Bishop Philip Poole, suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Toronto and area bishop of York-Credit Valley, has announced his retirement.
In a letter to the clergy of York-Credit Valley on March 3, Bishop Poole said he will be retiring on Sept. 30, 2016.
His letter is as follows:
My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
Today, during the Lenten retreat held at SSJD (Sisterhood of St. John the Divine), I informed those gathered that earlier this week I offered to the Archbishop of Toronto my resignation for the purpose of retiring effective Sept. 30, 2016.
I did so with profound gratitude to God for the privilege afforded me in being Bishop Suffragan in the Diocese of Toronto since February 2005.
Whenever the opportunity affords itself, I share with others how blessed I am to serve with so many faithful, competent, creative and effective parish clergy, priests and deacons, labouring together for good in the name of Jesus Christ. I have been so proud of you and your people in what I believe to be the most diverse area in the Anglican Church in Canada as we seek to be the best version of the Anglican expression of Christianity we can be in a challenging societal context.
I acknowledge with gratitude the great support of Arleane Ralph, my staff in York-Credit Valley, the staff in the Diocesan Center, the chancellors and certainly my colleagues around the College of Bishops’ table. Of course it has been a special and unique joy to have served episcopally with my long-time friend and our much-loved Archbishop, Colin Johnson.
I do not plan to retire from ministry, and after a period of time for rest, relaxation and reflection I have offered myself to the Archbishop in whatever way I might usefully serve our beloved church.
I wanted you to know as soon as possible. News like this has a way of spreading quickly and I hope to be the one to tell you first!
May God be with you as we continue our journey through Lent to the foot of the cross and the empty tomb.
Your friend and Bishop,
The Right Reverend M. Philip Poole
Bishop Suffragan Diocese of Toronto
Area Bishop York-Credit Valley
I’ve loved every moment of it