User:Ebrary2/Sandbox18
| Ebrarian State Church | |
|---|---|
| Ecclesia Ebrarian del Stato | |
| Abbreviation | EES |
| Classification | Amendant |
| Orientation | General Missionarist |
| Theology | Ebraricist Christenist Parishist Sanctitist |
| Polity | Episcopal Presbyterian Congregationalist |
| Supreme Governor | Carlos Renaldo |
| President of the State Synod | Eduardo Carbo |
| Language | Ebrarese |
| Liturgy | Various |
| Headquarters | Urtedo, Laverna Province, Ebrary |
| Origin | 2023 |
The Ebrarian State Church (Ebrarese: Ecclesia Ebrarian del Stato) is a federation of eight Amendant (Ebraricist, Christenist, Parishist, and Sanctitist) churches and denominations in Ebrary, collectively encompassing the large majority of Amendants in Ebrary. The church is a constitutionally chartered organization per the Fourth Amendment to the Ebrarian Constitution (2023), is the official state church, and supersedes the now defunct Ebrarian Christian Congress. The headquarters of the federation are located in Urtedo, Laverna Province. No one denomination makes up a majority of the membership, although the largest single church is the Ebraricist Church.
The constituent churches share full pulpit and altar fellowship, or full communion, but are independent in most theological, governance, and organizational matters. The church is governed by the State Synod, headed by the President of the Synod which rotates between members of the Synod who cannot serve consecutive terms. The State President of Ebrary also serves as the Supreme Governor of the church in a largely symbolic place of leadership. The church is funded by the national church tax, with funds distributed to constituent churches based on the number of regularly attending church members.
The State Synod is also empowered with governmental or state authority, superseding and replacing the High Ecumenical Council after the governmental and religious reforms of State President Carlos Renaldo. The State Synod appoints ten of forty members of the Senate in the National Congress and governs the Ecumenical Courts which have jurisdiction over certain constiutionally-defined areas. The Synod may also legislate on the aforementioned matters (via Synodical Edicts).
The EES was founded as part of State President Carlos Renaldo's reforms after taking power, ostensibly to more closely unite the various Amendant denominations in Ebrary which had been cooperating for some time in roles of ecumenical governance. The result of the formation of the EES has been the consolidation of power of the Amendant establishment, the establishment of an official state church, and the increase of governmental control over the religious life of Ebrary.
Organization
The EES is structured as a federation of constituent churches. Each constituent church is responsible for the governance of its own congregations, retains its independence, and largely maintains its organization from before the creation of the EES. Tasks which the constituent churches have entrusted the EES, or powers granted to the EES by the Ebrarian government, are carried out by the EES organization.
Per the Fourth Amendment to the Ebrarian Constitution, the Ebrarian State President has the title of Supreme Governor of the State Church. The powers of the Supreme Governor are delinated as being able to remove and appoint the President of the State Synod as well as convene a meeting of the State Synod.
Supreme Governor
The Supreme Governor of the Ebrarian State Church is a position vested in the State President of Ebrary. The Supreme Governor may convene an emergency meeting of the State Synod, appoints the President of the Synod from among its members annually, as well as remove and replace the President of the State Synod at any time. The Supreme Governor is the symbolic head of the State Church, representing the unity between the Ebrarian Amendantism and the Ebrarian state.
State Synod
The State Synod is the governing council of the EES as well as serving official judicial and legislative functions per the Fourth Amendment of the Ebrarian Constitution. Members of the State Synod are selected by their denomination and serve at the leisure of the church they represent.
The State Synod is also empowered with governmental authority, superseding and replacing the High Ecumenical Council after the governmental and religious reforms of State President Carlos Renaldo. The State Synod appoints ten of forty members of the Senate in the National Congress and governs the Ecumenical Courts which have jurisdiction over matters of marriage, divorce, burials, inheritance, sexual relations, and the sabbath. The Synod may also legislate on the aforementioned matters (via Synodical Edicts). It also acts as the court of final appeal for all cases in the Ecumenical Court system.
President of the State Synod
The President of the State Synod is selected from the members of the State Synod by the Supreme Governor. The President serves a one year term and cannot serve consecutive terms. The President serves as moderator of the State Synod in all its functions, as well as the executive head of the Synodical Offices.
Judicial functions
The State Synod governs the Ecumenical Court system and also convenes as the court of final appeal for all cases in the system. The State Synod also appoints members of the lower Ecumenical Courts and regulates said membership, being constitutionally tasked with maintaining denominational balance such that no one denomination is a majority of judges in any province or region of the country.
Legislative functions
The State Synod acts as the sole legislative body on matters of marriage, divorce, burials, inheritance, sexual relations, and the sabbath (blue laws). Unlike its predecessor the High Ecumenical Council, the State Synod has no ability to legislate outside of these matters. These laws are known as Synodical Edicts and are passed by a simple majority. Members of the State Synod are not permitted to caucus or affiliate based on political party membership. Synodical Edicts may be overturned by the Supreme Court of Ebrary if they are found to be legislating out of the State Synod's legislative jurisdiction, but the Supreme Court may not otherwise alter or overturn law within such jurisdiction.
Religious functions
The State Synod governs joint tasks as opposed to those tasks which constituent churches govern. These powers include domestic and international missionary work, regulation of seminaries and religious schools, joint charitable activities, and publishing of religious pamphlets and books, Bibles, and other educational materials. The State Synod is also tasked with the distribution of funds from the government's church tax to the various constituent churches in a proportional manner.
The State Synod is largely unable to directly regulate the functions and organization of its constituent churches, although its control of the seminaries allows a wide degree of influence on who becomes an ordained minister and the permitted bounds of theological development.
Synodical Offices
The Permanent Offices of the EES are regulated by the State Synod and under the direct executive control of the President of State Synod. The offices are;
- Office of Missionary Activity
- Domestic Missionary Board
- Worldwide Amendant Missions
- Office of Finance
- Office of Charitable Activities
- Office of Publishing
Constituent churches
The totality of the EES comprises eight constituent churches;
- Ecclesiastical Amendant Church of Ebrary (Ebraricist) (4)
- Christenist Union of Ebrary (3)
- Ebrarian Parishist Union (2)
- Church of Vorstland (Parishist) (2)
- United Christenist Church (2)
- Ebrarian Sanctity Christian Church (2)
- Gallasian General Church (1)
- General Church in Vorstland (1)
In addition, there are two observer churches;
- All Ebrary Companions Association
- Conference of Independent Parishist Churches