Proposed Amendment to Article I, Section 1

At the 2003 Annual Convention, an amendment was passed to Article I, Section 1 of the Diocese of Pittsburgh’s constitution. The amendment must be passed again, in the same form, to become effective. The amendment gives the diocese the power to overrule anything that General Convention does that it does not like. Similar amendments in other dioceses have been dismissed as silly or improper, but, with the strong support of Bishop Duncan, this amendment will likely pass.

PEP prepared two briefing papers on this amendment last year, “Legal Considerations” (PDF version) and “Amendment Removes Us from the Church” (PDF version). Diocesan chancellor Robert Devlin made an oral presentation at convention, arguing that the amendment is lawful. (Click here to read a transcript of the convention debate, which may be useful in predicting what will be said this year.)

This year, the chancellor prepared a written opinion which has been distributed to deputies. Historian Joan Gundersen wrote an answer to Robert Devlin, which was also sent to deputies, along with a cover letter from Charles Little.

Priest and 2003 General Convention deputy Tobias S. Haller BSG addressed the status of the Episcopal Church Constitution’s Preamble on the House of Bishops and Deputies e-mail list on October 22, 2004. In so doing, he added some interesting and useful history bearing on the nature of the constitution and the polity of the Episcopal Church. Click here to read his comments, which have been edited for clarity and are reproduced here by permission.