Heralds of the Kingdom - Ordinations 2018
During Archbishop Skelton’s sermon preached at the Ordination Eucharist, Saturday, June 23, 2018, the Feast of the Birth of St. John the Baptist (transferred) she spoke about the feast day beginning with these two sentences:
"Stories about John the Baptist at the end of June. It’s a little weird, a little disorienting, a little like Christmas in July, isn’t it?"
She said a bit more about the remarkable story that is the story of the Birth of John the Baptist and then proceeded to share some history of each of the five ordinands. The information that she presented about these five was truly remarkable and serves to illustrate the increasing diversity of ordained leadership in the Diocese of New Westminster:
- The Reverend Marion Man Wai Wong – born in Hong Kong and ordained in the United Church of Canada, fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and English.
- The Reverend Hyok Kim – born in Korea, a theatre and stagecraft professional who came to Vancouver to study at Regent College. Upon his return to Korea he visited the Episcopal Cathedral in Seoul, Korea, and discovered that the Anglican way could well be the path for him.
- The Reverend Dr. Sharon Smith – the daughter of a Baptist pastor from South Africa (her father, the Reverend Terry Rea travelled from his home in Durban, South Africa to be present at the Eucharist), an Occupational Therapist who has had and continues to have a career in counselling and OT serving others by promoting universal wellness.
- Juanita Clark – a career civil servant in Indigenous and Northern Affairs working on land claims and was powerfully moved toward faith through those experiences.
- Peggy Trendell-Jensen – a cradle Anglican in the Diocese of New Westminster, a skilled writer with a passion for social justice.
Near the conclusion of the sermon, Archbishop Skelton summed up the skills, faith and commitment of the newly ordained saying, “All in their own ways are heralds of the Kingdom of God.”
(An audio file of Archbishop Skelton’s sermon is available here.)
The Saturday morning liturgy was well-attended, there were dozens of clergy in attendance and a congregation that represented not just the parishes connected to the ordinands but the entire diocese.
The Dean of the Diocese of British Columbia and Rector of Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria, the Very Reverend M. Ansley Tucker was the Chaplain to the Ordinands.
As this was a diocesan liturgy at the Cathedral, members of Cathedral Choir under the direction of organist and director of music Rupert Lang led the music in worship which included the traditional Taizé Introit, Veni Sancte Spiritus , the hymn, “Be Thou My Vision” and other pieces to encourage congregational singing and broad participation in the music component of worship. Cathedral clergy and worship leaders were also involved as leaders in liturgy.
During her sermon Archbishop Skelton shared with the congregation that Peggy Trendell-Jensen had asked why deacons receive the laying on of hands from the bishop or archbishop and priests receive laying on of hands from the bishop or archbishop and also the priests who are present. Archbishop Skelton said that she would talk more about that later and she kept her word. Following the presentation of the ordinands and moving into the “Consecration of a Deacon” section, the archbishop paused in the liturgy to explain that the bishop ordains the deacons because deacons are directly connected to the bishop usually through tasks of service and priests form a presbyteral community, a collegiality and assume with their bishop or archbishop the pastoral mission of a parish.
The five newly ordained will now continue into this new phase of their ministry: The Reverend Marion Man Wai Wong, presented by the Reverend Vivian Lam and Mrs. Jennifer Cheung will continue her curacy at St. Matthias and St. Luke, Oakridge; the Reverend Hyok Kim, presented by the Reverend Alex Wilson and Ms. Lynne Taylor will continue his curacy at St. Anselm’s, UBC Endowment Lands in Point Grey; the Reverend Dr. Sharon Smith, presented by the Venerable Stephen Muir and the Reverend Lizz Lindsay has completed her curacy at St. Agnes’ and will begin her new ministry as vicar of St. Catherine’s, Capilano, July 1, 2018 (the installation and Celebration of a New Ministry Eucharist will take place at St. Catherine’s, Wednesday, July 25 at 7pm); the Reverend Peggy Trendell-Jensen presented by the Reverend Lynne McNaughton and Mr. Peter Jensen will continue her ministry at St. Clement’s, Lynn Valley, but now as an ordained leader; and the Reverend Juanita Clark, presented by the Reverend Patrick Blaney and the Reverend Christine Wilson will be the deacon in the parish that raised her up for ordination, St. John the Evangelist, North Vancouver.
Please keep the newly ordained, their families and their faith communities in your prayers.
IMAGES
- The Group photo: the Ven. Louie Engnan, Archdeacon of Fraser; the Ven. Bruce Morris, Archdeacon for Deacons; the Rev. Peggy Trendell-Jensen; the Rev. Juanita Clark; the Most Rev. Melissa Skelton; the Rev. Marion Wong; the Rev. Hyok Kim; the Rev Sharon Smith; the Very Rev. Ansley Tucker, Chaplain to the Ordinands, Dean and Rector of Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria; the Ven. Douglas Fenton, Executive Archdeacon.
- The ordinands kneel during the chanting of the Litany
- Archbishop Skelton leads the applause as the newly ordained are welcomed
- The Sanctus during the Eucharistic Prayer
- The now popular light-hearted "thumbs-up" Group Shot
The service was livestreamed and is available below on YouTube. The streaming begins about 20 minutes into the liturgy anear the beginning Archbishop Skelton's homily.