Bishop discusses resignation in final letter

By Bishop Chris Harper

Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I; send me!"

To all my church family in the Diocese of Saskatoon.

Greetings and peace, I write to you today to share and update the changes that have transpired over the past few weeks here within our Diocese and within our shared ministry.

It should now be widely known that my ministry with you has changed.

I have been elected by the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples (ACIP) to the position of National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop and I have accepted the appointment by our Primate Linda Nicholls, to begin on Feb. 1. This appointment and duties related, effectively means that I have had to resign my place as the 13th Diocesan Bishop of Saskatoon.

Please know that this letter of resignation was submitted with sadness and tears.

I have loved my ministry with all of you, we together have traversed the faith landscape together in an amazing journey of life and faith, we have cross the divides of good and bad, we together have laughed and cried... we have become family. Thus Tracy and I leave you, our church family, with all our love and prayers as we head out to another and differing landscape, and calling.

Faith calls us to offer ourselves wholly and allow the leading of the Holy Spirit in all that we do, thus I in my personal ministry have always been wary of saying no to the calling and opening of a new door in faith from the Almighty. I have prayerfully asked God to lead me in all things.

God continues to always call us to be challenged, shaped and reshaped, just as the hands of the potter shapes the clay, so too are we shaped for new ministry.

In this, I believe that the ministry of the Diocese of Saskatoon has an amazing future and new direction ahead, and this I will watch with great interest in the time ahead.

In our time with you, Tracy and I have offered to you, our church and diocesan family, a measure of what it means to be in family and community of believers.

I pray that you know that you have always been loved and held in our daily prayers, now and going forward. Thus thinking ahead...

I have set my service schedule to keep in accordance with my placement into my new role in ministry.

In acknowledging this schedule, I note that I have not that many days left to accomplish a vast amount of preparations and duties, in closing up my office, and starting up and opening a new one.

My endeavour will be to have two offices, my main in the west (prairie provinces) and a second lesser office in Toronto.

In this way I believe I will stand to better represent the church and people of faith by keeping a wider stance on the land and office for all.

Tracy and I will live in Saskatoon for the time being. As travel national and international will be within my new scope of practice, I ask that you continue to keep Tracy and I in your personal and church prayers.

I have spoken with Archbishop Gregory Kerr-Wilson on Episcopal oversight of the Diocese of Saskatoon; he will take charge to assess and set up the next steps in the process going forward.

With Archbishop Gregory having Episcopal oversight, the Diocesan Synod Office here locally, will be cared for by Executive Archdeacon/ Admin. Alex Parson and Exec. Assistant Lorea Eufemia, for a time period determined by Archbishop Gregory.

If this announcement seems to be set in an accelerated timeline (and it is), this is due to circumstances beyond our control. So in closing I thank God Almighty for your ministry and faith as we go forward.

We are in a season of change and the church is adapting to new pressures and realities, and you too are ever changing and adapting.

For all this I am thankful and prayerful, because we together are part of a 'living church' and the Lord reveals new and wondrous things daily by the continuous movement of the Holy Spirit in and amongst us.

I close with love and prayers.