The Episcopal Church Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop (JNCPB) is continuing its work to prepare The Episcopal Church for the election of the 28th Presiding Bishop at General Convention in 2024. Below is the second of three educational essays the JNCPB is posting this month. It outlines the current roles, functions, and responsibilities of the presiding bishop.

The first essay discussed how the office of presiding bishop has changed from being the senior bishop by consecration who presides over meetings of the House of Bishops to the complex multifaceted position it is today. You can find that essay here. The third essay will lay out the basic timeline and steps for the nominating and election process. 

Committee members are grateful to their predecessors who, leading up to the election of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry in 2015, published the original versions of these essays. The committee thanks Bishop R. William Franklin, the author, and Sally Johnson and Bishop Ed Konieczny, previous co-chairs, for their permission to allow these essays to be updated and re-posted. The members also thank Mary E. Kostel, chancellor to the presiding bishop, for her help with this second essay.

It is the hope of the JNCPB that all Episcopalians, and especially all members of General Convention, will take the time to read these essays to learn the importance of what we will do next summer at General Convention. Should you have any questions or comments about these essays or the work of the JNCPB, please contact pb28@episcopalchurch.org.

Follow the committee on the following social media sites:

• Facebook: facebook.com/PB28Nominations
• Twitter: twitter.com/PB28Nominations, @PB28Nominations
• Instagram: instagram.com/pb28nominatingcommittee

See past press releases about the committee’s work.

The JNCPB is composed of 20 people. Five bishops were elected by the House of Bishops and five clergy and five lay people were elected by the House of Deputies (Canon I.2.1.a). Two members between ages 16-21 were appointed by the president of the House of Deputies (Canon I.2.1.a). Three members were jointly appointed by the presiding bishop and House of Deputies president “to ensure the cultural and geographic diversity of the church (Canon I.2.1.c).” The members serve a three-year term that concludes with the close of 81st General Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.

Election of the Presiding Bishop in 2024: Essay 2

The Roles and Functions of the Presiding Bishop Today

The goal of this education piece of the Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop is to provide The Episcopal Church and potential candidates with information on the vast responsibilities of the complex and multifaceted position that the presiding bishop holds today.

The most familiar description of the roles and functions of the presiding bishop can be found in Canon I.2.4 of the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church. That section follows below.

(a)  The Presiding Bishop shall be the Chief Pastor and Primate of the Church, and shall:

(1)  Be charged with responsibility for leadership in initiating and developing the policy and strategy in the Church and speaking for the Church as to the policies, strategies and programs authorized by the General Convention;

(2)  Speak God’s words to the Church and to the world, as the representative of this Church and its episcopate in its corporate capacity;

(3)  In the event of an Episcopal vacancy within a Diocese, consult with the Ecclesiastical Authority to ensure that adequate interim Episcopal Services are provided;

(4)  Take order for the consecrations of Bishops, when duly elected; and, from time to time, assemble the Bishops of this Church to meet, either as the House of Bishops or as a Council of Bishops, and set the time and place of such meetings;

(5)  Preside over meetings of the House of Bishops; and, when the two Houses of the General Convention meet in Joint Session, have the right of presiding over such Session, of calling for such Joint Session, of recommending legislation to either House, and, upon due notification, of appearing before and addressing the House of Deputies; and whenever addressing the General Convention upon the state of the Church, it shall be incumbent upon both Houses thereof to consider and act upon any recommendations contained in such address;

(6)  Visit every Diocese of this Church for the purpose of: (i) Holding pastoral consultations with the Bishop or Bishops thereof and, with their advice, with the Lay and Clerical leaders of the jurisdiction; (ii) Preaching the Word; and (iii) Celebrating the Holy Eucharist.

(b)  The Presiding Bishop shall report annually to the Church, and may, from time to time, issue Pastoral Letters.

Canon I.2.4.c goes on to provide that there are many other roles and responsibilities prescribed throughout the Canons and that “to be enabled better to perform such duties and responsibilities, the presiding bishop may appoint, to positions established by the Executive Council of General Convention, officers, responsible to the Presiding Bishop, who may delegate such authority as shall seem appropriate.”

These other canonical duties may be grouped into six broad categories.

I. Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society and Executive Council

The presiding bishop is ex officio president of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (Canon I.3, Article III), which carries out the corporate matters of The Episcopal Church. The presiding bishop is also ex officio chair and chief executive officer of the Executive Council (Canon I.4.2.a), which has oversight responsibility over “the execution of the program and policies adopted by the General Convention” as well as “the work done by the [Society],” among other things.  (Canon I.4.1.a).

As a result of being president of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society and chair and CEO of Executive Council, the presiding bishop oversees all staff of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society and has authority as well to oversee the chief operating officer, chief financial officer, and chief legal officer of the church (Canon I.2.4.c, Canon I.4.2.f-h).

II. The presiding bishop exercises the right of making many appointments including:

• All the members and chairs of the House of Bishops legislative committees.
• Bishop members of joint committees and joint standing committees of General Convention.
• Bishops to the Archives Advisory Committee of The Episcopal Church.
• May appoint up to four members of the General Board of Examining Chaplains.

III. The presiding bishop has various, specific responsibilities regarding:

• Congregations in foreign lands, including Micronesia and the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe (Canon I.15).
• Congregations seeking direct relationship with The Episcopal Church (Canon I.16).
• Navajoland (Canon I.11.2).
• Chaplaincies in the armed forces and other federal ministries (Article II, Sec. 7).
• Christian communities (Canon III.14).
• Reception of clergy from other churches in certain circumstances (Canon III.10.3).

IV.  The presiding bishop exercises authority in disciplinary and dissolution proceedings against bishops including

• Responsibilities in the proceedings leading to the dissolution of the relationship between a bishop and a diocese.
• Responsibilities in proceedings where a bishop is alleged to have abandoned The Episcopal Church (Canon IV.16.A) or committed an offense of doctrine (Canon IV.17.7.a).
• Substantial responsibilities in the discipline of bishops, including appointing the intake officer, serving on the reference panel, issuing pastoral directions, administrative leaves and restrictions on ministry to bishops, negotiating agreements for discipline with bishops, and providing for pastoral response to all affected.

V. The presiding bishop exercises authority in other contexts involving bishops, including the release and removal of bishops from the ministry of this church (Canon III.12.7), the return of bishops from release and removal (Canon III.12.8), the resignation, incapacity, or impairment of bishops (Canon III.12.9, Canon III.12.4.d.2.i, Canon III.12.10), and the reception of bishops from other churches in the Anglican Communion (Canon III.10.5).

VI. The presiding bishop participates in the governance of the church with the president of the House of Deputies.

• Both serve ex officio on the Joint Standing Committee on Planning and Arrangements that plans General Convention, the Joint Budget Committee of Executive Council, and the Joint Standing Committee on Nominations.
• Both serve ex officio on all standing commissions.
• Together with the president of the House of Deputies, the presiding bishop does the following:
  • Appoints the executive officer of the General Convention with the advice and consent of the Executive Council (Canon I.1.12.a).
  • Appoints all members of Executive Council committees.
  • May change the date and the length of General Convention.
  • Nominates the chief operating officer, chief financial officer, and chief legal officer of the Executive Council for appointment by the Executive Council (Canon I.4.2.f-h).
  • Nominates members of the Joint Audit Committee for election by the Executive Council (Canon I.4.3).
  • Nominates the archivist, after consultation with the Archives Advisory Committee, for appointment by the Executive Council (Canon I.5.4).
  • May set the house of initial action for each resolution of the General Convention.
  • May authorize variations and adjustments to, or substitutions for, or alterations in, any portion of liturgical texts under trial use, which do not change the substance of a rite.

Presiding bishops bring their particular gifts to bear to shape and organize these myriad responsibilities of this office.