with files from the Anglican Communion News Service
David Hamid – a former staff member with the Anglican Church of Canada – became the last bishop ordained by George Carey, the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury at an Oct. 17 consecration service.
Bishop Hamid, who will serve as suffragan bishop in Europe (Church of England), was Canada’s regional mission co-ordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean from 1987 to 1996.
He became director of ecumenical affairs for the Anglican Consultative Council in 1996.
The Canadian primate, Archbishop Michael Peers, and Archdeacon Jim Boyles, general secretary of General Synod, were present as was Bishop Hamid’s former bishop, Ralph Spence of the diocese of Niagara.
There were also a large number of ecumenical guests, including two priests from the Vatican and a host of Orthodox prelates. The bishop of London, Richard Chartres, assisted and John Sentamu, the bishop of Birmingham preached.
Bishop Hamid’s wife Colleen, a research scientist at St. Thomas Hospital in London, and two sons, Jonathan and Michael were present.
About 30 Anglican bishops from England, Canada, Uruguay, Nigeria, and the United States were also in attendance for the laying on of hands, with two bishops from the Old Catholic Church. Also present was the bishop of Uruguay, Miguel Marta Tamayo, a former member of Canadian church’s partners in mission committee.
Bishop Hamid was presented by Bishop Geoffrey Rowell of Europe.
Born in Scotland to Scottish and Burmese parents, Bishop Hamid spent much of his ministry in Canada, and holds dual Canadian and British citizenship. He was rector of St. John’s Burlington, Ontario (1983-87), where he developed a mission congregation into a self-supporting parish.
The diocese of Niagara gave Bishop Hamid a gift of a pectoral cross, which was designed by Bishop Spence in consultation with Bishop Hamid. At the four ends of the cross are a thistle (representing Scotland), a lotus (for Burma), a maple leaf (for Canada) and a trillium (from the diocese of Niagara’s crest). Church House, the national office of the Anglican Church of Canada, gave him his episcopal ring.
Bishop Hamid’s post at the Anglican Consultative Council is being filled by another Canadian, Bishop John Baycroft until June 2003. Bishop Baycroft is the former bishop of Ottawa and one-time director of the Anglican Centre in Rome.
Link:
Canadian priest named suffragan of Europe
— July anglican.ca news story
For more photographs of the consecration, see the Anglican Communion News Service story