Resolutions Adopted by the 178th Diocesan Convention
A Resolution Establishing
Minimum Clergy Compensation
A Resolution on Fossil
Fuel Awareness and Conservation
A Resolution Commending
the Presiding Bishop
A Resolution on Diocesan Council and Mission Districts;
Annual Parish and Mission Meetings (amends Canons 6 & 6A)
A Resolution to Adopt a New Canon on Ecclesiastical Discipline (Repeals
and replaces Canon 26)
Special item of business regarding Trinity Church, Poultney
Download a memo from Chancellor Tom Little explaining the Convention voting procedures, including the process of voting by Orders. The Resolutions amending the canons require concurrent 2/3 votes in each Order. At the upcoming Convention, we also will be electing Deputies to the 2012 General Convention, and our canons require concurrent majority votes in each Order for these elections
A Resolution Establishing
Minimum Clergy Compensation
RESOLVED,
That the 178th Convention of the Diocese of Vermont approve the recommendation
of the Diocesan Council that the minimum full time stipend for priests receiving
compensation in the Diocese of Vermont for the year 2011 be set at $37,541 (increase
1.6% from 2010), and that travel allowance be reimbursed at the current IRS standard.
Proposer: Diocesan
Council
Explanation:
Canon 6.7
of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont requires that Diocesan Council review
the minimum stipend for full-time equivalent clergy receiving compensation
for their ministry in the Diocese of Vermont and for travel allowance,
and make recommendations to the Convention. Such a minimum shall be binding
on all parishes and missions upon ratification of the Convention. The current
Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) using the Northeast Small City Index
(group B/C) and the United States Rural Cities index (Group D) is 1.6%
(as of June 30, 2010). These indices best reflect rural economy of Vermont.
Therefore, the Diocesan Council proposes that the minimum full time stipend
be increased by 1.6%.
According to the Church Pension Fund (“The 2008 Church Compensation Report,” reflecting 2007 data), the national average median compensation for full-time Episcopal clergy was $66,545*, up from $64,508* in 2006. This figure includes cash stipend, fair-rental value of housing, utilities and payment of one-half of the Social Security/Medicare (SECA) tax.
*This figure is based solely upon the Church Pension Fund formula for calculating housing. It may in fact not reflect an accurate amount based on the actual expenses for housing and utilities in Vermont.
Schedule of Mandatory
Minimum Cash Salaries for 2011
Years of
Service Level 1* Level 2**
1 $37,541 $42,259
2 $38,142 $42,935
3 $38,752 $43,622
4 $39,372 $44,320
5 $40,002 $45,029
6 $40,642 $45,750
7 $41,292 $46,482
8 $41,953 $47,225
9 $42,624 $47,981
10 $43,306 $48,749
11 $43,999 $49,529
12 $44,703 $50,321
13 $45,418 $51,126
14 $46,145 $51,944
15 $46,883 $52,775
16 $47,633 $53,620
17 $48,396 $54,478
18 $49,170 $55,349
19 $49,957 $56,235
20 $50,756 $57,135
* Level 1 represents parishes with annual budgets below $143,000.
**Level 2 represents parishes with annual budgets of $143,000 and above.
The minimum cash salary is increased by 1.6% for each additional year of service.
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A Resolution on Fossil Fuel Awareness and Conservation
RESOLVED, That the 178th Convention of the Diocese of Vermont recommends to congregations that they commit themselves to an Earth Day consciousness-raising exercise of walking, biking, or car pooling to church on April 17th, or other suitable Sunday, with a possible quarterly follow-up; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the Convention recommends to congregations that they inspire members
to systematically lower speeds on the highways and to follow other tips
to reduce fossil fuel use in their automobiles.
Proposer: Earth Stewards Committee
Explanation:
While we
watch BP, Transocean, Halliburton, and the Minerals Management Service
of our government wrangle over who is responsible for the gulf oil spill,
we all need to acknowledge our personal share in the responsibility for
this disaster. With easy-to-reach oil in short supply, we consumers are
putting pressure on oil companies to provide us with oil that comes from
increasingly difficult places to drill and on our government to allow them
to do so. Our hope to continue our life of abundance lies in learning to
live with increasingly less use of fossil fuels, and increasingly more
use of alternative energy sources.
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A Resolution Commending the Presiding Bishop
RESOLVED, That the
178th convention of the Diocese of Vermont commend the Presiding Bishop
on her statements at the Lansing Lee Conference 2009, on Reproductive
Ethics, and the need to talk about it; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Diocese of Vermont commend as well her comments on the fact that “go forth and multiply is one very small piece of scripture” and does not necessarily give an all time definitive “answer to the necessary questions about the limits of creation”; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Diocese of Vermont commend her thought that although "we are forgiven sin, it does not save us from the consequences of our actions;" And be it further
RESOLVED, That the Diocese of Vermont commend her further remarks that if we wish to enjoy "a holy ordered world" with resources for all we need to engage in constructive scientifically informed dialogue, knowing that the world population was about 200 million when Jesus walked on earth and is now 6.8 billion and predicted to grow to 8.5 billion in the next 25 years; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Diocese of Vermont further urge her to continue to exercise her leadership in these matters by instigating creative dialogue on the vital and pressing topic of the ethics of human reproduction.
Proposer: The Rev. Margo Fletcher, Richard Bower, Ken Brown
Explanation:
The current
growth of the world's population is speeding up enormously. When Jesus
was around there were 200,000,000 people. Today there are 680,000,000,000,000,
and the rate at which we are replacing one another grows every second.
Only it is more than replacing: the fastest growing group of people in
the world is those over 100 years of age. We have allowed artificial insemination
for human beings who create multiple pregnancies.
Remembering the 8th MDG: Sustainability. Scientifically we have come to know about global warming and its effects—mass starvation in cases like Pakistan at the moment. It is a matter of extreme urgency to begin a responsible, informed dialogue on the consequences of human reproduction and the limits of creation.
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A Resolution on Diocesan Council and Mission Districts; Annual Parish and Mission Meetings
[Note: The Diocesan Council had extensive discussions over the last year about ways to change the Council structure that both make it representative of the whole Diocese and more efficient. The result is a resolution amending Canons 6 and 6A by replacing the eight Deaneries with five “Mission Districts,” changing the process for electing members to Diocesan Council, reducing the number of elected members on Council from 26 to 15, and altering the makeup of the standing Nomination Committee. This Resolution amends Canons 13.4 and 15.7, to permit Parishes and Missions to elect Convention Delegates and Alternate Delegates at a special meeting as opposed to only at an annual meeting. Below is the resolution. The text of the changes to the canons may be downloaded in two forms: 1) a red-lined version showing the old and new canons; and 2) a clean version of the proposed revised canons.]
RESOLVED: That Diocesan Canons 6, 6A and 4.4 be amended to read as set forth in Part I below; and
FURTHER RESOLVED: That Diocesan Canons 13.4 and 15.7 be amended to read as set forth in Part 2 below; and
FURTHER RESOLVED:
That Part 1 of this Resolution and the amendments to Diocesan Canons
6, 6A and 4.4
shall take effect on January 1, 2011, that the terms of office of the
Mission District members of Diocesan Council
shall commence at the close of the 2011 Annual Convention, and that the
terms of office of all incumbent At Large, Youth and Deanery members of
Diocesan Council shall terminate at the close of the 2011 Annual Convention;
and
FURTHER RESOLVED:
That Part 2 of this Resolution and the amendments to Diocesan Canons
13.4 and 15.7
shall take effect on January 1, 2011.
[Adopted by concurrent 2/3 vote in each order.]
Proposers: Canons Committee and Diocesan Council
Explanation:
This proposal has two parts. The first would replace the eight Deanery
structure with a five Mission District structure. Each Mission District
would have two purposes: (i) to nominate and elect three Diocesan
Council members and (ii) “to collaborate in ministry
and mission and in furtherance of Diocesan strategic plans and initiatives,
and to generally foster a closeness of community within the Mission
District and across the Diocese.” Under the proposal, Council
would have fifteen elected members instead of twenty-six.
The second part expressly authorizes congregations to elect delegates to Diocesan Convention at a special meeting instead of exclusively at the annual meeting. This proposal comes in response to concerns that some congregations have difficulty electing all necessary delegates and alternatives at the annual meeting, and need a subsequent special meeting to assure a full delegation for Convention.
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A Resolution to Adopt a New Canon on Ecclesiastical Discipline
[Note: The 2009 General Convention of The Episcopal Church (TEC) adopted a revision to its canons regarding ecclesiastical discipline, Title IV. Dioceses are required to amend or replace their own disciplinary canons to make them consistent with those of TEC. This resolution repeals the current diocesan clergy discipline canons and adopts replacements that conform to those new Title IV disciplinary canons. A Power Point presentation on the new Title IV by the chancellor of the Diocese of Olympia may be downloaded in Power Point format or as a pdf file.
[This Resolution also ratifies an Agreement among the Bishops of the Dioceses of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, to jointly administer portions of the disciplinary process. The Title IV changes become effective July 1, 2011. Only the enabling resolution is below. Download the text of the replacement canons and the agreement among the three dioceses.]
RESOLVED: That Canon 26 of the Canons of the Diocese be repealed as of July 1, 2011, except with respect to matters then pending before the Standing Committee or Ecclesiastical Trial Court as specified in Title IV, Canon 20 of the Canons of the General Convention, and that as to those matters, Canon 26 shall remain in effect until the final disposition of all such matters, including any appeal, whereupon (i) Canon 26 shall be repealed, (ii) the terms of office of the members of the Ecclesiastical Trial Court shall terminate and (iii) the new Canon 26A shall be renumbered to be Canon 26; and
FURTHER RESOLVED: That the attached “Agreement for Joint Administration of Title IV,” by and among the Bishops of the Dioceses of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, be and hereby is ratified; and
FURTHER RESOLVED: that a new Canon 26A be adopted, to read as set forth below; and
FURTHER RESOLVED: That this Resolution and the new Canon 26A shall take effect on July 1, 2011, and the Agreement for Joint Administration of Title TV shall take effect according to its terms.
[Adopted by concurrent
2/3 vote in each order.]
Proposers: Canons Committee and Chancellor
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Special Item of Business Regarding Trinity Church, Poultney
RESOLVED by this 178th Annual
Convention of the Diocese of Vermont, acting pursuant to Canon 15,
that the status of Trinity-St. John’s
Parish, Poultney, shall change from that of a Parish to that of a Mission,
effective January 1, 2011.
Proposer: Standing Committee
Explanation
The Bishop has reviewed the Parish status of Trinity-St.John’s,
Poultney, with the Priest in Charge and Vestry of the Parish. The Bishop, the
Vestry and the Priest in Charge of the Parish are in agreement that the
Parish should change its Canon 13 status and become a Canon 15 Mission,
through the process set forth in Canon 14. At a duly warned meeting of
the Parish, a majority of the members of the Parish voted to agree to
change the status of the Parish to that of a Mission. Consequently, the
Bishop recommended to the Standing Committee that the Parish become a
Canon 15 Mission. The Standing Committee after due inquiry finds that
it is in the best interests of the Parish and the Diocese,
and conducive to the ministry and good order of the Church, that the
Parish become a Mission, and approved a motion to that effect at its
September 2010 meeting and recommends that convention concur.
