- Dorian Baxter
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His Grace
Dorian BaxterChrist the King Graceland Independent Anglican Church of Canada Enthroned 2003 Successor incumbent Orders Ordination 15 May 1983 Consecration 9 March 2003 Personal details Birth name Dorian Baxter Born 3 April 1950
Mombasa Island, KenyaNationality Canadian Children Rachel, Malaika Alma mater York University and the University of Toronto Dorian Baxter (born 3 April 1950 in Mombasa Island, Kenya) is an Anglican minister in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada who uses the music of Elvis Presley in his services, using the name The Reverend Elvis Priestly.
Contents
Background
Baxter was baptized and confirmed by the first Black Bishop of Mombasa in Mombasa Cathedral. His father Arthur Baxter was a Major in the British Army and his mother Ena Baxter was a Corporal. From 1962-1967, he competed in the Amateur Boxer in Kenya National Championships, but failed to medal. In 1966, he became the Kenya National Backstroke Champion.[1] Baxter came to Canada, landing on 28 March 1968, moving to Toronto.
Education and Ministry
He obtained his B.A. from York University in Humanities and his Master's Degree in Divinity from the University of Toronto. He has been an educator for 33 years commencing his career as a classroom teacher with the York County Board of Education in 1970. In 1972, he was invited by the Headmaster of St. George's College, Jack Wright, to join the staff. Baxter taught grades 4 through to 10, coached the school swim teams, and ran the Independent Schools Athletic Association (Swimming) in Ontario.
In 1980 Mr. Baxter resigned after a quarrel with the headmaster, Mr. Allen. Allen attempted to fire Baxter before the end of the school year. Over 400 parents protested and Baxter was immediately reinstated and an apology letter was written to him by Mr. Allen.[citation needed]
At the end of the school year, he resigned and entered Wycliffe College of the Toronto School of Theology at the University of Toronto. He was ordained in St. James Cathedral on 15 May 1983 after serving as Head of Divinity, elected by the student body at the College. He served as a priest with the Anglican Church of Canada at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Thunder Bay, Ontario and as Priest-in-charge of the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit in Manitouwadge, Ontario. He then was an associate professor at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
In 1996 Baxter began incorporating the music and look of Elvis Presley into his services. That year, he won the Canadian Showstopper at the Collingwood Elvis Festival. In 1997 he won the Grand Champion of Showstoppers at that same festival. After that year, festival founder Billy Cann was ousted and control given to the town's business groups, a decision which Baxter objected to before Collingwood Town Council. Baxter joined Cann to establish a competing Elvis festival in Orillia and has since refused to return to the Collingwood festival.[2]
In 1998, Bishop Ronald Ferris of the Diocese of Algoma removed Baxter from his parish and revoked his license to perform Anglican weddings because of his use of Elvis in Anglican services, saying it was "in poor taste." In 2002, the church revoked his invitation to be the keynote preacher at the Masonic divine service in a Toronto Anglican church. Baxter has said he found this particularly difficult, as he has been a Freemason for more than 25 years and was Worshipful Master of his lodge in 1980. Baxter attended the service anyway, in full Elvis regalia.[3]
Baxter says that the controversy originated when the media reported that he performed weddings and funerals dressed as Elvis, which he denies doing. Instead, he says, he performs the services in traditional clerical garb and changes into the Elvis clothes for the reception. He now performs weddings with a United or Baptist minister proclaiming the couple married. He is still officially a priest on leave from the Diocese of Algoma.[4]
In 2003, he set up an independent church, Christ the King Graceland Independent Anglican Church of Canada in Newmarket, Ontario, where he continues to conduct services using Elvis' music, with his signature Elvis pompadour and sideburns. He also established the Federation of Independent Anglican Churches of North America with himself as Archbishop, claiming that he was consecrated in the tradition of the Church of England.[5]
Political Life
Baxter has run for federal Parliament four times in the riding of Newmarket-Aurora, under the Progressive Canadian Party banner. In the 2004 federal election, he received 1,079 votes, placing last out of five candidates. In the 2006 election he received 729 votes, and in the 2008 election he received 1,004 votes. He placed fifth out of six candidates in both 2006 and 2008. In the 2011 election, he received 1,001 votes, placing fifth out of six candidates, surpassing only Yvonne Mackie of the Animal Alliance Environment party. Baxter also ran in the 2010 byelection in the riding of Vaughan, finishing seventh of out eight candidates with 110 votes.
A social conservative, Baxter is pro-life and has criticized the consecration to the episcopate of the Episcopal Church USA of Gene Robinson, a gay priest.[6] He founded NAPPA (The National Association for Public and Private Accountability)[7] after an 11-year battle with the Canada Children's Aid Society over custody of his two daughters.[8][9]
Baxter serves as official Padre to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 426 and well as official chaplain to the Newmarket Veterans' Association.
See also
References
- ^ Connelly, Charlie (7 January 2007). "In Elvis we trust". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3662385/In-Elvis-we-trust.html. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
- ^ "Hail to the King: Elvis festival celebrates 15th anniversary". Simcoe.com / Metroland Media Group. 22 July 2009. http://www.simcoe.com/simcoe/article/638576. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
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External links
Categories:- 1950 births
- Living people
- Canadian Anglican priests
- Canadian clergy
- Progressive Canadian Party candidates in the 2004 Canadian federal election
- Progressive Canadian Party candidates in the 2006 Canadian federal election
- Kenyan emigrants to Canada
- University of Toronto alumni
- York University alumni
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