C009 Mandates Anti-Racism & Racial Reconciliation Training for the House of Deputies
Resolved, That Canon I.1.4 be amended as follows:
<Amended text as it would appear if adopted and concurred. Scroll below the line of asterisks (******) to see the version showing all deleted and added text.>
Canon I.1, Section 4: Election of Deputies
a. All jurisdictions of this Church entitled by the Constitution or Canons to choose Deputies to the General Convention shall be required to do so not later than twelve months preceding the opening date of the General Convention for which they are chosen. Deputies of jurisdictions failing so to elect may not be seated unless permitted by ruling of the Presiding Officer.
b. Six months prior to the opening date of the General Convention, the Deputies from each Diocese shall comply with training standards as established in the Rules of Order for the House of Deputies.
c. It shall be the duty of each seated Deputy to communicate to the electing jurisdiction the actions taken and the positions established by the General Convention.
d. It shall be the responsibility of each Diocese to provide a forum in which the Deputies to the General Convention from that jurisdiction have opportunity to report.
And be it further
Resolved, that the Rules of Order - House of Deputies Section III be amended as follows:
Rules of Order - House of Deputies Section III: Deputations
A. Chair of Deputation
1. At least one year before the first legislative session of the General Convention, each Deputation will:
i. designate a Chair; and
ii. notify the Secretary of the House of Deputies of the name of the Chair
2. The Deputation Chair will:
i. serve as the primary contact for House of Deputies communications;
ii. certify the Deputation’s votes by orders;
iii. certify changes in the Deputation during General Convention;
iv. perform other duties as directed by the President
B. Mandates Training, Compliance, and Reporting
1. Within three years before the first legislative session of the General Convention, each deputation shall:
i. have elected Deputies and 1st Alternate Deputies complete Anti-Racism and Racial Reconciliation coursework utilized for diocesan or provincial training programs;
ii. encourage remaining Alternate Deputies to comply; and
iii. file a single submission with all training certificates to the Secretary of the House of Deputies six months prior to the opening date of General Convention.
2. Waivers will apply to:
i. Dioceses outside the United States until language proficient training programs are readily available; or
ii. The Committee on Credentials will hear and decide any disputes on certification of Deputations and will report their decision to the House.
C. Certification of Alternate Deputies as Deputies
1. Alternate Deputies may not sit or vote with their Deputations, unless and until certified by the Committee on Credentials as a substitute for a Deputy.
2. The Committee on Credentials will certify Alternate Deputies as Deputies before each session.
3. The procedures for certification will be those determined by the Secretary of the House of Deputies.
4. An Alternate Deputy will serve for one or more legislative sessions as Deputy but only until the Deputy for whom he or she substituted is able to resume their seats.
5. The Committee on Credentials will hear and decide any disputes on certification of Deputies and will report their decision to the House.
******
<Proposed amended resolution text showing exact changes being made:>
Canon I.1, Section 4: Election of Deputies
a. All jurisdictions of this Church entitled by the Constitution or Canons to choose Deputies to the General Convention shall be required to do so not later than twelve months preceding the opening date of the General Convention for which they are chosen. Deputies of jurisdictions failing so to elect may not be seated unless permitted by ruling of the Presiding Officer.
b. Six months prior to the opening date of the General Convention, the Deputies from each Diocese shall comply with training standards as established in the Rules of Order for the House of Deputies.
b c. It shall be the duty of each seated Deputy to communicate to the electing jurisdiction the actions taken and the positions established by the General Convention.
c d. It shall be the responsibility of each Diocese to provide a forum in which the Deputies to the General Convention from that jurisdiction have opportunity to report.
And be it further
Resolved, that the Rules of Order - House of Deputies Section III be amended as follows:
Rules of Order - House of Deputies Section III: Deputations
A. Chair of Deputation
1. At least one year before the first legislative session of the General Convention, each Deputation will:
i. designate a Chair; and
ii. notify the Secretary of the House of Deputies of the name of the Chair
2. The Deputation Chair will:
i. serve as the primary contact for House of Deputies communications;
ii. certify the Deputation’s votes by orders;
iii. certify changes in the Deputation during General Convention;
iv. perform other duties as directed by the President
B. Mandates Training, Compliance, and Reporting
1. Within three years before the first legislative session of the General Convention, each deputation shall:
i. have elected Deputies and 1st Alternate Deputies complete Anti-Racism and Racial Reconciliation coursework utilized for diocesan or provincial training programs;
ii. encourage remaining Alternate Deputies to comply; and
iii. file a single submission with all training certificates to the Secretary of the House of Deputies six months prior to the opening date of General Convention.
2. Waivers will apply to:
i. Dioceses outside the United States until language proficient training programs are readily available; or
ii. The Committee on Credentials will hear and decide any disputes on certification of Deputations and will report their decision to the House.
B. C. Certification of Alternate Deputies as Deputies
1. Alternate Deputies may not sit or vote with their Deputations, unless and until certified by the Committee on Credentials as a substitute for a Deputy.
2. The Committee on Credentials will certify Alternate Deputies as Deputies before each session.
3. The procedures for certification will be those determined by the Secretary of the House of Deputies.
4. An Alternate Deputy will serve for one or more legislative sessions as Deputy but only until the Deputy for whom he or she substituted is able to resume their seats.
5. The Committee on Credentials will hear and decide any disputes on certification of Deputies and will report their decision to the House.
Explanation
At the 73rd General Convention in Denver 2000, Resolution 2000-B049 (https://www.episcopalarchives.org/cgi-bin/acts/acts_resolution.pl?resolution=2000-B049) required “lay and ordained leadership of the Episcopal Church, including all ordained persons, professional staff, and those elected or appointed to positions of leadership on committees, commissions, agencies, and boards be required to take anti-racism training and receive certification of such training” and “that each diocese select and authorize appropriate programs that will be used at the diocesan and parochial levels, each province and diocese to determine those lay and clergy leaders who are to take the training.”
The Episcopal Church builds on the framework of Becoming Beloved Community (https://episcopalchurch.org/beloved-community) created in response to General Convention Resolution 2015-C019 - Work for Racial Justice and Reconciliation (https://www.episcopalarchives.org/cgi-bin/acts/acts_resolution.pl?resolution=2015-C019). This established response to Systematic Racial Injustice enhances the capacity of The Episcopal Church to work in communities to organize; advocate; and dismantle systems, policies and practices that reinforce violence and acts and perpetuate the sin of racism.
Many of our Dioceses require Anti-Racism training for those serving on Standing Committee, Diocesan Council, Secretary of Convention, Treasurer, and other diocesan bodies. In the Diocese of California, the General Convention Deputies and Alternates also adhere to this training standard. Since GC 2012, the General Convention’s Joint Standing Committee on Nominations began tracking the Anti-Racism training requirement for churchwide leadership (Church Pension Fund Trustee, Disciplinary Board for Bishops, Executive Council, General Board of Examining Chaplains, General Theological Seminary Trustee, and the Officers of General Convention). These reports illustrate a trend towards compliance from 76% (GC 2012), 84% (GC 2015), and 85% (GC 2018).
During General Convention the House of Deputies experiences a 45% turnover of new deputies (GC2015-GC2015 – 398: https://houseofdeputies.org/2015/08/04/demographics-house-deputies/; GC2018-364: https://houseofdeputies.org/2018/07/03/demographics-of-the-house-of-deputies-at-gc79/) each triennium. With no canonical training mandates for both clergy and lay Deputies, establishing canonical standards would be beneficial to new Deputies. First and Second time Deputies comprise 67%, and thus, have significant impact on legislative, budgetary, and election matters.
The requisite Anti-Racism training is the foundation coursework for all churchwide leaders. We are affirming that Deputies from each Diocese achieve this minimum standard. For each subsequent cycle, we are proposing ongoing Racial Reconciliation training programs every three years as new continuing education. By regularizing the House of Deputies training standards, our hope is new programs like the Anti-Sexism Training (https://extranet.generalconvention.org/governing_and_interim_bodies/interim_bodies/1010/mandate) will be on the horizon.
Funding for trainings would be furnished locally by each Diocese.