Dear Clergy and People of our Diocese,

Our journeys in faith often bring us to a place where we are faced with a decision to relinquish our own hopes, desires, and plans because God is calling us to something else. This is the way of Christ. This happens frequently in small ways, as we make day to day choices about how we will speak and act toward others, or how we will use our money or skills. Occasionally this happens in big ways, where we become aware that God is calling us far beyond ourselves, to serve God in a new way.

One of my favourite “call” stories in the Bible is Moses and the burning bush. Poor Moses keeps responding to God’s persistence and accommodations by saying “BUT” and offering more excuses—until God finally had enough and compelled Moses to accept. Moses’ personal life was forever changed as he accepted the call to lead God’s people.

The call for me to allow my name to stand for the office of Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada became increasingly strong over the last several months. Like Moses, I kept pushing it away, reasoning that my commitment to our diocese and any number of heartfelt concerns were far more important than such a monumental disruption. In the end, during the Eucharist before the election on Thursday, resisting became too great, and I accepted, deep in my heart, that I needed to relinquish and entrust my life to God, and allow the General Synod, guided by the Holy Spirit, to decide. When the call for additional names came from the floor of Synod, I consented to let my name go forward, and so I became the Primate-elect of the Anglican Church of Canada.

I write to help you understand what has happened and to assure you that there will be a measured and orderly transition over the next several months. I have complete confidence in our diocesan church: we have excellent staff and lay and clergy leaders, and we have done fine work to guide change and place our diocese in a good place as we face the future. All shall be well.

In due course, more details about the transition will be shared. For now, I ask for your prayers, courage, and trust as we, together, accept and faithfully respond to all the implications of God’s call.

With kindest blessings,

The Right Reverend Shane A.D. Parker

Bishop of Ottawa

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His election was unexpected because he was not one of the four candidates originally chosen by the Order of Bishops and announced in April.

When the primatial election began on June 26, the four candidates were National Indigenous Archbishop Chris 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.

With the results of the second ballot, Bishop David Lehmann’s name was taken off the third ballot, but Canon Ian Alexander, prolocutor, explained that before the next vote, delegates also had the option to put forward a motion requesting additional nominations from the Order of Bishops. And that is what happened. Two lay delegates submitted a resolution asking for additional nominations that was voted on and passed by the Order of the Laity.

The Order of Bishops discussions and decisions are private, so there is no information about their selection process, but when the third ballot was presented later in the afternoon, Bishop Shane Parker’s name had been added.

Following that vote, Archbishop Chris Harper requested that his name be taken off the next ballot.

Following the vote on the fourth ballot, Archbishop Kerr-Wilson withdrew his name.

Bishop Parker was elected on the fifth ballot. All of the candidates accompanied him into St. Paul’s Cathedral to be welcomed by rejoicing Synod delegates.

Canon Ian Alexander presented him with a cross, a symbol of “our servant Lord who lived amongst the poor, who was crucified, died, and is alive here and now.” The prolocutor continued: “He calls us into mission. May you lead us in witness to the world that genuine authority and true joy come only in walking the way of the cross with Christ, our saviour and Lord.”

Following prayers, Alexander presented him as the Primate-elect. Bishop Parker offered an initial reflection to Synod:

This has been a challenging discernment for me personally, and there will be challenges ahead personally. However, as I thought and prayed and eventually relinquished control and allowed my name to come forward, my mind went back to my memories of the Anglican Church of Canada, which go back to my first memories.

I’m the child of Irish immigrants, baptized in St. Peter’s Church on Treaty 6 territory. And my first memories are from Fort Nelson, St. Mary Magdalene’s Church on Treaty 8 territory.

One of my earliest memories is playing outside the church of St. Mary Magdalene as the men, as they did in those days, insulated the attic of the church and there were batts of pink insulation out and about which me and my brothers played in. I’m quite sure I carry a part of the Anglican Church in my lungs, but it struck me that insulation can be helpful and insulation can insulate us. It can insulate us from God. We can be insulated from one another. We can even be insulated from our truest selves.

Our church at this time needs to remove a lot of insulation. We need to feel the cold and the heat and the wind and the fire. We need to understand our context without the insulation that has built up over so many years. Insulation between us and the world around us, between us within our church, between us as human beings. The next three years will be a time of removing insulation so we can feel the Holy Spirit, so that we can feel and hear one another and so that we can have the courage to create the church that we must be at this point in time.

And so, I will give you all that I am and all that I have until May 22nd, 2028.” [Primates are required to retire by their 70th birthday,]

I ask your prayers for the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa. This is not expected. This will be a hard transition, but I have complete confidence in our diocese of Ottawa.

So now, may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. And the blessing of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit be upon each of you this day and remain with you always. Amen.

All of the election proceedings were livestreamed and can be viewed here.

Primate-elect Parker will be installed in his new role at a worship service at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Ont. on Sunday, June 29 at 4:30 pm..

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Clergy and lay representatives from the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa who had travelled to the Synod took part in the service presenting and supporting him: “Our family in Christ, we bring before you Shane Parker who has served among us faithfully as our bishop, chief pastor and sibling in Christ. With gratitude for their ministry among us, we send them forth to serve as the fifteenth Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.” They assisted him as he donned a deep blue cope and mitre representing the Office of Primate and Archbishop of all Canada.

Canon Ian Alexander, the retiring prolocutor, and Archdeacon Tanya Phibbs newly-elected prolocutor presented him with a primatial cross as the symbol of his office as primate with the words: “Lead us in witness to the world that genuine authority and true joy come only through walking the way of the cross with Christ, our Saviour and Lord.” Chancellor Canon Clare Burns presented Parker with the Canons of the Anglican Church of Canada.

The archbishop responded: “Through the symbol of the cross of Jesus Christ, may God renew in each of us this day the willingness to die to self, that we may rise daily to a new life of servanthood in the Risen Christ. And may these canons govern us so that we remain in a right relationship with each other and always discern how they can encourage and empower each of us … in our shared ministry as the body of Christ.”

National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop Chris Harper who smudged Parker earlier in the service, also presented him with a feather. “On behalf of the Anglican Council of Indigenous People and our Sacred Circles, I welcome you as a colleague and sibling in Christ, that together we may continue to build up, honour and respect our ministries and peoples.”

Parker was also welcomed by Bishop Susan Johnson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and Moravian Church Canada and was presented with a gift from the Metropolitans of the Anglican Church of Canada.

The Secretary General of The Anglican Communion, Archbishop Anthony Poggo, and the Primate of Brazil, the Most Reverend Marinez Rosa dos Santos Bassotto welcomed him into the community of Primates in the Anglican Communion.

Archbishop Santos Bassotto offered the sermon for the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul. She reflected on the Gospel text from John 21: 15-19 in which Jesus asks Peter three times “Do you love me?” Each time, Peter responds, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” And each time, Jesus instructs Peter to feed or to tend his sheep.

Bassotto pointed out a subtlety that is not apparent in the English translation of the text. When Jesus asks Peter “Do you love me?” he uses the Greek word for love agape, “often translated as unconditional, committed, selfless, and sacrificial love,” she explained. “In other words, Jesus is asking Peter if Peter loves him with all his heart, truly with the love of God.”

Peter twice answers using the Greek word for love philia, which can be translated as fondness, affection, or friendship, Bassotto said…The third time, Jesus changes the question, using same the word that Peter had used. ‘Do you love me with love of a friend?’

This shift shows compassion, she said. Jesus accepts Peter’s love, “even though it is limited, fragile, and flawed. Even though Peter doesn’t reach where Jesus wanted him to, the call remains. ‘Tend my sheep. With the love you have for me, come and serve me. Go where I send you.’ Jesus knew Peter was not perfect. He knew none of the apostles were perfect. He knew them very well, but he also knew their love was genuine. Even though it was limited, Jesus did not demand more from Peter and the apostles than they could give. Yet he did demand that this love be the foundation of their discipleship and that it guide them in shepherding.”

While that divine compassion is vital for all Christians, on this occasion, Bassotto spoke directly to Archbishop Parker as he faces the challenge of leading the Canadian church through financial problems, major change and restructuring. “Shane, my dear brother in Christ, as you know, ministry, in our case, primacy, is not an honour but a call to service, mission, evangelization and to perform prophetic actions in the name of God and on behalf of the people.”

But she said, “We are ordinary people with limitations…. And no matter how much we wish otherwise, we are not immune to weakness, mistakes or missteps. Recognizing that we are not perfect is essential in our ministry. It is crucial even for our own wellbeing.

“God called you, brother, to exercise a ministry of leadership different from maybe what you are used to. Do not be afraid. We live in a society that overvalues power and majesty. However, the first attribute of God is not power, majesty or strength, but compassion. This is the experience that Jesus communicates when he affirms himself to be a good shepherd. It is this compassion that Jesus shows when he accepts Peter’s limited love as sufficient to begin the journey….

“The ministry you are assuming now is not an easy task,” she said. “And for that very reason, an awareness of our own limitations is important. On the other hand, our weaknesses and limitations do not invalidate or hinder God’s grace. In other words, our frailties do not prevent Christ from acting in us and through us.

“Let us always remember that even shepherds, clergy, bishops, archbishops, are Christ’s sheep. We are all God’s sheep. And he himself wants to shepherd us. Let us strive to allow Christ to act in us and as His sheep, let us also be shepherds in His name.”

Archbishop Parker offered this prayer to close the service: “God has abundantly blessed us with grandeur and beauty; from the waters of the Atlantic to the Pacific; across the Rockies and the Prairies; from the Arctic to the Great Lakes; across the Great Canadian Shield and the Laurentians. May what we share together across our country always unite us; may our faith empower us to faithfulness in all we say and do as the body of Christ. The blessing of God almighty, Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier be with you this day and always. Amen.”

The live stream of the entire Eucharist service can be viewed here.

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