The new chancellor of General Synod, George Cadman, describes himself as a cradle Anglican with over 35 years of experience in the role of chancellor. He has held that role in the diocese of New Westminster since 1988.
Cadman, who spoke with the Anglican Journal in January, became the national church’s chancellor—a volunteer officer of General Synod who provides advice on both secular and church law—on Jan. 1. He succeeds former chancellor, Canon (lay) Clare Burns, who submitted her resignation on November 10, 2025, to take effect no later than December 31, 2025.
Cadman was born and baptized in Trail, B.C. His family lived there for the first few years of his life before moving to Vancouver, where his father pursued an education in classical studies.
Remaining an Anglican in his adult life was simply a natural development based on his family history, Cadman said, with a grandfather who was a member of the Church of England and parents who met through the Anglican Young People’s Association.
“It is who I am, and that’s all I can tell you,” he said. “I grew up in the church and here I am.”
Cadman holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of British Columbia and earned his bachelor of law degree at Toronto’s Osgoode Hall Law School. According to his biography on the website of his law firm, Boughton Law, he has practised law for over 40 years at all levels of the Canadian judicial system and at various administrative tribunals.
Cadman will continue to serve as chancellor for the diocese of New Westminster during his term as General Synod chancellor, he told the Journal.
Cadman’s biography lists numerous professional positions in his career, including director and secretary-treasurer of the Vancouver Board of Trade, chairman of Meritas Law Firms Worldwide, president of the Kiwanis Foundation of Canada and president of the Kiwanis Children’s Fund. With Kiwanis, he told the Anglican Journal, he worked in partnership with UNICEF on maternal neonatal health.
In 1990, he was appointed King’s Counsel, an honorary title recognizing lawyers who have demonstrated a commitment to pursuing legal excellence in service to the Crown and to their communities. In 2023, he received the Anglican Award of Merit for his service as New Westminster’s chancellor.
Cadman said he was on a learning curve as chancellor of General Synod, then still in the first month of a role he will hold throughout the triennium leading up to the next General Synod.
Asked what he has learned about being chancellor from his long experience, Cadman said, “I have learned that one needs to be flexible and that there are great opportunities for the church. Part of the role of the chancellor is to make sure that there’s a clear understanding by those who are tasked with leading the church, a clear understanding of how best from a legal perspective to maximize those opportunities.”
He will play a role advising on the transformational change process the church is undertaking during this triennium, he said, including work on governance, one of the competencies listed in his biography. However, he declined to comment on any specific aspects of the work.
Cadman will also be a member of the Primate’s Council, a group Archbishop Shane Parker, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, has convened to supervise transformational work, which includes all the officers of General Synod.
“I like to think that I have some knowledge that will be of assistance to the church,” Cadman said.
It is not appropriate in general for a chancellor to act as a spokesperson for the church, he said. Rather, the position is about advising and assisting the work of the church as it connects to legal matters, he said, which may involve matters of church governance, General Synod procedure and the canons that govern the way changes are made.
“The role of a chancellor is to advise and, if a question is asked, to provide the best advice possible,” he said. “The nature of my profession is to provide objective advice, and in that context, to help guide those who seek the advice.
“I would like to think that the advice I give in any situation is as objective as possible. It does not mean that I am devoid of ideas, but it does mean I have a role which is independent of that.”
This article has been updated with a more precise date for Canon (lay) Clare Burns’s resignation.
