Glossary of Terms and Acronyms

archbishop: A bishop elected by clerical and lay delegates of the synod of an ecclesiastical province; the senior official of an ecclesiastical province. Takes the titles of archbishop of the diocese (e.g. Archbishop of Saskatoon) and the metropolitan of the province (e.g. Metropolitan of Rupert’s Land). The Primate also carries the title of Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Canada.

bishop: The highest order of the ordained ministry in the Anglican Church. Bishops are elected by the diocese or by the province, according to the particular canons of the diocese. A Bishop almost always presides over a diocese and is sometimes called “the Diocesan”. The Canadian House of Bishops is a twice-yearly meeting of all bishops across Canada. The House of Bishops makes recommendations to General Synod on matters of church policy.

canon: An ecclesiastical law or regulation of the diocese/province/national Church or an honorary title conferred by a bishop on a priest or (if the canons of the diocese permit) on a lay member of the Church.

Chancellor of the general synod: A judge or barrister who is an officer of the General Synod, appointed to advise the Primate.

commission: A group of people appointed to undertake a particular task for the Church.

ecclesiastical province: A group of dioceses under the jurisdiction of a provincial synod, and presided over by a metropolitan. In Canada, there are four ecclesiastical provinces: British Columbia, Rupert’s Land, Ontario, and Canada.

lay persons/laity: Baptized members of the Church who are not ordained.

metropolitan: An archbishop, with jurisdiction over the ecclesiastical province, or the national Church (Primate).

notice of motion: A formal notice by a member that he or she intends to present a Resolution on a particular stance. The Resolution wording may be included in the notice.

point of order: An appeal to the chair that the procedures of the meeting are at variance with the rules of order or canons.

priest: A person ordained by a bishop to be a servant of the Church through Word and Sacrament. Prior to ordination, a priest has served for a period of time as a Deacon.

primate: The presiding bishop of the Anglican Church of Canada. The Primate is the senior metropolitan (Archbishop) of the Church, the chairperson of the House of Bishops, the president of General Synod and chair of the Council of General Synod.

prolocutor: An officer of the General Synod, elected at each session by the members of the General Synod from the Orders of Clergy and Laity. The Prolocutor is, next to the President, the senior officer of the General Synod.

prolocutor, deputy: An officer of the Synod, elected by the members of General Synod from the Orders of Clergy and Laity at each session, but not of the same order as the Prolocutor.

question, putting the/calling the: Placing a formally moved and seconded motion before the Synod for a vote.

resolution: A formal written proposal for action to be considered by the Council of General Synod.

table (a motion): To postpone temporarily.

Acronyms