The Right Reverend Dr. Bruce H.W. Howe
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The Right Reverend Dr. Bruce H.W. Howe 190 Queen’s Avenue |
SERVICE IN THE CHURCH
October 2000-present: 11th Bishop of Huron
1988- 2000: Dean of Huron; Rector of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, Ontario
1980-1988: Rector, St. John’s, Lunenberg, Nova Scotia
1974-1980: Rector, St. Mary’s, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia
1970-1974:
Director, Social Services, Fred Victor Mission, Toronto
ORDINATION AND CONSECRATION
Deacon: May 25, 1969,
All Saints’ Cathedral, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Priest: May 23, 1971,
All Saints’ Cathedral, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Bishop: October 28, 2000,
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, Ontario
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
May 1967: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), University of King’s College, Halifax, Nova Scotia
May 1970: Master of Sacred Letters (M.S. Litt), University of King’s College, Halifax
1970-1971: Year long Trainee at the Canadian Urban Training Project for Christian Service (C.U.T.), Toronto, Ontario
May 1999: Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa), Huron University College, London, Ontario
April 2005: Named a Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
January 2006: Honourary Senior Fellow, Renison College, Waterloo, Ontario
Various other courses include a study program at the Urban Training Centre in Chicago;
Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Switzerland; study visit in Cuba; and was selected for a study visit through the World Council of Churches in Frankfurt, Berlin and East Germany.
Further details:
Bishop Howe began his ministry, following ordination, in the Diocese of Toronto where he served as Director of Social Services at the Fred Victor Mission of the United Church of Canada and served as Honourary Assistant at St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church. This position involved relating to the needy and homeless of Toronto and it involved the supervision of 14 staff and the administration of various programs including the initiation of new services to meet changing needs. During this time, he was a Member of the Board of the Downtown Churchworkers’ Association (Toronto).
Following this work in Toronto, Bishop Howe moved back to Nova Scotia to continue his ministry and served as Rector of St. Mary’s Parish, Glace Bay and then served as Rector of the historic parish of St. John’s in Lunenburg. In both places he was active in community and Diocesan life; e.g. member of the Diocesan Executive Committee, Regional Dean, Chair of the Bicentennial Committee, etc. He served as Chair of the Anglicans in Mission Implementation Task Force (N.S. and P.E.I.) and as Chair of the Diocesan Ministries Committee (N.S. and P.E.I.).
He then moved to Ontario where he continued his ministry as Dean of Huron and Rector of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, London, Ontario. As Rector of the Cathedral, he provided leadership to the mission and ministry of London’s oldest church and one of the city’s historic properties. The church has reached out to the wider community through such programs as the Daily Bread Program, the Fellowship Centre (for London’s “street people”), a Refugee Committee, and has also worked to strengthen the historic role of a Cathedral in the Arts, etc. As Dean of Huron, he was actively involved at the Diocesan level as Chair of The Diocesan Executive Staff Committee; Chair of The Executive Staff and Archdeacons; member of Diocesan Council, etc.
Bishop Howe was enthroned as the 11th Bishop of Huron on the 30th of November 2000. He is Chief Pastor of the Clergy and People of Huron which is comprised of 225 churches in the geographic area that extends from Windsor to London to Kitchener-Waterloo and Lake Erie to Tobermory. In terms of numbers of churches, clergy and laity, Huron is the second largest diocese in the country.
While Bishop, many new initiatives have taken place or are in process and implemented in the Diocese such as a major Sesquicentennial recognition and celebration; an active companion diocese relationship; important policy and procedure infrastructure; programs for recognition of ministries such as retired clergy and their spouses, lay ministries, etc. From his time in Toronto to present, he has actively supported and participated in local or national ecumenical initiatives or ministerials. He has traveled to South Africa to spend time with the Bishop, Clergy and People of Huron’s companion diocese.
Bishop Howe’s passion for teaching, led him to teach a University Credit Course “The Bible in Dialogue with our Post-Modern Generation” for several years. He has facilitated numerous seminars and workshops for parishes or regional gatherings as well as recent clergy retreats and speaking at conferences. He has served the community in various capacities such as a Hospital Board Member, Town Recreation Commission, a local Board of Trade, Information London, and has Chaired two Provincial Swim meets.
Other Diocesan Service:
Chair of the Corporation of Huron University College (Huron)
Visitor to Renison College (Huron)
Executive Board of Canterbury College (Huron)
NATIONAL SERVICE
Chair of the Diocesan/National Bicentennial Committee Celebrating the Arrival of Canada’s first Anglican Bishop
Member of Numerous Provincial and General Synods prior to and subsequent to Consecration as Bishop
Chair for six years of General Synod Long Range Planning Committee
Member of General Synod Inter Church Inter Faith Relations Committee
Chair of Ontario Provincial Synod/Executive Committee’s Administration and Finance Commission
Member of the Board of the Canadian Council of Churches
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Date of Birth: July 6, 1947
Bishop Howe is married to Jane. They have four daughters - Amanda, Sarah, Mary Theresa and Sandra and in 2007 they celebrated the birth of their sixth grandchild.
He enjoys travel, watching movies, baseball, reading and walking.
Bishop Howe was born in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. His father was born and raised in London, Ontario but at the beginning of the Second World War he went to Halifax to join the Navy and remained in the Navy until retirement. Bishop Howe’s parents met and married in Halifax. Bruce is a life long Anglican.
Bishop Howe has traveled extensively for work, including a number of study visits and for recreation. Travel has included a recent visit to Huron’s companion diocese of Mthatha, South Africa. He completed a mini-sabbatical in Greece and Turkey; travel in Spain, France, Italy, U.K, the Caribbean, the Middle East; a study visit to Cuba through the Canadian Urban Training Project; through the U.S. through the North America Deans’ Conference; and a course of study at Bossey—The Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches. He also went to Frankfurt, Berlin and East Germany through the World Council of Churches.
VISION OF THE ROLE OF THE PRIMATE
The Primate, as a member of the baptized community, is a follower of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and thus is called to mission and ministry at the local, national and international levels.
The Primate has answered a call by God to ordained ministry as a Deacon, Priest and Bishop. From the Order of Bishops the Primate is called to be a leader and servant with the Church and for the Church. Leadership and servant ministry are exercised by the Primate when he/she is in relationship with persons, congregations, dioceses, the Canadian Church and the Anglican Communion. In addition are the very important relationships with our ecumenical partners and other faith communities, world religions and the world at large. Relationships involve an ability to listen to diverse voices and articulate the needs of others and to be able to offer hope and vision for the Church and the world.
The Anglican Church of Canada is important. The Anglican Communion is important. We are not simply or even primarily an institution. We are family. The Primate’s travels throughout the country, meeting with people at the local and diocesan levels, provides an opportunity for trust to develop and for the Primate to see first hand God’s work in the many individuals who seek to be disciples of Christ. Supporting the Church’s ministries and uplifting and nurturing the faithful will ensure that the Anglican family in Canada will be everything God calls us to be for the world.
In the Anglican Communion we use the phrase “Instruments of Unity”. I believe the Office of the Primate in and of itself is an instrument of unity at least within the Anglican Church of Canada. A Bishop and/or Primate is called to guard the faith, unity and discipline of the Church. At times this will be lived out when the Primate functions as a Presider at General Synod, the House of Bishops and other Councils of the Church. This ministry of administration is but one aspect of the role. The Primate proclaims or preaches the Good News, teaches, nurtures the ministry of healing and is a Pastor. The Pastoral and Administrative role of the Primate is exercised within Church House, within the House of Bishops and across the Church.
Many of the responsibilities of the Primate can be found in Canon 3, Section 4. The Primate works alongside other ordained and lay leaders to build up the Body of Christ and this is under-girded by a life of prayer. Our Church today needs members who are passionate about their faith, live a life of joy and proclaim by word and deed that Jesus Is Lord! All Christians are icons of faith, hope and love and the Primate has the privilege to exercise that from coast to coast to coast. A Primate filled with the love of Christ will call the Church to be a joy-filled community where worship and outreach, ministry and mission will enable us to walk from henceforth in God’s holy ways.
The Right Reverend Bruce H.W. Howe