PRINCE ALBERT — In October, the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, made his fitth visit to Canada, with his wife, Rebecca, on a 20-day tour. The archbishop visited Deer Lake, NFLD, Montreal, Sault St Marie, Winnipeg, Moose Jaw, Kelowna and Vancouver. These events were clergy retreats or conferences, often including multiple dioceses. The archbishop also attended the Provincial Synod of Ontario. This was an expansive tour that took in the whole Canadian Church.
The trip came to be at the 2022 Lambeth conference. This is a conference where bishops around the world meet in England. At the end of one day, the Archbishop of York met a cohort of Canadian bishops and was impressed by their congeniality. A joke was made to bring him to Canada, and the rest is history!
The intent of the events was to bring a new perspective on evangelism and discipleship. In Saskatchewan, the archbishop spoke at a clergy conference held by the Diocese of Qu’Appelle and the Evangelical Lutheran Church, with 27 Anglicans and 64 Lutherans attending.
The archbishop led discussion on how to wrestle with structural reform — to a church that shares the good news. To begin, he would ask, “Where is your church’s ‘maternity ward?’” Implicit in the question is that hospitals don’t close their maternity wards for the day, and neither should the church. The good news is worth sharing. To do this, we need to be disciples rooted in the word.
For this reason, Cottrell next led a Bible study on the Road to Emmaus. Small groups read the Scripture, discussing the relationship between Jesus and the disciples. The archbishop asked questions leading the groups into a deeper understanding of Scripture and even “burning hearts.” In reading Scripture, we learn how to be disciples and our hearts open to Jesus’ transforming power.
Afterwards, he gave time for questions. This horizontal approach gave participants a chance to ask questions on their hopes, fears, and doubts. Indeed, in the answers, the archbishop shared his pastoral spirit with the conference.
Last, in an interview, the archbishop said that Anglicans have a role to play in society. For example, advocating for nuclear disarmament. Even though our presence in the public sphere is smaller than in the past, we have a duty as Christians to walk with the poor. Indeed, we hope for social transformation and remember that Jesus came to bring peace.
The archbishop and his wife both reported feeling at home with Canadians. In particular, Mrs. Cottrell appreciated listening to our stories first hand, and looks forward to bringing them with her back to England.
