First introduced in 1786 and revised at every General Convention, the Constitution & Canons of The Episcopal Church guide and govern our churches.
Constitutions & Canons
The Constitution and Canons is the official set of governing rules for The Episcopal Church's bodies.
A General Constitution was first proposed at the June 1786 Convention. Just a few short years later, the Constitution of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America was read and signed at the August 1789 Convention.
Since 1964, the Constitution and Canons have been published as a separate volume following each Convention. The Canons are typically revised in part by amendments adopted by concurrence of both Houses of the General Convention (the House of Deputies composed of elected lay and ordained delegates and the House of Bishops).
The word canon comes from the Greek kanon, a “measuring rod or rule.” It has several different meanings in the church. In this case it means Church Law that provides the governance of The Episcopal Church.
The first canons were ratified at a second Convention held in September of 1789.
The Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church is published together with the Rules of Order for both Houses of General Convention. It serves as the third of a three volume publication also including the Reports to the General Convention and the Journal of the General Convention.
From 1789 to 1964, the Constitution and Canons were included as supplement to the Journal proceedings and can be found here.
To read the Constitution and Canons (2022) click here. En Español aquí.