With four candidates now chosen, the task of electing a new primate for the Anglican Church of Canada is in the hands of members of General Synod 2004 meeting in St. Catharines Ont. later this month.
Elections will also be held for the Prolocutor and Deputy Prolocutor of General Synod. The Prolocutor will be elected on May 29 and the Deputy Prolocutor on May 31. Members of standing committees and councils will also be elected at Synod 2004.
The primatial election is to take place on Monday, May 31. Four candidates were nominated to stand for the office of the Primate by the bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada during their meeting in Regina in mid-April.
According to church law, all bishops of the Anglican Church who are members of the order of bishops in accordance with the Constitution of the General Synod are eligible for election to the primacy.
The four candidates selected are: Bishop Victoria Matthews of Edmonton, Bishop Ronald Ferris of Algoma, Archbishop Andrew Hutchison of Montreal and Bishop Caleb Lawrence of Moosonee. A fifth bishop, Fred Hiltz of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, declined the nomination.
Unlike past primatial elections where candidates were nominated and elected on the same day at General Synod, clergy and laity now have more time to assess the qualifications of the nominees and to reflect on their choice beforehand.
The new Primate will be the 12th of the Anglican Church of Canada and will succeed Archbishop Michael Peers who retired in February.
On the day of the election, General Synod will convene for a Eucharist, after which the house of bishops will withdraw to another room and clergy and laity will vote.
When a nominee has been elected, the acting primate, Archbishop David Crawley, will formally make an announcement.
Upon assuming office, the primate will be the Senior Metropolitan of the Anglican Church of Canada. His or her responsibilities will be to be a pastor to the whole of the church in Canada, to give leadership in developing the policy and strategy of the church, to represent the church internationally and to function as president of General Synod, chair of the Council of General Synod and chief executive officer of the staff of General Synod.
The installation service for the new primate will take place on the 4th of June at Christ’s Church Cathedral in Hamilton, Ont.
Elections for the Prolocutor will also be held. The Prolocutor is an officer of the General Synod and an assistant to the Primate. The Prolocutor may be nominated from the order of clergy and laity; these elections will take place before the election of members of the Council of the General Synod (CoGS). The deputy Prolocutor will be elected in the same manner as the Prolocutor with the exception that if the Prolocutor is clergy, the deputy must be lay, and vice-versa.
For the Council of General Synod (CoGS) elections, each diocese is asked to submit three nominations from among its own members. CoGS, is the chief governing body of the Anglican Church of Canada when General Synod itself is not in session.
The three nominations have to comprise of a bishop, a clergyperson and a lay member. One of these will be elected at provincial caucus meeting during General Synod to represent their diocese on CoGS. However, a diocese shall not nominate a person who has been a member of the council for the two previous terms.
Elections for standing committees members will also take place. Members of standing committees review and propose policy for General Synod in areas assigned to them. Therefore membership on standing committees is not limited to delegates of General Synod, but also includes people who meet specific skills needed by the committees.
There are six standing committees of General Synod: Faith, Worship and Ministry, Partners in Mission, Eco-Justice, Pension, Financial Management and Development and Communications Information Resource Committee.
Those interested in serving on any standing committee are encouraged to meet with other members from their diocese prior to General Synod. The nominations must be submitted to the Nominating Committee on a prescribed form and must have the consent of the nominee.
However, it is up to the nominating committee to review the nominations and see that needs are met and that committees reflect the diversity of the Anglican Church of Canada.
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