In order to return the ministry of the Anglican Church of Canada to two parishes of the Diocese of New Westminster, Diocesan Council has approved the appointment of bishop's wardens at St. Simon's in Deep Cove, North Vancouver, and St. Andrew's, Pender Harbour, on the Sunshine Coast.

Bishop Michael Ingham had earlier formally imposed what is known as a "Canon 15" order that allows him to replace local parish officials with his own appointees. The canon (church bylaw), requires that the bishop's order be endorsed by the 40-member Diocesan Council, which together with the bishop governs the diocese.

The bishop said the diocese seeks restoration of the two parishes into involvement in the Anglican Church of Canada.

The Rev. Ed Hird and the Rev. Barclay Mayo had been licensed by Bishop Ingham as the rectors of the two parishes, but both resigned last spring, upset with the diocesan decision to ask the bishop to authorize a blessing of same sex unions - and  not satisfied with the bishop's and Diocesan Synod's direction that no priest or parish need participate in such a blessing, if in conscience they oppose the practice.

The two priests announced they had become missionaries under the jurisdiction of the Primate (Chief Archbishop) of Rwanda in Africa.

Bishop Ingham told Diocesan Council that he had exhausted "every possible avenue" of reconciliation with the priests and those members of their congregations who had followed them.

The bishop said he was assigning the Rev. Sarah Tweedale, rector of nearby St. Clement's, North Vancouver, to also take charge of St. Simon's, and the Rev. Mark Lemon, rector of St. Hilda's in Sechelt, to the additional duty as priest in charge of St. Andrew's. The bishop's wardens for St. Simon's are Laurie Dye and Diana Hutchinson; for St. Andrew's, Bonnie Paetkau and William Stacey.

The bishop also announced that he was formally dissolving Richmond's Emmanuel Church parish, an action that the Diocesan Council had earlier requested him to take.

Emmanuel was established with diocesan support of approximately $300,000 as a mission to Chinese-speaking Anglicans in Richmond beginning in 1996. It became a self-supporting parish in 2000. Emmanuel's delegates were among those that in 2002 left Diocesan Synod (annual meeting) following majority approval of a request that the bishop allow the blessing of same sex unions.

The parish worshipped in rented quarters.

Its priest, the Rev. Silas Ng, also left the Canadian Church last year to come under the jurisdiction of the Primate of Rwanda, an action that is contrary to established Anglican practice.