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Elections and the self-governance of our Church
By The Rev. James Richardson
Among the strengths of The Episcopal Church is our enduring commitment to self-governance by all the baptized. Together we bring our experience and God-given talents to discern the will of the Holy Spirit to this task.
We do this at multiple levels in the Church, striking a balance between bishops, priests, deacons and the laity, beginning at the congregational level with committees, ministry teams, mission committees, vestries and delegations to our Diocese Convention.
At the diocese level, we come together annually at our convention to elect those serving the diocese in several capacities required by our canons and constitution. Each congregation elects convention delegates at its annual meeting.
This year, our diocese convention will convene Nov. 3-4 at Faith Church, Cameron Park, to elect representatives to the diocesan Standing Committee and the Board of Trustees.
Three of our deaneries will also caucus to elect their representatives to the Board of Trustees. More below about these two governing bodies.
You are invited to nominate yourself for one of these offices or nominate someone else (with their permission) for election to one of these offices. The nomination forms and other details can be found here: https://www.norcalepiscopal.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2023-DioCon_Governance-Nomination-Instructions-1.pdf
A few words about each:
The Standing Committee:
Each diocese is required by The Episcopal Church to have a “Standing Committee.” The bland name does not convey its large responsibility. The Standing Committee, with four clergy and four lay members (the bishop is not a member), has many duties, including responsibility for the disposition of church property, approval of loans by congregations, and confirmation of those seeking ordination.
Upon the vacancy or retirement of the bishop, the Standing Committee conducts the election to fill the vacancy. The Standing Committee also votes whether to confirm the election of bishops in other dioceses, and a majority of all the standing committees is required to confirm a new bishop.
The Standing Committee serves as the “council of advice” to the local bishop, and becomes the “ecclesiastical authority” in the vacancy of a bishop.
Each year we elect one clergy and one lay representative to the Standing Committee to serve a four-year term.
The Board of Trustees:
The trustees are responsible for the financial and programmatic oversight of the diocese, serving something like a Vestry for the diocese. The Board approves the annual diocesan budget and the apportionment formula used for accessing congregations for diocesan financial support.
There are 16 members of the board, with the bishop serving as president and the trustees electing a vice president from among its ranks. The deans of the seven deaneries serve as non-voting members.
The diocese convention elects five trustees, either lay or clergy. The bishop has three appointments, and the deaneries, meet as a caucus before convention, to elect representatives as a voting member of the board. This year we will be electing two trustees, lay or clergy, to serve three-year terms.
Three of the deaneries will caucus to elect their representatives to the trustees: The Capital and Russian River deaneries will elect their representatives for three-year terms; the Central deanery will elect a representative to complete one year remaining in a three-term that expires in 2024. The Central Deanery will caucus again next year for an election to a three year term.
If you have questions about the elections, please contact me at jrichardson@trinitycathedral.org
The Rev. James Richardson
Chair, Diocese Convention Nominating Committee
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