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Covenant of Ordination of Deacons

  1. General

    1. The Sacred Well Congregation of Texas shall ordain Deacons to assist in the management of its secular business and to assist the Clergy in furtherance of its spiritual and religious purposes. Any member of The Sacred Well Congregation of Texas, or any future Local Congregation or Provisional Congregation sponsored by, or affiliated therewith, but geographically removed from the main Congregation, and having been found qualified, upon the recommendation of the Board of Deacons, may be asked to serve this Congregation as an Ordained Deacon. All Deacons shall be Ordained only under the authority and by order of the International Executive Council of Clerics. Deacons shall be either Statutory Deacons recommended by the Board of Deacons, or Congregational Steward Deacons recommended by an Ordained Cleric of a Local Congregation or a Provisional Congregation. Statutory Deacons are those required by law to act as the Board of Trustees for the Congregation. Statutory Deacons are appointed for two year terms and serve at the pleasure of the International Executive Council. Congregational Steward Deacons are appointed and ordained to assist the Clergy in furtherance of the spiritual and religious purposes of this Congregation.

    2. All Ordained Deacons are considered Lay Ministers and may conduct public and private religious rites, or lead a Provisional Congregation, under the supervision and guidance of an Ordained Cleric. Ordination into the Deaconry will be in tenure unless appointed for a specified period in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Congregation and determined by the International Executive Council. A Deacon or Deaconess may resign of his or her own volition, or may be removed from the Deaconry at any time for Cause as determined by the International Executive Council.

  2. Procedures

    1. Statutory Deacons: The Permanent Executive Committee of the Board of Deacons shall submit to the Council of Clerics its recommendation to (ordain a member as a Deacon) Appoint an Ordained Deacon or Cleric to serve as Statutory Deacon on the Board of Deacons. In its recommendation, the Board of Deacons shall affirm that the candidate for ordination, having attained the minimum age of 21 years, is qualified and of good report, and that the candidate affirms the spirit of the Declaration of Intent and Practice and professes support of the Tenets of The Sacred Well Congregation and its Constitution and By-Laws, and support of all current and future Covenants lawfully adopted by the Council of Clerics. The Council of Clerics, in closed council, will evaluate the recommendation, and duly advise the Board of Deacons. Should the evaluation be unfavorable, the Board of Deacons shall withdraw the recommendation. Should the candidate be found worthy and well qualified, the Board of Deacons shall present the candidate to the Council of Clerics for the Rite of Ordination.

    2. Congregational Steward Deacons. Any Supporting Member of the Sacred Well Congregation may petition in writing for Ordination into the Deaconry for the expressed purpose of establishing a Provisional Congregation in any area wherein the need is manifest, or in assisting the leading Deaconry of an established Provisional Congregation, or into the Deaconry-at-Large. In the Application the candidate shall declare that he or she is of lawful age, well qualified and of good report; further that he or she affirms the spirit of the Declaration of Intent and Practice and professes support of the Tenets of The Sacred Well Congregation and its Constitution and By-Laws, and support of all current and future Covenants lawfully adopted by the Council of Clerics. The application shall be in writing and in such format as prescribed by the IEC. The Application may be submitted directly to the International Executive Council, or to any Ordained Cleric of this Congregation who will forward it, together with his or her recommendation, to the International Executive Council for further consideration. Any Ordained Cleric may recommend to the International Executive Council any Supporting Member of the Congregation for ordination as a Deacon or Deaconess. In the recommendation, the Ordained Cleric shall affirm that the candidate for ordination, having attained the minimum age of 21 years, is qualified and of good report, and that the candidate affirms the spirit of the Declaration of Intent and Practice and professes support of the Tenets of The Sacred Well Congregation and its Constitution and By-Laws, and support of all current and future Covenants lawfully adopted by the Council of Clerics, and shall assume full responsibility for the supervision of the Deacon or Deaconess upon Ordination. Upon acceptance the nominee will be required to successfully complete the Deaconry Training Course, either by extension or in residence, and declared a Candidate for the Deaconry. Should the Candidate be found worthy and well qualified, any two members of the International Executive Council, upon the advisement of the other members of the International Executive Council, may Ordain such Deacons and Deaconesses as required to further the religious and spiritual activities of the Congregation. The Ordination will be confirmed or withdrawn by two-thirds majority vote at the next Annual Convocation of the International Executive Council.

  3. Terms, Service and Communication

    1. The Deaconry shall be appointed in tenure, unless otherwise specified in the Ordination Proclamation, and shall remain in voluntary compliance with the Constitution, By-Laws, Tenets and Covenants of the Sacred Well Congregation. Every Congregational Steward Deacon or Deaconess shall communicate with the International Executive Council of Clerics as necessary, but no less frequently than once per Quarter not later than 28 days following each Cardinal Festival. Every Deacon or Deaconess shall make every effort to attend the Annual Convocation of Deaconry as convened by the International Executive Council of Clerics (IEC). In the event that a Deacon or Deaconess cannot attend the Annual Convocation, he or she shall communicate in writing with the IEC. The Communication shall be in format or medium specified by the IEC, and at a minimum the communication shall contain a synopsis of activity of the previous period and declaration of intent for the coming Ritual Year. Failure to remain in compliance with the Constitution, By-Laws, Tenets and Covenants of the Sacred Well Congregation or to meet the communication requirement shall be cause for removal from the Deaconry.

    2. Any Deacon or Deaconess may voluntarily resign that status, without prejudice, by submitting a written notification to the IEC.

    3. Any Deacon or Deaconess may be suspended for cause by an edict issued by two or more members of the IEC. A Deacon or Deaconess so suspended will immediately cease and desist any representation of the Sacred Well Congregation until the case is heard by the full IEC in Convocation. The Deacon or Deaconess shall have the opportunity to refute or rebut the suspension before the IEC. Final resolution of the case shall be made in closed Convocation at which time one of the following actions shall issue from the Council:

      1. The suspension shall be declared valid, and the Deacon or Deaconess shall be permanently removed from status;

      2. The suspension shall be declared valid, and the Deacon or Deaconess shall be admonished, and the suspension shall hold for one year and one day, or for such period as determined by the Council;

      3. The suspension shall be declared valid, and the Deacon or Deaconess shall be censured, returned to status and placed on probation for one year and one day, or for such period as determined by the Council;

      4. The suspension shall be declared invalid, and the Deacon or Deaconess shall be returned to status without prejudice.

    4. Any Deacon or Deaconess removed from active status, either by voluntary resignation, or removal for cause, may within one year from the date of termination, make application for reinstatement to good standing with this Congregation. The application will follow guidelines set forth by the Council and must be in writing and must provide adequate justification for reinstatement. The request will be considered at the next Annual Convocation of the IEC, and the decision of that body shall be final.

  4. Ordination

    1. Upon presentation by the Board of Deacons, or the advisement of two consenting members of the International Executive Council, the Council of Clerics will by Rite of Ordination, ordain and appoint the candidate as a Deacon or Deaconess of The Sacred Well Congregation, and Issue a Proclamation of Ordination and Letter of Charge in testimony thereof. Upon Ordination, the Deacon or Deaconess may be appointed to the Board of Deacons, lead a Provisional Congregation as a Lay Minister, or may serve this Congregation in any lawful manner to further the precepts, principles and ministries of The Sacred Well Congregation of Texas. The Ordination shall remain active so long as the Deacon or Deaconess remains a member in good standing at the Supporting Member level. Failure to maintain membership standing may result in change of status to the inactive list, at the discretion of the IEC.

  5. Transition of Deaconry to Clergy

    1. The IEC has recognized the necessity for Ordained Clergy to serve in areas geographically separated from existing Chartered Congregations. While it is most preferable for candidates for the Clergy to be in personal and frequent contact with their designated mentor, the geographic expanse of our Praefect Congregation will make this unfeasible. Therefore the IEC has adopted exigent measures for transition from Congregational Steward Deacon to Ordained Clergy to serve in areas not under the direct charge of Chartered Congregations.

    2. Any Congregational Steward Deacon or Deaconess who has faithfully served as leader, co-leader, or on the Council of a Provisional Congregation for a period of three years and has successfully completed a prescribed course of Distance Theological Instruction under the mentorship of an Ordained Cleric may apply for Ordination as a Cleric Priestess or Cleric Priest of this Congregation. This service, together with the program of instruction shall satisfy the Apprenticeship and Internship required by the Covenant of Ordination. The IEC shall review the request and upon favorable determination, shall declare the provisions of the Covenant of Ordination of Clergy to be satisfied. The IEC shall then authorize and effect the Provisional Ordination of the applicant in accordance with the provisions of the Covenant of Ordination of Clergy, Section IV.

In Convocation, Yule, 1994, Hainin, Belgium

Amended In Convocation Midsummer, 1998, Hulst, Netherlands

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