Current office and location
The Right Reverend Dr. Jane Alexander
Bishop of the Diocese of Edmonton
10035 103 Street
Edmonton Alberta, T5J0X5
Telephone: (780) 439-7344
Fax: (780) 439-6549
[email protected]
List of ecclesiastical offices held
- 2008 – present: Bishop, Diocese of Edmonton
- 2006 – 2008: Dean of All Saints’ Cathedral, Diocese of Edmonton
- 2003 – 2006: Rector, St. Augustine’s-Parkland Anglican Church, Spruce Grove
- 2001 – 2003: Assistant Curate, St. Augustine’s-Parkland Anglican Church, Spruce Grove
- 2001: Deacon-In-Charge, St. Aidan & Ste. Hilda Anglican Church, Rexboro
- 2000 – 2001: Deacon-In-Charge, St. Timothy’s Anglican Church, Edmonton
- 1999 – 2000: Deacon-In-Charge, Immanuel Anglican Church, Wetaskiwin
- 1998 – 2000: Deacon (non stipendiary) St. Margaret’s Anglican Church Edmonton
Dates of ordination as deacon, priest and bishop
- May 11, 2008: Ordained to the Episcopate
- November 1, 2001: Ordained to the Priesthood
- November 30, 1998: Ordained to the Diaconate
Please describe ministry accomplishments that you wish to share with those voting in this election
Diocesan
Boards/Committees
Regional Dean for Edmonton West; Chair of the Diocesan Response Group; Chair of the Healing Committee; Delegate to Provincial Synod; Spiritual Advisor Neighbourlink Parkland; Royal Canadian Legion Chaplain, Spruce Grove; Vestry retreats; Spiritual Advisor Women’s Cursillo; Leader of Music Ministry, St. Margaret’s Anglican Church, Edmonton; Women’s Retreat for Griesburgh Base; Member of Diocesan Executive Council
Provincial
Retreat Leader for the Diocese of Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle; Retreat Leader at College of Emmanuel St. Chad; Retreat Leader ACW conference Diocese of Athabasca
National
Boards/Committees
2017 Board Member Canadian Compass Rose Society; 2016 – Member of Public Witness for Social and Ecological Justice; 2013 – 2015 Officer of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada; 2013 – 2015 Member of the Council of General Synod; 2011 House of Bishops’ Agenda Committee; 2010 Vision 2019 Consultation; 2008 -2010 Member of COGS; 2009 National Bishop for the Cursillo Movement
Presentations
2014 National Worship Conference, Edmonton Transforming Worship; Diocese of Toronto Synod Keynote Speaker; Toronto Consultation on Congregational Development; National Worship Conference; 2012 Diocese of BC Day of Evangelism, Victoria BC: Keynote Address
2012 Presentation to the Canadian Lutheran and Anglican Youth Gathering; 2012 Diocese of Kootenay Clergy Retreat, Sorrento BC: “How Clear is Our Vocation Lord”; 2010 Leader of Diocese of New Westminster Clergy Retreat
International
Boards/Committees
2019 Board Member for the North American Board of St. George’s College Jerusalem; Board Member for the International Compass Rose Society; 2017 ACC Jerusalem Pilgrimage of Reconciliation; Member of the Communion Task Force on Discipleship and Evangelism; Member of the Anglican Consultative Council Discipleship Group (UK); 2016 Member of the Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council; 2015 Member of the International Eco-Bishops Initiative; Canadian Bishop on the Anglican Consultative Council; 2011 Member of the Canadian and African Bishops in Dialogue Group
Presentations
2018 Instructor at St. George’s College, Jerusalem Women of the Bible; Preacher at the Diocese of Texas Annual Convention; Meeting for the National Church on Church and Government Relations (Ottawa)
Please provide any personal information that you would like to share
Education
- 2002: M.T.S. (with Distinction), Newman Theological College
- 1997: Ph.D. Educational Psychology, University of Alberta
- 1993: M.Ed., University of Alberta
- 1989: Diploma of Higher Education, Newcastle Upon Tyne Polytechnic
- 1981: P.G.C.E. University of Durham
- 1980: B.A. HONS. MUSIC (2:1) University of Newcastle Upon Tyne
Awards
- 2017: University of Alberta Alumni Honour Award
- 2017: Paul Harris Fellow Award, Edmonton Rotary Club
- 2017: Honorary Doctor of Divinity College of Emmanuel and St. Chad, Saskatoon
- 2016: Rotary Club Integrity Award
- 2016: Alberta Venture Magazine’s 50 Most Influential People of 2016
- 2016: Global T.V. Woman of Vision Award
- 2015: YWCA Woman of Distinction Award for Advocacy
Publications
Alexander, J. (2013) Risky Business, Shaping a Diocese for Mission. In Bowen, J., (Ed.)
Community Committees and Presentations and Involvement
Boards/Committees
- 2018 – 2019: Member of the Stewardship Round Table for EndPovertyEdmonton
- 2016 – 2018: Co-Chair of EndPovertyEdmonton
- 2014 – 2016: Co-Chair of the Mayor of Edmonton’s Task force for the elimination of poverty
Selection of Most Recent Community Presentations
2018
- Presenter at Change for Climate Edmonton;
- Instructor, St. George’s College, Jerusalem, University of Alberta Summer Institute;
- Speaker, University of Alberta Faculty Women’s Club
2017
- Keynote Speaker Kings University Edmonton “Does the church matter?”;
- “Building Empathy, Conquering Apathy Conference Edmonton.” Presenter on Human Rights and Poverty;
- Retreat Leader Sisters of Saint John the Divine;
- National Poverty Strategy Workshops (Ottawa);
- Welcome Home Program for Catholic Social Services;
- Keynote Speaker Kings University Conference and Workshop Leader;
- Keynote Speaker University of Alberta Student Awards Gala;
- Speaker Ignite Human Rights Conference;
- Speaker Catholic Women’s League at St. Joseph’s Basilica, Edmonton;
- Speaker Royal Commonwealth Society Conference;
- Presenter National Poverty Conference, Hamilton;
- Convocation Address Emmanuel St. Chad, Saskatoon;
- Human Book Edmonton Public Library;
- Panel Speaker Human Rights for the Building Empathy Conquering Apathy Conference;
- Presenter Women’s Leadership Luncheon;
- Panelist Key Communicator’s Luncheon Edmonton;
- Presentation Newman Theological College; Mustard Seed AGM;
- EPE Interfaith Housing Book Launch;
- EPE Capital Region Interfaith Housing Initiative;
- Midwinter Meeting- Catholic Women’s League
2016
- Engineers Without Borders, Edmonton Ending Poverty;
- Convocation Speaker University of Alberta;
- Speaker Symposium on Building Empathy/Conquering Apathy;
- Speaker PROBUS Club;
- Invited lecturer Kings University;
- Presentation Board of Terra;
- Headstart AGM
2015
- Speaker Community-University Partnership for the Study of Children, Youth, and Families;
- Presentation Early Years Intervention Committee;
- Speaker Edmonton Foodbank; Poverty Summit, Ottawa;
- Presentation to E4C: Income Inequality Creating Common Ground Conference;
- Presentation to the Golden Key Society at the University of Alberta
Please provide a statement of your vision of the role and ministry of the Primate
In its most basic form my vision is that the Primate is the servant of the whole church, whose function is to keep the call to mission and discipleship in front of all our eyes. This requires a radical honesty about exactly where we are right now and a shared understanding of where God is leading us. There has never been a halcyon time for the Anglican Church when we were all of one mind on every issue, and yet our unity in Christ is our defiant ‘nevertheless’. The church is at its best, a Christian family which assumes friendship, extends goodwill and humility to one another, and knows that we are one in faith. We live as a people of hope.
I believe that the Anglican Church of Canada is at somewhat of a crossroads – we can define ourselves on what has passed, on a golden time of tradition, or we can continue to enlarge our view of what God in Christ is doing in this world. Whether it is in the furthering of Indigenous Self Determination; the radical love and inclusion of all God’s Sons and Daughters; speaking hard truths, gospel truths, into questions around climate justice and the plight of the most vulnerable among us; we must come together proclaim what God is doing among us. We must unite as God’s beloved children who share a common baptism with a common mission.
The role of the Primate is, I believe, to encourage the whole church to witness to where Christ is to be found – active, healing, forgiving, calling. It is to call the whole church to unity, a radical unity that focuses on our adoption by God in Jesus Christ. This kind of unity understands that we need one another.
There is a word in Cree, kîyânaw, which means “for all of us.” The Anglican Church of Canada is for all of us. By firmly believing that we are all in this together, our capacity to build relationships of trust with one another will strengthen the foundation of our church. In Jesus’ life and ministry I see God reaching into the present to save and to heal in unexpected and extraordinary ways. I see the Kingdom of God coming through word and action. The gospel brings us to our knees in prayer humbly asking one another for forgiveness and restoration. So the Primate must call us all to action as people of faith. They must speak to the church and to the public square, showing the world that the gospels give a pattern for our lives together.
Although the parish church is the frontline missional unit, closely followed by the community found in diocesan structures, the Primate has a role in pointing to the national and international branches of the Anglican family. The Primate reflects back to the Canadian community what is happening in the Communion and also reflects into the Communion the incredible work of the Canadian church. The Primate points to resources, works to develop a common vision and helps to stretch all our understanding of the gathered community beyond those currently in the pews in our local church.
This is a time when we all need to be challenged by our own assumptions about our membership and our ability to reach into the community in terms of evangelism and discipleship. According to the 2016 StatsCan data the average age of a Canadian was 41, a figure way below the average age of a Canadian Anglican. I would hope that the new Primate will encourage the House of Bishops and the whole Church to think about how we are actively reaching out to younger people. We have models from other parts of the Communion, such as Chile, where efforts in this area have met with great success. I believe that Christ wants His Church to grow. The Word of God has not changed, the sacraments have not changed, but the ways in which we are to go out and proclaim that gospel, and invite people to receive the love and grace of God change all the time and have done so since the days of the earliest disciples. The Primate must be a gracious and fearless leader, unafraid of change, celebrating diversity, and confident in the future and health of the Anglican Church of Canada.
