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Bishop Joey Royal has resigned

Published on 
October 2, 2024

Dear friends in Christ,

The Rt. Rev. Joey Royal, suffragan bishop of the Diocese of the Arctic, has resigned from his role effective October 20, 2024.

He was elected on March 28, 2019, as one of the diocese’s three suffragan bishops. Previously, he had served as director and primary instructor at the Arthur Turner Training School in Iqaluit and rector at Holy Trinity Church in Yellowknife.

Bishop Royal served on the Council of General Synod and General Synod. He was also the Anglican Church of Canada’s representative on the Inter Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO).

We are grateful for Bishop Royal’s valuable contributions to the life of the church and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

Archbishop Anne Germond,
Acting Primate

Acknowledging the land and God’s creation

This acknowledgement is crafted in light of the Principles of Reconciliation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, as we seek to live faithfully in Christ and in right relationship with all. 

We give thanks to the Creator for this land, its waters, forests and all living beings, and for the abiding presence of Christ among us. From coast to coast to coast, these have been cared for and nurtured by First Nations, Inuit and Métis through countless generations. 

We honour the enduring relationship Indigenous Peoples have cultivated with these lands and waters, and the treaties and agreements that reflect these sacred bonds. We acknowledge the harms caused by colonial expansion, through frameworks like the Doctrine of Discovery and structures like the residential school system. We recognize our past failures as a Church, including disruption of connections to the land and suppression of Indigenous spiritualities. 

Guided by the gospel of Jesus Christ, we confess our need for healing. We commit ourselves to seeking truth, pursuing reconciliation and nurturing harmony with all creation. We place our trust in Christ, through whom all things are reconciled to God. 

May God strengthen us to live faithfully as stewards of the Earth. Let us walk in love, justice and reconciliation, joining in God’s work to restore all creation.