D072 Amend Title II Canon IV
Resolved, the House of ________________ concurring,
That a new section 2 be added to Title II, Canon 4 of the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church, to read as follows:
Sec. 1 In any Congregation, worshipping in other than the English language, which shall have placed itself under the oversight of a Bishop of this Church, it shall be lawful to use a form of service in such language; provided that such form of service shall have previously been approved by the Bishop of the Diocese, until such time as an authorized edition of the Book of Common Prayer in such language shall be set forth by the authority of the General Convention; and provided further, that no Bishop shall license any such form of service until first satisfied that the same is in accordance with the Doctrine and Worship of this Church; nor in any case shall such form of service be used for the ordination or consecration of Bishops, Priests, or Deacons.
Sec. 2. Use of Worship Materials from Ecumenical Partners. With the permission of the Bishop Diocesan, any worship materials authorized by an ecumenical partner in full communion with the Episcopal Church May be used in congregations and ministries within that diocese.
Explanation
Our ecumenical partners have produced wealth of authorized worship resources which can enhance our common understanding of the rich and varied cultures, spiritualities and missional emphases of the church. These Prayer books have undergone extensive evaluation and revision in their sponsoring churches. A good example is with the ELCA. We already have Episcopal clergy serving Lutheran churches, Lutheran clergy serving Episcopal churches, and combined Lutheran/Episcopal churches that share worship.