Five individuals will receive the Anglican Award of Merit, the Anglican Church of Canada’s highest award for lay people; the honour is given to those who have contributed to the life and work of the church at the national and international level.
The recipients are Dorothy Davies-Flindall, Klaus Gruber, J.H. Clyne Harradence, Elizabeth “Betty” Livingston, and Tsuyoshi Eddy Nishida.
Ms. Davies-Flindall, prolocutor of General Synod from 2001-2004, has served the national church for the last 19 years. She was a member of the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF), partners in mission committee, communications and information resources committee, and the Council of General Synod (CoGS). In the diocese of Ontario, she has been a Sunday school teacher and parish council member.
Mr. Gruber, who is from the diocese of Saskatoon, was elected a member of the PWRDF board in 2001. He was cited for his work with refugees.
Mr. Harradence served as General Synod prolocutor from 1980-1983 and as vice-chancellor from 1986-2001. He was chancellor of the diocese of Saskatchewan for 42 years, where he provided pro bono legal aid to the diocese and its aboriginal clergy. He helped with the canonical work that paved the way for the election of Canada’s first indigenous bishop, Charles Arthurson in 1989.
Ms. Livingston has served as a member of General Synod, CoGS, the financial development committee and as a member of the Anglican Award Merit committee. She has been cited for opening doors for other women by accepting appointments to positions they had not previously held.
Mr. Nishida has served the church in the diocese of Calgary at the parish, diocesan and national levels since the 1950s. He was cited for his ministry to Japanese Anglicans and to nursing homes in the Lethbridge, Alta., area. He was licensed as a lay reader in 1965 and continues to serve as one.