New Primate for Canadian Anglicans

The Anglican Church of Canada is reporting:

Bishop Fred Hiltz elected Anglican Primate

Winnipeg, June 22, 2007 -- The Anglican Church of Canada has chosen Bishop Fred Hitz of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island as its 13th Primate or national leader.

Bishop Hiltz was elected by the church's General Synod, meeting in Winnipeg, on the 5th ballot, from among four bishops nominated last April by a gathering of all Canadian bishops.

Bishop Hiltz, 53, will succeed Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, elected three years ago, who announced earlier that he would retire at the end of the General Synod gathering now underway.

Bishop Hiltz was elected assistant bishop of the diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in 1995 and elected diocesan bishop in 2002. He was a member of the Council of General Synod from 2001 to 2004 and, since, 2006, has served as the Anglican Co-Chair of the Anglican-Lutheran International Commission.

In a statement after his nomination for the primacy, Bishop Hiltz described the Primate as "a servant of the people of God (whose) ministry is the gather the Church, to unite its members in a holy fellowship of truth and love, and to inspire them in the service of Christ's mission in the world."

He is married to Lynne Samways and they have one son.

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UPDATE:

Here's a bio and photo from the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island website of the primate-elect ... and here's a page that includes his "statement on primacy ... meanwhile some bloggers are identifying +Hiltz as "the most liberal" of the candidates ... (and as NOT good news!) More to come, I'm sure!