Last weekend’s episcopal election in Halifax was overshadowed by Montreal Synod’s portentous vote in favour of same-sex blessings. The Nova Scotia election was held to choose a replacement for The Most Rev Fred Hiltz who has moved to Toronto to take up his new post as primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.
Suffragan (assistant) bishop Susan Moxley was elected on the first ballot.
Bishop Susan Moxley, the suffragan, or assistant, bishop of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, was elected diocesan bishop on Oct. 20 in an episcopal election at All Saints Cathedral, Halifax.
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Known for a strong commitment to social justice issues, Bishop Moxley has served on the national eco-justice committee, indigenous justice working group and healing fund committee. At the most recent General Synod governing convention in June 2007, she was chair of the nominating committee, which oversees nominations to national committees.She is also the Canadian church’s episcopal representative at the Anglican Consultative Council (there is also one clerical delegate and one lay delegate), the international body with representation from the worldwide Anglican Communion. It usually meets once every three years.
Bp Moxley is 61 years of age. She is married to Bruce Moxley; they have two grown daughters Ruth and Tanya.
Tanya Moxley, a member of the ACC’s Communication and Information Resources Committee, has written a tribute to her mother entitled “Bishop Mom”.
Bp Moxley’s views on the issues that threaten to tear asunder the Anglican Communion—ordaining non-celibate homosexuals and blessing homosexual couples—are, as far as I have been able to discover, unknown. However, an Anglican rector in Nova Scotia has told his flock that she professes to hold “a conservative view of Christian marriage”.
We shall see how that plays out when she must take a public stand on same-sex blessings.
c/p: Magic Statistics
UPDATE (23 Oct.): Commenter Anne Anglican points to this item in Anglican Journal, in which Bp Moxley says she was so “disappointed” by General Synod’s rejection of same-sex blessings that she “sat and cried”. So much for that “conservative” view of marriage.
Actually, +Sue is on record (http://www.anglicanjournal.com/index.php?id=460)
“Bishop Sue Moxley, diocese of Nova Scotia
I sat and cried. People have to do what they have to do, but I was just really disappointed that the house of bishops would be holding back when it’s clear other people are ready to go. There were goodly numbers in the other departments.
“I think it (the motion) will come back again. I think the dioceses that are wanting to move ahead like Niagara and the others, I think it’s going to be really difficult in those dioceses to know what to do now. (There’s) the possibility that they would just go ahead because General Synod didn’t take the initiative will just create that kind of willy-nilly happening thing. That’s what other people are saying, that we’re not going to wait anymore for the national church to decide. I guess there are some people that think that the dioceses has that right to make that decision anyway. I don’t know where that will go go.”
I have just read Sarah Hey’s latest piece over at Stand Firm – “Of Dark Tunnels and Faith, Nothing Left to Lose”. It is a very encouraging piece – it comes down to Jesus and I – and what you can do if you do not feel led to leave the ACC yet – we are free from any expectations from the leaders of the Church and it is a very freeing moment. I know I feel a whole lot better now the schism is coming into the open.
Anne, Thanks for that. The post has been updated accordingly.
Sarah Hey’s item is posted here.
Thanks for the link Scott. I will have to figure out how to do that.
Another Liberal minded Bishop….just what the Church needs in Canada!! Oh well,
Nail #1 – Westminster
Nail #2 – Ottawa
Nail #3 – Montreal
More Nails Bishop of Brandon, Nova Scotia, British Columbia (Cowan) and so many more.
Wow…..the lid is getting nailed down….Too Bad.
I always held “Nails” up in my Christian Faith. Guess I should say that the above nails are “Screwnails”.
Perhaps Common Cause will bring us what we need, certainly the Anglican Church of Canada is not….