Resolution J:
Canon 13.07 Archdeacon
Last Update: October 28, 2026
Status:
The 177th Convention passed this canonical amendment as presented by the Committee on Canons.
The Committee on Canons reports the following consolidated substitute for Resolution D and Resolution I.
Resolution Text:
Resolved, that Canon XIII, Section 13.07 of the Canons of the Diocese of California be amended to state as follows:
(remove strikethrough bold text, add italic bold text)
Sec. 13.07. Archdeacons.
Archdeacons of the Diocese may be appointed by the Bishop, subject to confirmation by the Convention of the Diocese, or, when the Convention is not in session, by the Executive Council and the Standing Committee. They may be removed by the Bishop at any time, with the concurrence of the Standing Committee. The duties of the archdeacon shall be those specified by the Bishop, in consultation with the Executive Council. The salaries of those appointed to serve as archdeacons shall be fixed by the Convention. The Bishop may appoint Archdeacons as provided in Canon III.7.2 of the Canons of the Episcopal Church.
Report of the Committee on Canons
The Committee on Canons received two proposals concerning Canon XIII, Section 13.07, Archdeacons. Resolution D, submitted by the Committee on Governance, would replace the existing section with a broader canon concerning the Community of Deacons and the life and work of deacons in the Diocese. It would reproduce selected portions of Canon III.7 of the Canons of The Episcopal Church while omitting others. Resolution I, submitted by the Rev. Deacon Jac Cherry, would retain portions of the existing section while requiring that an Archdeacon be an ordained deacon, canonically resident and in good standing in the Diocese, and forfeit the office upon ordination to the priesthood.
The Committee agrees that the existing diocesan canon reflects an earlier understanding of the office of Archdeacon and should be amended. Canon III.7.2 of The Episcopal Church provides that the Bishop may appoint one or more deacons from the Community of Deacons as Archdeacons to assist the Bishop in the formation, deployment, supervision, and support of deacons and those preparing to become deacons, and in the implementation of that canon. Because the Diocese accedes to the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church, Canon III.7.2 governs the appointment of Archdeacons and the functions described in that provision without requiring its substantive provisions to be repeated in the diocesan canons.
The Committee does not recommend selectively restating portions of Canon III.7 in diocesan law. Resolution D would broaden Section 13.07 from a canon concerning Archdeacons into one regulating the Community of Deacons and several aspects of the life and work of deacons generally. At the same time, it would reproduce only selected parts of the churchwide canon. For example, it would omit provisions addressing deacons’ accountability to the Bishop, a Council on Deacons, letters of agreement, chaplaincies, participation in church governance, and post-ordination formation and mentoring. A partial restatement could create uncertainty about the applicability of provisions not reproduced and could become incomplete or inconsistent if the General Convention later amends Canon III.7.
The Committee likewise does not recommend the additional provisions contained in Resolution I. Canon III.7.2 already identifies the persons eligible for appointment as an Archdeacon. Resolution I would also address the effect of ordination to the priesthood upon continued service as Archdeacon, a question not expressly addressed in Canon III.7.2. The Committee recommends addressing both matters through a direct reference to the churchwide canon rather than through separate diocesan provisions.
The Committee also considered the Bishop’s August 28, 2026, letter to the Community of Deacons. The letter announced a period of intentional listening concerning the Archdeacon role and stated that the voices and experiences of deacons would help guide how the position is shaped and defined going forward. The Committee’s substitute addresses the relationship between the diocesan and churchwide canons without prescribing additional diocesan provisions while that conversation proceeds.
Accordingly, as authorized by Canon 21.03, the Committee reports a substitute amending Canon 13.07 to provide that Archdeacons may be appointed as provided in Canon III.7.2 of the Canons of The Episcopal Church. The Committee recommends adoption of the substitute.
0 Comments