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Group photograph of the Council of the General Synod (CoGS) 2025-2028 members standing on a staircase landing.
Members of the Council of the General Synod for the 2025-2028 triennium gather for a photo after their meeting at General Synod 2025. Charlotte Poolton

New members elected for the Council of the General Synod

Published on 
June 30, 2025

On June 27, the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada elected new members for the Council of the General Synod (CoGS), its executive body. CoGS carries out strategic planning, coordinates the work of all committees and advises the Primate on matters that concern the welfare of the church.

The CoGS membership includes the Primate, the Prolocutor, the Deputy Prolocutor, the Chancellor, bishops, clergy and lay members of General Synod elected by the General Synod on the nomination of the Provincial Caucuses, one youth member of the General Synod from each ecclesiastical province elected by General Synod on the nomination of the Provincial Caucuses, one member each nominated by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Episcopal Church, and two members nominated by the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples. The General Secretary of the General Synod is an ex officio member of CoGS.

In the 2025-2028 triennium, the members of CoGS will include:

President: The Most Rev. Shane Parker
Prolocutor: The Ven. Tanya Phibbs
Deputy Prolocutor: Mr. Brian Lee
Chancellor: Canon Clare Burns
General Secretary: TBA
Treasurer: Ms. Amal Attia
National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop: The Most Rev. Chris Harper

ELECTED MEMBERS

PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA & YUKON

  • The Rt. Rev. Clara Plamondon, Bishop
  • The Ven. Jeffrey Mackie-Deernsted, Clergy
  • Zach Groves, Laity
  • Anne McMichael, Laity
  • Gia Love, Youth

PROVINCE OF NORTHERN LIGHTS

  • The Rt. Rev. Helen Kennedy, Bishop
  • The Ven. Jordan Haynie Ware, Clergy
  • The Rev. Lauren Schoeck, Clergy
  • Connie Jensen, Laity
  • Mary McKay, Laity
  • Colleen Walker, Laity
  • Henry Thiessen, Youth

PROVINCE OF ONTARIO

  • The Rt. Rev. Dr. Susan Bell, Bishop
  • The Very Rev. Douglas Michael, Clergy
  • Dorothy Patterson, Laity
  • Noah Skinner, Laity
  • Paige Keller, Youth

PROVINCE OF CANADA

  • The Rt. Rev. John Watton, Bishop
  • The Rev. Mickton Phiri, Clergy
  • Dion Lewis, Laity
  • Edith Marshall, Laity
  • Sally Smith, Youth

ANGLICAN COUNCIL OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

  • The Rev. Canon Dr. Murray Still
  • Rosie Jane Tailfeathers

ANGLICAN MILITARY ORDINARIATE

  • Canon Judson Bridgewater

The next meeting of CoGS will take place Nov. 27-30, 2025.

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.