The National House of Bishops meeting, held at Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre in Niagara Falls, has just drawn to a close. It has been a very full and grace-filled week.
We usually begin our time together with something of a Sabbath day—time given to wellness, reflection, and retreat. We always mark the beginning of our gathering with the celebration of Holy Eucharist, grounding all that follows in worship and thanksgiving. Each evening, we gather again for Compline. One night there is a hymn sing, and on another we enjoy dinner together in our provincial houses. These rhythms of prayer, fellowship, and friendship are an important part of our life together.
Because this triennium is such an important one for the Church, we devoted significant time to conversations around Creating Pathways for the Transformational Change of the General Synod, a six-part plan to renew governance, ministry, and engagement across the Anglican Church of Canada so that our national structures can better support dioceses, parishes, and local ministries. We welcomed Dr. Andrea Mann, General Secretary of the Anglican Church of Canada, and Canon Janet Marshall, co-chair of the Pathways Implementation Group. Together, we engaged in guided conversation and thoughtful discussion.
Over the course of the week, we also turned our attention to several other significant matters before the Church, including the Nairobi-Cairo Proposals, a theological framework from across the Anglican Communion that seeks to strengthen Christian unity while honouring the diversity of our worldwide Church, presentations on theological education, and conversation around the Ordinal. Much of our time was spent listening deeply, speaking honestly, and sharing in conversation with one another.
As always, each day was centred in our gospel-based discipleship groups. That daily grounding in prayer, scripture, and shared faith continued to shape our time together and remind us of the One who calls and sustains the Church.
Please pray for our Church in this season of moving forward with the Pathways process and discerning how best to implement its recommendations. Pray for The Most Reverend Shane Parker, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, and for all the bishops and dioceses that make up our Church.