Bodies in this Diocese 

• Diocesan Organization Chart - October 2007
  Developed to accompany proposed changes to Constitution and Canons being considered at Diocesan Convention 2007
• Diocesan Conventions
  Diocesan Convention establishes and maintains the Constitution and Canons of the diocese. For a description of "Powers of Diocesan Conventions," click on the link.
• Constitution and Canons
  The Constitution and Canons are the written rules governing diocesan policy, structure and procedure. They must be in conformance with the Constitution and Canons of the national church.
• Deaneries
  Deaneries are regional groupings of parishes in the diocese established per Canon 10 of the Diocesan Constitution and Canons.  One of their functions is to election regional representatives to various diocesan bodies.
  • The Primary Roles of a Dean
• Diocesan Corporation
  With the changes to the diocesan Constitution and Canons in 2007, the functions of Diocesan Corporation and Diocesan Council are combined, and the Corporation is served by members of a Board of Trustees.  The Diocesan Corporation administers the real property and assets of the diocese, and acts on behalf of Diocesan Convention in-between meetings of Convention to develop and implement the policies, programs, and budget approved and adopted by Convention.
  • Diocesan Council (obsolete)
    Diocesan Council acts on behalf of Diocesan Convention in-between meetings of Convention to develop and implement the policies, programs, and budget approved and adopted by Convention.
• Executive Committee
  A temporary body called the "Leadership Group," a/k/a "Executive Committee," was established during Bishop Shimpfky's medical leave in early 2003.  These are their minutes.
• Finance Committee
  The existence of a Finance Committee is mandated by the Constitution of the national church. In this diocese, the Finance Committee operates under the guidance of the Board of Trustees.
• Standing Committee
  The Standing Committee is one of three diocesan bodies whose existence is mandated by the Constitution of the national church, the others being the Finance Committee and the Commission on Ministry.  Among other duties, when a diocese has no bishop in authority, the Standing Committee becomes the ecclesiastical authority of the diocese.   When a bishop is in authority, the Standing Committee acts as chief Council of Advice to the bishop.
• Diocesan Administrator
  Directs the administration, and manages the business affairs and finances of the Diocese to insure that the Bishop and all diocesan programs have adequate resources to realize ministry development and advancement - including providing guidance in areas of deployment, staffing and mission programs.  The Diocesan Administrator is directly accountable to the Ecclesiastical Authority/Bishop, working closely with, and supporting the activities of, the Secretary, Treasurer, and Chancellor of the Diocese.
• Diocesan Evaluation and Structure Committee
  The Diocesan Evaluation and Structure Committee (DESC) was been charged by the Standing Committee to provide an update to the diocesan evaluation, as required every five years by canon law. DESC analyzed and made recommendations to Diocesan Convention 2006, Session 2, for changes to diocesan structure, and provide recommendations on funding alternatives that support the preferred structure.
• Joint Process Committee
  When the Second Bishop of El Camino Real announced his intention to retire in 2003, the Standing Committee proposed, and the Diocesan Council and the Diocesan Corporation approved, the formation of a Joint Process Committee to prepare for the election. This Joint Process Committee consists of representatives from the Standing Committee, Diocesan Council and Diocesan Corporation.
• Strategic Planning Commission
  Established by Resolution in 1997 and dissolved in 2005.  The SPC administered, monitored and refined the Diocesan Strategic Plan.  This included creating assessment tools and gathering assessments from parishes, missions and other diocesan entities.  The 2004 report includes an assessment of the diocesan structure and how different bodies relate to each other.  The SPC reported to Diocesan Convention annually during it's tenure.
  • Steering Committee
    The Steering Committee of the Diocese of El Camino Real was established by Diocesan Convention in the Strategic Plan adopted in convention in January 2002. The Steering Committee was composed of the bishop and two members of each major elected body of the diocese.
• Other Committees and Commission
  A variety of other commissions and committees support the work of the diocese, most in a non-governance capacity.  Some are canonical bodies, i.e. chartered via a canon in the Constitution and Canons, and others are non-canonical.

Diocesan Bodies Required by the National Constitution or Canons

The following are the bodies a diocese is required to have, and in parentheses, where the requirement can be found in the National Constitution and Canons:

• Bishop (Article II, Section 1)
• Commission on Ministry (Title III, Canon 2, Section 1)
• Deputies (Article I, Section 4)
• Diocesan Corporation (by reference only, Title I, Canon 7, Section 1(b))
• Diocesan Review Committee (Title IV, Canon 3(A), Section 1)
• Ecclesiastical Court (Title IV, Canon 4(A), Section 1)
• Finance Committee (Title I, Canon 7, Section 2)
• Secretary of the Convention (by reference only, Article X and XII, Title I, Canon 1, Section 1(c), Title I, Canon 6, Section 5(a))
• Standing Committee (Article IV, Title I, Canon 12)

Powers of Diocesan Convention

Convention has the following powers, which are exercised in the manner prescribed by the diocesan Constitution and the Canons:

• To elect the Bishop of the Diocese, to elect a Bishop Coadjutor, and to elect one or more Suffragan Bishops.
• To elect all officers, boards, committees and delegations of the Diocese.
• To confirm appointments made by the Bishop when so required by the Canons.
• To consider the budgets for each fiscal year and approve them.
• To determine assessments, quotas, apportionments and askings for the Congregations of the Diocese and to adopt policies with respect to financing its activities.
• To amend Constitution and to adopt and amend Canons.
• To admit newly organized Missions and Parishes into union with the Church and to determine the status of every Congregation in union with the Church.
• To create, to cause to be incorporated and to dissolve such institutions or bodies as it shall see fit.
• To pass resolutions, to make declarations of policy, to enact such other legislation as may seem proper, and to act upon all other matters properly to come before the Convention.