There shall be a Finance Committee is responsible for the management of all funds of the Diocese, except those in the custody of the Board of Officers of the Corporation. The Committee consults and gives advice to the Bishop, the Convention and Diocesan Council on all fiscal matters. Members of the Finance Committee, other than the Treasurer, shall be appointed annually by the Bishop, and confirmed by Convention. The Bishop may appoint qualified persons to serve out the unexpired term of any member who has resigned.

The Bishop and Council of the Diocese, is known as “The Diocesan Council”, and is charged with carrying out the duties of Convention between meetings including dealing with contingencies as they arise; approving programs of commissions/committees and conduct a continuing evaluation of these programs. The Diocesan Council consists of Voting members – the Bishops; the Treasurer of the Diocese; one Cleric and two Laypersons (not from the same Congregation) elected by each Convocation Council; and three persons, Clergy or Lay, elected at large by Convention for three-year staggered terms. Members entitled to seat and voice only – The President of the Standing Committee, the President of the Episcopal Church Women; the Dean of each Convocation; the Senior Clerical Deputy and Senior Lay Deputy to the General Convention. The Chancellor shall be an ex officio member of Diocesan Council.

The Convocation Council in each Convocation consists of the Dean of that Convocation together with one member of the Clergy and one Vestry Member from each Congregation. Should a member of the Clergy qualify to be a member representing more than one Congregation, that Cleric shall have only one vote in any proceedings of the Convocation Council. The Convocation Council shall meet at least once a year. Persons with special knowledge or experience around ongoing discussion may be invited to attend a Convocation Council meeting at the discretion of the Dean. Convocation Councils elect one representative annually to Diocesan Council for a 3-year term.

Annually appointed by the Bishop. The Deans call together regularly clericus meetings of the clergy in their convocation, serve on Diocesan Council with seat and voice only, and together individually and together inform and advise the Bishop as needed. Deans serve at the pleasure of the Bishop and shall have terms of three years, upon which the Cleric may be reappointed to an additional term, at the discretion of the Bishop. 

Diocesan Convention elects four lay persons and four clergy delegates to the General Convention of the Episcopal Church as well as four lay alternates and four clergy alternates. The delegates, together with the Bishop, represent the Diocese to that church-wide governance body which typically meets every three years.

In keeping with the by-laws of the University of the South, as a founding Diocese, the Diocese of Georgia elects one person each year to serve as a Trustee for the University. These are one priest and two lay persons serving a three-year term each.

The Convention of this Diocese convenes annually with clergy together with delegates selected according to the canons by each congregation. A quorum for the transaction of business shall be a majority of Clergy and Lay delegates from a majority of the Congregations of the Diocese.

The reason the Diocese of Georgia exists is to equip the saints for ministry. Our faith in the Holy Trinity, is the center of our common life. All parishioners and clergy are equally connected to God and all are empowered to serve in our baptism. Everything we do flows outward from this ground of our being and center of our faith.

The Board of Officers of the Corporation consists of the Bishop and the Treasurer of the Diocese, ex officio, and seven Lay members elected by Convention. One member shall be elected to the Board each year for a term of seven years. Except during the annual sessions of Convention, the Board exercises all the powers of the Corporation under its charter. Congregations that have financial assets in excess of one year’s Normal Operating Income, as defined in their annual parochial report, shall either invest such excess funds with the Board of the Corporation of the Diocese of Georgia where they will be pooled with other funds managed by the Board and earn a proportionate share of net returns on the pooled investments, or get a waiver for compliance from the Finance Committee through a process defined by diocesan canons.

A Standing Committee shall be chosen consisting of four Priests and four Laypersons, with one priest and one lay person elected to a four-year term at the annual meeting of the Convention. The Standing Committee gives the Bishop advise and consent as per the canons and serves as the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese when there is no Bishop. The Standing Committee annually reports a summary of its proceedings to the Convention.

The Chief Priest and Pastor of the Diocese who is regularly elected and consecrated Bishop to serve as the Ordinary of the Diocese in keeping with the church-wide and diocesan canons. The Bishop chairs the convention and Diocesan Council. The canons provide for the Standing Committee to serve as Ecclesiastical Authority in the absence of a Bishop.

The Bishop has the authority to hire and fire staff for staff positions the bishop creates and defines with compensation and benefits recommended by the Finance Committee, and approved by the Diocesan Council and Convention as a part of the annual budget process.

Commissions are bodies named in canons as well as others created by the Bishop with the approval of Council the members of which are annually appointed by the Bishop.

The Commission on Ministry is defined by the church-wide and diocesan canons as a body that assist the Bishop in examining and forming persons for ordination as deacons and priests.

The Standing Committee on Constitution and Canons is appointed annually by the Bishop and confirmed by Convention. The Chancellor shall be an ex officio member of and advisor to the committee. Members of the committee shall have seat and voice at Convention. It shall be the duty of the committee to constantly review and make recommendations to Convention for change, as appropriate, to the Constitution and Canons of the Diocese along with Rules of Order for the Convention and other documents which have the effect of establishing rules, regulations and procedures for diocesan activities falling under purview of Convention.

The Honey Creek Development Committee is appointed annually by the Bishop with the consent of Diocesan Council or Diocesan Convention. The committee serves with the Executive Director of Honey Creek and other diocesan staff to support the current and future development of Honey Creek as a mission asset of the Diocese.

The Commission on Worship is appointed annually by the Bishop with the consent of the Diocesan Council. It shall assist the Bishop and the Congregations of the Diocese in liturgical and musical matters, provide leadership in good liturgical and musical usage and practice, serve as liaison with the Standing Liturgical Commission and the Standing Commission on Church Music, and plan and carry out programs within the Diocese consonant with its purposes. The commission shall also give advice on preliminary plans for any construction in Congregations. Any such plans for renovation, enlargement, or initial construction shall include the recommendations of this commission when submitted to the Bishop and Standing Committee for approval and funding permission.

The Bishop presides over the Convention and appoints a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Chancellor, and a Registrar, subject to confirmation by Convention. Other such officers as may be necessary shall be elected by the Convention. All diocesan officers who have been elected or confirmed by Convention shall continue in their office until their successors are duly qualified and certified.  Canons provide other persons who can preside if there is no bishop.

All people or entities within the light green rings have their roles, responsibilities, and authority described by the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church and the Constitution and Canons of the Diocese of Georgia.

As a companion diocese with the Diocese of the Dominican Republic, the Bishop appoints representatives to the Dominican Development Group (DDG). The DDG is a non-profit organization within The Episcopal Church, which assists the Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic with mission support including project planning, program development, and construction expertise; raises funds for Episcopal school scholarships, and the diocesan endowment; and coordinates the schedules and the work projects of Dominican Republic mission teams from the United States working in the Diocese of the Dominican Republic.

All of the entities in the outer dark green ring are commissions who either have their roles, responsibilities, and authority described by the Constitution and Canons of the Diocese of Georgia or, in the case of the Creation Care Commission which comes under Other Commissions on this chart, have been created by the bishop and approved by Diocesan Council as permitted by Canons.

These positions in the governance of the Diocese of Georgia are elected by convention, or in the case of convocational representatives on the Diocesan Council, by convocational councils. Most elected positions carry a three year term, while the Standing Committee is for four years and the Board of the Corporation for seven years.

These positions are appointed by the Bishop, and confirmed by Diocesan Council or Convention, for one year terms and can generally be reappointed indefinitely. Finance Committee members, other than the Treasurer, may be appointed for a maximum of four years before rolling of the Committee for at least one year.

This visual map shows how the various roles and bodies, with canonical authority granted in the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church and the Constitution and Canons of the Diocese of Georgia, are not not best pictured on typical top down organizational chart, but with authority that flows outward from God, the Holy Trinity, to the congregations, clergy and congregants that comprise the Diocese to the individual roles and bodies created by the canons.