D081 Diversity in the Episcopate and Diocesan Staff Leadership

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,

That the 80th General Convention reaffirm that God calls a great diversity of people to the episcopate and to the ministries of diocesan staff leadership, across lines of ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation; and be it further

Resolved, that this convention create a task force on diversification of the episcopate and diocesan staff leadership; and be it further

Resolved, that the President of the House of Deputies and the Presiding Bishop appoint 15 persons to include 4 bishops, 4 priests or deacons, and 7 laypersons, with members to include a geographically and ethnically diverse representation from the Church mindful to include younger generations and LGBTQ people; and be it further;

Resolved, that the Task Force report to the 81st General Convention with recommendations to the Episcopal Church for increasing diversity, particularly among women, People of Color, and LGBTQ people within the episcopate and in positions of leadership on diocesan staff in the dioceses of this Church.

Explanation

Resolution 2018-D005 called upon the office of Pastoral Development to “maintain statistics of the Racial and Ethnic makeup of men and women in elections to the episcopate” and upon the Recorder of Ordinations to “gather data about clergy by race and ethnicity in order to show trends in ordination, deployment, and compensation by race and ethnicity”. The reports of these respective offices show that women, People of Color, and LGBTQ persons are underrepresented both in the episcopate and in diocesan staff leadership. This resolution seeks to develop recommendations for the Episcopal Church and for creating greater opportunity in all dioceses for the breadth of diversity to be represented in positions of authority at the diocesan level.

The attached report from the Office of Pastoral Development includes all consecrations 2017-present plus current bishops-elect (as of May 9, 2022). The office does not track sexual orientation or gender identity.