The Rev. Nick Parker, new Senior Port Chaplain

The Rev. Nicholas (Nick) Parker, currently the rector of St. Stephen's in West Vancouver, has been appointed as the next Senior Port Chaplain at the Mission to Seafarers in the Diocese of New Westminster, effective February 1.

A former Canadian Naval Officer, he attended Royal Military College, Trent University, and Wycliffe College, University of Toronto. He served in three dioceses and five parishes including the Diocese of Cariboo where he served as Dean of the Diocese and Rector of St. Paul's Cathedral for 10 years.

Parker is a keen sailor, cyclist and boat builder with a love of the outdoors. His musical claim to fame is that he was once introduced by his Cathedral Organist as playing the bagpipes and the banjo - both instruments of the Devil!

Busy, to say the least, Nick can be found at any given time engaged with his four children (including TOPIC youth editor Andria) and wife Sandi, or waist deep in projects in the church or beyond.

He will succeed the Rev. William Pike who is retiring after more than forty years of ministry.

 

 

The Rev. Esther North

Blessing the hounds at the recent scarlet-coated, hound-baying hunt of the Sunshine Coast Equestrian Club was the Rev. Esther North, who has retired to Gibson's. She turned her annual adventure into a children's picture book, The Parson's Terrier (reviewed last month in TOPIC). She assures all that the dogs follow a scent trail laid down with a bag of smelly tripe or oil on the morning of the hunt - and not a real fox.

 

The Rev. Gail Newell was ordained deacon by Archbishop Douglas Hambidge before a very full Christ Church, Hope, on Nov. 12. Newell is now serving as curate for the parish under the direction of the Rev. Fred Tassinari, the priest-in-charge. The Archbishop,who is retired, performed the ordination at the request of Bishop Michael Ingham, who was on sabbatical until the beginning of December.