On Nov. 30, Dean Stephen Hance announced that the Rev. Canon Dr. Stephen Fields, sub-dean of the Diocese of Toronto and vicar of St. James Cathedral, will retire from full-time ministry on June 30. His final Sunday of full-time service at the cathedral will be May 31, the 45th anniversary of his ordination to the diaconate.
Canon Fields was born in Barbados and is a graduate of Codrington College and the University of the West Indies, the General Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Foundation. He was ordained to the diaconate in 1981 in Brooklyn, New York, and to the priesthood in 1983 in Barbados.
After serving at several parishes in Barbados, in 1993 he was called to St. Michael and All Angels in Toronto as associate priest. His experience there was foundational for the ministry that would follow. Working with the Rev. Canon John Erb, he got a good look at the life and ministry of the diocese and discerned the shape his own ministry would take.
He went on to serve as incumbent of St. Stephen, Downsview (1996-2011) and Holy Trinity, Thornhill (2011-2021). At St. Stephen’s, he helped guide the parish through significant transformation. His leadership emphasized creative liturgies, a renewed focus on mission and revitalized youth ministry. One notable outcome was the development of the Downsview Youth Covenant, which began as a six-hour program and eventually grew into a board-led corporation.
At Holy Trinity, he sought to make the life of the parish more inclusive by encouraging broad participation in the mission of God. He invited youth and others who had not been fully engaged to offer their gifts in ways that matched their abilities and passions, fostering a sense of belonging and shared purpose.
During his tenure at St. James Cathedral, Canon Fields has worked intentionally to make it a home for the clergy and people of the diocese. He has strengthened its identity as a place of welcome, offering opportunities for curates and other clergy to preach at the main Sunday services and enabling deacons to serve regularly at Sunday celebrations of the Eucharist. He also established the Catechesis for Confirmation program, which in its first year prepared 14 candidates from across the diocese for the Easter confirmation service.
Canon Fields’ ministry has extended beyond his parishes. He served on Diocesan Council (now Synod Council), the Postulancy Committee, General Synod, the Council of General Synod, the Pension Committee, the Finance Management Committee and at least 20 other committees, boards and working groups in the diocese and the national Church. He is also a creative liturgist, whose Bob Marley Mass was informed and influenced by the lyrics of seven of Mr. Marley’s iconic songs. He is a prolific composer of prayers, most of them based on the gospel readings in the Revised Common Lectionary. The distinguishing feature of many of these prayers is that they are just one line (LOL – “Lord, One Line”).
A significant portion of his ministry was devoted to training and mentoring theological students and young curates. As a member of the Postulancy Committee, he has shared in the discernment of the call to priesthood for many priests who are now serving in the Church.
A strong advocate for social justice, Canon Fields’ ministry has been deeply shaped by anti-bias and anti-racism initiatives. He served on the leadership team for the No Longer Strangers project, a diocesan multicultural ministry initiative, and helped to establish the Black Anglicans Coordinating Committee, which has since been succeeded by the Black Anglicans of Canada. This ministry promoted intercultural understanding, celebrated the contributions of Anglicans of African and Caribbean heritage, and encouraged full integration within the diocese and the wider Canadian Church. He proposed a resolution at General Synod 2025 that established the last Sunday of July as Emancipation Sunday in the Anglican Church of Canada.
Canon Fields has also been active in the wider Anglican Communion. He coordinated the fifth Caribbean Anglican Consultation (CAC) held in Toronto in 1999 and helped plan CAC-6 in Nassau, Bahamas, in 2001. These biennial conferences explored the ministry needs of clergy and congregants from the Caribbean and its diaspora, the contributions of Caribbean Anglicans to their church communities and how the Church could better respond to their needs. He chaired the local planning committee and served on the international planning committee for the Third International Conference on Afro-Anglicanism, a gathering of Black Anglicans from around the world held once every decade.
Throughout his ministry, he has been supported by his wife, Lucy, a retired education administrator; his mother-in-law, Valerie; and his two sons, Marc and Luke. His family has since grown to include two daughters-in-law and three grandchildren. Canon Fields enjoys travelling, cricket and calypso, and still considers himself a student of the guitar, which he plans to take up again in retirement.
Appointed an honorary canon of St. James Cathedral in 2004, Canon Fields has received numerous awards, including the Making a Difference Award (MADA) and the African Canadian Achievement Award for Excellence in Religion, recognizing his ministry in both the Church and the wider community. His work and leadership have been featured in several publications, including both editions of Who’s Who in Black Canada and Some Barbadian Canadians: A Biographical Dictionary.
Paul preaches in Europe