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Prolocutor and / or Deputy Prolocutor

Nomination Deadline

Nominations for Prolocutor and Deputy Prolocutor must be submitted by 5:00 PM (ET) Tuesday 24 June 2025.

The Prolocutor and the Deputy Prolocutor are Officers of General Synod. Nominees for these offices must be members of General Synod.

This form is also available as a printable / fillable PDF form. Please submit completed forms to [email protected], or to the office during General Synod.

The duties of the Prolocutor are set out in Section 14 of the Constitution of the General Synod:

Section 14 of the Constitution

  1. The Prolocutor shall be elected by ballot after open nomination and this election shall take place prior to the election of members of the Council of the General Synod.
  2. The Prolocutor shall be a member of either the clerical or lay Order.
  3. The Prolocutor shall be an associate of, and assistant to, the Primate in the affairs of the General Synod and the Council of the General Synod.
  4. In the absence of the President, or at the President’s request, the Prolocutor shall be chairperson of the General Synod.
  5. The Prolocutor shall be ex officio a member of all committees, councils, boards and commissions, standing and special, appointed under any provision of the Constitution, or of any Canon enacted by the General Synod or under any resolution of the General Synod or of the Council of the General Synod.
  6. The Prolocutor shall continue in office until immediately prior to the prorogation of the General Synod at which his or her successor is elected.
  7. The Prolocutor who removes from the diocese he or she represented on election shall continue in office as an ex officio member of the General Synod until such term expires as provided in subsection f), but shall not be entitled to vote during the succeeding session of the synod or to be elected to office by virtue merely of continuing in office under this subsection. In that case, the diocese may elect a representative to succeed him or her as a member of the General Synod until the convening of the next session of the synod, as provided in subsection 8 m).

Source: The Handbook of the General Synod of The Anglican Church of Canada, 19th edition, published 2019.

The duties of the Deputy Prolocutor are set out in section 15 of the Constitution of the General Synod:

Section 15 of the Constitution 

  1. The Deputy Prolocutor shall be elected in the same manner as the Prolocutor with the exception that if the Prolocutor is of the Order of Clergy, the Deputy Prolocutor shall be elected from the Order of Laity, and if the Prolocutor is of the Order of Laity, the Deputy Prolocutor shall be elected from the Order of Clergy.
  2. At the request or in the absence of the Prolocutor, the Deputy Prolocutor shall perform any function assigned to the Prolocutor by the Constitution or Canons or Rules of Order and Procedure.
  3. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Prolocutor, the Deputy Prolocutor shall become the Prolocutor.
  4. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Deputy Prolocutor, the members of the Council of the General Synod present at the next meeting of the council shall elect a Deputy Prolocutor who shall perform all the duties of the office until the next session of the General Synod.
  5. The Deputy Prolocutor shall continue in office until immediately prior to the prorogation of the General Synod at which his or her successor is elected.
  6. The Deputy Prolocutor who removes from the diocese he or she represented on election shall continue in office as an ex officio member of the General Synod until such term expires, as provided in subsection e), but shall not be entitled to vote during the succeeding session of the synod or to be elected to office by virtue merely of continuing in office under this subsection. In that case, the diocese may elect a representative to succeed him or her as a member of the General Synod until the convening of the next session of the synod, as provided in subsection 8 m).

Source: The Handbook of the General Synod of The Anglican Church of Canada, 19th edition, published 2019

In addition to the particular duties of the Prolocutor and the Deputy Prolocutor, the duties of the Officers collectively are set out in Section 20 of the Constitution of the General Synod as follows: Section 20 of the Constitution

The Officers shall meet from time to time at the call of the Primate for these purposes:

  1. To advise the Primate, the Council of the General Synod and committees, councils and boards as required;
  2. To take action on matters referred to them by the General Synod and the Council of the General Synod;
  3. To advise the Primate and General Secretary on agenda planning for the Council of the General Synod;
  4. To propose actions to the Council of the General Synod in respect of subjects for which there is no provision in the mandates of other standing committees, councils and boards;
  5. To ensure that the Council of the General Synod’s responsibility for overall strategic planning and visioning is fulfilled;
  6. To monitor and direct the ongoing business of the Council of the General Synod between its meetings, as assigned by the Council of the General Synod and, in turn, to make recommendations to the Council of the General Synod.

The Prolocutor and Deputy Prolocutor:

  • Are required to attend and participate in meetings of the Council of General Synod, which meets twice a year (usually in the Toronto area, occasionally elsewhere) for three or four days.
  • May be asked to serve on a standing or co-ordinating committee or a task force of General Synod, and to act as a link between the Council and the committee or task force.
  • Are expected to facilitate communication between the Council and the dioceses of their respective ecclesiastical provinces.
  • Will participate in meetings of the Officers (which may be in-person or by conference call) as required.
  • Will be required to attend General Synod 2028.
  • May have other responsibilities assigned from time to time.

Nominees will have:

  • Leadership experience in the parish, diocese and/or community.
  • A demonstrated capacity for critical and appreciative reflection.
  • A demonstrated capacity to deal with diversity of perspective and experience in the church.
  • An ability to cooperate in consensus decision-making.
  • a commitment to preparation and follow-up before and after meetings
  • A familiarity with the National Church.

The thirty-sixth session of General Synod (2001) adopted a resolution calling on the dioceses and provinces “to encourage members of under-represented and minority groups to be involved in the councils and committees of the Church.” You are therefore strongly encouraged to nominate persons who will contribute to a more diverse and representative membership in General Synod committees.


Nominations will only be accepted from members of General Synod 2025.
Members of General Synod may self-nominate.
A Member may be nominated for one or both offices.

Prolocutor | Deputy Prolocutor
Nomination Class
Name
Name
First Name and Initial
Last Name
Order
Address
Address
City
Province
Postal
Are you self-nominating?

Nominated By:

Permission of Nominee Received?

Biographical Information

The following information will be shared with those who will elect the Prolocutor and Deputy Prolocutor. NOTE: Submissions longer than 150 words will be edited.

Provide a brief biographical description of yourself (max. 150 words) with specific reference to involvement in the life of the Church at the local, diocesan, provincial or national level:

0 of 150 max words
Provide a brief biographical description of yourself (max. 150 words) with specific reference to experience, skill, abilities and gifts that you would bring to the work:
0 of 150 max words

Reflect briefly (max. 150 words) on the challenges and opportunities facing the Church national as it seeks to further God’s mission:

0 of 150 max words

Note 1: The Prolocutor and Deputy Prolocutor must accept and adhere to the Sexual Misconduct Policy Applicable to National Staff and Volunteers and the Conflict of Interest Policy and Integrity, and are expected to sign the Charter for Racial Justice.

Note 2: All nominations for Prolocutor and Deputy Prolocutor will be acknowledged. If you do not receive an email confirming receipt of your nomination within one full business day, please contact Shannon Cottrell (contact information below).

Note 3: Nominations for Prolocutor and Deputy Prolocutor must be submitted by 5:00 PM (ET) Tuesday 24 June 2025.

For more information, please contact:

  • Shannon Cottrell, Executive Secretary for Governance
  • Email: [email protected] Subject Line:  Nominations – Prolocutor/Deputy Prolocutor
  • Telephone: 416-924-9199 Ext. 334