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Archbishop Colin Johnson raises a hand to acknowledge applause.

It has been an honour to serve

Instead of a Charge to Synod, Archbishop Johnson chose to reflect on some of the important changes in the diocese since his ordination more than

I am excited by what’s in store

In a couple of months, I will retire as Bishop of Toronto. I have already retired as Metropolitan of Ontario and Bishop of Moosonee. Many

We need to take an active stand

Racist graffiti was sprayed recently across property at the back of one of our churches. It was a vile display of bigotry and racism that

Thy Kingdom Come

I don’t remember how I first learned about prayer or how to pray. I guess it was as a small child. I was taken to

Listen to the leading of the Spirit

In early March, I presided at the election of the Coadjutor Bishop of Niagara, my last as Metropolitan of the Province. I am delighted that

Pilgrims on a journey

Wikipedia defines “pilgrimage” as “a journey or search of moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of

Meet Jesus in John’s gospel

When I was in seminary four decades ago, I spent part of Lent meditating on the life of Jesus. Over the period of those six

Pastoral statement

This is a pastoral statement on the commitment to diverse theological positions in the Diocese of Toronto, written by Archbishop Colin Johnson and endorsed by

The Rev. Dr. Pearce Carefoote, Archbishop Colin and Ellen Johnson at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.

I am enormously grateful to God

On Sept. 21, I informed the members of Diocesan Council that, after many months of prayerful discernment, I am asking diocesan Synod to concur with

The Reformation, five hundred years on

I stood on a street corner in London, Ontario after the morning service at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Mass had just ended at St. Peter’s Basilica

Discovering Jesus in our midst

Did you know that a giraffe’s tongue is about a foot-and-a-half long, is black, and like a human hand, is prehensile, able to curl around

Our Faith-Our Hope is changing lives

I came across a pastoral letter from the Bishop of Toronto to the clergy and laity proposing a significant fundraising effort. In it he proposed

He lived his life abundantly

I was privileged but deeply saddened to participate in the funeral of Archbishop Terry Finlay in March.  He was my mentor and friend. Twenty-five years

God’s invitation to fear not

Fear motivates us to do many things. We often fall into the fight-flight pattern. We turn around and put up strong resistance, sometimes more than

Do our lives align with our values?

I read The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde’s only novel, when I was a teenager. It contains the famous quip, “Nowadays, people know the

Ordinary things in ordinary time

When I was in elementary school, I always hated the post-holiday writing assignment, “What I did on my (summer/Christmas/spring break/fill-in-the-blank) holidays.” I truly enjoyed the

Do you have a room to spare?

My great-great grandparents left the Scottish Hebrides and settled in Ontario in the mid-19th century as a consequence of the potato famines. Canada has been

A success that almost didn’t happen

It almost didn’t happen. And when it did, it was truly providential. Back in the early days of my ministry, almost 40 years ago, the

A strategic plan for changing times

By the time you read this we will have three new suffragan bishops-elect for the Diocese of Toronto. We have also just approved a new

We are a big-tent diocese

When I was growing up in small-town Ontario, September was a time of fall fairs – parades, displays of prized local produce, the best of

The roles of a bishop

“Which is your church?” It is a question I’m asked in almost every parish I visit, and my answer is almost always a surprise to

Times of discernment are difficult

A proposed change in the Canon on Marriage will come before our General Synod in July. Because statements from the gatherings of the Anglican Primates

On that first day, everything changes

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth; and though this body be destroyed, yet

We are interconnected

My wife and I recently took a mid-winter break and travelled to the Galapagos Islands. It was fascinating to see the islands and their unique

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