wfn.org | ACNS3687 Nova Scotia elects third woman bishop in Canadian

["Anglican Communion News Service" <acnslist@anglicancommunion.org>]

ACNS 3687     |     CANADA     |     25 NOVEMBER 2003 

Nova Scotia elects third woman bishop in Canadian church

[ACNS source: Anglican Church of Canada] The diocese of Nova Scotia and
Prince Edward Island has elected a well-known priest and social justice
advocate as its suffragan, or assistant, bishop.

Susan Moxley is the diocese's first female bishop and only the third
woman ever to be elected to Canada's house of 42 active bishops.

The 417 lay and clergy delegates voted on the five nominee priests: Ms
Moxley, Ron Cutler, Reg MacDonald, Dianne Parker and Robert Richmond.
Although Bishop-elect Moxley led on all ballots, it took three ballots
to elect her by a clear majority in both lay and clergy houses. Due to
extensive damage to the diocese's All Saints Cathedral from a September
hurricane, synod was convened at St James church, Armdale, in Halifax.

Ordained to the diaconate in 1984 and to the priesthood in 1985,
Bishop-elect Moxley has a bachelor and master's degree in arts from the
University of Western Ontario, a master's in psychology and a Ph.D. in
education and psychology from the University of Michigan. She received
her master's degree in divinity in 1984 from the Atlantic School of
Theology, where she served as a part-time faculty member from 1990-1996.

She has served parishes in the diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward
Island and a number of diocesan councils and committees. At the national
church level, she served on the program committee from 1989-95 and
chaired the committee from 1992-95. She was a member of the National
Executive Council (a predecessor of the Council of General Synod, or
CoGS), the finance committee, the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples
(as a non-native member), and CoGS. Currently, she is a member of the
eco-justice committee, the indigenous justice working group and the
healing fund committee.

Bishop-elect Moxley will take up the suffragan position on 1 March 2004,
assisting diocesan bishop Fred Hiltz in serving the large diocese which
comprises more than 300 congregations. She will be ordained and
installed March 25, on the Feast of the Annunciation. She is currently
rector of St Mark's, Halifax, honorary canon of the Cathedral Church of
All Saints, Halifax, and a member of the international Anglican
Consultative Council.

Bishop-elect Moxley and her husband, Bruce, have two grown daughters:
Ruth and Tanya.

[With files from Paul Sherwood]

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