CONSTITUTION AND RULES OF ORDER SOLEMN DECLARATION In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. We, the Bishops, together with the Delegates from the Clergy and Laity of the Church of England in the Dominion of Canada, now assembled in the first General Synod, hereby make the following Solemn Declaration: We declare this Church to be, and desire that it shall continue, in full communion with the Church of England throughout the world, as an integral portion of the one Body of Christ composed of Churches which, united under the One Divine Head and in the fellowship of the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, hold the one Faith revealed in Holy Writ, and defined in the Creeds as maintained by the undivided primitive Church in the undisputed Ecumenical Councils; receive the same Canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as containing all things necessary to salvation; teach the same Word of God; partake of the same Divinely ordained Sacraments, through the ministry of the same Apostolic Orders, and worship one God and Father through the same Lord Jesus Christ, by the same Holy and Divine Spirit Who is given to them that believe to guide them into all truth. And we are determined by the help of God to hold and maintain the Doctrine, Sacraments, and Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded in His Holy Word, and as the Church of England hath received and set forth the same in "The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, according to the Use of the Church of England; together with the Psalter or Psalms of David pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches; and the Form and Manner of Making, Ordaining, and Consecrating of Bishops, Priests and Deacons ;" and in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion; and to transmit the same unimpaired to our posterity. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES We declare that the General Synod when formed does not intend to, and shall not, take away from or interfere with any rights, powers, or jurisdiction of any Diocesan Synod within its own territorial limits as now held or exercised by such Diocesan Synod. We declare that the constitution of a General Synod involves no change in the existing system of Provincial Synods, but the retention or abolition of the Provincial Synods is left to be dealt with according to the requirements of the various Provinces as to such Provinces and the Dioceses therein may seem proper. BASIS OF CONSTITUTION 1. (a) The General Synod shall consist of the Bishops of the Church of England in the Dominion of Canada and of Delegates chosen from the Clergy and the Laity. (b) The Delegates shall be chosen by the several Diocesan Synods according to such rules as they may adopt, or, in a Diocese which has no Synodical organization, may be appointed by the Bishop, such Delegates to be in all cases resident in the Diocese from which they are elected or appointed; provided that, until circumstances permit of its being otherwise ordered by the General Synod, the Bishops of the Dioceses of Moosonee, Yukon, Mackenzie River, Athabasca and Caledonia, and such other Dioceses as may be formed out of them, be permitted to elect or appoint non-resident Delegates to the General Synod, provided only that the said Delegates be resident within the bounds of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land, or the Civil Province of British Columbia respectively. Provided further that until 1896 these Dioceses may elect their Delegates from any Diocese whatever. Provided also that the Chancellor of a Diocese shall be eligible for election as a representative of the Diocese of which he is Chancellor, wherever he may be resident.* (c) The representation shall be as follows: For every Diocese one Delegate of each order; for Dioceses having fifteen licensed clergy and fewer than twenty-five. two of each order; for Dioceses having twenty-five and fewer than fifty, four of each order; for Dioceses having fifty and fewer than one hundred, six of each order; for Dioceses having one hundred and fewer than one hundred and fifty, eight of each order; for Dioceses having one hundred and fifty and fewer than two hundred, nine of each order; for Dioceses having two hundred and fewer than two hundred and fifty, ten of each order; for Dioceses having two hundred and fifty and upwards, eleven of each ordert *Amended at Ninth Session, (See Journal, page 178). 2. (a) The Synod shall consist of two Houses; the Bishops constituting the Upper, and the Clergy and Laity together the Lower House. The two houses shall sit separately except by the consent of both Houses. (b) The Clergy and Laity shall vote by Orders if required; and if the proposition be carried in the negative it shall be conclusive; but if in the affirmative any six Delegates (two from each of three different Dioceses) may then demand a vote by Dioceses, when, if the proposition be carried in the negative, it shall be conclusive, the vote of each Diocese being determined by the majority of the delegats of that Diocese. And in case of equality in the votes of the Delegates from any Diocese, such Diocese shall not be counted. (c) When both Houses sit together, each House shall vote separately. 3. (a) There shall be a Primate who shall be elected by the House of Bishops from among the Metropolitans or Bishops of Dioceses not in any Ecclesiastical Province. He shall be styled the Primate of all Canada, and Archbishop of the See over which he presides. He shall be President of the General Synod.* (b) The Primate shall hold office for life, or so long as he is Bishop of any Diocese of the General Synod; nevertheless he may, resign at any time by written notice to the Senior Metropolitan who shall forthwith assemble the Bishops of the Upper House to consider and act on such notice, which shall only become effective upon acceptance by a majority of the Bishops of the Upper House, who shall forthwith proceed to the election of a successort 4. The General Synod shall have the power to deal with all matters affecting in any way the general interests and well-being of the Church within its jurisdiction. Provided that no Canons or resolutions of a coercive character, or involving penalties or disabilities, shall be operative in any Ecclesiastical Province, or in any Diocese not included in any Ecclesiastical Province until accepted by the Synod of such Province or Diocese, and that the jurisdiction of the General Synod shall not withdraw from a Provincial Synod the right of passing upon any subject falling within its jurisdiction at the time of the formation of the General Synod. The following, or such like objects are declared to be within the jurisdiction of the General Synod: 5. *Amended at Second Session, 1896, (Journal page 57). (a) Matters of doctrine, worship and discipline. (b) All agencies employed in the carrying on of the general work of the Church. (c) The general missionary and educational work of the Church. (d) The adjustment, with the consent of the Dioceses, or of the Province (in the case of the Province of Rupert's Land), of the relations between Dioceses in respect of Clergy, Widows' and Orphans' and Superannuation Funds. (e) Regulations affecting the transfer of. Clergy from one (f) Education and training of Candidates for Holy Orders. 6. Nothing in this Constitution shall affect any Canons or enactments of any Provincial or Diocesan Synods now in force. 7. For the expenses of the Synod, including the necessary travelling expenses of the members, there shall be an annual assessment of the Dioceses proportionate to the number of licensed Clergymen in them (Dioceses having less than ten Clergymen being exempt); provided, however, that the expenses of any member of the Synod not attending during the whole Session of the Synod shall be paid pro rata, and such proportionate part thereof as his attendance bears to the whole time the Synod is in Session and that the Board of Finance* shall fix and determine the amount at any time to be paid hereunder; such Board of Finance, however, to have a discretionary power to allow a greater proportion in case of absence from illness or any other good cause arising during the sitting of the Synod. * 8. All Canons dealing with matters of doctrine, worship and discipline shall require to be passed at two successive meetings of the General Synod before coming into force. 9. The words "Ecclesiastical Province" shall mean any group of Dioceses under the jurisdiction of a Provincial Synod. *Amended, see p. 116, Journal Tenth Session, 1924. Given in the city of Toronto in the month of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninetythree. [N.B. No change in the Basis of Constitution shall be considered unless a majority of each Order is present and no change shall take place unless unanimously adopted by both Houses or until affirmed by a two-thirds majority of the Upper House and a two-thirds majority of each Order of the House of Delegates, and in the latter case it shall stand over for confirmation till the next meeting of Synod, when it must be affirmed by similar majorities. See pp. 46 and 49 Journal of First Session.] I. CONSTITUTION 1. (a) The General Synod shall consist (1) of the Bishops of the Church of England in Canada holding Sees therein, or executing by due authority the Episcopate as Assistant, Coadjutor, or Missionary Bishop appointed to any Diocese outside of Canada under the provisions of any Canon of this Synod; or any such Bishop, who having resigned his See is residing in the Dominion of Canada and not engaged in any work, other than Episcopal; but Bishops who have resigned their jurisdiction shall not have the right to vote in the Upper House, and (2) of the Delegates chosen from the Clergy and Laity of the said Church. All Lay Delegates shall be communicants and their credentials shall state them to be such.* 2. The Synod shall consist of two Houses; the Bishops constituting the Upper, and the Clergy and Laity together, the Lower House. And when both Houses sit together, each House shall vote separately. And each House shall hold its sittings in public or in private at its own discretion. 3. The Clerical and Lay Delegates shall be chosen by the several Diocesan Synods, according to such rules as they may adopt; and, in a Diocese which has not any Synodical organization, they may be appointed by the Bishop of such Diocese. 4. The representation by Clerical and Lay Delegates shall be as follows:t For every Diocese one Delegate of each order; for Dioceses *Amended, see pages 97 and 125 Journal Sixth Session, 1911. †See pages 40, 41 and 47, Journal of Third Session, 1902. |