A028 Salary for the President of the House of Deputies
At the end of the 78th General Convention (2015) a Task Force was appointed by the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies to consider the issues of leadership and compensation of the President of the House of Deputies, with this Task Force to report its recommendations to the 79th General Convention in 2018. The Task Force conducted extensive interviews with the Presiding Officers, other officers, former Presidents of the House of Deputies, and long-serving Bishops and Deputies; studied the Canons and other governing documents of The Episcopal Church; and reviewed the circumstances and service of Presidents of the House of Deputies over the past forty (40) years. After much prayerful reflection and discussion, the Task Force came to the conclusion that providing a salary for the President of the House of Deputies is not only a good thing, but also essential for the growth of The Episcopal Church. Moreover, it is demanded by good stewardship of the human resources entrusted to us in those who would devote their full-time service to The Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church, at its General Conventions of 1997, 2000, and 2015 attempted to establish and secure by resolutions, as considered and adopted by the House of Deputies at each of these Conventions, a stipend for the President of the House of Deputies. As our church has evolved in many areas, it is now time to compensate the only unpaid Executive Officer in a way that is commensurate with the vital duties performed. The canonical basis and authority directing compensation for the office is already contained in Canon I.4.5(c) regarding the leadership role of the President of the House of Deputies in the Executive Council and in the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society [DFMS]. This resolution does not attempt to change the position or powers of the President of the House of Deputies, the scope of which is described extensively in the governing documents of The Episcopal Church, but rather intends to compensate for the full-time work that the position demands from the individual who agrees to serve in this role.
Explanation
At the end of the 78th General Convention (2015) a Task Force was appointed by the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies to consider the issues of leadership and compensation of the President of the House of Deputies, with this Task Force to report its recommendations to the 79th General Convention in 2018. The Task Force conducted extensive interviews with the Presiding Officers, other officers, former Presidents of the House of Deputies, and long-serving Bishops and Deputies; studied the Canons and other governing documents of The Episcopal Church; and reviewed the circumstances and service of Presidents of the House of Deputies over the past forty (40) years. After much prayerful reflection and discussion, the Task Force came to the conclusion that providing a salary for the President of the House of Deputies is not only a good thing, but also essential for the growth of The Episcopal Church. Moreover, it is demanded by good stewardship of the human resources entrusted to us in those who would devote their full-time service to The Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church, at its General Conventions of 1997, 2000, and 2015 attempted to establish and secure by resolutions, as considered and adopted by the House of Deputies at each of these Conventions, a stipend for the President of the House of Deputies. As our church has evolved in many areas, it is now time to compensate the only unpaid Executive Officer in a way that is commensurate with the vital duties performed. The canonical basis and authority directing compensation for the office is already contained in Canon I.4.5(c) regarding the leadership role of the President of the House of Deputies in the Executive Council and in the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society [DFMS]. This resolution does not attempt to change the position or powers of the President of the House of Deputies, the scope of which is described extensively in the governing documents of The Episcopal Church, but rather intends to compensate for the full-time work that the position demands from the individual who agrees to serve in this role.