Primatial Election
https://archives.anglican.ca/link/official9421
- Date
- 2007 June 19-25
- Source
- General Synod. Minutes
- Type
- Act 29
- Prologue
- Members gathered in the Church of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Eucharist was celebrated with Archbishop Andrew Hutchison presiding and Archbishop Tom Morgan preaching.
- Following the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, General Synod reconvened with the Prolocutor, Dean Elliott, in the Chair. The Order of Bishops withdrew. The Order of Clergy was seated on the left and the Order of Laity was seated on the right. Ballot books were distributed to clergy and lay members.
- The Prolocutor appointed the following and gave instructions on the balloting procedure:
- Lay Scrutineers: Ms. Kathy Derksen, Dr. David Gould, Captain Rob Marsh
- Clergy Scrutineers: Rev. Canon Maureen Crerar, Archdeacon Dennis Drainville, Archdeacon Patricia Johnston
- Assessors: Dr. Beth Bilson, Canon Robert Falby
- First Ballot
- The first ballot was taken at 11.00 a.m. Names on the first ballot:
- - Bishop George Bruce
- - Bishop Frederick Hiltz
- - Bishop Bruce Howe
- - Bishop Victoria Matthews
- The Prolocutor asked three times if all had voted and then declared the balloting closed.
- The scrutineers counted the ballots. The Prolocutor announced the results.
- Results of the First Ballot
- Clergy Laity
- - Bishop George Bruce 14 9
- - Bishop Frederick Hiltz 40 57
- - Bishop Bruce Howe 5 18
- - Bishop Victoria Matthews 56 54
- Total 115 138
- Point of Order
- Mr. George Power raised a point of order with respect to the number of lay members of Synod registered to vote, as the report of the Credentials Committee listed 135 lay members and 138 lay ballots were counted. The Chancellor advised that there had been additional registrations by members after the initial report.
- Second Ballot
- The Prolocutor called for the second ballot at 11.30 a.m. He asked three times if all had voted and then declared the balloting closed.
- Results of the Second Ballot
- Clergy Laity
- - Bishop George Bruce 1 4
- - Bishop Frederick Hiltz 49 69
- - Bishop Bruce Howe 1 5
- - Bishop Victoria Matthews 64 60
- - Spoiled Ballot 1
- Total 116 138
- The Prolocutor declared that, as Bishops George Bruce and Bruce Howe had each received less than 10% of the votes cast in the second ballot, their names would be dropped from the third ballot.
- Third Ballot
- The Prolocutor called for the ballot at 12.40 p.m. He asked three times if all had voted and then declared the balloting closed.
- Results of the Third Ballot
- - Bishop Frederick Hiltz 53 73
- - Bishop Victoria Matthews 62 64
- Total 115 137
- Request for Additional Nominations - Order of Laity
- Moved by: Ms. Heather Dixon
- Seconded by: Mr. Eric Parsons
- That the Order of Laity requests further nominations from the Order of Bishops for the Office of Primate. DEFEATED IN THE ORDER OF LAITY
- Request for Additional Nominations - Order of Clergy
- Moved by: Rev. David Parsons
- Seconded by: Rev. Gregory Mercer
- That the Order of Clergy requests further nominations from the Order of Bishops for the Office of Primate. DEFEATED IN THE ORDER OF CLERGY
- Fourth Ballot
- The Prolocutor called for the fourth ballot at 1.15 p.m. He asked three times if all had voted and then declared the balloting closed.
- Results of the Fourth Ballot
- - Bishop Frederick Hiltz 56 75
- - Bishop Victoria Matthews 60 62
- Total 116 137
- Moved by: Ms. Angela Morgan
- Seconded by: Ms. Cathy Hartsook
- Fifth Ballot
- The Prolocutor called for the fifth ballot at 1.40 p.m. He asked three times if all had voted and then declared the balloting closed.
- Text of motion
- Results of the Fifth Ballot
- Clergy Laity
- - Bishop Frederick Hiltz 60 81
- - Bishop Victoria Matthews 56 56
- Total 116 137
- At 2 p.m. the Prolocutor declared that an election had occurred. Act 29
- Notes
- He thanked the scrutineers for their work.
- The Prolocutor, Deputy Prolocutor and General Secretary delivered word of the election to the Order of Bishops. The Order of Bishops returned to the Church of the Holy Trinity to a standing ovation. The Primate presented Bishop Fred Hiltz and proclaimed him as the new Primate Elect. Bishop Hiltz accepted.
- The Primate Elect addressed Synod and his remarks, in part, included the following:
- I would like to express my appreciation to the other Primatial candidates. I will enter the Primacy with a great deal of trepidation, as it is a daunting and overwhelming task. I love this Church and I have always loved it. I pray to God that I will always give generously of myself to it. As I currently reside in the Eastern part of the country, I will need to get to know Central, Western and Northern Canada and, hopefully, I can arrange to spend plenty of time visiting the areas I do not know. I will work very hard to further the key initiatives that have already occurred in this Synod around the Church re-committing itself in wonderful ways to the Church in the North. I look forward to visiting the dioceses within the Council of the North and will do everything I can to support them.
- I am a supporter of Full Communion with the ELCIC and will do my best to ensure that this relationship is deepened and nurtured at every level of the Church. I shall look forward to meeting the new National Bishop and continuing the relationship. I shall also do my best, with your help and prayers, to be a Primate who will draw the Church together, to keep members in dialogue and at the table, so that we may remain together in Christ.
- My hope and prayer for our Church is that the world will be able to look at us as ‘gospel people’. Please pray for my wife and I as we prepare to leave Nova Scotia for Toronto.
- The Primate Elect delivered the benediction.
- The Primate, Archbishop Hutchison, thanked Synod for its work and advised that the Primate Elect would be installed as the 13th Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada in Winnipeg on June 25, 2007.
- The Prolocutor thanked the Rector and parish members of the Church of the Holy Trinity for their kind generosity and hospitality.
- Subjects
- Anglican Church of Canada. Primate
- Anglican Church of Canada. Primate - Election
- Hiltz, Fred (Frederick James), 1953-
- Matthews, Victoria, 1954-