The Acts of Convention

House of Deputies

The House of Deputies Committee on Church Pension Fund presented its Report #8 on Resolution D037 (Amend Canon I.8) and moved adoption of a substitute.

Original Text of Resolution:

(D037)

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the 79th General Convention amend Canon I.8 by inserting a new Section 9, and renumbering the remaining sections:

Sec. 9. Report on Clergy Compensation. The Church Pension Fund shall submit to each regular meeting of General Convention a Report on clergy compensation, listing by diocese for each congregation separately the average Sunday attendance, Normal Operating Income from the Parochial Report, the years of ordained experience of each stipendiary cleric, the percent of time each stipendiary cleric works, and total pension-assessable compensation of each stipendiary cleric for the previous year. Congregations and clergy shall not be identified by name or city in the Report. The Report shall also list the average of the total pension-assessable compensation for all clergy for the preceding five years by gender identity (male, female, or non-binary). The Report shall also be sent to the Diocesan Council or similar body and Bishop(s) of every diocese within thirty days of the conclusion of the General Convention.

And be it further

Resolved, That the Executive Council authorize a comprehensive clergy compensation survey to be completed by 2020 of all stipendiary priests. Said survey should include all forms of compensation, including but not limited to stipend/utilities/housing (SHU), value of any automobile provided, value of any telephone benefit provided, and tuition remission for the priest’s children. The survey shall collect data on each individual including gender identity, years of ordained service, percentage of time employed, size of parish by Average Sunday Attendance and Normal Operating Income from the Parochial Report, and the role and/or title of each stipendiary priest; and be it further

Resolved, That the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance be requested to allocate sufficient funds to carry out the requested survey.

Committee Substitute:

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the 79th General Convention, recognizes ongoing disparities of compensation and the need for greater insight into data and trends across the church; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention direct the Church Pension Group, drawing upon the report of the House of Deputies Special Committee on Sexual Harassment and Exploitation to the 79th General Convention and other relevant resources, expand its Clergy Compensation Report to include greater specificity as it relates to gender identity, bringing together in a single report as much detailed information as possible, up to the limits of applicable privacy standards and laws; and be it further

Resolved, That any necessary supplemental data be gathered by the Office of Research at the Episcopal Church Center through surveys or other forms of research; and be it further

Resolved, That the Church Pension Group will report on changes to the Clergy Compensation Report at the Spring 2019 meeting of Executive Council.

Motion carried

Substitute resolution adopted

(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message #149)