A028 Salary for the President of the House of Deputies
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,
That this General Convention recognize that The Episcopal Church’s governing documents require the President of the House of Deputies to perform numerous duties that are specified and those that are normally appropriate to the office; and be it further,
Resolved, That this General Convention recognize the continuing evolution of The Episcopal Church and the increased demands on the time and energy of the President of the House of Deputies; and be it further,
Resolved, That this General Convention recognize that there exists a great barrier in identifying and recruiting qualified candidates for President of the House of Deputies because of the lack of compensation for this position, which forecloses other full-time employment; and be it further,
Resolved, That this General Convention recognize that in Resolution D013 the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church (2015) affirmed that “the House of Deputies considers it important that [it] be able to choose a President without regard to the financial circumstances of the candidates, [and that] the desirability of compensation for the President of the House of Deputies is a fairness issue,” and that “the House of Bishops understands and appreciates the cogency of, and fairness issues inherent in, the position of the House of Deputies”; and be it further,
Resolved, That this General Convention recognize that to have a compensated President of the House of Deputies shows The Episcopal Church’s recognition of the importance of the laity and the clergy in the governance of The Episcopal Church; and be it further,
Resolved, That this General Convention recognize that the Canons of the General Convention of The Episcopal Church require that the President of the House of Deputies serves as the Vice-Chair of the Executive Council of the General Convention and as the Vice-President of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society [DFMS]; and be it further,
Resolved, that whereas Canon I.4.5(c) provides:
Sec. 5 (c) Members of Executive Council shall be entitled to reimbursement for their reasonable expenses of attending meetings, in accordance with procedures established and approved by Executive Council. Except as determined by General Convention, the salaries of all officers of the Council and of all agents and employees of the Council and the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society shall be fixed by the Council.
that this General Convention authorize and direct its Executive Council to fix a salary for the President of the House of Deputies as an officer and agent of the Council and as an agent of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society [DFMS].
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.