He and his lay delegate are with us today, and he is fulfilling his dream of completing his ministry in the manner in which he started by planting the seed and nurturing its growth. Bishop elect Trevor Walters held the additional positions of Archdeacon in the west and also Examining Chaplain to the Bishop. For obvious reasons he now vacates both roles although he still will be involved in all aspects of this ministry, albeit in another capacity. I am happy to appoint Archdeacon Paul Crossland of Brandon, Manitoba as a new Examining Chaplain, where he will join Archdeacon Desiree Stedman and the Reverend Dr. Archie Pell as part of that vital team. It gives me pleasure to appoint the Reverend Ronald Corcoran, among many other things the author of a new book on our struggle “Bishop or the King”, as Archdeacon of the West. We have among us a dear friend who undisputedly has preached the Word of God to more people at home and around the world than any other Canadian Anglican, Evangelist Dr. Marney Patterson. A few years ago when Marney felt he no longer in good conscience could remain with the Anglican Church of Canada, a few of us assisted in presenting him to Archbishop Venables who so graciously accepted his Orders and licensed him in the same manner he received us. Today Marney, with Archbishop Greg’s approval, and at his own
request, is becoming a Licensed Priest of the Anglican Network in Canada and part of the Province of the Anglican Church in North America. Most of us have a high respect for the Cursillo Movement and are so grateful for the ministry it provided over the years in bringing so many souls to Christ. Because its success was so remarkable, I was deeply saddened earlier this year to learn that ANiC members no longer could hold leadership positions in the Movement and as such, I felt were relegated to at best a second-class membership. It came as a great relief then to learn that our new
Province has established its own branch of Cursillo, known The Fourth Day, and I encourage our members who still have great affection for this Movement to seriously consider participating in it at this new and exciting level. To that end I am appointing Deacon Gary Stobbs of St, Matthew’s, Abbotsford to be the Canadian coordinator. Should numbers warrant it, we will in time appoint another co-coordinator for the east. We wish Deacon Gary well in this assignment. Nor can I close without mentioning a couple of other absences. Our dear colleague and Theologian Emeritus, Dr. J.I. Packer, though still carrying out his day by day duties in Vancouver, has been requested by his doctor not to travel for a few months and hence his regrets at not being here. I request that at some point we send him and other absent members greetings from this Synod. Absent in body but I am certain not far from us in God’s “nearer presence” is one who, with her husband Archie, rarely missed a gathering from the earliest days of our inception. I refer to my friend Dr. Barbara Pell who entered into rest last February after a valiant battle with cancer, which she fought with courage and fortitude many years longer than doctors predicted she could. That same faith and tenacity that prolonged her life also was so evident in the battle she fought to keep the church she loved from apostasy and nonbiblical standards. It was my privilege to administer the Last Rites of Holy Church to Barbara