Members of Council of General Synod (CoGS) gathered at the Queen of Apostles Renewal Centre in Mississauga, Ont. at 9 a.m. EST.
Messages to Next CoGS
The Very Rev. Tim Dobbin and the Rev. Lucia Lloyd, co-chairs of the Planning and Agenda Team, invited council to present messages to the next CoGS. Members discussed what they appreciated most about being involved in CoGS. Dobbin said he enjoyed expanding relationships with people from the Indigenous church and recognizing how much was happening across the Anglican Church of Canada.
Other members likewise emphasized relationships built at council. They appreciated how the Planning and Agenda Team took feedback from CoGS seriously and applied it, so that their next gathering was richer, as well as the sense of community, caring and listening among members. Archbishop Anne Germond, Acting Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, highlighted the sense of working together and her own feeling of immediate welcome and acceptance coming into CoGS midway through the biennium as acting primate.
Table groups discussed specifically what messages they would like to send to members of the next CoGS. Council members advised their successors to trust God, who will have brought them to CoGS for a purpose; to not hesitate in offering their input to conversations, since each member’s voice is welcome and needed; to take what they learned back home with them; that the role of CoGS is not as well-known as it needs to be across the church; that there is much joy in council, particularly in relationships; and that members will learn much through their work with the council that would change them.
The Acting Primate provided an update on the letter she had written to Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe of The Episcopal Church (TEC) and invited all CoGS members to sign an accompanying card. She read out the text of the letter, which conveyed warm greetings to Rowe in the early days of his primacy and affirmed deep bonds of affection between the Anglican Church of Canada and Episcopal Church.
Archbishop Germond’s letter said the council was glad to welcome Mr. Warren Hawk as TEC’s representative to CoGS and appreciated hearing his partner reflection. Navigating the challenges of this season, Archbishop Germond hoped for the presiding bishop to know that council’s prayers were with Rowe and the leaders and people of TEC, and that CoGS stood in solidarity with him in the ongoing work of faith, hope and love the church is called to share with the world.
Members took a break from 10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Eucharist
CoGS held a closing Eucharist. The Acting Primate presided and National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop Chris Harper gave the homily. At the end of worship members posed for a group photo.
Members broke for lunch from noon to 1 p.m.
General Secretary’s Report
In a brief report, General Secretary the Ven. Alan Perry described the past two years as a “biennium of learning” for CoGS and thanked members for their contributions.
Reflections: Prolocutor and Deputy Prolocutor
Canon (lay) Ian Alexander, prolocutor, and the Ven. Tanya Phibbs, deputy prolocutor, offered reflections on tasks of the next CoGS, including taking action on the six pathways put forward by the Primate’s Commission and the five transformational commitments.
New officers and members of CoGS, Canon Alexander said, would need to ensure management has the resources to make significant changes in how the church operates. They would also need to ensure optimum transparency and clarity in how General Synod functions and how decisions get made; nimbleness to adapt to change; and the vision and courage to make difficult choices, recommend them, see them through and take bold action. Archdeacon Phibbs recommended that the prolocutor and deputy prolocutor at the next council continue to act in an ex officio capacity, which should include a full voice and vote on committees.
Canon Alexander added that it was important in the next triennium to find the right balance between continuity and renewal in membership of church bodies, including CoGS. Archdeacon Phibbs recalled the point made by members that General Synod had probably given CoGS more work from 2023-2025 than the latter could reasonably expected to complete in its two-year term. She suggested a “CoGS tracker” for the coming triennium, while acknowledging that some outstanding matters would require the next council’s attention.
Another aspiration the prolocutor and deputy prolocutor had for the next triennium, Canon Alexander said, was to enhance the effectiveness of the Financial Management Committee to strengthen long-term sustainability and offer a multi-year financial plan. Such a plan could not rely simply on making further cuts to balance the books in favour of declining diocesan contributions, he added—since as CoGS had heard at its latest meeting, “There is nothing left to cut.” The new CoGS would have to have conversations about potentially using restricted funds, for example, in order to help Canadian Anglicans continue to carry out General Synod’s mission of convening, connecting, communicating and face the future.
Canon Alexander said it was a tremendous privilege for him and Archdeacon Phibbs to have served as prolocutor and deputy prolocutor. While the next few years in the church would undoubtedly be challenging, he said, it was also full of possibilities, adding, “God continues to be with our beloved church.”
Partner Reflection #2
Ms. Rosie Jane Tailfeathers, co-chair of the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples, read out the partner reflection of fellow co-chair the Rev. Canon Murray Still, representative of CoGS to TEC, since he was unable to attend council.
Canon Still has now completed his term on TEC’s national Executive Council, though he could not attend the latest executive council meeting in November in person because CoGS was happening at that time. TEC’s 2025-2027 budget, passed by executive council at that meeting, required the U.S. church to reduce staff costs by $3.6 million over the next triennium. Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe has contracted the firm Compass to help support this “realignment”. Compass has also provided guidelines for “effective cross-cultural dialogue,” Canon Still said.
Much discussion in the United States revolves around the new administration of Donald Trump, he added, and Episcopalians have expressed their appreciation for the Anglican Church of Canada’s prayers as a sister church. Canon Still had shared stories from the Canadian church and enjoyed meeting with Mr. Warren Hawk, TEC representative to CoGS, to learn about Episcopalians’ work to collect stories from survivors of U.S. boarding schools for Native Americans. In many ways, Canon Still said, TEC is engaged in work similar to the Anglican Church of Canada and he called it an honour and privilege to serve as CoGS representative.
Partner Reflection #3
Ms. Dorothy Russell-Patterson, CoGS partner to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), recalled her first meeting with the Lutherans in Winnipeg in March 2024 and gave an update on her time with the Anglican Church of Canada’s full communion partner.
One major difference between the Anglican Church of Canada and ELCIC Ms. Russell-Patterson observed is the former’s recognition and support for Indigenous ministries, for which she gave much credit to the National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop. Ms. Russell-Patterson found the ELCIC, National Bishop Susan Johnson and her team very relaxed, with the Lutherans often doing work in a circle format. She felt included and part of their dialogues and believed they would welcome a presentation on the guiding documents for Indigenous Ministries, the Covenant and Our Way of Life.
The current meeting of CoGS would be her last, and Ms. Russell-Patterson said she felt very included in committee work and looked forward to moving onto new assignments she had been asked to be part of. She expressed appreciation for the knowledge and integrity of church staff and committee members.
House of Bishops
The Acting Primate said she was reminded during Ms. Russell-Patterson’s reflection of the great change happening in the leadership of Churches Without Borders—the four-way partnership between the Anglican Church of Canada, ELCIC, TEC and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Canadian Anglicans had seen the retirement of Archbishop Linda Nicholls as primate in September 2024 and were preparing to elect a new primate. TEC had recently elected Rowe as its new presiding bishop. ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson and ELCA National Bishop Elizabeth Eaton have also announced their impending retirements.
Valuing the prayers of council members for the Anglican Church of Canada and its bishops—including Bishop-elect Chad McCharles of the Diocese of Saskatoon—Archbishop Germond outlined tasks that the national House of Bishops would be attending to following CoGS. On March 10, the House of Bishops would meet with many presenters who had attended CoGS to hear the same information on topics including finances, the Primate’s Commission, strategic planning implementation, the Governance Working Group, and Faith, Worship, and Ministry motions that would be coming to General Synod.
On the evening of Monday, March 31, the national House of Bishops would begin its meeting and on Tuesday would hold a day of retreat to prepare for the work of nominating candidates for primate. Wednesday, April 2 was nominations process day—an in-camera gathering of the Order of Bishops, which would likely result in three to five primatial nominees. The church will publicly release names of the candidates on the morning of Thursday, April 3 to ensure all Canadian Anglicans receive the news at the same time.
Bishops will be asked to bring red clothing for a photo to be taken to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and boys. The final day of the House of Bishops meeting on Thursday, April 3 will include discussion of General Synod business, Anglican Video asking questions to each primatial nominee and recording their answers, and a social hosted by Alongside Hope and the Anglican Foundation of Canada.
After supper, the house will wish farewell to retiring bishops, including Bishop of Montreal Mary Irwin-Gibson, Bishop of Yukon Lesley Wheeler-Dame, Bishop of Rupert’s Land Geoff Woodcroft and Bishop of Missinippi (Indigenous Bishop) Adam Halkett from the diocese of Saskatchewan.
Taking It Home
Table groups spent 10 minutes in discussion about information from CoGS that they would take home to their ecclesiastical provinces, dioceses and parishes.
Among their responses, members spoke about the difference various church ministries have made in achieving and fulfilling commitments globally, nationally and locally. They spoke about the critical importance of deeper decolonization of the church and its relationship with all of creation. They recalled the work of the Primate’s Commission and the Strategic Planning Working Group, highlights from the financial update, the need to speak to delegates in preparation for General Synod, and their excitement about the coming work to turn the six pathways of the Primate’s Commission into action.
Closing Remarks and Prayer
Archbishop Germond led CoGS in closing prayer with Archbishop Harper offering a blessing.
Council adjourned at 2:42 p.m.
