[ELO] Executive Council briefed on proposed changes to discipline canons

[Matthew Davies]

Episcopal Life Online
June 14, 2008

Executive Council briefed on proposed changes to discipline canons

Members learn about public-narrative leadership tool

By Mary Frances Schjonberg

[Episcopal News Service] Members of Episcopal Church's Executive
Council (http://episcopalchurch.org/13299_19849_ENG_HTM.htm) were
briefed June 14 on proposed changes to the church's disciplinary
canons and learned about the power of storytelling as a leadership
tool.

The meeting began June 13 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown
Albuquerque, New Mexico, the seat of the Diocese of the Rio Grande
(http://www.dioceserg.org). Coverage of that day's meeting is
available here (http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_97823_ENG_HTM.htm)

The June 14 sessions began with a morning with simultaneous meetings
of the Council's four standing committees (Administration and Finance,
known as A&F; Congregations in Ministry, known as CIM; International
Concerns, known as INC; and National Concerns, known as NAC). Council
then met in a plenary session in the afternoon.

Briefing on proposed Title IV revisions

Council spent time in anti-racism training in the afternoon, followed
by a plenary session during which members heard from Steve Hutchinson,
chancellor of the Diocese of Utah and chair of the Title IV Task Force
II (http://www.episcopalchurch.org/gc/ccab/ccab_21595_353030_ENG_HTM.htm),
which is charged with revising the Episcopal Church's rules on
ecclesiastical discipline. The task force has already proposed a draft
for comment. It plans to use those comments to fine-tune the proposed
revision and offer a final draft to the 76th General Convention in
June 2009.

More information about the revision process, including the proposed
changes to Title IV and other related canons, is here
(http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_94701_ENG_HTM.htm). The changes
refer primarily to clergy discipline, but the task force has also
proposed an addition
(http://www.episcopalchurch.org/gc/ccab/TitleI_Exposure_Draft2008_01_01.pdf)
to Title I, which would apply to lay leaders.

Hutchinson told the Council that the aim of the Title IV revision is
"to try to find a model that will well serve the church and is easily
understood." He said the task force's challenge is "to seek a fair
balance" from the comments received during the first attempt to revise
Title IV during the 75th General Convention in June 2006 and those
made on the current proposed draft. He said the new proposal is rooted
in the Baptismal Covenant and the need for accountability and
responsibility, as well as healing and reconciliation.

He led the Council through a PowerPoint presentation of how a
disciplinary case would work its way through the proposed system.

During a question-and-answer period, Sally Johnson, a consultant to
the task force, said that a "fundamental shift" in the proposed
revision is that the person accused of misconduct would have to tell
their side of the story, something that is not required in the current
Title IV. Refusing to do so can used to infer guilt, she said.
Hutchinson noted that other professional-conduct models also required
the accused to respond to accusations.

The emphasis on "truth-telling" may well lead to earlier and better
settlements of complaints and possibly reduced costs, Johnson said.

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_97825_ENG_HTM.htm