No Lay Discipline in Proposed Canon Changes

December 29, 2008

In a change from an earlier draft, the Title IV Task Force on Disciplinary Policies and Procedures will not propose new canons to address discipline of members of the laity.

The much-anticipated new draft of its proposed changes to The Episcopal Church’s canon on discipline will be included in the church’s so-called ‘Blue Book’ of pre-filed General Convention legislation.

“It is the judgment of Task Force II that the time is not yet propitious for the inclusion of disciplinary provisions for the laity other than as already provided in the Book of Common Prayer, and no inclusion of laity is contemplated at this time,” the task force wrote.

The 48-page document includes a six-page introduction summarizing the work of the task force, listing the underlying theological principles upon which the task force based its revisions and brief description of the extent of changes. the rest