From June 3 to 11, 2010, more than 300 delegates will gather in Halifax, N.S. for the Anglican Church of Canada’s national meeting, General Synod, held once every three years. This web forum is a place to discuss the major topics that will arise at General Synod—from governance to sexuality. You are invited to join the conversation.
During the past two years the Primatial Role Task Force has reviewed the role, duties, and function of the Primate—our national archbishop. The task force’s responsibility is to recommend changes to Canon III (on the primacy) if deemed appropriate, at General Synod 2010. It has been a rewarding journey for its members—two bishops, two clergy, and two laypersons representing the four ecclesiastical provinces of Canada.
We looked in-depth into the history of the primacy and also interviewed the current Primate, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, as well as Archbishops Hutchison and Peers. We also looked at current leadership trends in academic, business, and civil society. Valuable input also came from the workshops we conducted at the four provincial synods that met in 2009. Our focus was always one of mission: How do we understand primacy in a church that is engaged in Christ’s mission to the world?
Our primacy differs from those in other provinces within the Anglican Communion. What stood out most dramatically was the lack of defined sacramental and pastoral roles for the Primate. These are clearly important. The recommended changes focus on clarifying these two areas, specifically the way they work across the dioceses.
Ideas about leadership in the wider world are clearly changing. These new ideas are starting to permeate organizations and now leaders are being seen as relating to and collaborating with the institutions instead of functioning at their head. As keepers and interpreters of the vision and identity, leaders play a different but vital role in modern organizations. As well as bringing personal gifts, we realized that a Primate can bring us a wealth of experience from broader experience and context. We shared some of these insights at the provincial synod workshops and benefited greatly from the support and reflections of the participants.
What we learned
There was a strong consensus that Anglicans want their Primate to be prophetic and inspiring, able to listen and care, as well as to be visible both within the church and beyond it. Our favourite phrase (from the Province of Rupert’s Land) summed it up as “Gitchi ayame ha we kimi” which is translated as “Canada’s Great Praying Boss.”
We will make several recommendations for changes in Canon III. There is a desire for the Primate to be a leader of the church in mission—not maintenance. With a new understanding of the aspirations of Canada’s Indigenous Peoples, the Primate will have the responsibility of appointing, and if necessary ordaining, a person chosen by Indigenous Canadian Anglicans as their national bishop.
We note the need to articulate the sacramental role of the Primate more explicitly. While there is also a clear desire by some that the Primate be more prophetic, there is also some concern about overlapping jurisdiction in areas that are traditionally assigned to diocesan bishops. We unite the two concerns by encouraging prophetic ministry in a context of consultation and collaboration.
There have been numerous discussions throughout history about the desirability of a primatial see. Though several options were considered in the past, no decision was ever reached in decades of discussion and we believe the matter should be put to rest. While a national cathedral has also been suggested, we see it as redundant in a time when the role of the Primate is focused on pastoral care and mission rather than jurisdiction.
The recommended changes basically describe elements of the role that are already in place. We thank all those who have played a part in helping us understand and articulate the Primate’s important role in strengthening and supporting God’s mission.
