The diocesan bishop of Rupert’s Land, Donald Phillips, has accepted the appointment as acting metropolitan (senior bishop) of the ecclesiastical province of Rupert’s Land, following the retirement of Archbishop John Clarke, diocesan bishop of Athabasca, last July.
The metropolitan serves as president and chief executive officer of the provincial synod, chairs the provincial house of bishops, and provides pastoral care to bishops of the province.
As prescribed by the constitution of the province, when the office of the metropolitan becomes vacant, the role of acting metropolitan is offered to the most senior diocesan bishop of the province. The appointment remains in place until an election is held at the next meeting of the provincial synod, scheduled in June, 2009.
Rupert’s Land has the largest land area of the four ecclesiastical provinces of the Anglican Church of Canada, and includes the dioceses of the Arctic, Brandon, Calgary, Edmonton, Keewatin, Qu’Appelle, Rupert’s Land, Saskatchewan, and Saskatoon.