Two Amendments to the CONSTITUTION of the church of the province of West Africa (C.P.W.A.) passed during two-day special Synod

Report of the Committee of Reference to Special Session of Synod on 7/10/03

The committee considered all the suggestions made to amend Canon II (i) (g) of the canons on the Constitution of the CPWA and concluded that it is necessary to make certain amendments.

Having viewed the entire provisions and desirous of ensuring that the election of Bishops should be free from extraneous matters and rancour and its bid to ensure that the election of Bishops is done speedily, producing one who will maintain the dignity of the office, in compliance with Canon XVIII, now proposes the following amendment to Canon II (i) (g) aforesaid to this special session of the Provincial Synod.  WHEREAS the Provincial Synod Meeting at Hans Cottage Hotel, Cape Coast, Ghana between 24th –28th October 2001 was presented with a recommendation to amend the said Canon

AND WHEREAS various views have been commended:

Now therefore, the special session of Synod assembled at the Kingsby Hotel, New Achinota, Accra, Ghana is called upon to approve the following amendment to Canon II (i) (g) thus: 

1. (g)  At the next annual general meeting of the Diocesan Synod following the meeting of the nominating Committee aforesaid or a meeting of the Diocesan Synod specially called for that purpose, a Bishop of the Province shall be elected from among the names submitted to it by the Nominating Committee, both Houses of Synod sitting and voting together.  Two thirds of the members present and voting shall be decisive.  The voting shall be by secret ballot.  At any such meeting, the Diocesan Chancellor shall preside.

1. (h)  At its first sitting the Synod may by secret ballot accept or reject by a two-thirds majority the report submitted by the Nominating Committee for election.

1. (i)  Where the Synod rejects the report, then it shall order the Nominating Committee to present fresh nominations to it for acceptance or rejection.  Should the nominations be rejected then the Committee shall be dissolved and another elected in its place.

1. (j)  If after a third ballot during the election the Synod is unable to elect a Bishop, then the Nominating Committee shall be dissolved and another elected by secret ballot and such members of the dissolved Committee shall be ineligible for re-election for the purpose of that election.

1. (k)  The contesting candidates shall become ineligible to be nominated by the reconstituted Nominating Committee to contest for the office of a Bishop in that election provided always that if after the foregoing procedure the Synod is unable to elect a Bishop, the matter shall be referred to the House of Bishops for its discussion which shall be final.

The motion to approve this amendment was passed unanimously on the second day of the Special Synod