Anglican bishop reflects on his time in the city
Bird says challenge is to make church relevant to the next generation
Michael Bird is stepping down as bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Niagara on June 1, 2018, after 10 years at the helm. The diocesan office is at Christ’s Church Cathedral on James Street North in Hamilton.
Bird, 59, will join a ministry in the Ottawa diocese, giving him more direct involvement in parish life.
“It’s a challenging job these days,” he said of being bishop. “And I’m now getting a chance to transition to work more closely in parish work.”
The Spectator spoke to Bird about his time as bishop and asked him five questions.
In your letter to members of the diocese, you mention facing and meeting a number of daunting challenges with them during your tenure. What do you mean?
I think the church — like most institutions and organizations — is really working through the rapid amount of change in people’s lives and the world … people, like those in the church, have to work on how to remain relevant and meet the needs and expectations of each new generation. The reality is people’s lives are very different than even 20 years ago. Their disposable time is taken up by the demands of work and how much young people are involved in activities.
The church has to find new ways of reaching out to people in all walks. I’m encouraged that in my 10 years I’ve seen a renewed interest to reach beyond the four walls of the church and to connect with people we haven’t been connecting with — like people with the lived experience of poverty, or by ministering to migrant workers, and by our miraculous response to Syrian refugees, and our significant outreach programs.
One of the big challenges has been to make those kinds of shifts, and to make sure they (members of the diocese) know there’s a lot more to a church than going to a service on Sunday. People are being empowered themselves, for ministry.
What’s your biggest takeaway from your time in Hamilton and as head of the diocese?
It’s hard to pick one, but when I was first consecrated bishop, we basically began the process of developing a diocesan vision. That vision has become a template for over 90 congregations across Niagara, to help guide the work they’re doing at the local level. The way I’ve seen it (the vision) lived out is an accomplishment I’m extremely pleased with. Our advocacy for those marginalized in our society and the growth in our ability to walk with those people in a variety of ways has meant a great deal to me.
I’d also like to say how exciting it’s been to be involved with people in the city of Hamilton, and to be involved in ministry in such an exciting time in the life of this city … it’s one thing I’ll miss — the relationships and opportunities to work with such dedicated people.
What was the most difficult part of the new diocesan vision?
In leading the church, in terms of being inclusive … (and) equal marriage (same-sex marriage) — that wasn’t a decision made unanimously across the church. So certainly, trying to continue to work together with all parts of the church in the midst of dealing with that debate was difficult at times. But at the end of the day, I was delighted we were able to move forward (in allowing same sex marriage).
What does the church need to do to keep people engaged?
We’ve got to continue to work at being inclusive, make sure our doors are open. A wonderful example was this past Supercrawl. Large groups came into the cathedral and saw the art installation, and wanted to see what the church was all about. (The church needs) to be open and to be a gathering place for our community.
We’ve seen a lot of reuse of old church buildings. What do you think of that?
I think … we have to understand our work as a church is not just about a building. Sometimes, in determining what God wants, they (parishioners) will find the building is holding them back. It’s just a natural conclusion to come to, again in respect to a changing world in the 21st century.