Photo: Dio of Sask

Sue Moxley (right) follows in the footsteps of both Fred Hiltz and Victoria Matthews. On Oct. 20 Bishop Moxley, the suffragan (or assistant) bishop of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, was elected diocesan bishop at All Saints Cathedral, Halifax. She was elected on the first ballot. Moxley succeeds Bishop Fred Hiltz who was elected Primate in June. She is only the second woman to be elected as a diocesan bishop in the Anglican Church of Canada. Victoria Matthews was elected Bishop of Edmonton in 1997. Moxley, 61, is married to Brian Moxley and they have two adult daughters.

Bishop Moxley is also the Canadian church’s episcopal representative to the international Anglican Consultative Council. In June she urged General Synod not to ratify proposed changes to the membership of the Council that would see all Primates of the Communion automatically become members. In moving the rejection Bishop Moxley said the changes would add a third more members to the Council, increasing costs and reducing the representation of women and laity. Most of the Primates are from the Global South and are more theologically conservative than many of the current Council members. Many theological liberals want to limit the influence of such Primates. 

At General Synod Bishop Moxley voted for both motions on same-sex blessings: A186 that the blessing of same-sex unions is not in conflict with core doctrine, which was passed; and A187 to authorize the blessing of same-sex unions as a local option, which was defeated.