Canons addressing the Budget Process
Canon I.1.8
The General Convention shall adopt, at each regular meeting, a budget to provide for the contingent expenses of the General Convention, the stipend of the Presiding Bishop together with the necessary expenses of that office, the necessary expenses of the President of the House of Deputies including the staff and Advisory Council required to assist in the performance of the duties and matters related to the President’s office, and the applicable Church Pension Fund assessments. To defray the expense of this budget, an assessment shall be levied upon the Dioceses of the Church in accordance with a formula, which the Convention shall adopt as part of this Expense Budget. It shall be the duty of each Diocesan Convention to forward to the Treasurer of the General Convention annually, on the first Monday of January, the amount of the assessment levied upon that Diocese.
Canon I.4.6
- The Executive Council shall submit to the General Convention at each regular session thereof the Budget for the Episcopal Church for the ensuing budgetary period, which budgetary period shall be equal to the interval between regular meetings of the General Convention.
- The budget proposed for adoption by General Convention shall include a Canonical and corporate portion which shall provide for the contingent expenses of the General Convention, the stipend of the Presiding Bishop together with the necessary expenses of that office, the necessary expenses of the President of the House of Deputies, including the staff and Advisory Council required to assist in the performance of the duties and matters related to the President's office, and the applicable Church Pension Fund assessments, and also the corporate requirements for the administrative support of the Domestic & Foreign Missionary Society offices.
- The budget proposed for adoption by the General Convention shall include provision for support for the Program of the Episcopal Church. The program so submitted shall include a detailed budget of that part of the program for which it proposes to make appropriations for the ensuing year, and estimated budgets for the succeeding portion of the budgetary period.
- Revenue to support the Budget for the Episcopal Church shall be generated primarily by a single asking of the Dioceses of the church based on a formula, which the General Convention shall adopt as part of its Program, Budget and Finance process. If in any year the total anticipated income for budget support is less than the amount required to support the budget approved by the General Convention, the canonical portion of the Budget for the Episcopal Church shall have funding priority over any other budget areas subject to any decreases necessary to maintain a balanced budget.
- After the preparation of the budget the Executive Council shall, at least four months before the sessions of the General Convention, transmit to the Bishop of each Diocese and to the President of each Province a statement of the existing and the proposed askings necessary to support the Budget for the Episcopal Church. The Executive Council shall also submit to the General Convention, with the budget, a plan for the askings of the respective Dioceses of the sum needed to execute the budget.
- There shall be joint sessions of the two Houses for the presentation of the Budget for the Episcopal Church; and thereafter consideration shall be given and appropriate action taken thereon by the General Convention. The Council shall have the power to expend all sums of money covered by the budget and estimated budgets approved by the Convention, subject to such restrictions as may be imposed by the General Convention, including but not limited to the priority declaration set forth in Section 6(d) of this Canon. It shall also have power to undertake such other work provided for in the budget approved by the General Convention, or other work under the jurisdiction of the Council, the need for which may have arisen after the action of the General Convention, as in the judgment of the Council its income will warrant.
- Upon the adoption by the General Convention of a Budget for the Episcopal Church and the planned askings for the budgetary period, the Council shall formally advise each Diocese of its share of the total askings to support the Budget for the Episcopal Church.
- Each Diocese shall thereupon notify each Parish and Mission of the amount of the askings of such Diocese. Each Diocese shall present to each Parish and Mission a total objective, which shall include both its share of the proposed Diocesan Budget and its share of the asking of the Diocese by the Executive Council in accordance with the plan adopted by the General Convention.
- Each diocese shall annually report to the Executive Council such financial information as may be required in a form authorized by Executive Council.