Our Constitution expresses our charism, that is, the divine graces, distinctive orientation, spiritual qualifications, cultural ethos and special characteristics of the mission and values granted to us in Jesus Christ for the life of the world.
On the Seventh Sunday of Pascha (Easter), 2014, Basileians joyfully marked a milestone in the process of ratifying Basileia's Constitution.
The Basileia Alliance Presbyter Council met in Session on May 31, 2014, and after considering and weighing the input of all, recognized and judged accordingly that Basileia as a whole has now ratified the Constitution. Thanks be to God.
It was further decided, after considering and weighing the input of all, that we should enter into this new season of interpreting, applying and amending our Constitution in the following ways:
1. Professional Editing. Hire a professional editor to grammatically edit the Constitution from top to bottom before it is published in various ways, including on the Basileia web portal.
2. Three Types of Conversation. Distinguish between and then properly relate three types of conversations in regards to the Constitution: dialogue, application and amendment.
a. Dialogue. The Basileia web portal is designed to serve, among other ways, as the primary forum to host and document dialogue about the meaning of, application of and any proposed amendments to the Constitution.
In one sense, anything we say or do as Basileians is general “dialogue” on the Constitution since the Constitution is an expression of our charism. Nevertheless, some specific dialogue will speak directly to the meaning of the Constitution and illustrate ways that we as Basileians embody it. Still other dialogue will go beyond this and give rise to conversations that will naturally and organically lead to various forms of application and amendment.
b. Application. While the Constitution expresses the foundations of our charism that constitute us as Basileia, as we build on these foundations various Missional Initiatives and Jurisdictions will in organic ways crystalize applications of our charism in the form of Presbyter Council developed or approved “liturgical customaries, catechetical curriculums and canonical handbooks, guidebooks, policies and procedures,” etc. (Constitution, page 90).
Our Presbyter Councils (Constitution, page 145) are responsible to directly develop or approve the development of resources for worship, catechism, etc. that faithfully apply our charism as expressed in our Constitution. When resources developed by narrower jurisdictions are recognized as faithful applications of our charism by the broader jurisdictions to which they are membered and then, likewise, finally by the whole of Basileia (via the Basileia Alliance Presbyter Council), then these resources will be added to the Resources section of the Constitution as one of the most common and regular types of amendments.
For example, various Fellowships and Chapters will inevitably develop tools and resources for catechizing their Adult Communicant Members. It is the responsibility of the Communities to which these Fellowships and Chapters (and in turn each Chapter’s respective Vocational Society) are membered to help shape and then, when consensus is reached, to recognize each Fellowship’s and Chapter’s application as a faithful expression of our charism. In turn, it is then the responsibility of the Basileia Alliance Presbyter Council to do the same thing globally in relation to what the Communities produce. In this way, the common sense (i.e., the collective wisdom) of all is available to all at all time. The Basileia web portal is designed with the capabilities to host this kind of “conversation.” Anyone can visit www.basileians.com and access it as a living library of resources that they both contribute to and pull from for their own lives and jurisdictions.
c. Amendment. There will be specific items of dialogue and application (in addition to the Resources for application as described in “b” above) that will eventually become amendments. Conversations about amending the Constitution that begin among individuals and Fellowships and Chapters, just as described above in “b” in regards to application, will next be taken up by Communities and then finally in turn by our broadest jurisdiction, the Basileia Alliance.
Effectively, all that is written here in this announcement of ratification becomes part of the general process and journey of catechism that we are all constantly in. Each new and existing Basileian needs to be invited and equipped by their Soul Friend to participate in these three types of conversations as one of the most basic ways of living in the safety of the counsel of many.
While this day marks a milestone event in the ratification of Basileia’s Constitution, each new and existing Basileian is invited into the conversations by which we embrace and renew this ratification through dialogue, application and amendment.
Grace to us all.
Boyd+
Presiding Member, Alliance Presbyter Council
Seventh Sunday of Pascha, 2014
