Aboriginal Anglican Archbishop Errs

"We extend, with sorrow, our prayers for healing to all those involved as we deal with the consequences of this situation. We continue to work for respect and dignity in all our relationships."

"[The church is reviewing its sexual harassment policy] with respect to training and procedures to ensure that our policy is effective and appropriate. [Our leadership is committed to ensuring workplaces] are free from violence, coercion, discrimination, and sexual harassment [and that] no one is subjected to sexual misconduct of any kind."

"We deal promptly, seriously and systematically with all complaints of sexual misconduct [and wish to ensure] those who hold positions of trust or power in the church do not take advantage of or abuse that trust."

Anglican Church of Canada

Rev. Mark MacDonald had served as the church's national Indigenous Anglican bishop since 2007. (Anglican Church of Canada)

"Without transparency and accountability, the credibility of the Anglican Church of Canada and the Anglican Journal cannot be repaired. Right now, we cannot see how any survivors of sexual violence or other ecclesial abuses can trust an organization that treats disclosures so cavalierly."

"Profound cultural change is needed, starting with a clear repudiation of cronyism and corruption. Indeed, for any Christian to have confidence in the Church,they need to know it is led by good shepherds who protect the sheep from the wolves, not the other way around."

Open letter signed by complainants, church officials and ordained clergy 

Suddenly, an influential national archbishop resigned his office and church duties. Mark MacDonald, national Indigenous archbishop assigned oversight of pastoral care for Indigenous Canadian church members suddenly resigned. The church is already struggling with criticism over its handling of unrelated allegations of sexual misconduct in other instances. The former archbishop, 68, is married and the father of three children.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Church of England head and leader of the Anglican Communion worldwide will be arriving for a visit to Canada, invited by two church officials, of whom Archbishop MacDonald was one. The Most Reverend Justin Welby was to meet with Indigenous leaders and residential school 'survivors', and Archbishop MacDonald would have, fittingly, under normal circumstances, ushered him about, the very symbol of the Anglican church's commitment to Indigenous Canadians.

 

The archbishop resigned Wednesday, and the church's website no longer features his biography and photograph. He was Canada's first National Indigenous Anglican Bishop, in 2007, promoted to archbishop in 2019 when he became the first National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop. He spent ten years as the US. Episcopal Church bishop of Alaska after having been assistant bishop for the Navajo Reservation, representing parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

A graduate of Wycliffe College in Toronto, he served as a priest in Mississauga, Ontario, before taking up positions in the United States. He was known to be outspoken in concern for the marginalized poor, and on Indigenous rights. Elsewhere within the church there have been allegations and resignations resulting from outrage over the handling by church officials of sexual violence claims when victims attempted to speak of their experiences within the Anglican Church of Canada.

Three grievers attempted to complain of sexual violence by ordained Anglican clergy and to reveal their experiences of church institutions mishandling their claims, leading to a "scandalous offence" with church officials betraying the confidence of the grievers. The Anglican Journal, published by the church, was ordered by the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, its national governing body, to hand over a draft copy of the complaints.

 

The draft revealed the complainants' identity, when they expressly stated they were not to be identified publicly. Their complaints were circulated to the very institutions they had brought their complaints against. "Regarding your request for comments on the allegations by alleged victims, this matter is currently moving through an internal process and it would be inappropriate to comment at this time", stated Joe Vecsi, director of communications with the Anglican Church of Canada, who refused to comment further. 

The Anglican Church of Canada’s National Indigenous Archbishop Mark MacDonald speaks on faith-based environmental advocacy during a 2019 interfaith gathering in New York. Photo: Simon Chambers/ACT Alliance