D064 Amend Canon IV.14.12(a) and IV.14.12(b)
Resolved, the House of ________________ concurring,
That Canon IV.14.12(a) is hereby amended to read as follows:
(a) In the case of any Accord or Order pertaining to a Priest or Deacon, the Bishop Diocesan shall give notice of the Accord or Order to every Member of the Clergy in the Diocese, each Vestry in the Diocese, the Secretary of Convention, and the Standing Committee of the Diocese, which shall be added to the official records of the Diocese; to the Presiding Bishop, to all other Bishops of the Church, and where there is no Bishop, to the Ecclesiastical Authority of each Diocese of the Church; to the President of the House of Deputies; to the Recorder of Ordinations; to the Office of Transition Ministry; the Archives; and to the Secretary of the House of Bishops and the Secretary of the House of Deputies.; and to the Office of Transition Ministry, which shall insert a notice of disciplinary action, and any changes noted thereto, on the Respondent’s OTM Portfolio.
And be it further
Resolved, That Canon IV.14.12(b) is hereby amended to read as follows:
(b) In the case of any Accord or Order pertaining to a Bishop, the Presiding Bishop shall give notice of the Accord or Order to the Ecclesiastical Authority of every Diocese of the Church, to the Recorder of Ordinations, to the Office of Transition Ministry, and to the Secretary of the House of Bishops, and to all Archbishops and Metropolitans, and to all Presiding Bishops of Churches in communion with this Church., and to the Office of Transition Ministry, which shall insert a notice of disciplinary action, and any changes noted thereto, on the Respondent’s OTM Portfolio.
Explanation
Presently, Bishops and/or Deployment Officers have no database through which one can verify whether an ordained person has been subject to a disciplinary action. The associated risk can be substantial, particularly if an ordained person has been the subject of proceedings involving sexual misconduct. Moreover, movement between dioceses and turnover in diocesan offices can contribute to older information not being known or readily accessible. The resolution amends Canon IV.14.12(a) and (b) so that notice of any Accord or Order pertaining to a Deacon, Priest or Bishop will be included in the Respondent’s OTM Portfolio, thus creating an accessible and easily searchable database and archive of disciplinary actions.