Bishops eligible for nomination as primate: Province of Rupert’s Land

Published April 1, 2004

 JOHN R. CLARKE, 65

Archbishop of Athabasca

Before he began his curacy at St. Michael and all Angels in the diocese of Toronto in 1964, he had been actively involved in eight construction projects for the church, including the building of a church and rectory in Kashechewan, Ont., in 1958.

He obtained a bachelor’s degree at the University of Western Ontario in 1961, and three years later, a degree in divinity in the same university.

He and Rev. Arthur Brown, then the rector of St. Michael and All Angels, worked together to refurbish and rebuild the church, which had been physically and spiritually ravaged in the 1960s

In 1966 he went back to his home diocese and the parish of the Church of the Apostles in Moosonee, Ont., where he would stay for 18 years. Under his leadership, the Trinity solar heat project was initiated.

He became archdeacon for the diocese of Athabasca in Peace River, Alta., from 1984 to1991. In 1992, he was consecrated bishop of the diocese of Athabasca. He was consecrated metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province of Rupert’s Land in 2003.

He and his wife, Nadia, have three children.

RODNEY O. ANDREWS, 64

Bishop of Saskatoon

He is a writer, pilot (he owns a Piper Cherokee and was formerly a search and rescue pilot and air cadet leader), and former police commissioner who enjoys studying Canadian church history.

He was the rector of St. Alban’s church, Richmond, B.C., before he was elected bishop in December 2003. He has served in various offices, notably as prolocutor of the General Synod which he helped chair in 2001. For three years he assisted Archbishop Michael Peers, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, with the chairing of the Council of the General Synod. Before he moved to the diocese of New Westminster, he was executive archdeacon of the diocese of Algoma. In the diocese of Montreal, he served as director of rural ministry for Montreal Diocesan Theological College and in the diocese of Calgary, as regional dean, executive committee member, delegate to five provincial synods, and area director for Anglicans in Mission.

He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Canadian history from the University of Saskatchewan in 1963, a bachelor of theology and a master of divinity from Saskatoon’s College of Emmanuel and St. Chad in 1965 and 1981, respectively.

He and his wife, Jacqueline, have two grown children.

BENJAMIN T. ARREAK, 56

Suffragan Bishop, Arctic

He was elected suffragan (assistant) bishop by the diocese of the Arctic in 2002, heading the Nunavik region in northern Quebec.

He has been a member of various national committees and served as deputy prolocutor of General Synod from 1995 to 1998. He was part of a five-priest team that in 2002 produced an Inuktitut-language Bible, a project that took 24 years to complete.

He and his wife, Susan, have seven children.

Charles J. Arthurson, 67

Suffragan Bishop, Diocese of Saskatchewan

The first aboriginal bishop in Canada, he was born in 1937 in Norway House, Man. He was ordained in the diocese of Keewatin in 1972. He has served in the parishes of Shamattawa, Norway House, Big Trout Lake, Ont., Split Lake, Man., and Sioux Lookout, Ont.

In 1983, he and his family moved to La Ronge, Sask., where he was elected suffragan bishop in 1989. He continues to live in La Ronge, where he serves half-time as parish priest and the other half in Episcopal ministry.

He and his wife, Faye, have two adult children.

DAVID N. ASHDOWN, 53

Bishop of Keewatin

He had already been a member of the National Model United Nations Assembly, a child-care worker in Inuvik, N.W.T., a factory worker in Edmonton, a greens keeper, a drycleaner’s assistant in Saskatoon, and a dorm supervisor at a residential school in the Northwest Territories by the time he graduated with a bachelor’s degree at the University of Saskatchewan in 1975. Three years later, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in theology from the College of Emmanuel and St. Chad, Saskatoon. In 1980, he obtained his master of divinity from the same college.

After his ordination as priest in 1978, he served at various parishes in the diocese of Qu’Appelle. He helped found the Davidson Christian Resource Centre Association, an ecumenical outreach program serving Davidson, Sask., and half a dozen other communities.

In 1992 he became executive archdeacon of the diocese of Athabasca, before moving to the same position at the diocese of Keewatin in 1999. He was elected bishop in 2002.

A member of four General Synods, he has served on several national church committees including stewardship and financial development, financial management and development, mission and co-ordination, eco-justice and the Anglican Appeal task force.

He and his wife, Penny, have three daughters.

ANDREW PHILIP ATAGOTAALUK, 54

Diocesan Bishop, Arctic

A graduate of the Arthur Turner Training School in Pangnirtung, N.W.T., he became the first Inuit Anglican diocesan bishop of the Arctic in 2002. Before he became involved with pastoral care of clergy and people, he began as an assistant camp manager for the Char Lake Project. His first ministry began in 1975, when he became deacon at St. Jude’s Cathedral, Iqaluit and Apex, Nunavut; he later became assistant priest in 1976, and priest in charge from 1977 to 1981. From 1982 to 1991, he served as regional dean of Inukjuak, Que., and priest in charge of Pond Inlet in 1991.

As well as being a fisher of men and women, he was previously involved with the federal Department of Fisheries as a guide and assistant in the beluga survey and polar bear tagging in 1994. A graduate of the Fisheries Guardian Training course, he also trained to become a marine surveyor with Transport Canada, where he later became a ship surveyor in 1998. He was co-ordinator of the Kativik School Board in 1995, and behavioural facilitator in 1996.

He and his wife, Mary, have six children.

ANTHONY J. BURTON, 44

Bishop of Saskatchewan

He was the youngest bishop in the worldwide Anglican Communion and the youngest Canadian bishop in the 20th century when he was elected bishop of Saskatchewan in 1993. He was only 33. He was ordained in the diocese of Nova Scotia, where he served in two parishes on Cape Breton Island. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Toronto in 1982, did graduate work in the interpretation of the Scripture at Dalhousie University in 1985, and obtained a master’s degree in theology from Oxford University in 1987.

He and Anna moved to Prince Albert, Sask., in 1991 where he served as dean and rector of St. Alban’s Cathedral. They have two children. He has been studying the Cree language to help him minister effectively to 65 per cent of parishioners and half of the active clergy who are Cree. An opera fan, he is also a writer and popular speaker across Canada.

BARRY C.B. HOLLOWELL, 56

Bishop of Calgary

His area of specialization is conflict resolution through mediation. In 1999 he attended a negotiation and dispute resolution seminar at Harvard Law School’s program on negotiation. That same year he attended a proctor fellowship at the Episcopal Divinity School, in Cambridge, Mass., which explored frameworks of healing and reconciliation with special focus on aboriginal issues and issues of human sexuality.

Born, raised and ordained in the United States, he received a bachelor’s degree at Valparaiso University, Indiana, in 1970 and a master’s degree in theology at Cambridge University in England in 1972. A year later, he received his master of divinity at the Episcopal Divinity School. He also holds master’s degrees in pastoral studies and psychology.

He came to Canada in 1974 as assistant curate at Fredericton’s Christ Church Cathedral. He served as Anglican chaplain at the University of New Brunswick from 1975 to 1986, when he was named rector of St. George’s church in St. Catharines, Ont.

He was archdeacon of Lincoln in the diocese of Niagara in 1991 before he was elected diocesan bishop of Calgary in 1999.

He and his wife, Linda, have three children.

PAUL O. IDLOUT (retiring)

Suffragan Bishop, Arctic

(Baffin and Keewatin)

VICTORIA MATTHEWS, 50

Bishop of Edmonton

Elected the first female bishop in the Anglican Church of Canada in 1993 and consecrated in 1994, she is the country’s only female diocesan bishop. A native of Toronto, she was a recipient of the North American Theological Fellowship and attended Yale University Divinity School, in New Haven, Conn., from 1976 to1979. She earned her bachelor’s degree at University of Toronto’s Trinity College in 1976. She was ordained a priest in 1980. After serving as suffragan bishop of Credit Valley, diocese of Toronto, she became bishop of the diocese of Edmonton in 1997.

She has served in various capacities at churches in the diocese of Toronto. From 1980 to 1984 she was priest advisor to the Anglican Youth Movement in the diocese of Toronto and was also involved in the Christian-Jewish dialogue for young people.

Since 1992 she has been a member of the National Executive Council (now the Council of General Synod) and the doctrine and worship committee.

From 2003 to early 2004, she chaired the house of bishops’ task force that examined alternative episcopal oversight for clergy and parishioners who strongly object to church decisions.

JIM D. NJEGOVAN, 50

Bishop of Brandon

Ordained a priest in 1979 in the diocese of Rupert’s Land, he was consecrated bishop of Brandon in 2002, after serving 10 years as rector of the diocese’s St. Matthew’s Cathedral. He also served parishes in Winnipeg.

He received bachelor and master of divinity degrees from the University of Manitoba’s St. John’s College. He has attended several continuing education courses reflecting his advocacy for the environment and human rights, among them, Development and the Environment: a Theological Perspective (1993), Immigration and the Environment (1994), and The World Community in the 21st Century International Conflict Resolution (1996).

He spent his early adult years as a summer labourer for the Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co. and as caretaker for Winnipeg’s St. Luke’s church.

He has been involved with non-church related groups like the Brandon Habitat for Humanity, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and Amnesty International, among others. He and his wife, Bernadette, have two children.

 

DONALD D. PHILLIPS, 50

Bishop of Rupert’s Land

Born and raised in London, Ont., he was ordained a priest in the diocese of Athabasca in 1981 and served in Alberta parishes until 1987, when he became incumbent of St. Michael and All Angels, Moose Jaw, Sask., in the diocese of Qu’Appelle. In 1992 he was appointed ministries development co-ordinator in Qu’Appelle, to work with parishes exploring new forms of local ministry. He served as chairperson of the Living Stones Diocesan Partnership ( North America) from 1996 to 1998, and the North American presenter at the Edward King Institute for Ministry Development at the University of Leicester, England.

Well-versed in various forms of ministry, he was elected bishop in 2000.

He received his master of divinity degree from Huron College, University of Western Ontario, in London, Ont. He also holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemistry from the same university.

He enjoys listening to all kinds of music and singing in an a capella quartet, volunteering as a fitness instructor at the YMCA, ballroom dancing, gardening, camping, and making gourmet desserts. He and his wife, Nancy, were clergy team presenter for Canadian Anglican Marriage Encounter from 1990 to 1999 and served as national clergy executive couple from 1995 to 1997. They have two sons.

LARRY D. ROBERTSON, 49

Suffragan Bishop, Arctic

(Mackenzie and Kitikmeot)

Priested in 1986, he has a Church Army background. He holds a bachelor of ministry from St. John’s College, Winnipeg. He served as regional dean of MacKenzie Delta and as a delegate to the Rupert’s Land provincial synod; he was licensed as a Lutheran minister. Bishop Robertson first arrived in the North in 1976, while serving with the Church Army. He is familiar with in three northern dialects. He and his wife, Sheila, have three children.

DUNCAN D. WALLACE, 66

Bishop of Qu’Appelle

His first appointment after he was ordained deacon in 1964 and priest in 1965 was to the Fairford First Nations Mission. He later served in the parish of St. Anne, Winnipeg, where he became priest associate in the River North Anglican parishes. From 1974 to 1978 he was rector of Grace Church, Milton, Ont., in the diocese of Niagara. He was later appointed rector of St. Paul’s Cathedral, Regina, and dean of the diocese of Qu’Appelle, where he chaired many diocesan committees. He was a delegate to General Synod, serving as a member of the National Executive Council (the predecessor to the Council of General Synod) and the doctrine and worship committee. He was the Canadian representative to the executive council of the Episcopal Church of the United States. He was elected bishop in 1997.

Born in Kitchener, Ont., he obtained his bachelor’s degree at the University of Manitoba and his master of divinity at St. John’s College, Winnipeg, which also conferred an honorary doctorate of divinity on him in 1993. He is interested in music and worship and in the role of cathedrals in the Anglican church. He and his wife, Mary Emily, have two grown children.

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