©1996, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2005, and 2008 by Louie Crew.
Note: Click here to review parallel profiles of the House of Deputies
They are organized in the same way. I did not prepare a profile in 2006.
The Convocation of American Churches in Europe is not a 'diocese' but a convocation. It is overseen by a Bishop in Charge, who does not exercise jurisdiction but reports to the Presiding Bishop. Yet the Bishop is elected by the convocation, not as before 2001, by the House of Bishops. The Convocation is not a discrete geographical territory, but overlaps with an Anglican presence that the Church of England maintains in Europe. Hence, the Convocation is an anomaly.
The Diocese of Navajoland is another anomaly: it has an assisting bishop who is not resident full time, and the diocese is not a discrete geographical space, but a mission of Navajos in three other dioceses: Utah, Arizona, and the Rio Grande.
The Episcopal Church (TEC) is at once more democratic than many churches and more centralized than many. It is not a congregational church. The center for most of our polity is in the diocese. Episcopal means "overseen by bishops," yet Bishops and all others are accountable to the General Convention, a bicameral legislature which meets triennially. The House of Deputies is one chamber, the House of Bishops the other. Church policy must pass with exactly the same wording in both houses to be official policy of the Episcopal Church.
During the interim between conventions, the Presiding Bishop and the Executive Council provide oversight for The Episcopal Church (TEC). One principal bishop oversees 99 of the 100 domestic dioceses of the Episcopal Church, with much choice left to each diocese in terms of its liturgical and theological preferences, including choice of candidates for ordination. (As noted earlier, The Diocese of Navajoland does not have a full-time bishop).
General Convention governs the church through Constitution and Canons, and it advises the church through resolutions. Before General Convention, interim bodies (a.k.a. "Commissions, Committees, Agencies and Boards," or CCABs) write reports and draft resolutions for publication in Blue Book (see the 2006 edition). The Blue Book is sent to all deputies and bishops at least three months prior to convention. After each General Convention, the actions are preserved in the Journal of General Convention (See the 2006 edition). Resolutions from most recent General Conventions and from Executive Council are available at the Archives of the Episcopal Church
The House of Deputies is composed of up to 4 deputies in the clergy order and up to 4 deputies in the lay order from each diocese, elected at diocesan conventions at least a year in advance of the General Convention, unless special permission is granted to recognize elections after these deadlines. Dioceses typically elect up to 4 alternates in each order as well, but only 4 persons in each order may serve during any one half-day session. (See Effects of Disproportional Representation.)
To keep the data manageable and to reflect the practice that prevails the vast majority of the time, I have restricted my report to deputies and first alternates. Most other alternates have to pay their own way to convention, and many never actually serve.
This report monitors and correlates many variables about House of Deputies. See earlier versions for 1997, 2000, and 2003.
Data from all official sources is only as good as the data provided to them, typically supplied by priests through parochial reports and forms from the Episcopal Clerical Directory. I welcome corrections of my own mistakes, but will not correct the official sources, lest I 'doctor' the data.
| Deputies in 2009 who served in 2006 | 52,5% |
| Deputies in 2009 who served in 2006 and 2003 | 29.2% |
| Deputies in 2009 who served in 2006, 2003 and 2000 |
|
| Deputies in 2009 who served in 2006, 2003, 2000, and 1997 |
|
| Deputies in 2009 who served in 2006, 2003, 2000, 1997 and 1994 |
|
| Deputies in 2009 who skipped 2006 but served in 1994, 1997, 2000, or 2003 |
|
| New in 2006 not returning in 2009 |
53.7% |
| New in 2003 not returning in 2006 |
57.3% |
| New in 2000 not returning in 2003 |
|
| New in 1997 not returning in 2000 |
|
See the list of 2006 deputies known not to be returning in 2009.
Sixteen of them have been elected to the "junior house" -- a.k.a. The House of Bishops. TEC had a House of Deputies before we were ever allowed to elect bishops. See details of Samuel Seabury's election as TEC's first bishop.
The evidence does not support the claim that deputies of color tend to be elected more readily to the 3rd, 4th, and 5th positions.
| Rank | % of females | % of deps of color |
|---|---|---|
| c* | 4.0% | 1.4% |
| c1 | 23.1% | 21.4% |
| c2 | 15.0% | 20.0% |
| c3 | 20.2% | 18.6% |
| c4 | 20.2% | 18.6% |
| c5 | 17.3% | 20.0% |
| l* | 4.7% | 2.6% |
| l1 | 20.7% | 29.5% |
| l2 | 16.4% | 28.2% |
| l3 | 21.5% | 16.7% |
| l4 | 19.9% | 10.3% |
| l5 | 16.8% | 12.8% |
Deputies of color are in stronger force in the lay order than in the clergy (57.7% either L1 or L2 vs. 41.4% either C1 or C2)
Females are 43.3% of all deputies. Persons of color are 14.9%
See graph of women's ordination
Women were first allowed to be seated as deputies in 1970, 50 years after women's suffrage in the U.S.A.. Women have been eligible to serve as priests only since 1976, but women have steadily gained a larger share of the membership since their enfranchisement. 2003 was the only year that the female share of the House of dropped slightly compared with the previous convention. The female share (43.3%) of the House in 2009 is the highest ever. If the increase remains steady in the same rate from 2003-2009 conventions, women will be fifty percent of the House of Deputies in 2015 (6 years).
Women have not done as well in the clergy order as in the lay in terms
of overall percent, perhaps because female lay deputies got an earlier start: they were seated six years before
women could be ordained. Nevertheless, women have continued to increase
their share of the clergy order:
The female share of the clergy deputies was 19.7% 1997, 24.7% in 2000 , 24.4% in 2003, 30.3% in 2006, and 35.3% in 2009, up almost 11 percentage points since 2003.
Females have steadily been more than 50% of the laity in the same period:
52.9% in 1997; 53% in 2000, 52.3% in 2003, 53.5% in 2006, and 51.5% in 2009.:
Click here to see a list of all female deputies. Click here to see the most current summary statistics of gender in the House, which may vary from the results reported in this profile, as more first alternates are elected and as the two remaining deputations become known (Quincy and Venezuela).
In 1997 females constituted 36 percent of the House; in 2000, 39 percent; in 2003, 38.1%; in 2006, 41.9%; in 2009, 43.3%.
These increases mirror the increase of females among all TEC clergy, as shown by their percentage of the listings in The Clerical Directory:
In 2009, 17 (15.6%) of the 109 dioceses who met the deadline have no female clergy deputies:
The clergy in all but two of these (Louisiana and South Dakota) voted not to consent to +Gene Robinson in 2003. See the tally for C045. Dioceses without female clergy deputies were more opposed to that consecration than were dioceses in which a female clergy person was present.
In 2006, 24 of 111 dioceses (22%) had no female clergy deputies. In 2003 21% of the deputations had no female clergy, and in 2000, 28% had none.
Gender issues are noted in many other sections of this report, especially rank, age, marital history, clergy education, honor societies, participation in subgroups, size of deputy congregations, provincial patterns, clergy ordination patterns, and assignmentsOnly 8.3% of the members of The House of Deputies are under 40 (up only 2.8% from 2003). In a 2004 Executive Council survey, leaders throughout the Episcopal Church said we should give the highest priority to the young in budget and programs. See also. Clearly what we say and what we do are out of sync.
The young need to be integral to the House of Deputies, not just our clients.
I propose
| Resolved, the House of ___ concurring, that to Canon 1.1 be added a new section [k]: "For the General Conventions beginning in 2012 and continuing through 2024, each diocese must elect at least one deputy in each order who will be under 30 on the opening day of the convention." |
We need to raise up and follow more young leaders. Unless we end their disenfranchisement, the Episcopal Church runs a severe risk of becoming mainly a marriage and burial society.
See The Next Generation (Episcopalians born 1961 to 1981).
The median age of a deputy in 2009 is 58.26. In 2006 it was 56.9; in 2003 it was 55.5, in 2000 it was 54.5, in 1997 it was 53.1.
The average age for clergy in 2009 is 55.2; in 2006 was 54.8; in 2003 was 53.4; and in 2000 was 51.1.
The average age for lay deputies in 2009 is 59.6; in 2006 was 57.8; in 2003 was 58.2; and in 2000 was 61.8. .
Lay deputies are on average almost 5 years older than clergy deputies. In 1997 the lay deputies averaged only six years older than clergy but in 2000 they averaged 10 years older. Note that the calculations for 2006 and 2003 are based on more data for birthdays than I was able to gather earlier.
Gender differences appear minimal regarding clergy moves from their place of birth:
Those who work in a state where they were not born:
Those who work in a province where not born:
Of those for whom I know the place of birth, 8.5% were born outside the USA (11.2% of the clergy deputies and 4.2% of the lay).
Click here to see a map of the provinces.
18.6% of the clergy deputies have never married, compared with 15.8% percent of the lay deputies.
Divorced: 5% of the clergy: 6.3% of the laity..
Deputies married to clergy
2% of the clergy and 1.5% of the laity are married to TEC clergy.
Gay Marriages
The gay marriages that I know about are the ones that deputies have risked telling me about. Other lesbigay deputies choose to closet their life commitments and thereby avoid stigma. Only since the 1997 General Convention has Church Publishing Incorporated, publisher of The Clerical Directory, allowed clergy to indicate a life partner of the same gender. Many dioceses won't knowingly hire lesbigay clergy.
15.2% of the deputies are single, (Cf. 12.8% of all TEC clergy.)
The average family with children has 2.52.
15.2% have 1 child.
44.3% have 2 children.
24.5% have 3 children.
9.7% have 4 children.
2.5% have 5 children.
3.2% have 6 children.
One family has 7 and another family 8.
These tallies are likely understated because for a short time, The Clerical Directory stopped telling how many children the clergy had. Nor do I have extensive data on the progeny of lay deputies.
From earlier reports:
The most recent editions of The Clerical Directory do not indicate whether a priest's parents were also clergy. Earlier editions did: In 2003, nine percent of the clerical deputies had a parent who was also clergy. In 2000, 13.45% of the priests were children of priests..
In 2003 the percent of all clergy who are children of clergy was much lower. Of clergy in the Clerical Directory:
5.3% of all male clergy are the children of priests
2.1% of all female clergy are the children of priests.
On August 23, 2008 I had addresses for 97.7% of all deputies. Cf. email addresses for 90.3% in 2006, 93.3% in 2003, 77.4% in 2000 and 19% in 1997. Check my most current statistics for 2009.
In 2000 I reported that of the deputies whose ages I knew, deputies under 40 were almost twelve percent more likely to use email than were older deputies. In 2009 deputies under 40 still are more likely than older deputies to use email. Of the deputies under 40, I have the email addresses for all but .2%%, I do not have email addresses for 1.7% of those 40 years old or older.
Yet many students now comment, "Email!? how very 20th century!" Major competition for cyber attention is now provided by MySpace, FaceBook, and the blogsphere.
Deputies earned 1,620 degrees. See totals of degrees granted to deputies by all institutions in alphabetical order and in order of the number of degrees conferred.
Twenty-three institutions conferred 35% of of deputies' 1,620 degrees. Each of those conferred 10 degrees or more:
| Institution | 1997 | 2000 | 2003 | 2006 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VTS | 68 | 81 | 82 | 68 | 76 |
| GTS | 62 | 53 | 56 | 59 | 64 |
| USo | 62 | 56 | 52 | 47 | 58 |
| SWTS | 35 | 35 | 38 | 46 | 44 |
| CDSP | 44 | 35 | 34 | 36 | 38 |
| EDS/ETS/PDS | 50 | 42 | 49 | 43 | 30 |
| ETSS | 15 | 17 | 23 | 25 | 23 |
| Nashotah | 45 | 42 | 38 | 32 | 23 |
| Duke | 7 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 18 |
| Michigan | 10 | 8 | 7 | 16 | 18 |
| Yale | 11 | 21 | 17 | 13 | 18 |
| Harvard | 16 | 21 | 12 | 17 | 18 |
| Virginia | 7 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 17 |
| North Carolina | 15 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 16 |
| Mich State | 7 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 13 |
| Vanderbilt | 16 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 |
| TESM | 7 | 9 | 11 | 17 | 12 |
| Texas | 11 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 12 |
| Washington | 10 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 12 |
| Berkeley/Yale | 14 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 11 |
| Cal Davis | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 |
| Minnesota | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| Princeton | 10 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 10 |
Bexley Hall (9) is the only TEC seminary that did not place in the top third of the degrees granted to 2009 GC deputies.
Tallies here will not always correlate with the numbers of alumni listed in the links, because often a person earned two or more degrees from the same institution. Also, sometimes I add names of alumni as I find them without revising the tables above or the graph below.
Most of clergy have earned at least two university degrees.
In 2009, 17.6% of the clergy males have earned doctorate, compared with 9.6% of the clergy females. CF. 16.1% of clergy males vs. 14.3% of clergy females in 2006, 18.4% of the clergy males vs. 10.1% of clergy females in 2003.
See all deputies known to have a doctorate -- lay and clergy.
18,310 persons are listed in the 2007 Episcopal Clerical Directory. the following are the most earned doctorates by clergy overall compared with the doctorates earned by GC deputies:
|
All clergy in the Clerical Directory: |
Clergy deputies to GC 2009, with the same degrees: |
|---|---|
|
|
See the education details in my 1998 report of all Episcopal Clergy
I have education data for 77.6% of deputies overall -- for 97.6% of the clergy deputies, for 58% of the lay deputies.5.6% of the deputies graduated from Ivy League universities,compared 10% in 2003, with 11% in 2000 and 8% in 1997).
Male deputies are more likely to have studied at an Ivy League university than are female deputies, 4.3% to 3%, compared with 7% to 4% in 2003, 12.8% to 8.6% in 2000, and 9% to 4.3% in 1997.
Honor Societies: Phi Beta Kappa & Phi Kappa Phi
2.6% graduated as members of Phi Beta Kappa & Phi Kappa Phi -- two major honors societies in USA higher education. (Compare 3.8% in 2003, 3.4% in 2000, 4.26% in 1997).
8.6% of the House of Bishops graduated as members. See a list of them.. Bishops are 3.3 times more likely to be in these two honor societies than a clerical deputies.
2.2% of the 18,310 persons listed in the 2007 Clerical Directory are members of these two. See the full list of all TEC clergy in Phi Beta Kappa. See the Phi Beta Kappa FAQ and the Phi Kappa Phi.
In 2009, 2.1% of male deputies are members of one of these two societies, compared with 1.9% of the female deputies. In 2003, 2.8% of the males vs. 1.9% of the females. In 2003, 2.8% of male deputies are members of one of these two honor societies, compared with 1.9% of the female deputies; in 2000 4.5% and in 1997 5.67% of the female deputies were members, vs males at 2.9% in 2000 and 3.81% in 1997.
12.8% of all of all lay deputies are known to be lawyers. (Compare 10.6% in 2003, 11.8% in 2000 and 13% in 1997) Those percentages are likely higher, since I have education data for only 58% of the lay deputies.
4.4% of the clergy deputies earned law degrees, compared with 2.3% in 2003, and 1.26% in 2000.
Twelve bishops (3.8%) earned law degrees, six of whom are active diocesans.
Females are 25.6% of the deputies who are lawyers and 40.9% of the deputies who are both lawyers and clergy.19.6% of all diocesan chancellors are in the House in 2009, compared with 17.6 in 2003 and 18.4% in 2000.
37.2% of current diocesan chancellors have served as a deputy at least once in 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, or 2009. Only 25% had in 2003.
6.9% of all deputies (not counting alternates) in 2009 currently serve on CCABs. Compare 15.7% of all deputies in 2003, 14% in 2000.
9.2% of the lay deputies serve on CCABs going into GC 2009. Only 4.6% of the clergy deputies do. Clergy are appointed at half the rate of the laity for the appointments of deputies. This pattern is not new. In 2000-2003 only 14% of the clergy deputies served on CCABs, compared with 18% of the lay deputies. In 2000, 10.4% of the clergy deputies served on CCABs, compared with 17% of the lay deputies.
Excluding bishops, 63.2% of the deputy members of CCABs in 2006-2009 are lay, 36.8% are clergy. Compare 57.5% lay vs. 42.5% clergy in 2003, 61% lay vs. 39% clergy in 2000.
This apparent lay-clerical imbalance is made up in part by bishops, who are 25% of the membership of CCABs.Female deputies have only a slight edge over male deputies in the percent serving on CCABs: going into GC 2009: 6.1% of the male deputies and 7.8% of the female deputies. That same edge showed up earlier: 15% of the male deputies and 16.8% of the female deputies in 2003; ; 12% of the males and 17% of the females in 2000.
Excluding bishops, males are 57% and females only 43% of those who currently serve on CCABs. The same was true in 2003, and 2000 was close: 55% male and 45% female.
At the orientation for GC 2009, deputies will be given instructions and forms that interested persons may use to inform the General Convention Office of their interest in appointment to CCABs for the new triennium. The person elected President of the House of Deputies tries to make all deputy appointments expeditiously, usually by the late fall.
I hope these lists help people connect regarding common interests. If deputies would like for me to create additional specialized lists for of other groups, please identify the deputies (see the full list of deputies and mail your list to me)
Return to Table of Contents
Communicants in the parishes of deputies to GC 2009 increased by 7.2% during the same nine years -- more so for some groups of deputies than for others:
| 2000 | 2003 | 2006 | 2009 | Difference 2009-2000 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All deputies | 486 | 524 | 515 | 523 | 7.2% |
| | 593 | 609 | 583 | 600 | 1.1% |
| | 504 | 527 | 504 | 493 | -2.2% |
| | 340 | 237 | 285 | 328 | -3.6% |
| TEC overall | 233 | 253 | 288 | 247 | 5.6% |
| Deps of color | 301 | 345 | 354 | 393 | 23.4% |
| | 223 | 276 | 310 | 321 | 30.4% |
| | 390 | 423 | 390 | 453 | 13.9% |
| Under 40 | 275 | 289 | 407 | 436 | 36.9% |
| | 252 | 245 | 367 | 458 | 44.9% |
| | 318 | 373 | 416 | 415 | 23.3% |
Dioceses elect more deputies from larger congregations than from smaller ones. Only clergy females minister in congregations of a size that nearly matches the size of TEC congregations overall.
Lay deputies choose where they minister: clergy are chosen by
the parish. Lay deputies choose congregations nearly twice the size
of the congregations of most Episcopalians.
Congregation size for 2009 is based on the data for 2005 in the 2008 Episcopal Church Annual. Data is always for the period two years before it is published, and I use the most current directory available, namely the one of the year before General Convention.
Note: Lay deputies, who have more choice in their parishes, belong to larger parishes than do clergy.
See additional documentation, with maps, in my cyber articles The Small
Church (at
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~lcrew/smallchu.html)
and All Episcopal Churches in the U.S.A. Reporting 1,000+ Members (at
http://rci.rutgers.edu/~lcrew/biggest.html).
The latter also reports 'average Sunday attendance,' which most researchers
believe to be more reliable than communicant numbers as an indicator of
the size and vitality of parish. Unfortunately attendance data is not yet
readily available for all parishes of the deputies. See also my report on the decade 1990-2000): Quean Lutibelle's
Book of Numbers-- a post-mortem on the Decade of Evangelism.
Although the House is divided equally between lay and clergy, 60% of the deputation chairs are clergy in 2009 as were with 70% in 2006, 61% in in 2003, and 68% both 2000 and 1997.
Deputies of color constitute 12.4 twelve percent of the House (up from 12.0% in 2000 and 8.6% in 1997). 13.3% of the deputation chairs are persons of color, compared with only 5% in 2000 and 9% in 1997. In 2009 deputies of color are 15.5% of the entire House.
7% of the chairs in 2009 are lesbian or gay; 6% were in 2006. Out lesbians and gays are 3.3% of the entire House.
As of this writing, 7/28/2008, only 59% of the deputations have identified chairs. Many will not do so until quite near the convention. Chairs are chosen in a wide variety of ways from diocese to diocese. Click here to see the latest statistics regarding portions of the whole house held by various subgroups.
| Province | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| African Americans | 3.1% | 30.9% | 12.1% | 7.1% | 5.5% | 0.0% | 0.8% | 6.1% | 0.0% |
| Asian Americans | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.5% | 1.6% | 1.4% | 0.0% | 7.3% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic/Latino Americans | 0.0% | 1.0% | 0.0% | 1.0% | 0.0% | 1.4% | 2.5% | 3.6% | 96.7% |
| Native Americans | 1.6% | 0.0% | 0.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 8.1% | 0.8% | 5.5% | 0.0% |
| Females | 57.8% | 46.4% | 43.5% | 35.2% | 43.0% | 52.7% | 35.6% | 46.1% | 43.3% |
| Lesbians and Gays | 10.9% | 6.2% | 3.2% | 0.5% | 3.1% | 2.7% | 0.0% | 5.5% | 0.0% |
| Doctorates | 28.1% | 17.5% | 12.9% | 20.4% | 18.8% | 20.3% | 14.4% | 10.3% | 0.0% |
| Ivy Education | 15.6% | 9.3% | 7.3% | 5.1% | 3.1% | 6.8% | 0.8% | 3.6% | 0.0% |
| Lawyers | 6.3% | 6.2% | 6.5% | 12.8% | 7.8% | 12.2% | 10.2% | 7.9% | 0.0% |
| Not Married | 14.1% | 17.5% | 14.5% | 7.1% | 15.6% | 12.2% | 8.5% | 14.5% | 6.7% |
| Under 30 | 6.3% | 1.0% | 2.4% | 0.5% | 2.3% | 1.4% | 0.8% | 4.8% | 0.0% |
| 70+ | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Provinces are not uniform in size, and thus do not have the same number of deputies. Each diocese may elect up to 4 deputies in each order, but some provinces have more dioceses than others.
Click here to see a map of the provinces.
Males of color fare better in the clergy order; females of color fare better in the lay order.
| Clergy Order | ||
|---|---|---|
| male | 72.6% | |
| female | 27.4% | |
| Lay Order | ||
| male | 46.9% | |
| female | 53.1% | |
7.9% of all deputies are African American (cf. 8.6% in 2006, 7.3% in 2003, 8% in 2000, 5% in 1997), yet in the US Census for 2000, African Americans were 12.3% of the United States, up from 12.1% 1990. I have not yet been able to locate data to show what per cent of Episcopalians are African American. Please contact me if you can point to official data. GC has repeatedly pledged us to reach out to persons under-represented, most recently in 2003-06 -- Welcome the Church's Diverse 'New Majority'" but we have not yet considered it important enough to count them so that we can hold ourselves accountable.
Dr. King used to speak of 11 o'clock on Sunday morning as the most segregated hour in America. In many places, many of us have learned to worship together, but 7 o'clock on Saturday night remains as a big problem. Few have yet learned to share our lives with one another across racial barriers. (Deputy Marge Christie)See my elaborate analysis of racial patterns in deputies' zip codes in my report on the 1997 House of Deputies. I have not collected residential zip codes for deputies in 2009.
Seventeen states (34%) have higher than national average of African Americans (12.3%). Some have done a better job of electing African American deputies and first alternates to General Convention than have others:
(Note: Not all states have an equal number of deputies, nor are all dioceses within the boundaries of any one state. 'State' here means the state in which the deputy resides, not necessarily the state of the See.)
| State | African Americans in State | African American Deputies | Deputies of Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| DC | 60.0% | 12.50% | 12.50% |
| MS | 36.3% | 10.00% | 10.00% |
| LA | 32.5% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| SC | 29.5% | 5.60% | 5.60% |
| GA | 28.7% | 10.00% | 10.00% |
| MD | 27.9% | 20.00% | 20.00% |
| AL | 26.0% | 12.50% | 12.50% |
| NC | 21.6% | 6.70% | 10.00% |
| VA | 19.6% | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| DE | 19.2% | 20.00% | 20.00% |
| TN | 16.4% | 3.30% | 6.70% |
| NY | 15.9% | 24.10% | 24.10% |
| AR | 15.7% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| IL | 15.1% | 16.70% | 22.20% |
| FL | 14.6% | 10.00% | 12.00% |
| MI | 14.2% | 2.60% | 2.60% |
| NJ | 13.6% | 20.00% | 25.00% |
| All states above have more than the national average (12.3%) of African Americans | |||
| TX | 11.5% | 2.10% | 8.30% |
| OH | 11.5% | 5.60% | 5.60% |
| MO | 11.2% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| PA | 10.0% | 6.50% | 8.70% |
| CT | 9.1% | 0.00% | 10.00% |
| IN | 8.4% | 11.10% | 11.10% |
| OK | 7.6% | 0.00% | 10.00% |
| KY | 7.3% | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| NV | 6.8% | 10.00% | 10.00% |
| CA | 6.7% | 8.30% | 20.00% |
| KS | 5.7% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| WI | 5.7% | 0.00% | 3.80% |
| MA | 5.4% | 12.50% | 12.50% |
| RI | 4.5% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| NE | 4.0% | 0.00% | 10.00% |
| CO | 3.8% | 0.00% | 10.00% |
| MN | 3.5% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| AK | 3.5% | 20.00% | 30.00% |
| WA | 3.2% | 5.30% | 15.80% |
| WV | 3.2% | 10.00% | 10.00% |
| AZ | 3.1% | 11.10% | 22.20% |
| IA | 2.1% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| NM | 1.9% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| HI | 1.8% | 0.00% | 60.00% |
| OR | 1.6% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| UT | 0.8% | 0.00% | 10.00% |
| WY | 0.8% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| NH | 0.7% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| SD | 0.6% | 0.00% | 37.50% |
| ND | 0.6% | 0.00% | 37.50% |
| ME | 0.5% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| VT | 0.5% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| ID | 0.4% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| MT | 0.3% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Some patterns linger generation after generation. For example,
in eleven states, dioceses elected a proportion of African American deputies
more than 10 percent under the portions of African Americans in the state
population. 8 of the 11 states (73%) were members of the Confederacy.
DC, MI, and MO were not.
| State | African Americans in State | African American Deputies | Difference state vs deps |
|---|---|---|---|
| DC | 60.0% | 12.50% | -47.5% |
| LA | 32.5% | 0.00% | -32.5% |
| MS | 36.3% | 10.00% | -26.3% |
| SC | 29.5% | 5.60% | -23.9% |
| GA | 28.7% | 10.00% | -18.7% |
| AR | 15.7% | 0.00% | -15.7% |
| NC | 21.6% | 6.70% | -14.9% |
| AL | 26.0% | 12.50% | -13.5% |
| TN | 16.4% | 3.30% | -13.1% |
| MI | 14.2% | 2.60% | -11.6% |
| MO | 11.2% | 0.00% | -11.2% |
In The Episcopal Church we have a difficult time in honoring the faces of God. Systems of white privilege remain intractable.
Better news:
Dioceses in 12 states elected elected African American deputies in percentages equal to or greater than African Americans appear in the state population. (Not one of those was a member of the Confederacy.)
| State | African Americans in State | African American Deputies | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| AK | 3.5% | 20.00% | 16.5% |
| NY | 15.9% | 24.10% | 8.2% |
| AZ | 3.1% | 11.10% | 8.0% |
| MA | 5.4% | 12.50% | 7.1% |
| WV | 3.2% | 10.00% | 6.8% |
| NJ | 13.6% | 20.00% | 6.4% |
| NV | 6.8% | 10.00% | 3.2% |
| IN | 8.4% | 11.10% | 2.7% |
| WA | 3.2% | 5.30% | 2.1% |
| CA | 6.7% | 8.30% | 1.6% |
| IL | 15.1% | 16.70% | 1.6% |
| DE | 19.2% | 20.00% | 0.8% |
Ethnic issues are noted in many other sections of this report, especially rank, size of deputy congregations, provincial patterns, clergy ordination patterns, assignments, commissions, committees, and boards.
Deputies who are priests averaged 11 months (336 days) between being ordained a deacon and being ordained a priest. In interval was 13.9 months in 2006, In 2003 the interval was 13.9 months (424 days). In 2000 the interval was 10.1 months (309 days). In 1997 was 10 months (304 days).
Priests who are deputies have served an average of 19.2 years since being priested. (That average was 19.7 years at GC in 2003.)
Deacons who are deputies have served an average of 9.9 years since being ordained. (That average was 12.4 years at GC in 2003.)
Male clerical deputies have served on average 21.3 years since being
priested. (That average was 21.6 years at GC in 2003.)
Female clerical deputies have served on average 14.8 years since being
priested. (That average was 14.9 years at GC in 2003.)
Clerical deputies of color have served on average 20.9 years since being
priested. (That average was 21.9 years at GC in 2003.)
There are 14 Canons to the Ordinary in the House.
Twelve indicate that they are "retired" (compared with an uncounted but likely large number of retired laity, given the greater number of laity who are old.).
8 have the word "missioner" in their titles.
| Assignments | All | Males | Females | Clergy of Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canons & Archdeacons | 7.4% | 7.8% | 19.0% | 7.3% |
| Deans | 3.1% | 5.0% | 0.6% | 1.8% |
| Deacons | 3.7% | 2.1% | 6.7% | 5.5% |
| None of the others | 19.0% | 9.6% | 11.2% | 9.1% |
| Vicars | 7.4% | 6.4% | 10.1% | 12.7% |
| Associates | 5.8% | 3.2% | 10.6% | 7.3% |
| Rectors | 53.6% | 65.8% | 41.9% | 56.4% |
1
It is clear that white clergy males have fewer positions at the lower end of the ecclesiastical hierarchy -- as vicars, assistants, deacons, and 'other'
"The first shall be last and the last shall be first." -- J. Carpenter
The President of the House of Deputies has appointed 845 (52%) as members of legislative committees for General Convention 2009.
See the official appointment lists.
See my my own lists. I give more information about each appointment, plus summary statistics
Legislative committees serve during General Convention. All proposed legislation is assigned to an appropriate legislative committee. Committees typically hold hearings on and draft the final versions of all legislation considered on the floor of General Convention, responding to proposals from dioceses, deputies, bishops, and interim bodies.
I owe special thanks to my husband Ernest Clay for his steadfast kindness and gentleness, without which I would have much less of an inkling about the patience and kindness of God.
All the errors here are mine, and I appreciate continuing help with them.
Census data comes from the 1990 U.S. Census. Clergy biographical data was derived from the Electronic Clerical Directory. Data regarding parishes and dioceses was gleaned heavily from The Episcopal Church Annual of many editions, and this data was often then correlated with data from the other sources.
See tools for links to electronic versions of the major directories.In 1946 when I was in the 5th grade, Mother, who had been head teller at the local bank, was scandalized that I did not yet know the multiplication tables. One night she insisted that we stay up until I could recite four times without an error all the way from one times one to twelve times twelve. I succeeded about at about four o'clock in the morning, and we celebrated with hot chocolate. In many ways this statistical report, and so many more that I have done, continue that celebration.
Joy to absolutely everybody!
Lutibelle/Louie, L1 in 2009
Deputation for the Diocese of Newark
Statistics courtesy of
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