Editor’s Note: On Jan. 13, the Rev. Amy Bunce was collated as territorial archdeacon of the Diocese of Saskatoon by Bishop Chad McCharles at a joyous service at St. Stephen’s, Saskatoon. Pictures from this event accompany this letter. This letter has also appeared in the February issue of the Diocesan Newsletter.
SASKATOON — It is an honour to have been asked to take on the role of territorial archdeacon in the diocese, in the service of God and the church and in support of Bishop Chad.
The invitation from Bishop Chad felt weighty, as if I was being asked to carry something precious. When the cope was placed on my shoulders at the collation service by Archdeacon Alex and Karen Duncan (people’s warden at St. Stephen’s), I felt that weight even more tangibly, even if it is fringed with velvet and stitched with gold.
All of us are given such things to carry, but we don’t do so alone. And so we respond and say “yes,” the Lord being our helper. The precious cargo, I believe, is the collective ministry of the church, in the particular setting of the Diocese of Saskatoon, a ministry shepherded by Bishop Chad and shared with all of us.
I have been in this diocese as a priest since we moved here in 2006, serving in various capacities, and almost entirely at St. Stephen’s (I served at St. Timothy’s when I first moved to Saskatoon). I have been the full-time rector here for eight years, having served in a part-time capacity in some way for the other 12.
As archdeacon in the diocese, I am available to support the bishop as he makes decisions for the good of the diocese, and come alongside clergy and others as called upon and needed.
I will be a listening ear and a prayerful support to the bishop and others. This diocesan newsletter is one of the signs of improved communication and teamwork in the diocese, and as archdeacon, I will be in a position to keep this momentum going, as we work together to serve God, the community and each other. I will continue to serve on diocesan council and other committees or groups as called upon and needed.
In a recent gospel reading, Jesus invited the new disciples to “come and see” (John 1:29-42). I am quite sure that being archdeacon involves a similar openness to where the Spirit leads, as I follow Christ and serve in the church in this time and place.
