What this space is for

This space is designed for sharing news from the national office of the Anglican Church of Canada. It is also a platform for hosting constructive discussion.

Who’s behind it

This page is monitored by General Synod’s web team: Online Community Coordinator the Rev. Jesse Dymond, Web Manager Brian Bukowski and Web Writer Ali Symons. The web team is responsible for posting content and will occasionally contribute to conversations when appropriate.

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This is a place for honest and courteous conversation.

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• Filing
• Bulk mailing
• Collating material, stuffing, labeling and sealing envelopes
• Photocopying and collating material for meetings and other events
• Preparing packages for distribution

Our aim is to have a pool of volunteers from which we can call on those who are available. We understand that you might not always be available at the times you indicate below; this is just a general outline. If you would like to join our volunteer list, please sign up here:

An extended history of the hymn books of the Anglican Church of Canada has yet to be written but a very helpful short history, with special emphasis on the 1998 edition (Common Praise) can be found in the article:  “Why we publish hymn books: theology for the people” by the Rev. Paul Gibson, in the Spring 1999 issue of Ministry Matters.

1908 (Brown binding)

In 1909 “The Book of Common Praise being The Hymn Book of The Church of England in Canada” was published.  It was “Compiled by a Committee of The General Synod”.  The hymnal was published in Toronto by Henry Frowde and was printed in Oxford, England at the University Press.

It contained 795 hymns as well as a “Chant Appendix” with 139 settings for “The Responses”, “Nunc Dimittis”, “Sanctus”, etc.  The Music was edited by Sir George C. Martin, Organist of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, England.

1938 (Blue binding)

In 1938 “The Book of Common Praise (Revised) being The Hymn Book of The Church of England in Canada” was published.  It had been “Compiled by a Committee of The General Synod”.  The hymnal was published by the Anglican Book Centre in Toronto and printed in Great Britain by the Oxford University Press.

It contained 812 hymns with additional pieces in sections entitled “Ancient Office Hymns”, “Additional Tunes” and “Chant Appendix”.

The 1938 book was reprinted several times and in 1963 the supplementary sections were revised most notable the Chant Appendix.  After 1963 the supplementary sections were listed as:  “Ancient Office Hymns, with Supplement”, “Additional Tunes” and “Chant Appendix (Revised 1963)”.

In 1955 General Synod officially changed the name of the Church from “Church of England in Canada” to “Anglican Church of Canada” in 1955.  Printings done after 1955 reflect this change in name and were published as “The Book of Common Prayer being The Hymn Book of The Anglican Church of Canada”.

1971 (Red binding)

In 1971 the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada jointly published a new hymn book “The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada” popularly known as the “Red Book” for its distinctive red cover.  This hymn book was the fruit of discussion between the two churches about a possible church union.  The union did not come about but the hymn book was a notable ecumenical collaboration of 533 hymns and pieces of liturgical/service music.

1998 (Blue binding)

Common Praise (1998) is the last of a series of hymn books compiled and published by the Anglican Church of Canada.  The current text, published in a blue binding, contains 769 hymns and pieces of service music.

Last revised:  December 2011

“I do not think there is a quick or easy answer to the question ‘Where is authority to be found ?’  Nor do I think it is of the genius of Anglicanism to define too rigidly, though there is always, on the part of some of us, a craving for a rigid neatness.  But I am coming to believe that the way forward in the coming year — and it may be a slow process — will be along two lines: first, to have meetings of the primates of the Communion reasonably often, for leisurely thought, prayer and deep consultation.  There have been such meetings, but on very informal and rare bases.  I believe they should be held perhaps as frequently as once in two years.  But if that meeting not on some fairly regular basis is to be fruitful, those primates would have to come to such meetings well informed with a knowledge of the mind and will of their brothers whom they represent.  Then they would be channels through which the voice of the member Churches would be heard, and real interchange of mind and will and heart could take place.  That’s the first thing.

The second line, I think, on which we might well make progress would be to see to it that that body of primates, as they meet, should be in the very closest and most intimate contact with the Anglican Consultative Council” 2.

The Primates’ Meetings are private and closed to the public and media although there is usually a public statement or pastoral letter released at the end of each one.  The first meeting was held in Ely, England, in 1979.  Between 1979 and 1997 meeting were usually held every two years.  Between 2000 and 2003 the meetings were held every year.  There was an extraordinary Primates Meeting held in London, England, in October 2003.  The next “regular” Primates’ Meeting was held in February 2005.  In February 2007 the Primates met in Dar es Salaam and in February 2009 they met in Alexandria, Egypt.

There is a section of the Anglican Communion Office website dedicated to the Primates’ Meetings available here.

The complete list of Primates’ Meeting dates, locations and public statements, to date is as follows:

Prepared by: Karen Evans
Last Updated: 26 July 2011

1. the Archbishop of Canterbury
2. the Lambeth Conference
3. the Anglican Consultative Council
4. the Primates’ Meeting.

The 1978 Lambeth Conference requested that meetings should be set up to enable regular consultation between the Primates of the Anglican Communion.  The report from Section 3, “The Anglican Communion in the world-wide Church”, noted in its section D page 103, of the official report:  “We have noted that there have very occasionally been meetings of the primates of all the Provinces.  Since such meetings are important for a Communion which is both episcopally led and synodically governed, we hope that such meetings will be held more often, perhaps in connection with meetings of the ACC” 1  In a speech on “Authority in the Anglican Communion” made by the Most Rev. Donald Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury, on 7 August 1978 at the Conference, Archbishop Coggan also mentioned these meetings in connection with the question of authority.

“I do not think there is a quick or easy answer to the question `Where is authority to be found ?’  Nor do I think it is of the genius of Anglicanism to define too rigidly, though there is always, on the part of some of us, a craving for a rigid neatness.  But I am coming to believe that the way forward in the coming year — and it may be a slow process — will be along two lines: first, to have meetings of the primates of the Communion reasonably often, for leisurely thought, prayer and deep consultation.  There have been such meetings, but on very informal and rare bases.  I believe they should be held perhaps as frequently as once in two years.  But if that meeting not on some fairly regular basis is to be fruitful, those primates would have to come to such meetings well informed with a knowledge of the mind and will of their brothers whom they represent.  Then they would be channels through which the voice of the member Churches would be heard, and real interchange of mind and will and heart could take place.  That’s the first thing.

The second line, I think, on which we might well make progress would be to see to it that that body of primates, as they meet, should be in the very closest and most intimate contact with the Anglican Consultative Council” 2.

The Primates’ Meetings are private and closed to the public and media although there is usually a public statement or pastoral letter released at the end of each one.  The first meeting was held in Ely, England, in 1979.  Between 1979 and 1997 meeting were usually held every two years.  Between 2000 and 2003 the meetings were held every year.  There was an extraordinary Primates Meeting held in London, England, in October 2003.  The next “regular” Primates’ Meeting was held in February 2005.  The complete list of Primates’ Meeting dates and locations to date is as follows:

Prepared by:  Karen Evans
Last Updated: 26 July 2011

Over the years a number of committees and departments of General Synod—most recently the department of Financial Management and Development—produced these reports.

• National Statistics 2001
• National Statistics 2000
• National Statistics 1999
• National Statistics 1998
• National Statistics 1997
• National Statistics 1996
• National Statistics 1995
• National Statistics 1994
• National Statistics 1993
• National Statistics 1992
• National Statistics 1991
• National Statistics 1990
• National Statistics 1989
• National Statistics 1988
• National Statistics 1987
• National Statistics 1986
• National Statistics 1985
• National Statistics 1984
• National Statistics 1983
• National Statistics 1982
• National Statistics 1981
• National Statistics 1980
• National Statistics 1979
• National Statistics 1978
• National Statistics 1977
• National Statistics 1976
• National Statistics 1975
• National Statistics 1974
• National Statistics 1973
• National Statistics 1972
• National Statistics 1971
• National Statistics 1970
• National Statistics 1969
• National Statistics 1968
• National Statistics 1966-1967
• National Statistics 1964-1966 (Journal of Proceedings, 23rd General Synod)
• National Statistics 1962-1964
• National Statistics 1959-1961

If you have a general question about the Anglican Church of Canada, contact the info centre.

Technical enquires can be sent to the web team at webmanager@national.anglican.ca

If you have a general question about the Anglican Church of Canada, contact the info centre.

The Ecclesiastical Province of Canada has a web site which can be accessed for more information.

The following brief notes are intended as a quick reference for individuals wishing to know how to address members of the clergy.  Abbreviations such as Rt. for Right are commonly used but abbreviated and unabbreviated forms are equally correct and given here.

Please see also the FAQ Father as a Form of Address for Anglican Clergy.