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The Primate

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  • A smiling clergy member wearing a clerical collar and a vestment, engaging in conversation at an event, with a candle and a screen featuring a cross in the background.
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  • A group of individuals in colorful traditional attire participating in a ceremonial event outdoors, with one person in a blue robe and hat interacting with another.
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  • Three men smile for a selfie at a conference, with one holding a wooden cross. The background features a large screen and a crowd of attendees, emphasizing a moment of camaraderie and celebration.

    • Archbishop Shane Parker is the 15th Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. His ministry is grounded in guiding the Church’s life across Canada and deepening its relationships within the Anglican Communion.

    Meet Archbishop Shane (biography)

    The Primate’s ministry

    The Primate is the senior pastoral leader of the Anglican Church of Canada, elected by the General Synod to serve and support the whole Church. They guide the Church’s mission, support bishops across Canada and visit dioceses to offer care and connection. The Primate also builds relationships with Anglicans, other Christian churches and faith traditions around the world.

    Rather than overseeing a specific diocese, the Primate’s ministry focuses on uniting the Church and providing guidance. This includes chairing national bodies such as the General Synod, its Council and the House of Bishops, serving as chief executive officer of the General Synod and participating in national committees.

    The Primate takes part in consecrating new bishops and, when invited, joins local parish services. These moments nurture the Church’s unity and strengthen its shared mission.

    Learn more about the Primate’s role and responsibilities, outlined in Canon III of the Handbook of the General Synod.

    Latest statements and news

    See statements and news related to Primate Shane Parker

    More from the Office of the 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.