Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris have outlined the updated process for creating and managing the church’s triennial budget. Additionally, President Ayala Harris, along with the Parliamentarian of the House of Deputies and the Chancellor to the President of the House of Deputies, urge all deputies and alternates to carefully review the accompanying addendum.
Dear Bishops and Deputies,
Alleluia. Christ is Risen!
We are writing to outline the process for adopting the 2025-2027 churchwide budget at the 81st General Convention. A new process, which was adopted by the 80th General Convention, means that we will do things differently this June than we have at past conventions.
The new process assigns both budget creation and budget management to the Executive Council, eliminating the former Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget, and Finance. Accordingly, the Joint Budget Committee of Executive Council has drafted a budget, approved by Executive Council in January, for General Convention to consider. The Joint Budget Committee will hold two hearings—one on May 16 via Zoom and one on June 22 at General Convention—to solicit feedback on the draft, and we will meet in joint session on June 24, the second day of convention, to hear the committee’s presentation of the budget.
Unlike previous meetings of the General Convention, all budget amendments and resolutions with funding implications will be published in advance and considered during a special order of business in each house. General Convention also retains the ability to separately suggest initiatives with budgetary implications to the Executive Council, which is authorized under the new process to take such initiatives into account in reconciling the budget after the close of Convention. The Joint Budget Committee will review any such initiatives at its post-convention meeting in September.
In summary, the new budget process includes the following steps for General Convention:
· Hearings with the Executive Council Joint Budget Committee on May 16 and June 24
· A special order of business in each house for budget amendments
· Amendments published in advance for review
· The opportunity to submit resolutions that propose new initiatives for Executive Council to fund.
These changes may prompt questions, and we hope that you will let the Parliamentarian of your House or either of our Chancellors know if you would like to know more. Although this new budget process will require some adjustments, especially on the part of General Convention veterans, our hope is that the new system will bolster budget clarity, improve budget management, and reduce the frustration of unfunded mandates.
We hope that you will participate in the upcoming budget hearings and provide us with your feedback as we work to implement this new budget process.
In Christ,
The Most Rev. Michael Curry
Presiding Bishop
Julia Ayala Harris
President of the House of Deputies
The President of the House of Deputies requests that all deputies read the following information, which comes from the president, the Parliamentarian of the House of Deputies, and the Chancellor to the President of the House of Deputies.
Here are the highlights of this new process and what you can expect this June and in subsequent General Conventions.
- The newly created Joint Budget Committee will hold hearings prior to and during General Convention.
- The Joint Budget Committee will present the budget during a joint session of both Houses.
- Each house will have a special order of business to consider the budget.
- Changes to the budget will be considered through formal amendments to the budget during the special order of business.
- Resolutions with budget considerations must include language that “requests” budgetary allocations.
- The Joint Budget Committee will reconcile the budget after General Convention.
Background
Previously, the now dissolved Joint Standing Committee on Program Budget and Finance (PB&F) was charged with preparing and presenting the budget to the General Convention. This led to issues related to the complexity of our system, the triennial model, unfunded mandates, and the loss of consistent memory between committees.
The new budget process gives this responsibility to the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church, allowing the body responsible for managing the budget between conventions to also be the body receiving and considering feedback on its creation. The primary objective of this shift is to establish a linear and transparent process for greater clarity and access to giving input.
Over the past two years, the Executive Council has actively implemented this change as directed by the 80th General Convention. They adopted a new bylaw, delegating the budget development process to the “Executive Council Joint Budget Committee,” a body composed of members of the Executive Council and other church leaders with expertise. This committee collaborates with the Executive Council to prepare the draft budget as well as to consider potential triennial budget adjustments based on resolutions adopted after the General Convention completes its work. This committee has worked diligently to propose a budget for the General Convention’s consideration; this draft budget was approved by the whole of the Executive Council at their meeting in January.
And now, in the final months before gathering at the 81st General Convention, we encourage all deputies and bishops to prepare by reviewing and understanding how the revisions to the canons and joint rules of order will make this budget process unlike those you may have experienced in prior years.
The parliamentarian and chancellor especially note the following shifts.
The Draft Budget and Consideration of Amendments
In the previous process, we would see the following process of resolutions and adoption:
- PB&F would prepare and present a draft budget in the form of a resolution ahead of the General Convention.
- Other resolutions would be passed during the course of the General Convention with budget implications, regardless of whether or not that provision existed in the draft budget resolution.
- PB&F would hold hearings to consider whether those changes would be reflected in the final draft budget resolution.
- PB&F would attempt to reconcile the draft budget in relation to the other resolutions of the General Convention, and present a revised draft budget to the Houses.
- The final draft of the budget would be formally considered, debated, and voted on by the House of Deputies and House of Bishops, regardless of whether it accurately reflected the directed funding of all resolutions, especially those resolutions adopted after the budget adoption.
These provisions have been removed in the revised process, providing instead that we follow basic tenets of parliamentary law: that two resolutions may not contradict one another without undergoing a formal reconsideration process. This means that there are two ways that the General Convention may make changes to the draft budget as it will be presented:
- Through formal amendments to the budget, moved and passed during the consideration and adoption of the final budget
- By requesting funding in the form of a resolution, to be forwarded to the Executive Council’s post-convention reconciliation process
Considering Amendments
To honor our long-standing tradition of providing broad input and participation in the budget process, we will propose a special order of business in our House to consider budget amendments and submissions, ensuring ample time for voting, deliberation, and consideration. All proposed amendments to the draft budget will be published in advance so that deputies may have the opportunity to review and consider them before voting. This will be an extended period during our consideration of the draft budget in which we will specifically consider, debate, and address proposed budget amendments prior to adopting the budget.
Hearings
As in previous years, there will be open hearings to provide feedback on our financial investment in mission and ministry while we are gathered at General Convention. These hearings will be held by the Joint Budget Committee and information regarding these hearings can be found here. Again, this provision enables the body responsible for administering the budget between conventions to receive direct feedback and input from our wider body to inform their ongoing work. These hearings are an opportunity for deputies to speak directly to the committee members that have drafted the budget and will reconcile the budget after General Convention concludes its work.
Budget Reconciliation
Under the new provisions, any differences not addressed as an amendment to the budget during our vote, will be considered by the Joint Budget Committee following the conclusion of the General Convention. Your participation and input in hearings will help inform their decision-making.
Reconciliation will include addressing funding as it relates to any newly created task forces, programs, initiatives, and projects; flexibility accounted for under the “holding” line in the draft budget. The Executive Council and its budget committee also expects that the newly elected Presiding Bishop may propose additional initiatives for inclusion in the budget aligned with their priorities and vision for their episcopate. Any changes as part of the post-convention reconciliation process will follow the new canons and the policies of the church.
Drafting Funding-Related Resolutions
Funding-related resolutions are still appropriate as part of the work of General Convention. However, rather than using the language of “directing” funding, to be found in order, a resolution must “request that the Executive Council” modify the budget or fund an initiative. If adopted by the 81st General Convention, that request will be forwarded for consideration as part of the post-convention reconciliation process facilitated by the Joint Budget Committee of Executive Council.
Only formal amendments to the budget during our business session will mandate a change to the budget.
Summary
To summarize these changes as a timeline:
- The Executive Council Joint Budget Committee has prepared a draft budget for the 2025-2027 triennium. That draft was passed by the Executive Council in January, to be forwarded to the 81st General Convention.
- Deputies and other bodies may draft and submit resolutions according to our rules of order requesting funding not already addressed in the draft budget.
- The Executive Council Joint Budget Committee will hold hearings during the General Convention, providing deputies and bishops the opportunity to provide direct feedback to the future reconciliation process and to speak aloud to proposed amendments that may be heard on the floor. Hearing information can be found here.
- Proposed amendments may be submitted for advance publishing prior to the presentation and consideration of the draft budget.
- Members of the Joint Budget Committee will present the draft budget in a joint session of both Houses. Then, the chairs of each house will have a special order of business for the specific purpose of considering, debating, and voting on the final adoption of the churchwide budget.
- After the conclusion of the 81st General Convention, the Joint Budget Committee will meet to discern, address, and reconcile the triennial budget considering the requests made by the General Convention.
We understand that these changes are extensive and that adapting to the new process may be challenging or raise questions, especially as we engage it for the first time. We encourage and invite your careful review of the changes so that you may confidently engage and understand your role in the budget process. We firmly believe that these changes will enhance transparency, create a more streamlined and sustainable approach, and will perhaps even better enable us to honor our great tradition of direct influence and broad input.
You have a crucial responsibility in this process, and we need your participation. We encourage you to engage in the upcoming budget hearings and to add your voice and experience to our collective considerations. Together and with grace for one another, we will work toward a more effective, transparent, and open budget process that reflects our shared values, supports our mission, and enables us to continue the important work of the church.
Thank you for your understanding, for your leadership, and for your dedication to the work of the 81st General Convention and The Episcopal Church through the ages.
Faithfully,
Julia Ayala Harris
President of the House of Deputies
Bryan Krislock
Parliamentarian of the House of Deputies
Michael Glass
Chancellor to the president of the House of Deputies.
