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The Order of the Diocese of New Westminster is unofficially a decade old this year. Both the initial and final details concerning the establishment of the ODNW were discussed, organized and “visioned” by: Dean of the Diocese and rector of Christ Church Cathedral, the Very Reverend Peter Elliott; the then-Executive Archdeacon of the Diocese, the Venerable Ronald Harrison; the current Warden of the Order, Robert Watt, ODNW, with the help of others (including the Executive Assistant to the Bishop at the time, the Reverend Eileen Nurse) in 2008-2009. Dean Elliott had patterned the ODNW on a similar institution in the Diocese of Niagara. The first Investiture took place at Christ Church Cathedral, on the Sunday closest to All Saints’ Day, 2009. Now it takes place at a larger venue on the Saturday morning closest to All Saints' Day at 10:30am

The purpose of the Order is to honour and give special recognition to lay members of the diocese who have given outstanding service over a significant period of time in their volunteer ministry. It was originally an annual event, however in May of 2016, Diocesan Council passed a motion amending  Canon 22, the Canon relating to The Order of the Diocese of New Westminster. Beginning in 2016, new members to the ODNW are nominated and invested every two years. The next Investiture of New Members to the Order of the Diocese of New Westminster will take place Saturday, November 3, 2018, 10:30am at The Massey Theatre, 735 Eighth Avenue, New Westminster. The Massey Theatre has been the venue for the last two ODNW investitures, 2015 and 2016.

Under the terms of Regulation 22, Archbishop Skelton re-appointed: Mrs. Ginger Shaw, Ms. Margaret Briscall, and Ms. Valerie Hobson (all members of the Cathedral Chapter) to a two year term as the Archbishop’s  advisory committee on the parish nominees for the Order of the Diocese of New Westminster. They met on Wednesday, May 16, 2018, to review the nominations and following the passage of a motion (moved by Margaret Briscall and seconded by Valerie Hobson) these nominees were accepted for investiture in the Order of the Diocese of New Westminster and the notice of their nominations was received by Diocesan Council, June 13, 2018:

  • Ms Catherine Ann Adair-Austin:  St John the Apostle, Port Moody
  • Mr Bruce Alexander:  St Barnabas, New Westminster
  • Mr Stuart William Allan:  St Andrew, Langley
  • Mrs Cheryl-Ann Archibald:  Christ the Redeemer, Cloverdale
  • Kelvin David Bee:  St James, Vancouver
  • Ms Pauline Andrea Joyce Betterton:  All Saints, Mission
  • Ms Judith Lynn Brear:   St Agnes, North Vancouver
  • Mr Arthur Whinfield Brueton:  St Christopher, West Vancouver
  • Mr George Cuaresma Cato:  St Margaret, Cedar Cottage
  • Mrs Brenda Charlene Coburn:  St George, Fort Langley
  • Ms Madeline May Cooper:  St John the Evangelist, North Vancouver
  • Mr Spencer Paterson Cotton:  St Faith, Vancouver
  • Mr Guy Lucas Cribdon:  St Paul, Vancouver
  • Ms Susanne Margaret Cruickshank:  Christ Church Cathedral
  • Ms Marguerite Cutforth:  St Michael, Broadway
  • Mrs Carolyn Ethel Dodds:  All Saints, Ladner
  • Mrs Vivian Laura Donnan:  St Laurence, Coquitlam
  • Ms Catherine Foord:  St David, Delta
  • Mr Charles Fox:  St Dunstan, Aldergrove
  • Mrs Heather Hellen Friesen:  St Anselm, Vancouver
  • Ms Janet Peta Genders:  St Aidan and St Bartholomew, Gibsons
  • Ms Laura Godwin: St Timothy, Burnaby
  • Mrs Louise Elizabeth Goode:  St Oswald, Port Kells
  • Mr John Green:  St Thomas, Vancouver
  • Ms Janice Evelyn Guretzki:  St Thomas, Chilliwack
  • Mrs Margaret Jean Kelly:  St Alban the Martyr, Burnaby
  • Mr Thomas Merven Kerr: Church of the Holy Spirit, Whonnock
  • Mr Herman Klassen:  St Mary the Virgin, Sapperton
  • Mrs Rose LaBar:  Christ Church, Hope
  • Dr Mary Lymburner:  St Philip, Dunbar
  • Mr Bruce Allan Macdonald:  Holy Trinity Cathedral, New Westminster
  • Mrs Marilyn McBeath: St Francis-in-the-Wood, West Vancouver
  • Mr Allan William McDowall:   St Cuthbert, North Delta
  • Ms Diana McHardy Schmidt:  St Mary, Kerrisdale
  • Ms Ardella Jean McLaren:  St Catherine of Alexandria, Port Coquitlam
  • Mrs Carol McPherson:  Holy Trinity, White Rock
  • Ms Corrinne Jessica Newman:  St Hilda, Sechelt
  • Mrs Thelma Dorothy O’Keeffe:  St Alban, Richmond
  • Ms Wilna Parry:  St Clement, Lynn Valley
  • Mrs Nellie Porkert:  All Saints, South Burnaby
  • Mr Brian Windle Reay:  Church of the Epiphany, Surrey
  • Ms Jean Elaine Renforth:  St Stephen the Martyr, Burnaby
  • Mr George Rupert Richards:  St Stephen, West Vancouver
  • Ms Wendy Eileen Russell:  St Helen, Surrey
  • Mr Wayne Edward Scott:  St John the Divine, Maple Ridge
  • Mrs Rae Amaryllis Seay:  St Anne, Steveston
  • Mr Neil Bruce Seedhouse:  St Mary Magdalene, Vancouver
  • Mrs Midori Monika Seo:  Holy Cross Japanese Canadian, Vancouver
  • Mr Andrew John Shepherd:  St George, Maple Ridge
  • Ms Susanne Stockdill:  St Catherine, Capilano
  • Mrs Ida Catherine Mary Tonks:  Holy Trinity, Vancouver
  • Mr Brian Robert Walks:  St Mark, Ocean Park
  • Mr Richard Donald Warda:  All Saints, Agassiz
  • Ms Donna Carroll White:  St Michael, Surrey
  • Mr Peter Arthur Williams:  St John the Baptist, Sardis
  • Mr John Graham Wright:  Bishop Hills’ Memorial Church of St Mary the Virgin, South Hill

All of the above nominees have indicated their willingness to accept investiture in the Order of the Diocese of New Westminster. Total: 56

“Bishop’s” Nominees

Under the terms of Regulation 22, potential nominees were considered at a meeting the Archbishop conducted with the Archdeacons and Leadership Team on Thursday, May 24, 2018.  The following will go forward as Archbishop Skelton’s 2018 “Bishop’s” Nominees for investiture in the Order of the Diocese of New Westminster and the notice of their nominations was received by Diocesan Council, June 13, 2018:

  • Ms Melanie Delva
  • Ms Shiella Fodchuk
  • Mrs Charlotte French
  • Ms Jan Harvey
  • Mrs Sheila Johnston
  • Ms Jean Mickelson
  • Mrs Vera Morgan
  • Ms Shannon Muir
  • Mr David Rushton
  • Ms Maureen Simons

All of the above have indicated their willingness to accept investiture in the Order of the Diocese of New Westminster. Total: 10

At the June 13 Diocesan Council meeting at the point during the meeting when Archbishop Skelton presented the list to Council for their reception, she enthusiastically gave credit to the Executive Assistant to the Archbishop's Office, Mr. Bill Siksay who is the staff person with the responsibility of not only managing the complicated process of soliciting and collecting nominations but also preparing the nominations for the Archbishop and the Advisory Committee. Siksay also shares much of the oversight regarding the Order of the Diocese of New Westminster investiture event planning, logistics and presentation.

Chancellor of the Diocese, George Cadman, QC, ODNW, moved the motion that Council receive the list and the motion was carried with unanimous assent. Archbishop Skelton remarked that she is very excited about the 2018 nominees list and the upcoming investiture worship and celebration, November 3.

For more information about the ODNW, please visit the webpages on the diocesan website.

 

Diocesan Resources
ODNW | Order of the Diocese of New Westminster