London, Ont.
General Synod has the power to live into God’s purpose for it by following his path even when the outcome is uncertain, retired U.S. bishop Michael Curry, former presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, said June 23 as delegates in London, Ont. gathered for opening worship at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
An estimated 240 delegates including bishops, clergy and lay people packed the cathedral for the Eucharist that kicked off the 44th General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada. Delivering an energetic sermon, Curry recalled biblical figures who were not always sure of where they were going, but followed their faith in God.
The Book of Hebrews details, for example, how “by faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household.” Similarly, Abraham obeyed when called to set out for a place he was to receive as an inheritance and set out, despite not knowing where he was going.
“They followed anyway, not knowing where the promised land was,” Curry said. He urged General Synod delegates to learn from their example of “following God’s way even when you couldn’t see the outcome … Whether you have all the answers or not, follow anyway.”
Curry also referred to instances in Scripture of people drawing upon the abilities they had to overcome challenging circumstances. He spoke of how God equipped Moses, a Hebrew raised among the Egyptians, to learn from Egyptian scientific knowledge and military strategy, using those skills to advance the freedom of his own people.
He detailed the story of Esther, who married King Ahasuerus of the First Persian Empire. Esther revealed a plan by the king’s grand vizier Haman to kill all of Persia’s Jews, prompting Ahasuerus to decree that the Jews had the right to take up arms in defence against their enemies. A member of a vulnerable minority, Esther used “all the skill at her hands in order to save the lives of those who could not save themselves,” Curry said.
Curry also spoke about the limitations of Jesus’ disciples, noting that four of them—Peter, Andrew, James and John—were fishermen, yet never catch any fish in the Bible and relied upon Jesus to feed the multitude.
“They were not the A-Team of apostolic disciples,” Curry said. “And look what they did. There are followers of Jesus all over the world because of them … They changed the world.”
“What was true for them in the first century is true for us, the followers of Jesus, in the 21st century,” he added. “What was true in Jerusalem is true in London, Ontario… The power to be who God dreamed and intended us to be in the first place—when we live that, Anglican Church of Canada, it is no secret what God can do. What he did for Moses and Esther, what he did for ‘[not] the A-Team of apostolic disciples,’ he’ll do for you.”
Audience members interjected with shouts of “Amen” throughout Curry’s sermon, which anchored a worship service characterized by celebration of the cultural diversity within the Anglican Church of Canada.
The service began with the Algonquin “Water Song”, as singers beat their drums and faced the four directions of east, north, south and west, followed by the intertribal Indigenous “Strong Women’s Song.” The St. Paul’s choir led delegates in singing the hymn “Christ is Made the Sure Foundation” with an Indigenous smudging ceremony filling the worship space with the smell of sacred herbs.
National Indigenous Archbishop Chris Harper sprinkled water on the congregation following the renewal of the baptismal covenant. Delegates during the Prayers of the People offered petitions in different languages spoken by General Synod members and across the diocese of Huron including French and Chinese, African and Indigenous languages. Along with bread and wine, the Eucharist included the sacred medicines of sage, sweetgrass, cedar and tobacco on the altar.
Delegates share hopes for meeting, qualities sought in primate
The first day of General Synod did not include discussion of business, but rather saw delegates arriving and getting settled in amid a sweltering heatwave that saw London temperatures reach a high of 34 C, with a humidex in the low 40s.
Delegates who spoke to the Anglican Journal expressed a desire to forge connections and learn from the experiences of people in other parts of the church, while sharing some of the qualities they sought in the 15th primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. Candidates include Harper; Archbishop Greg Kerr-Wilson, bishop of Calgary and metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province of the Northern Lights; Bishop of Caledonia David Lehmann; and Bishop Riscylla Walsh-Shaw, suffragan bishop in the diocese of Toronto.
Helen Love, a warden at St. Michael and All Angels’ Anglican Church in Victoria, B.C., was attending her first General Synod as a lay delegate for the diocese of Islands and Inlets. “I signed up before really realizing what I was getting myself into, but since I’ve been here, I’ve just been loving it,” Love said. “I’m just learning so much … I’m looking to learn about the different aspects of the church across the country.”
While still discerning who she would vote for as primate, she said, “I’m hoping for someone who’s a strong administrator, strong spiritual leader, someone who inspires.”
Her daughter, Gia Love, was also attending General Synod as a youth delegate. Gia, 20, hoped to make connections and learn more about different ways Anglicans worship across the country.
In voting for the next primate, Gia sought “someone who cares—cares enough—and someone who’s also flexible enough to change.” She recalled a conversation earlier that day between youth delegates and Archbishop Anne Germond, acting primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. Germond, she said, “mentioned that one of the things that she’s come to learn in her nine months [as acting primate] has been being able to change and listen to people, take other people’s opinions and views and ideas on and expand your own mind to do what’s best for the church, what’s best for us as a whole.”
The Rev. Yohan Dumpala, priest-in-charge at Grace Church, Scarborough and a clergy delegate for the diocese of Toronto, was likewise attending General Synod for the first time. “I’m looking forward to seeing how it unfolds and seeing how the national church does things, especially in terms of its finances and what the future holds for us—but also especially the primatial election,” he said.
While looking forward to see who would be elected primate, Dumpala said, “It’s one of those jobs I think I don’t envy, especially at today’s day and age where everything’s so polarized.” He sought in the next primate “someone who understands who we are as a church and where we fit in the world, and how we are relevant to the world still … I hope that that individual understands what the Anglican Church is in Canada, but also understands how to navigate constantly shifting political situations, cultural dynamics, and … how to do it with grace.”
Valerie Fenga, a member of Christ Church Cathedral in Whitehorse, was attending her first General Synod as a youth delegate for the diocese of Yukon.
“It’s a great opportunity for the youth to be heard,” said Fenga, 18. “It’s kind of rough because not a lot of youth come to the church anymore. So it’s nice to be here and for people to hear our perspective about the church and what needs to change to suit us in the church.” She hoped the new primate would possess good communication qualities and reach out to people to make sure everyone was heard.
The Rev. Dorothy Miller, rector of the parishes of Aylesford and Berwick and a clergy delegate for the diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, looked forward to hearing more about the six “pathways” for change a primate’s commission tasked with re-imagining church structures had proposed.
Council of General Synod voted at its March meeting to commend the pathways to General Synod for discussion and action. “Certainly the church is going through a change process … so I’m really interested in hearing what people have to say,” Miller said.
Miller said she was partial to primatial candidates who were “very relational, very ecumenically focused,” looking not just at the Anglican Church of Canada but its partnerships with other denominations.
She also hoped the next primate would be able to balance innovation and Anglican tradition. “It’s very important to me that we look at new expressions of church [while] not throwing things out that we do well.”
General Synod runs June 23-29, with the primatial election taking place June 26 at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
