CANON 16: OF DECLARATIONS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS TO BE MADE BY BISHOPS AND CLERGY Amended by Provincial Synod 2019 1. Declarations: The following declaration shall be made and subscribed before the Metropolitan, or some person duly appointed by the Metropolitan, by all Bishops-Elect of this Province: (a) Declaration by a Diocesan Bishop I, A.B., chosen Bishop of the Diocese of C, do promise that I will teach and maintain the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Doctrine and Discipline by Him delivered to the Church, as acknowledged and set forth by the Anglican Church of Southern Africa in the Constitution of the said Church. And I also do declare that I consent to be bound by and to govern my Diocese in conformity with all the Laws and Canons (both present and future) of the said Church, and by the Rules and Regulations which have heretofore been made, or which may from time to time be made, by [the Diocesan Synod of the Diocese of C and by] the Provincial Synod of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa [or either of them]. I hereby subscribe to the Pastoral Standards set out in Act XV of Provincial Synod, as may be amended from time to time, and undertake to exercise my ministry in accordance with those Standards. I commit myself to a lifestyle which safeguards the integrity of creation and sustains and renews the life of the earth. [The bracketed words are to be omitted where there is no Diocesan Synod.] (b) Declaration by a Bishop Suffragan I, A.B., chosen Bishop Suffragan for the Diocese of C, do hereby promise that I will teach and maintain the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Doctrine and Discipline by Him delivered to the Church, as acknowledged and set forth by the Anglican Church of Southern Africa in the Constitution of the said Church. And I also do declare that I consent to be subject to the authority of the Metropolitan and of the Bishop of the Diocese of C in all matters of Policy, Doctrine and Discipline and to be bound by all the Laws and Canons (both present and future) of the said Church and by the Rules and Regulations which have heretofore been made, or which may from time to time be made, by [the Diocesan Synod of the Diocese of C and by] the Provincial Synod of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, [or either of them,] and also by the Commission to be issued to me in terms of section 9 of Canon 10 Of Bishops Suffragan, Regional or Area Bishops and Assistant Bishops. I hereby subscribe to the Pastoral Standards set out in Act XV of Provincial Synod, as may be amended from time to time, and undertake to exercise my ministry in accordance with those Standards. I commit myself to a lifestyle which safeguards the integrity of creation and sustains and renews the life of the earth. [The bracketed words are to be omitted where there is no Diocesan Synod.] 2. Declaration of the clergy before ordination, and to any office The declaration to be made by persons to be admitted to Holy Orders, and by all clergy to be admitted to any office in this Church (which is in communion with the See of Canterbury), shall be made in the forms set out below: (a) Preface The Bishop, or some person duly appointed by the Bishop, shall first read the following Preface: The Anglican Church of Southern Africa is part of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church worshipping the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It professes the faith uniquely revealed in the Holy Scriptures, held by the Primitive Church, summed up in the Creeds and affirmed by the undisputed General Councils, to which the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordering of Bishops, Priests and Deacons bear witness. In the declarations you are about to make will you affirm your loyalty to this inheritance of faith as your inspiration and guidance under God in bringing the grace and truth of Christ to this generation and making Him known to those in your care; and will you consent to be bound by the laws of this Church? (b) Declarations The following declarations, in addition to the Oath Of Canonical Obedience to the Bishop, shall then be made and subscribed before the Bishop or Commissary: (i) I, A.B., do solemnly make the following declaration: I declare my belief in the faith which is uniquely revealed in the Holy Scriptures, held by the Primitive Church, summed up in the Creeds and affirmed by the undisputed General Councils, to which the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Ordering of Bishops, Priests and Deacons bear witness: I affirm my loyalty to this inheritance of faith as my inspiration and guidance under God in bringing the grace and truth of Christ to this generation and making him known to those in my care. (ii) I, A.B., declare that in public prayer and administration of the sacraments, I will use only the forms of service which are authorized or allowed by lawful authority, and that I consent to be bound by all the Laws and Canons (both present and future) of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and by the Rules and Regulations which have until now been made, or which may from time to time be made by [the Diocesan Synod of the Diocese of ……………. and by] the Provincial Synod of the Province of Southern Africa [or either of them]. I commit myself to a lifestyle which safeguards the integrity of creation and sustains and renews the life of the earth. (the bracketed words to be omitted where there is no Diocesan Synod). 3. Declaration is binding The making and subscription by a Bishop-Elect of the declaration referred to in section 1 of this Canon, and the making and subscription by a Cleric to be admitted to any Office in the Church of this Province of the declarations referred to in section 2 of this Canon, shall bind such Bishop-Elect or Cleric to accept and immediately to submit to any sentence of deprivation in respect of any or all the rights and emoluments appertaining to the Bishopric or Office (as the case may be) which may at any time be passed, after due examination had, by any Tribunal acknowledged by the Provincial Synod of the said Province for the trial of a Bishop or of a Cleric (as the case may be), saving all rights of Appeal allowed by the said Provincial Synod.
