General Council 38 (2003)

New Moderator, General Secretary Installed

Installation part of a joyous, closing worship service

By Jim Cairney

With humour and holy ground, the United Church's 38th General Council concluded its week by sharing a high-energy, celebratory worship on August 16 to install the new Moderator and the new General Secretary.

The Rev. Peter Short was installed as The United Church of Canada's 38th moderator, and the Rev. Dr. Jim Sinclair as the new General Secretary of the General Council in Convocation Hall, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Commissioners to the Council were joined by hundreds of visitors for the worship.

The Rt. Rev. Peter Short is installed as The United Church of Canada's 38th moderator. The Very Rev. Bill Phipps takes part in the laying of hands.

Short reminded those at the service of the words of G.K. Chesterton: "Why can angels fly? Because they take themselves so lightly." Humour was profoundly mixed with holy ground as Short, the Very Rev. Dr. Marion Pardy, past moderator, and children and young teens at Council shared in a dramatization of John 21:1–19. In the dramatization, Pardy played Jesus and asked Short, who played the disciple Peter, "Peter, do you love me?" Then, as if warning Short about his new life as moderator, Pardy continued the dramatization saying "In days past, you went where you wanted -- but now you will follow a different path."

In a holy ground moment of benediction, Short said, "You have just installed the Moderator of the 38th General Council. This is not about me. The office of Moderator belongs to the church and the church belongs to the gospel, and the gospel belongs to God." Short invited the assembly to look to Jesus, who had gone before them. "He is not here -- He has gone on before you," he said.

The laying on of hands for the Moderator was performed by Robert Breen, QC, the Clerk of Session of Wilmot United Church, Fredericton NB, where Short is part of the ministry team, the Very Rev. Dr. Bill Phipps, the 36th moderator, and Susan Short, the new moderator's wife.

Video Clip

The Rt. Rev. Peter Short is installed as the Moderator of the United Church of Canada BASIC [4.94 MB, WMV format] HIGH SPEED [16.7 MB, WMV format]

The worship sparkled with rich participation from various children, youth, and adults, and the pristine voices of the Annapolis Valley Honour Choir. It included a celebration of the sacrament of communion. The worship was led against a backdrop of pastel quilts from the Atlantic School of Theology.

During the installation of the new General Secretary, Sinclair was presented with the official seal of The United Church of Canada, a Bible, a cup of water, and the staff of office.

The new moderator was presented with a stole, gavel, a staff of office, and a talking stick presented by Michelle Clifton, a Youth Forum delegate from Skidegate, British Columbia. Pardy passed the mantle of leadership to Short. He signed the historic Bible that bears the signatures of all previous moderators.

The Christ candle for the worship was crafted at Applewicks, a workshop for L'Arche Homefires in Wolfville, and the communion bread was made at The Flower Cart, a local workplace offering employment, training, and support to adults considered mentally handicapped.

The installation service was followed by a reception.