08/16/2021
How to Submit Resolutions to Your Diocesan Conventions for Adoption/Endorsement
Dear Friends,
By now you should have already received and read the notice of The Charge from The National UBE to put certain resolutions (which may be most receptive to passage) before your respective Diocesan Conventions.
Let me explain how the process works, but I ask that you bear with me as the process can, at first blush, seem like a meandering matrix, but it’s actually eloquently simple.
First, you ask your diocese to either “endorse” or “adopt” a particular resolution. The difference of your ask depends on whether or not the Office of The General Convention has started to accept resolutions. If it has, then that resolution would have been given a designated number, let’s say D-001. It’s a D Resolution because it was submitted by a deputy. In that case, you would ask your diocese to “endorse” it, which means that your diocese is saying to the entire legislative body at General Convention that we hereby agree with this resolution and lend our support to its adoption by General Convention.
However, if General Convention hasn’t started accepting resolutions, then you would ask your diocese convention to “adopt” a particular resolution, and that the Secretary of the Diocesan Convention forward the resolution as adopted to the Secretary of General Convention, where it will be assigned a number, let’s say C-001. It’s a C Resolution because it was submitted by a diocese or a province.
The General Convention Office hasn’t announced when it will begin accepting Resolutions and I know many of you have diocesan conventions coming up and each diocese has a certain window of time that it will accept resolutions for consideration at its diocesan conventions.
If your diocesan convention is next year, I would say you can wait and submit resolutions to be endorsed by your diocesan convention. However, make sure you know when the window closes for submission of resolutions. You can contact your diocesan administrator, the Secretary of the previous diocesan convention or the diocesan chancellor to find out that information.
However, if your diocesan convention is coming up this Fall, and because the Office of General Convention hasn’t announced when it will begin accepting resolutions, you may wish to submit your chosen resolutions to the diocesan convention for adoption by that body.
While each diocese has its own particular style for submission of resolutions, the body of the resolutions will remain the same. Copies of the Resolutions that were authored and endorsed by UBE can be found under tabs 4a, 4b, and 4c here.
However, the introductory language of the Resolution submitted for either adoption or endorsement should read as follows (Keeping in mind that each diocese has its own particular style and language that it uses; therefore, please consult with someone who has been to a previous diocesan convention, or ask your diocesan administrator, the Secretary of the previous diocesan convention or the diocesan chancellor):
"Resolved, That this _______th Convention of the Diocese of ___________ [adopts/endorses] the following resolution and hereby directs the Secretary of this Convention to forward this resolution to the Secretary of General Convention of The Episcopal Church as a duly authorized resolution from this Diocese; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of this Convention be directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Resolutions Committee of Province _____ for consideration by the Provincial Synod on _____ __ - ___ 202___."
Please don’t be concerned about the same resolution coming from many different sources, as the Office of General Convention is able to identify identical resolutions coming from different sources. In the best case scenario, a particular resolution may well be submitted by a group of Deputies, a Diocesan Convention, and a Province. Such a resolution is usually given a single legislative number with a note that it has been submitted by several entities, which will show that the resolution has broad based support and greatly aid in its passage by General Convention.
If anyone has any questions, do not hesitate to contact me.
Blessings,
Joe McDaniel, Jr.
[email protected]
“May The Inexplicable Peace of The Lord Be With You.”
