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Announcing my Retirement


March 28, 2005

On Palm Sunday, March 20, 2005, Bishop Donald Phillips came to St. George’s to announce my retirement from full-time parish ministry.

The effective date is September 1, 2005, and with holidays factored in, my last service will be July 17th.

This is a good decision.  I am particularly looking forward to engaging in a teaching ministry throughout the church, and to finishing my book.  However, I cannot deny that my decision was triggered on March 6th, when, with a remarkable sense of unity, St. George’s parishioners indicated a wish to change their music ministry after Stewart Thomson retires, from a choir of men and boys to some form of mixed choir of men and women and boys and girls.  I have always felt called to urge the continuance of a Men and Boys’ choir as our principal choir, and prefer to step aside and allow the parish to proceed in its chosen direction, rather than remain and try to resist this new direction.  From retirement I can gladly say “You GO, St. George’s!  Make it work!” – though I will always be deeply sorry to see such a priceless treasure of the Anglican tradition come to an end.


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