Anglican Diocese of Toronto

The Diocese of Toronto is an administrative division of the Anglican Church of Canada covering the central part of Southern Ontario. It is the largest Anglican diocese in Canada and one of the largest in the Americas in terms of numbers of parishioners, clergy and parishes, although not in geography. Presently there are 257 parishes in the diocese and over 80,000 Anglicans identified on parish rolls. Oldest of the seven dioceses comprising the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario, it was founded in 1839. Its first bishop was John Strachan. The current Bishop of Toronto is the Right Reverend Colin R. Johnson, who is assisted by four suffragan bishops, styled Area Bishops, each with oversight of a geographical region of the diocese. The Episcopal Areas and their respective suffragans are:

*York-Scarborough - Right Reverend Patrick Yu
*York-Simcoe - Right Reverend George Elliott
*York-Credit Valley - Right Reverend Philip Poole
*Trent-Durham - Right Reverend Linda Nicholls

Each Episcopal Area has its own Bishop and some have an Archdeacon, although all function with delegated authority of the diocesan bishop who retains jurisdiction for the whole diocese.

The Rev. Canon Dr. Linda Nicholls was elected Suffragan Bishop of Toronto on the third ballot at an electoral Synod on Saturday, November 17, 2007 at St. Paul, Bloor Street. She was consecrated February 2, 2008 at the Cathedral Church of St. James, becoming the third woman Anglican bishop in Canada.

The first two women consecrated as bishops in the Anglican Church of Canada also served as suffragan bishops of Toronto: first, the Right Reverend Victoria Matthews, elected in 1994, translated to the Diocese of Edmonton as diocesan bishop in 1997, and now bishop of Christchurch NZ; and second, the Right Reverend Ann Tottenham, elected in 1997, retired in 2005, and now serving part-time as Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Niagara.

FaithWorks is the annual appeal of the diocese of Toronto (www.faithworks.com). In 2007, the campaign raised a record $1,525,000. The diocese also plans a capital campaign in 2008 with a goal of $65 million.

Parishes

The Diocese of Toronto contains 272 churches in 217 parishes. A few of these include:
*All Saints, King City
*Church of St. Mary Magdalene (Toronto)
*Church of The Messiah
*Church of the Holy Trinity
*Church of the Redeemer (Toronto)
*Grace Church on the Hill
*Little Trinity Anglican Church
*St. Matthias Bellwoods
*St. Paul's, Bloor Street
*St. Thomas Anglican Church

The cathedral of the diocese is the Cathedral Church of St. James (Toronto)

Educational institutions

*University of Trinity College
*Wycliffe College
*Royal St. George's College
*Havergal College
*Bishop Strachan School
*Saint John's School of Ontario (defunct)

ee also

*Archdiocese of Toronto
*Fidelity (Anglican)
*Dorian Baxter
*Integrity Toronto
*James Ferry
*Tom Harpur
*Propitiation (Toronto)
*Henry Scadding
*Reg Stackhouse
*Company of the Cross

External links

* [http://www.toronto.anglican.ca Website of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto]
* [http://www.FaithWorks.ca Website for the Annual Diocesan Charitable Appeal in support of 14 ministries and 3 partners]