Transitional Canons, Constitution, and Canons of The Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna
The Transition Working Group on Constitution and Canons created Transitional Canons, Constitution, and Canons of The Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna for the 2025 Joint Convention on October 17 and 18, 2025. These foundational documents of the Diocese are now ready for the pre-filing of amendments.
*Only delegates and clergy may submit resolutions.
The Transitional Canons serve as “a bridge” as we cross over into operating as one reunified diocese. They focus primarily on how we will populate the leadership bodies of The Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna. Transitional Canons (in the form adopted by our dioceses at the 2025 Joint Convention) will go into effect immediately upon adoption and remain in effect until the first Convention of the Diocese in 2026.
The Constitution and the Canons of The Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna are in many ways similar to the Constitution and Canons of each of our dioceses. This Working Group and the previous Constitution and Canons Team of the Reunification Discernment Committee, along with our Bishops, have addressed areas of difference by seeking a “middle way,” or borrowing a best practice from another Episcopal diocese, or constructing something that will be slightly new to all of us but likely the best fit for the reunified diocese. The Constitution and the Canons of the Diocese (in the form adopted by our dioceses at the 2025 Joint Convention) will go into effect when we become one reunified diocese on January 1, 2026.
The Committee has prepared a short Summary Document that highlights a few areas of the canons where additional information would be helpful.
Constitution and Canon Listening Sessions were held on July 8th and 9th over Zoom and the Working Group shared highlights of the document drafts and some of the process, learnings, and reasoning behind them.
The Transitional Canons, Constitution, and Canons for the Diocese will be made available to all lay and clergy delegates, discussed at pre-Convention meetings, and submitted to the 2025 Joint Convention for adoption.