My arrival in Toronto in the spring of 1993 to serve as the associate priest of St. Michael and All Angels, where there was a strong Caribbean presence, marked the beginning of an encouraging and mutually affirming journey, both for myself and for the community. At the outset, I should note, I was in time to see the words “death to race mixers” indelibly marked in graffiti on the exterior walls of the church building, before the vegetation that grew on the walls returned at the end of the winter. St. Michael’s was one of those few churches in the diocese known to be a place where the leadership was historically an active and strong voice for the marginalized and offered a warm welcome to all Caribbean people.

Having ministered in the Caribbean, I was familiar with the rhythms, vibrancy and challenges of the culture. However, stepping into a diocese where I was one of only four or five Black priests among more than 200 predominantly white clergy presented a new and complex reality. It was both humbling and daunting, and I was unsure about the shape my ministry would take and develop in such a context.

That uncertainty began to shift when I started receiving calls from non-white individuals seeking priestly ministrations. They wanted a pastor who would understand their experiences, someone who would empathize with their struggles as minorities in a predominantly white society and Church. One call came from the Don Jail, where the caller asked me to visit him after he saw my picture in a community paper. He told me that he was not comfortable with the white chaplain. I went expecting to see a young Black man. To my surprise, it was a young, bi-racial (First Nations-Hispanic) man.

These calls revealed a neglected spiritual and pastoral need among non-white individuals and families who often felt invisible within the broader diocesan structure. That, I soon experienced at a personal level.

It became clear that my ministry was not just about serving a congregation but about representing and uplifting a marginalized community. However, as these calls increased, so did my own feelings of isolation. I recognized that while I was ministering to others, I lacked a support system for myself, and I felt the weight of navigating my role in an environment where representation and cultural understanding were scarce.

Realizing that I could not do this work alone, I reached out to the four other Black priests in the diocese. Our conversations were very encouraging and mutually enlightening. We shared our experiences and began to discern how we could address the needs of the community we served. We saw parallels with the early Church, particularly in the story of the Hellenistic Jewish widows in Acts 6:1-6, who felt neglected “in the daily administration” until the apostles took action to address their concerns.

This similarity strengthened our resolve. Just as the apostles appointed deacons to ensure equitable care, we recognized the need to organize and advocate for a neglected community. Through prayer and reflection, we identified three key areas of focus for our collective ministry:

1. Mutual support for clergy and laity. We prioritized creating a network of support for Black clergy, recognizing the importance of having spaces to share experiences, offer encouragement and collaborate on initiatives.
2. Advocacy and leadership. We aimed to amplify the voices of the Black community within the diocese, ensuring that their needs and contributions were recognized and valued.
3. Fostering vocations. We committed to nurturing vocations among young Black Anglicans, encouraging them to consider leadership roles within the Church.

Around this time, the diocese launched an initiative in multicultural ministry, No Longer Strangers, which provided a platform for us to organize more formally. This initiative served as a catalyst for our work, allowing us to connect with other marginalized groups and advocate for greater inclusion within the Anglican Church. It also reinforced the importance of creating spaces where diverse cultural expressions could flourish within the life of the Church.

The defining moment of our efforts came in 1996 with the diocesan Black history service at St. James Cathedral. This service was not only the genesis of our work but also a bold statement of the vitality, colour and richness of the Black heritage within the Anglican Church. We envisioned it as a celebration of our culture and faith – a worship experience that would reflect the unique contributions of the Black community to the Church.

The service was an overwhelming success. For the first time in the history of the Anglican Church of Canada, people were turned away from a worship service because the cathedral was full to overflowing. Steelpans, Caribbean rhythms and liturgical dancers filled the sanctuary, creating an atmosphere of joyful praise and cultural pride. It was a moment that transcended mere tradition, inviting the entire diocese and wider community to witness and participate in the richness of Black spirituality.

The sermon, delivered by the Rev. Dr. Professor Kortright Davis of Howard University School of Divinity, was a powerful centerpiece of the service. He spoke about the “five spiritual S’s” that Black people bring to enrich the life of any church or community. These S’s – suffer, serve, share, struggle, sing – resonated deeply with the congregation, affirming the unique gifts and resilience of the Black community. Here is what he said:

“First, Black people know how to suffer; and suffered they have, just because of the colour of the skin in which God was exceptionally pleased to place them. Second, Black people know what it means to serve, whether it is in enforced servitude or voluntary and selfless service. Third, Black people know what it means to share. They share their substance, they share their meaning, they share their lives, they share their hopes, they share their poverty. Fourth, Black people know what it means to struggle. Life, for them, is never easy being Black. As they struggle with all their might, they are challenged to use all of their wits and a full measure of their faith to turn every stumbling block into a useful stepping stone. Fifth, Black people know how to sing. They have had to sing the Lord’s song in a strange land. How could they do this? They inherited this virtue from their foreparents. Their forebears had to sing to ease their own pain. They had to sing in solidarity with each other as they protested their many common indignities and injustices. They had to sing to put strength and meaning in their lives.”

The service was more than a one-time event; it was the beginning of a sustained effort to uplift and celebrate the contributions of Black Anglicans. It gave visibility to our community and laid the groundwork for broader advocacy and engagement within the Church. Over time, this work inspired others to join the cause, ensuring that the seeds we planted would continue to grow. We have seen new things. The number of Black priests has grown, the Church elected its first Black bishop, Bishop Peter Fenty. Our diocese appointed two Black archdeacons in the recent restructuring of its administrative protocols. Black Anglicans have taken their place in the councils of the diocese. To be honest, the momentum has waned. There is still much more to do, so we cannot grow weary in well doing.

Now, nearly 30 years later, the work we started has been taken up by a new generation of Black Anglicans, organized under the banner of The Black Anglicans of Canada. This group has expanded the vision, focusing on a national agenda of transformation. Its work includes advocating for systemic change, mentoring young leaders and creating spaces where Black voices can thrive within the Anglican Church and beyond.

As I reflect on this journey, I am struck by the power of community and collaboration. What began as a response to feelings of isolation and neglect evolved into a movement that has enriched the Church and inspired countless individuals. Our ministry demonstrated the importance of equitable representation, the beauty of cultural diversity and the transformative power of faith.

The Black history service of Sunday, Feb. 25, 1996, remains a milestone – a watershed moment when the Black community came together to worship, celebrate and affirm its place within the Anglican Church. It showed that when we honour the unique gifts of every culture, we reflect the fullness within the Reign of God.

Looking ahead, I am filled with hope. The journey has not been without its challenges, but it has been deeply rewarding. It is my prayer that this work will continue to inspire, uplift and transform, ensuring that the richness of our Black heritage remains a vibrant part of the Church’s life for generations to come. “A luta continua.”

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During the pandemic and the time of leadership transition at the cathedral, we revisited our understanding of our mission and identified five priority areas on which we would focus our resources for the foreseeable future. The second of those priorities is to “expand our presence in the diocese to become a centre of learning, worship and diocesan life and not simply a stage for diocesan events.”

In a providential way, Cast the Net, which is a means of renewal in our diocese, amplified this priority for us through the call to a renewed spirituality. We embrace the third call to share and use resources to enliven worship, faith formation, spiritual practice and evangelism. One response to this call is for the cathedral to offer a confirmation class for parishes that may be interested.

We recognize that some parishes will have the capacity to prepare their candidates for the sacrament administered at Eastertide in the cathedral. They may also have a large number of candidates preparing for the sacrament. Some parishes, however, may not have many candidates and may welcome the opportunity for them to share with other Anglicans in similar circumstances.

Beginning in October, the cathedral will be offering a six-month course of preparation. The course will be online with a monthly in-person session at the cathedral, and it will be facilitated by the cathedral clergy and postulant for ordination. Depending on the ages of the candidates, they will be organized in age-appropriate groups.

The course comprises nine units: 1 – God and Me; 2 – Covenants & Commandments; 3 – Missing the Mark; 4 – Who is Jesus; 5 – What We Believe; 6 – What We Read; 7 – Who We Are & How We Serve; 8 – Worship Matters; 9 – How We Are Organized; 10 – Ecumenical & Interfaith Relationships.

If you or your parish are interested in this program, please contact the Rev. Matthew Waterman, assistant curate, at mwaterman@stjamescathedral.ca.

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Bishop Peter, a native of Barbados and a graduate of Codrington College, the University of the West Indies, and Huron College, was ordained a deacon on June 11, 1975, and a priest later that year.

Prior to coming to Canada, he exercised his priestly ministry in Barbados, serving as rector of the churches of St. Patrick’s (with St. Bartholomew), Christ the King and St. Matthias, and at the highest level in the councils of the diocese. His service to the wider community included working as a part-time teacher in secondary schools, guest tutor at Erdiston Teachers’ Training College, and part-time tutor at the Barbados Community College. He was also the deputy chairman of the Board of Management of the Barbados Community College and a radio talk show host.

I know of the admiration and love the Anglican community had for him. To this day, members of my home parish still speak highly of him. Christian or not, Anglican or not, most Barbadians recognized his potential and leadership qualities and spoke expectantly about episcopal ministry in his future. There were those who longed for his return as their bishop.

In Canada, he was the rector of St. Lawrence, Montreal, and St. Joseph of Nazareth, Bramalea in the Diocese of Toronto. Mirroring his ministry in Barbados, he served at the highest levels of the Church in Canada and contributed to the development of the wider community. While serving in Montreal, he was a member of the board of the Black Community Council of Quebec. In Toronto, he served on the board of directors for Leap of Faith Together (LOFT) Community Services.

Writing about him prior to his election as bishop, his nominators said, “Peter will bring distinct gifts to the College of Bishops. In addition to being a consensus builder, he is not afraid to take prophetic stands on issues of importance in both the Church and the larger society. His considerable experience working with ethnic and racial communities has provided him with a unique lens with which to advocate for and work with the many different peoples that make up the increasing multicultural population of our city and Church.”

Following his election, Archbishop Colin Johnson said “Bishop-elect Fenty will bring a wide variety of gifts and a depth of experience to the job. Peter is a wonderful, passionate preacher. He’s been trained in a tradition of taking the scripture and making it relevant to people’s lives, and of building enthusiasm and encouraging people to engage with their faith. Peter is an extremely good facilitator. He’s able to go into a whole variety of situations, listen carefully to what’s going on, and help both analyze it and build a group of people who are able to address issues. He’s able to build bridges between different groups of people. He’s a very pastoral person. He listens well and prays with people and helps them in times of trouble and helps them celebrate their joys.”

I have been a witness to his outstanding service to God and God’s people throughout his ministry. Peter has spent a considerable amount of time sharing in the ministry to and with young people. He placed great emphasis on pastoral visitation and was very supportive of all who sought his pastoral care. As the good preacher that he is, he articulates the love and compassion of God in a way that reflects his deep knowledge of the Bible and that moves his hearers to respond in joy to the Lord. As a consensus builder, he is always willing to allow for full participation in or on any issue. He is not afraid, however, as a leader, to take a principled stand on any issue when that stand has to be taken.

His episcopal ministry in the diocese, and in the episcopal area of York-Simcoe in particular, reflected the truth of these testimonies. Many clergy in our episcopal area have been magnanimous in their satisfaction with his forthright and businesslike approach to matters that demanded his attention, and with the sincerity exhibited in his pastoral ministry as their bishop.

On a personal level, our relationship goes back to 1977, when he came to my home parish in Barbados, St. Patrick, as rector, a few months before I entered seminary. Peter was the preacher at my ordination to the diaconate in 1981 and was the officiating minister at my marriage to Lucy in 1984. When our family arrived in Toronto in 1993, he and his family drove from Montreal to meet us at the airport. We walked closely together in Barbados and even closer after he was called to Toronto. I stood with him through the episcopal elections in which he offered himself for higher service. It was a joy and honour to stand with him when he was made a bishop in God’s Church and to welcome him to Holy Trinity, Thornhill, the next day, when he celebrated his first Eucharist as bishop, pronouncing his first episcopal blessing on the faithful in his episcopal area.

Our wives share the same vocation as educators, at one time working in the same institution. Our children attended the same daycare and school in Barbados. They are like siblings whose relationship mirrors that of their parents. We have vacationed together. We have prayed together. Much to my amazement, people, on occasion, have confused Fr. Fields with Fr. Fenty. What an honour to be mistaken for “Fr. Fenty”!

My family joins me and the rest of our Church in wishing Bishop Peter and his wife, Angela, every blessing in his retirement.

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In his letter to the diocese in July, Bishop Andrew Asbil made a statement that should become the “north star” in our march against racism in the Church. “We must understand and confront white privilege, institutional and systemic racism that so many of us have been blind to for too long. And we must not be afraid to become agents of transformation. It means becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable. It means taking a very long look in the mirror and understanding the part that we each play.”

What can the Church do to respond to Bishop Andrew’s letter and the reality of this moment? Educational and other civic institutions are grappling with systemic racism in their contexts. Where do we go from here?

Firstly, the real work begins at the grassroots level for everyone, irrespective of race. It is necessary that Black Anglicans be seen and heard. The call for a group like the Black Anglicans of Canada went out more than 25 years ago. This should be supported by the entire Church. There is a precedent for this in the Early Church. When the needs and concerns of the Greek widows went largely ignored by the Hebrews, members of the Greek community (the seven deacons) were chosen to be the voice of and support for the ignored (Acts 6). There was no intention to create a separate church in Jerusalem then, nor is that our intention now, as was spread abroad by those opposed to a caucus of Black Anglicans. Our national church has embraced this model in relation to our Indigenous brothers and sisters.

The role of a Black Anglicans caucus is to interpret the life and reality of the Black community to the Church. Who else can do this for Black Anglicans but Black Anglicans themselves? For too long, others have been trying to define Black people and tell us what is good for us. We need the space to be active subjects who are allowed to pursue and achieve a deepening awareness both of the reality that shapes our lives and of our capacity to transform that reality. Ours is the voice to tell the story of our pain and our hope for our Church, how we can contribute to its future, and how we can grow together with the rest of the Church.

Secondly, just as Black people must do their work, so must White people. We have been socialized in a system that has been built on White supremacy, a culture that positions “Whiteness” as ideal. It is through this “White racial frame” that White people are seen, or see themselves, as superior in culture and achievement, while people of ebony grace are seen as generally of less social, economic and political consequence. Hopefully, it is by recognizing this racial frame that they will overcome any discomfort or intolerance relating to issues of anti-Black racism and will be less inclined to be defensive in their interactions with Black people. Robin DiAngelo’s book White Fragility is helpful in this regard.

Thirdly, work must be undertaken at the institutional level. Our Church is called upon to revisit and re-engage with the policy that was adopted in 1992 following the Moseley Report to the General Synod. It clearly sets out the Church’s commitment to the work and ministry of cultural engagement. The policy was guided by principles that honour diversity and inclusivity. In many ways, it is a version of God’s dream for God’s world.

No Longer Strangers, a project based on the Rev. Dr. Romney Moseley’s work that was serving the useful purpose of helping our diocese become a more welcoming and inclusive community, should never have been abandoned. Nothing replaced this initiative. Hopefully, the seeds planted will bear some fruit in the work envisioned by our diocese and the national church.

Anti-racism work was first mandated by the General Synod of 2001. By 2004, the Charter for Racial Justice was approved as a working document. After some revision, it was approved as the official anti-racism statement of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada in 2007. Recently, the Council of General Synod voted to establish a dismantling racism task force, charged with a five-point mandate and to report by 2022 to General Synod. One hopes that the report will be about what has been done and not what must be done. Perhaps the time is right now to call Black episcopal or executive personnel, at national or diocesan levels, to oversee the work of the elimination of anti-Black racism from the Church.

Fourthly, those in training for the ordained ministry or any other form of ministry should be immersed in diverse communities and be expected to participate in courses focused on cultural diversity and the development of cultural intelligence. Seminaries and theological colleges must be encouraged to address issues of ethnocentrism, racism and the divisive ideologies that do not present the values of the Kingdom of God. There ought to be an inter-cultural curriculum that is central to the process of theological formation, liturgical renewal, and Christian social engagement.

Beyond formal academic training, there is a need for mandatory anti-racism training for all staff (ordained and not ordained), leaders and volunteers in the Church, similar to the training required for the Sexual Misconduct Policy. In addition, there ought to be a code of conduct for all in staff and volunteer roles with stated anti-racist values, expectations and accountability.

Finally, individual members have their own part to play. They must make use of opportunities and occasions for their benefit. Attendance at events of diverse ethnic and cultural communities, reading and tuning in to ethnic and community newspapers and other media, and eating in ethnic restaurants are examples of self-education. It is a useful way to begin to break the “White frame” used to view life in our diverse Church. This can only be done when one seeks to learn about the other, by seeking to understand, interpret and make meaning of that which one has come to know. Let us work together to bring about our mutual healing!

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In many ways, the Canadian and American contexts are the same. Black people continue to endure the same pain visited upon us by the systemic racism that has infected every institution, including our Church. Saying that “we are not like the Americans” does not absolve us from confronting the sin of racism, nor does it erase the fact that slavery existed in Canada and that racism and racial segregation exist now as they did in the past.

Our hands are not clean, nor have they ever been! To set the record straight, when New France was conquered by the British in 1759, approximately 3,600 enslaved people (Indigenous and Black) had lived in the settlement since its beginnings. That Canada was the terminus for the Underground Railroad in the mid‐ 1800s does not invalidate these issues of slavery and racism in our country.

When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked when or if he would apologize for Canada’s history of the enslavement of African people (a recommendation in the 2017 United Nations Report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent on its Mission to Canada), he replied, “We will continue to work with the Black community on the things we need to do.” This affirms the Canadian reluctance to acknowledge that racial slavery was a constituent part of our colonial origins, national consciousness and legacies that are present today in our society and institutions.

The ambiguity of episcopal support was evident in our House of Bishops’ response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of the police, in their statement in June. The compassion, commitment and condemnation of acts of oppression usually expressed towards the Indigenous community, which are important, were absent in reference to the plight of Blacks in Canada and the issue of anti-Black racism. The statement did not mention the word “Black,” except in the reference to “Immigration policies restricted Black, Asian and Jewish immigrants.” There was no indication that our bishops were standing in solidarity with the issues of anti-Black racism in Canada or with the marches and protests across the globe! The opportunity to identify with those issues and to name the racism that exists toward Black people in Canada, in general, and Black Anglicans in our Church, was squandered.

The bishops went on to say that, “It is a matter of public record that The Anglican Church of Canada has been committed to and learning about a new path to reconciliation with Indigenous Anglicans. We recommit ourselves today to that path.” This begs the question, “What is the record of commitment to Black people and other non-white people?” Again, benign neglect!

The bishops further stated that they “repented” of their complicity in the continuing structures of racism and oppression in our Church and society, by naming racism as a sin.

The Church speaks of repentance but it can only do so if we are prepared to acknowledge that repentance demands a recognition that there is a problem, a resolve to repair it, a reorientation of minds, hearts and wills, and a response that will bring about change. The penitent Church must be the paragon of compassion. The compassionate Church cannot be an observer on the sidelines, reluctant to judge the values by which racism is allowed to take root. It must be disposed to listening, open to being transformed by reality, and accountable for being contributory to the situation, where that is the case.

With cautious optimism, I welcome the bishops’ “re-commitment” of “ourselves and our dioceses to confront the sin of racism in all its forms and the patterns of silence and self-congratulation, which have silenced the experiences of people of colour, First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples of this land.” I do so because I have seen the words “Black” and “racism” mentioned more in the last three months in our Church media and by our bishops, than I have seen in my 27 years serving in this diocese.

Bishop Asbil wrote the following in July: “It is time to challenge and to question how structures shape our attitudes, beliefs, assumptions and bias. We must understand and confront white privilege, institutional and systemic racism that so many of us have been blind to for too long. And we must not be afraid to become agents of transformation.”

At long last, the message may have gotten through. Time’s up. We have to move from studies, surveys and statements, to making bold, transformative decisions that will change the face of our Church in Canada.

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