The Diocesan Constitution
ARTICLE I : ACCESSION TO CONSTITUTION AND CANONS OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The Episcopal Church in the Diocese of New York is subject to the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.
ARTICLE II: ANNUAL CONVENTION
There shall be a Convention of the Episcopal Church in this Diocese in each year. It shall be held on such date as the Bishop and the Standing Committee shall appoint. It shall be held at the Cathedral unless the Bishop with the consent of the Standing Committee shall appoint another place.
ARTICLE III: SPECIAL CONVENTION
The Bishop shall have power to call Special Conventions when he or she may judge it conducive to the good of the Church, and shall do so when applied to for that purpose by the Standing Committee.
ARTICLE IV: MEMBERS OF CONVENTION
The Convention shall consist of the Bishop, the Bishops Coadjutor and Suffragan, if any, and of Clerical and Lay and nonvoting Youth Members.
The Clerical Members shall be those Clergy who shall be canonically resident and ministering within the Diocese.
The Lay Members shall be those lay persons delegated from the several congregations in union with Convention, not exceeding five from any congregation, and the number of Lay Members to be delegated by such congregation shall be in proportion to the total active communicant-in-good-standing membership listed in the latest annual parochial report according to the following formula:
One Lay Member for the first 250
Two Lay Members for more than 250 but no more than 500
Three Lay Members for more than 500 but no more than 1,000
Four Lay Members for more than 1,000 but no more than 2,000
Five Lay Members if above 2,000 communicants in good standing
Such as are present of the officers of Convention and the chairmen of committees, boards and commissions required to report to Convention and not otherwise Members of Convention, shall be Members thereof with voice but without vote. Questions with respect to the qualification of Clerical, Lay and Youth Members shall be determined by the Convention. Youth members shall not have the right to vote.
Youth Members of Convention shall be chosen as provided in the Canons.
ARTICLE V: SERVICES IN CONVENTION
Every Convention shall hold such services as shall be approved by the Bishop, or in the case of his or her absence or inability to act or of a vacancy in the Episcopate, by the Standing Committee.
ARTICLE VI: PRESIDENT OF CONVENTION
The Bishop shall preside in Convention, but in case of a vacancy or necessary absence, then the President shall be the Bishop Coadjutor but in case there be none or he/she be absent or unable to preside then one of the Bishops Suffragan in the order of their seniority of consecration.
ARTICLE VII: SECRETARY OF CONVENTION
A Secretary shall be elected at the Annual Convention to take office on the first day of January following her/his election and to remain in office for a period of three years and until the election and qualification of her/his successor. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to take minutes of the proceedings of the Convention, to preserve its Journals and records, to attest its public acts, and faithfully to deliver into the hands of her/his successor all books and papers relative to the concerns of the Convention which may be in her/his possession. It shall also be her/his duty to give due notice of the time and place appointed for the meeting of the succeeding Convention and of any Special Convention, in the manner provided by the Canons.
There may be one or more Assistant Secretaries, whose appointment, terms of office and duties shall be fixed by Canon.
ARTICLE VIII: TREASURER OF CONVENTION
A Treasurer shall be elected at the Annual Convention to take office on the first day of January following her/his election and to remain in office for a period of three years and until the election and qualification of her/his successor. He/she shall perform such duties as from time to time shall be prescribed by Canon, or by resolution of the Convention, and shall act as financial agent of the Diocese for the receipt and disbursement of monies collected under the authority of the Convention.
There may be an Assistant Treasurer and a Controller, whose appointment, terms of office and duties shall be fixed by Canon.
ARTICLE IX: VOTING IN CONVENTION
In all matters which shall come before Convention, the Clerical and Lay Members shall deliberate in one body. In voting, each Clerical and Lay Member shall have one vote, the Bishop, the Bishop Coadjutor and the Bishops Suffragan having the right to vote with the Clerical Members.
In any matter requiring a majority vote, the concurrence of a majority vote of the Clerical and Lay Members voting shall constitute a vote; and in any matter requiring a two-thirds vote, the concurrence of two-thirds of said Members voting shall constitute a vote; provided however, in any case a vote by Orders may be required by five Members, and upon such a vote the Orders shall vote separately, and the concurrence of a majority, or of two-thirds, as the case may be, of the votes cast in each Order, shall constitute a vote. In the election of a Bishop, Bishop Coadjutor, or Bishop Suffragan, the two Orders shall always vote separately.
ARTICLE X: ECCLESIASTICAL AUTHORITY
The Ecclesiastical Authority is the Bishop. In case of the Bishop's absence or disability he/she may temporarily place in charge of the Diocese as the Ecclesiastical Authority, the Bishop Coadjutor, or, if there be none or in the case of the Bishop Coadjutor's absence or disability, one of the Bishops Suffragan, in the order of their seniority of consecration. If no Bishop be qualified and able to act, or in case of a vacancy in the Episcopate, the Ecclesiastical Authority shall be the Standing Committee.
Whenever in the Constitution or Canons of this Diocese provision is made for action by the Bishop, such action, except where otherwise specifically provided, shall be taken by the Ecclesiastical Authority as herein defined.
ARTICLE XI: AMENDMENTS
Any proposed amendment to this Constitution shall be introduced in writing and considered by the Convention, and, if approved by a majority of each Order voting thereon separately, shall lie over to the next Convention, when, if again so approved, the amendment shall take effect.
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