Constitution
Article I
Affiliation
Section 1. The Church in The Gulf Atlantic Diocese is a constituent member of the Anglican Church in North America, a participant in the worldwide Anglican Communion, a Fellowship within the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, upholding and propagating the historic Faith and Order as set forth in the Book of Common Prayer. In case of conflict over the Constitution and Canons of this Diocese, the Constitution and Canons of the Anglican Church in North America (as enacted in 2009) take precedence.
Section 2. The Gulf Atlantic Diocese embraces the states of Florida and Georgia. Additionally, for reasons found satisfactory to any Synod of The Gulf Atlantic Diocese, Parishes outside the boundaries of the aforementioned states may be considered for admission into union with The Gulf Atlantic Diocese, and will be afforded membership pursuant to Article XII of this Constitution, provided that they meet all other requirements set forth in the Constitution and Canons of The Gulf Atlantic Diocese.
Article II
Meeting of Synod
Section 1. There shall be a meeting of the Synod, the principal governing body of the Diocese, to be held during the month of October or November of each year at such time and at such place within the Diocese as shall be fixed by the preceding Annual Synod.
Section 2. For any sufficient cause occurring after the designation of the place of meeting of the Annual Synod, the Bishop may appoint another time or place, or both, for the meeting of the Synod. If the Bishop is incapable of acting or there is a vacancy in the Episcopate, the Standing Committee may appoint a time and/or place for the meeting.
Section 3. The Bishop has the authority to call a special Synod. If the Bishop is incapable of acting or there is a vacancy in the Episcopate, the Standing Committee may call a special Synod. The Clergy and Parishes in the Diocese shall be given no less than thirty days notice of the special Synod by a circular letter. A special Synod shall be held at the place designated by the Ecclesiastical Authority. No business other than that stated in the circular letter shall be transacted at the special Synod.
Article III
Members of Synod
Section 1. The Synod shall be composed of Clergy and Lay Delegates.
Section 2. All Clergy, in good standing, who are canonically resident in the Diocese, and actively engaged in the parochial, missionary, or educational work of the Church, under the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese, shall be members of the Synod.
Section 3. Lay Delegates shall be elected by each congregation, based on their Parish Bylaws, as follows: 1. The Senior Warden 2. One additional Delegate for each 100 in attendance (Average Sunday Attendance of previous year). Under 100, Senior Warden only. 100-199, Senior Warden and one additional. The maximum number of Lay Delegates shall be six (the Senior Warden and five Delegates based on attendance)
Section 4. Every member of Diocesan Council (Article X) and the Standing Committee (Article IX) who is not otherwise a member of the Synod shall be seated with voice and vote.
Article IV
President of the Synod
The Bishop of the Diocese shall preside, ex-officio, in the Synod and shall be entitled to a vote. The Bishop-Coadjutor, when there is one, shall have a seat and a vote in the Synod, and in the absence of the Bishop, shall preside. In case of vacancy in the Episcopate or in the absence of the Bishop and Bishop-Coadjutor or of their inability to act, the President of the Standing Committee shall preside.
Article V
Transaction of Business
Section 1. A quorum of any Diocesan Synod or any meeting thereof shall be one-half of the Clergy in good standing having cure in the Diocese, and one-half of the duly elected Lay Delegates, but a smaller number may adjourn.
Section 2. The Clergy and Delegates shall deliberate as one body and shall vote as such: PROVIDED, that a call for vote by Orders (Lay and Clergy) may be initiated by any ten members of the Synod of whom at least five must be Clergy and at least five must be Lay Delegates.
Section 3. The affirmative votes of a majority of those present and voting shall decide each question. When voting by Orders a majority vote in each Orders is required.
Article VI
Secretary of the Synod
A Secretary, nominated by Diocesan Council, shall be elected by the Annual Synod for a term of two years. The duties of the Secretary shall be to take the minutes of the proceedings, and when approved, to enter them in a journal, to preserve the journal and records, to attest the public acts of the body, and faithfully deliver into the hands of successors all books and papers in his or her possession relating to the Synod.
Article VII
Chief Executive Officer
For the purpose of the Corporation, the Bishop shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Diocese.
Article VIII
Ecclesiastical Authority
Whenever in the Constitution or Canons of this Diocese provision is made for action by the Bishop, such action, in case of the absence or disability of the Bishop, shall devolve upon the Bishop-Coadjutor if there be one; or if there be none, shall devolve upon the Standing Committee.
Standing Committee
Section 1. The Diocese-in-Formation Synod of 2009 shall elect the initial members of Standing Committee and Diocesan Council from among the members of the Steering Committee. If the total number of open seats shall exceed the number of persons currently on the Steering Committee, nominations and elections shall come from Lay and Clergy active in the Diocese-in-Formation.
The members of the first Standing Committee shall be assigned staggered terms by the Bishop as follows: one member of the Clergy and one Lay person shall serve for one year; one member of the Clergy and one Lay person shall serve for two years; one member of the Clergy and one Lay person shall serve for three years. At each Synod thereafter one member of the Clergy and one Lay person shall be elected for a period of three years. No member of the Standing Committee shall be eligible to succeed himself or herself until the next Synod following the expiration of term of office.
If there is a vacancy in the Episcopate or if the Bishop or Bishop-Coadjutor is incapable of acting, the Standing Committee shall be the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese.
Section 2. The Clerical members of the Standing Committee must be entitled to seats in the Synod of the Diocese.
Section 3. The Lay members of the Standing Committee must be communicants in a parish admitted into union with the Diocese.
Section 4. The Committee, at their first meeting, shall choose a Chair from among the Clerical members, and a Secretary, either Clerical or Lay. The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of the Committee, and all books and papers in their possession relative to the Diocese shall be subject to the examination of the Bishop and of the Synod.
Section 5. The Standing Committee shall fill all vacancies in their own body, or in any appointed Committee, or in any elected office that may occur between meetings of Annual Synod.
Section 6. The Standing Committee shall also be the council of advice to the Bishop.
Section 7. The Standing Committee, together with the Bishop, shall be responsible for approving candidates for ordination.
Section 8. The Standing Committee shall be responsible for an annual review of the work of the Bishop. In the case of serious conflicts within the Diocese, or behavior unsuitable to the Office of Bishop, the Standing Committee may, by a two-thirds vote, request a hearing from the College of Bishops of the Anglican Church in North America.
Section 9. The Standing Committee shall have such additional rights, duties and powers as may be conferred by the Canons of The Anglican Church in North America or of this Diocese duly enacted.
Diocesan Council
Section 1. The Diocesan Council shall consist of the Bishop, the Secretary of the Synod, the Chancellor of the Diocese, Deans of the Deaneries, the Chair of the Standing Committee, the Treasurer, and six Synod Delegates (3 Clergy and 3 Lay) to be elected in accordance with the Canons of the Diocese.
Section 2. It shall be the duty of the Diocesan Council to prepare and report to each Synod the mission and proposed budget for the coming year, for adoption by the Synod.
Section 3. The Diocesan Council shall have such additional rights, duties and powers as may be conferred on it by the Synod through enactment of an appropriate canon.
Article XI
Deans and Deaneries
Deans shall be appointed and Deaneries established by the Ecclesiastical Authority, subject to Canon.
Article XII
Admission of Parishes
Any Parish formed and desiring union with the Diocese, and organized according to the Canons, may be admitted into union with the Synod, on motion, by a majority vote; provided it shall have laid before the Synod its Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, or a duly certified copy thereof, wherein it expressly adopts and recognizes the authority of the Constitution and Canons of this Diocese, and commits to upholding and propagating the historic Faith and Order as set forth in the Book of Common Prayer; and provided, also, that it shall have complied with the canonical requirements for such admission.
Article XIII
Property Ownership
All congregational property, real and personal, owned by member Parishes shall be solely and exclusively owned by the individual Parish and shall not be subject to any trust or other claim of ownership arising out of canon law; neither shall the Diocese assert any claim over the property of its Parishes without the express written consent of the Vestry of the subject Parish.
Article XIV
Alteration of the Constitution
This Constitution, or any part thereof, may be altered in the following manner only: The proposed alteration or amendment shall be submitted in writing to the Annual Synod, and if approved by a majority of each Order, shall lie over to the next Annual Synod, and if again approved, by a majority of each Order, the Constitution shall then stand altered or amended as proposed.