Niagara Anglicans elect first female bishop
Niagara Anglicans have elected a woman to serve as bishop of the diocese. The Anglican Diocese of Niagara announced Sunday in a media release that Rev. Canon Susan Bell was elected to serve as the 12th bishop of the diocese and the first woman to hold the job since the diocese was founded in 1875. The 51-year-old Hamilton native was selected from seven candidates vying for the position, and elected after five ballots.
Nearly 270 people were in attendance for the election at Christ’s Church Cathedral in Hamilton, representing 94 per cent of eligible voters within the diocese. Bell is to officially begin her new role on June 1, following a service of consecration tentatively scheduled for Saturday, May 5, at Christ’s Church Cathedral, Hamilton. The media release says Bell hopes to build on the achievements of outgoing Bishop Michael Bird — who focused on creating a prayerful, prophetic and progressive ministry during the past decade – Rev. Canon Bill Mous said Bell has a few additional ideas that will help guide the diocese in the years to come. “Each bishop puts their own stamp on the episcopacy, right,” Mous said. “Certainly, Michael has left a legacy,” he said, adding his work has extended beyond the local diocese to impact the Anglican church across Canada. Bell could not be reached for comment, Monday. She is currently the canon missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, where she was ordained in 1997. The former school chaplain is also an honorary assistant at St. James Cathedral in Toronto, and associate priest at the parish of St. Martinin-the-Fields, while working on her PhD in church history.