon 5. Committees of Convention 

        Section 1. Appointment

        Section 2. Approval of Minutes

        Section 3. Credentials

        Section 5. Elections

        Section 6. Necrology

        Section 7. Nominating Committee 

        Section 8. Parliamentarian

        Section 9. Resolutions

Canon 6. Parliamentary Authority 

II. OFFICERS OF THE DIOCESE

    Canon 7. Secretary of the Diocese 

    Canon 8. Treasurer of the Diocese 

        Section 1. Duties

        Section 2. Audit

        Section 3. Bond

        Section 4. Assistant Treasurer

    Canon 9. Registrar of the Diocese 

    Canon 10. Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of the Diocese 

    Canon 11. Removal of Officers 

        Section 1. Action of Executive Council

        Section 2. Action of Standing Committee

III. ORGANIZATION OF THE DIOCESE

    Canon 12. Standing Committee 

    Canon 13. Executive Council 

        Section 1. Membership

        Section 2. Officers

        Section 3. Duties

    Canon 14. Deaneries 

        Section 1. Name and Area

        Section 2. Dean

        Section 3. Chair and Vice-Chair 

        Section 4. Convocations

        Section 5. Financial Records

        Section 6. Deanery Board

        Section 7. Rules

    Canon 15. Committees and Commissions of the Diocese 

        Section 1. Establishment

        Section 2. Term of Office

        Section 3. Qualifications

        Section 4. Attendance

        Section 5. Budget Requests

        Section 6. Reports

        Section 7. Quorum

    Canon 16. Administrative Committees 

        Section 1. Church Pension Fund

        Section 2. Constitution and Canons

        Section 3. Convention Planning

    Canon 17. Reserved

    Canon 18. Commission on Ministry 

        Section 1. Membership

        Section 2. Chair

        Section 3. Duties

        Section 4. Responsibilities 

        Section 5. Rules

        Section 6. Reports and Minutes

    Canon 19. Conference Center Governing Board 

        Section 1. Membership and Terms of Office

        Section 2. Duties

        Section 3. Meetings

        Section 4. Budget

        Section 5. Director

        Section 6. Subcommittees

        Section 7. Reports

    Canon 20. Commission on Episcopal Schools 

        Section 1. Membership

        Section 2. Term of Office

        Section 3. Certification

        Section 4. Definition

        Section 5. Bishop's Visitation

        Section 6. Reports

        Section 7. Guidelines

    Canon 21. University of the South 

        Section 1. Relationship

        Section 2. Trustees

        Section 3. Duties of the Trustees

    Canon 22. Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest 

        Section 1. Relationship

        Section 2. Representation on the ETSS Board of Trustees

        Section 3. Term

        Section 4. Duties of the Trustees

IV. PARISHES, MISSIONS AND CONGREGATIONS


    Canon 23. Establishment of New Places of Worship 

        A. Formation of Mission Congregations

            Section 1. Petition

            Section 2. Location

            Section 3. Study

            Section 4. Approval

            Section 5. Parochial Mission

        B. Admission into Union with Convention

            Section 1. Time Requirement

            Section 2. Review of Documents

            Section 3. Vote by Convention

    Canon 24. Organization and Recognition of Parishes 

        Section 1. Requirements

        Section 2. Recognition

        Section 3. Certification

        Section 4. Review by Credentials Committee

        Section 5. Vote by Convention

    Canon 25. Change of Status of Parish or Mission 

        Section 1. Causes    

        Section 2. Parish

        Section 3. Mission

        Section 4. Conveyance of Property and Records

        Section 5. Governance

    Canon 26. The Filling of Vacant Cures 

        Section 1. Notification and Services

        Section 2. Election of Rector

        Section 3. Call

        Section 4. Notice of Election

        Section 5. Assistant Clergy

    Canon 27. Dissolution of the Pastoral Relation 

        Section 1. Resignation or Removal of Rector

        Section 2. Pre-Dissolution Mediation

        Section 3. Disagreement

        Section 4. Mediation

        Section 5. Procedures 

        Section 6. Supportive Services

        Section 7. Compliance with Terms

        Section 8. Extension of Time

        Section 9. Statements and Charges

        Section 10. Expenses

    Canon 28. Clergy and Their Duties 

        Section 1. Worship and Spiritual Jurisdiction

        Section 2. Church and Parish Buildings

        Section 3. Assistant Clergy

        Section 4. Missionary Cure

        Section 5. Jurisdiction

        Section 6. Records

        Section 7. National Canons

    Canon 29. Special Ministries of Lay Persons 

        Section 1. Lay Eucharistic Minister

        Section 2. Lay Reader 

        Section 3. Catechist

        Section 4. Lay Preacher

        Section 5. Pastoral Leader 

        Section 6. Lector

    Canon 30. Parish Meetings

        Section 1. Annual Meetings

        Section 2. Special Meetings

        Section 3. Notice of Meetings

        Section 4. Officers

        Section 5. Elections

        Section 6. Qualified Voters

        Section 7. Quorum

    Canon 31. The Vestry 

        Section 1. Membership

        Section 2. Election

        Section 3. Term of Office

        Section 4. Vacancies

        Section 5. Quorum

        Section 6. Meetings

        Section 7. Duties

    Canon 32. Wardens and Vestry Officers

        Section 1. Time of Appointment or Election

        Section 2. Senior Warden

        Section 3. Duties of Wardens

        Section 4. Junior Warden

        Section 5. Treasurer

        Section 6. Clerk

        Section 7. Chancellor

    Canon 33. Mission and Congregation Meetings 

        Section 1. Meetings

        Section 2. Presiding Officer

    Canon 34. Bishop's Committees of Missions and Congregations 

        Section 1. Bishop's Committee

        Section 2. Congregations

        Section 3. Discontinuance of Appointment

        Section 4. Vacancy

        Section 5. Quorum

        Section 6. Meetings

    Canon 35. The Wardens and Bishop's Committee Officers 

        Section 1. Bishop's Wardens

        Section 2. Treasurer

        Section 3. Clerk

    Canon 36. Parish Registers and Parochial Reports 

V. FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT

    Canon 37. Northwest Texas Episcopal Board of Trustees 

        Section 1. Membership

        Section 2. Ex-Officio Members

        Section 3. The Bishop's Temple-Quarterman Fund of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Northwest Texas

        Section 4. Duties

        Section 5. Limitations

        Section 6. Dissolution

    Canon 38. Real Property, Investments and Incorporation 

        Section 1. Custodian

        Section 2. Conveyance of Land

        Section 3. Trust and Permanent Funds

        Section 4. Insurance of Real Property

        Section 5. Audit

        Section 6. Incorporation of Parishes

        Section 7. Mission Property

        Section 8. Real Property

    Canon 39. Insurance 

        Section 1. Participation

        Section 2. Authority

        Section 3. Duty

        Section 4. Payment

    Canon 40. Church Pension Fund 

        Section 1. Duty

        Section 2. Clerical Duties

        Section 3. Executive Council Duties

    Canon 41. Apportionments and Offerings 

        Section 1. Diocesan Apportionments

        Section 2. Bishop's Discretionary Fund

        Section 3. Clergy Discretionary Funds

        Section 4. Convention and General Convention Requirements

    Canon 42. Business Methods in Church Affairs 

        Section 1. Business Methods

        Section 2. Alienation of Property

    Canon 43. Church and Diocesan Debt 43

        Section 1. Approval

        Section 2. Indebtedness for permanent Improvement

        Section 3. Indebtedness for Current Expenses

        Section 4. Exceptions

        Section 5. Amortization

        Section 6. Executive Council

        Section 7. Revolving Loan Fund

        Section 8. Refinancing

VI. DISCIPLINE

Canon 44. Ecclesiastical Discipline and Trial Court 

        Section 1. Jurisdiction

        Section 2. Organization of Court

        Section 3. Disqualification for Cause

        Section 4. General Provision

         Section 5. Vacancies, How Created

        Section 6. Notice of Vacancies

        Section 7. Vacancies, How Filled 44-A

        Section 8. Change of Status

        Section 9. Election of Presiding Judge

        Section 10. Appointment of Church Attorney

        Section 11. Rules to Govern Procedure 44-B

        Section 12. Federal Rules of Evidence to Govern

        Section 13. Clerks

        Section 14. Reporter

        Section 15. Lay Assessors

        Section 16. Record

        Section 17. Quorum

        Section 18. Setting of Trial Date and Plea

        Section 19. Respondent to be Heard 44-C

        Section 20. Church Attorney Shall Appear

        Section 21. Proposed Instructions

        Section 22. Separate Vote Taken 44-D

        Section 23. Voting Procedure

        Section 24. Votes Required for Judgment

        Section 25. Notice of Findings

        Section 26. Prohibition on Time to Vote on Sentence

        Section 27. Matters in Excuse, Mitigation or Comments

        Section 28. Sentence

        Section 29. Communication of Sentence

VII. NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF BISHOPS

    Canon 45. Nomination and Election of Bishops 45

        Section 1. Committee for the Nomination of Bishops

        Section 2. Vacancies

        Section 3. Terms of Members

        Section 4. Chair and Secretary of the Committee

        Section 5. Committee Shall Call for Names

        Section 6. Committee Report

        Section 7. Nomination by Committee 45-A

        Section 8. Nomination from the Floor

        Section 9. Seconding Speeches

        Section 10. Voting

        Section 11. Convention Eucharist

        Section 12. Reconvene and Election

VIII. CANONICAL LEGISLATION

    Canon 46. Record of Constitution and Canons 

        Section 1. Book

        Section 2. Recordation

    Canon 47. Amendment of Canons 47

Note: Other than in titles and subheadings, portions of the Constitution written in bold italics are taken directly from the National Constitution and Canons; portions written in bold are paraphrased from the National Constitution and Canons.

 

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Last Updated: July 19, 2006