The Rev. Cynthia Haines-Turner, PWRDF board member, relaxes between sessions at CoGS March 4. Photo: Matthew Puddister
The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) will be changing its name to something simpler that better communicates its purpose, the Rev. Cynthia Haines-Turner, one of PWRDF’s board members, announced March 3 at the Council of General Synod (CoGS).
During a question-and-answer session on PWRDF’s operations, a CoGS member submitted a question which Haines-Turner read out, “why such a long and unwieldy name and acronym?” And another asked, “Would changing the name harm our international relationships and/or reputation in the church?”
In response, Haines-Turner announced that PWRDF’s board have already struck a task group to come up with a new name.
“When I was invited to come on, I said ‘I have a great deal of ambivalence.’ Because I was used to the old name. It worked for me.” In the end, though, she says she was “totally convinced” of the need to change the name to one that communicates more clearly what PWRDF is and what it does.
Archbishop Linda Nicholls, the primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, (and the primate in PWRDF’s current name) joked that a new name might clear up ambiguity about whether the fund supports conservation effort for the other kind of primate.
“I’m not unhappy about the change of name because I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of emails about ‘the primates that we are housing’ and ‘the primates that you are supporting with your funds.’ There’s very little understanding in the world of what a primate is other than the furrier kind.’”
She said she understood the need to pick a name that immediately captured the essence of the work PWRDF actually does.
Neither Haines-Turner nor other members of the PWRDF board have yet released any further details about what new names they are considering. But Haines-Turner told the Journal they hoped to have a new name by the time of their annual general meeting in September.