Around Town: Dean of Canterbury, First Baptist Heritage Award, Tenth Oakridge

Dean David Monteith, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, will preach twice at Christ Church Cathedral this Sunday.

This Sunday (October 26) will be a big day at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Vancouver.

Dean David Monteith, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral in England – long considered the ‘mother church’ of the Anglican Communion – will preach at two services.

He will be joined by Archbishop Shane Parker, the newly installed Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, who will preside at the Choral Evensong.

The Very Rev. Christopher Pappas, Dean of the Diocese of New Westminster and Rector of Christ Church Cathedral, noted:

Dean David Monteith, installed as the 40th Dean of Canterbury in December 2022, leads the mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Before coming to Canterbury, he was Dean of Leicester (2013 – 2022), where he oversaw cathedral redevelopment, interfaith initiatives and the reinterment of King Richard III. . . .

In his role at Canterbury Cathedral, he heads a senior staff of approximately 250 and oversees more than 500 volunteers, while also chairing the College of Deans for the Church of England.  

His preaching reflects a deep engagement with the interplay of faith, culture, change and mission in the public realm.

The upcoming Sunday promises to be a deeply meaningful celebration of service, leadership and the bonds that unite our local parish to the life of the national and global Anglican Communion.

It is possible that Monteith will be happy to be out of the public eye in England for a little while. He is facing some backlash for a controversial art exhibit at Canterbury, and leaders of the Church of England are currently under fire from more conservative Anglicans in the Global South.

• Hear Us

Part of the ‘Hear Us’ exhibition at Canterbury Cathedral.

The Hear Us exhibition (October 17 – January 18, 2026) at Canterbury Cathedral features the artwork of “marginalized communities,” including red graffiti writing on the ancient stone walls.

Response to the exhibition has been mixed, at best; some comments have been scathing, including a widely reported reaction by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance that the exhibit had made a “beautiful historical building really ugly.”

ARTnews, the global art publication, posted an article about the exhibition October 10: ‘Canterbury Cathedral Graffiti Art Installation Divides the Public: ‘Everything Beautiful is Just Torn Down’:

A newly unveiled graffiti art installation at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, England, has polarized the public, with many claiming that these profane works don’t belong in such a sacred and historic space.

The ‘Hear Us’ works ask questions related to spirituality.

The installation was made by the poet Alex Vellis and the curator Jacqueline Creswell, the latter of whom previously oversaw art installations at Salisbury Cathedral.

The works, which appear directly on Canterbury Cathedral’s walls, ask questions related to spirituality. “What is the architecture of heaven?” reads one of those queries. “Does everything have a soul?” reads another. . . .

David Monteith, dean of Canterbury, said in a statement, “This exhibition intentionally builds bridges between cultures, styles and genres and, in particular, allows us to receive the gifts of younger people who have much to say and from whom we need to hear much.”

‘Hear Us’ is going on view not long after Sarah Mullally was named the Archbishop of Canterbury. Her appointment has been controversial among conservative Anglican archbishops, who have denounced some of Mullally’s views, most notably her position that same-sex couples should be allowed to continue receiving blessings from the Church of England.

The good news, for critics anyway, is that the art installation is temporary and can be removed without damaging the cathedral.

An interesting side note is that Pappas, Rector of Christ Church Cathedral, wrote ‘More Than a Building: The Living Heart of a Cathedral’ October 15. It begins:

When you walk into a cathedral, you can’t help but look up. The height, the light, the beauty – they all lift our eyes and hearts toward God. But a cathedral is far more than an architectural landmark. It is a living community – a spiritual home that serves not only its congregation, but also the diocese and the city beyond its walls.

Go here for the full comment.

• GAFCON pronouncement

Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, Chairman of GAFCON, insists, “we have not left the Anglican Communion; we are the Anglican Communion.”

A challenging statement by the Chairman of GAFCON Primates’ Council has made it clear that a significant portion of Anglicans around the world no longer see England as the centre of the Anglican community – nor Canterbury Cathedral as their mother church.

The Most Revd Dr Laurent Mbanda, declared October 16:

Today, GAFCON is leading the Global Anglican Communion. As has been the case from the very beginning, we have not left the Anglican Communion; we are the Anglican Communion.

He also wrote:

The first Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) gathered in 2008 in Jerusalem to prayerfully respond to the abandonment of the Scriptures by some of the most senior leaders of the Anglican Communion, and to seek their repentance. . . .

We reject the so-called Instruments of Communion, namely the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) and the Primates Meeting, which have failed to uphold the doctrine and discipline of the Anglican Communion.

GAFCON, which describes itself as “a global movement, gathering authentic Anglicans,” is particularly strong in Africa, home to tens of millions of Anglicans. It claims to represent a clear majority of the 85 million Anglicans around the world.

Leaders of the Anglican Church in Canada have rejected the GAFCON claims. In an October 18 pastoral statement, the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, Shane Parker, characterized the Mbanda’s statement as announcing “their decision to leave the Anglican Communion” – and reaffirmed the four Instruments of Communion.

John Stephens, Metropolitan of British Columbia and the Yukon signed Parker’s statement. The Diocese of New Westminster linked to it on their site, and to pastoral letters by the Archbishop of Canterbury-designate, Sarah Mullally and the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Anthony Poggo, regarding GAFCON.

Neither those who support the traditional Anglican Communion nor those who plan for a new order are sure how things will turn out. So it will no doubt be comforting for Dean David Monteith (and Archbishop Shane Parker) to be among friends this weekend.

First Baptist Heritage Award

The City of Vancouver gave a Vancouver Heritage Award (Heritage Conservation) to First Baptist Church at an awards ceremony October 15:

This award recognizes their rehabilitation of the heritage building, preserving its Gothic Revival architectural features and heritage value, while upgrading it for continued community use.

The award recognized the work of Revery Architecture, Donald Luxton and Associates, The Haebler Group, Glotman Simpson and First Baptist.

A news release from the city stated:

Last night, the City of Vancouver celebrated the individuals, organizations and creative voices whose contributions have strengthened Vancouver’s communities, elevated its literary landscape and preserved the city’s unique history.

Mayor Ken Sim (right) took part in the awards night. Image from City of Vancouver Facebook page

Their contributions were recognized through three civic honours – the Vancouver Awards of Excellence, the Heritage Awards and the City of Vancouver Book Award – presented together for the first time at a unified ceremony at the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre.

“Vancouver’s strength lies in the people who make this city vibrant, inclusive and inspiring. The recipients we celebrated tonight remind us that progress isn’t just about building for the future; it’s also about honouring our past and uplifting the voices that shape our shared story,” said Mayor Ken Sim.

“On behalf of Council, I want to congratulate all of this year’s award winners and thank them for helping make Vancouver an extraordinary place to call home.”

The seven Heritage Awards were presented in three categories: Living Heritage, Heritage Conservation, and Education and Awareness.

Tenth Oakridge

The first service at Tenth Oakridge drew a good crowd October 19.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Vancouver had a Tenth Tenth Church one of these days – but so far we are up to six Tenths, and the new one is called Tenth Oakridge.

The congregation held its first service at Oakridge Lutheran Church, which is on Ash Street at 41st Avenue, just a block west of Cambie Street.

Oakridge Lutheran Church redeveloped its property a few years ago, moving from its traditional church building to a portion of a six-storey mixed use complex.

Two other churches nearby have made major changes as well – Oakridge United Church and Vancouver Chinese Presbyterian Church.

I wrote ‘Churches around 41st and Cambie are undergoing major changes’ back in 2017. (Go here for articles about Oakridge Lutheran), here for Oakridge United and here for Vancouver Chinese Presbyterian.)

With all the housing being built on the old Oakridge Mall site, and elsewhere in the area, one hopes that all these churches will thrive.

Events & Jobs

Events are listed below, but there is also an Events page and a Jobs page on the Church for Vancouver site.