Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Title
Date(s)
- 1964-1991 (Creation)
Extent
17.5 cu.ft. (61 boxes)
Name of creator
Administrative history
Established in 1789 in Article I of the Episcopal Church’s Canons, the General Convention is the bicameral legislature and chief policy making body of the Episcopal Church. It consists of a House of Bishops, which includes all active and retired bishops, and a House of Deputies, which includes up to four lay persons and four clergy from each diocese, each area mission, and the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe. It is the highest council of the Church that governs the American province of the Anglican Communion, including the United States, and several overseas dioceses in Central and South America.
The General Convention’s principal function, while meeting in session, is to consider legislation from bishops, deputies, the official Committees, Commissions, Agencies and Boards of General Convention (CCABs), and the dioceses and provinces. This polity and process bears much similarity to and draws its historical evolution from American governmental practice and democratic cultural traditions.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
Session Records document the planning, coordination and activities that took place before, during and immediately following the General Convention triennial legislative meetings for the 61st General Convention (1964) through the 70th General Convention (1991).
System of arrangement
This material constitutes Series 1 of the General Convention archive. It is arranged chronologically, files for each session year have been further organized into three sub-series: Secretariat, House of Bishops, and House of Deputies.
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
Access to Episcopal Church records is governed by the Archives Public Access Policy. Research requests must be submitted in writing.
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
The Archives is able to respond to limited requests for reproductions subject to copyright restrictions, internal policy, and the condition of the source documents.
Languages of the material
- English