HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1970-10-08, Page 19UI
e.�
THURSioAlt
THI
123rd YEAR 41- .;
•
SECTION
IININif11(INN#1{NIiI1111##IIIiINIillllnhutllnlluu#11u1uNnnhl11�MaunNlf#nilI # I111II#11qm. .NI. �1gN #1�.fN1111Q1NfIHIININllI ll NI LNgl# l$lt�llill#iNiio N#1NiIl�li#ilIlH11 #N1NN _ ._
.
.• • • . �� - -
leader in the world=wide Anglican Communion
George Nasmith loxton
as Bishop of Huron 1948-1970.
Now he is gone- our beloved
Father -in -God who for 22 years
presided with benign dignity,
over our diocesan life. He was, as
he said in 1965 in his lectures on
the "Reluctant Anglican" at
Wycliffe 'College, the, product of.
an Ontario town pariah "where I
had an undisturbed close-up of
Victorian. Anglicanism. George V
'was on the throne, yet life had
changed but little since the great
Queen and her reign."•
In all his dealings , he
maintained thecourtly dignity
and gracious .manner of a
spacious .age. On the tongues of
even the moat -militantly
egalitarian the appelation, "My
Lord", seemed apposite ,and
freely came.
Yet he Understood and moved
• with the spirit of the times, and'
none adapted more freely to the
changes of the new Elizabethan
age. Truly have we lost a Prince
of the Church.
Forty years ago, when the
young Rev. George Luxton,
rector .of Christ Church, Calgary,
was also exercising a widely
efficacious ministry in the then •
novel medium of radio, he
discussed the . eternal arld
ubiquitous problem of grief ' at
death.
"Let me say," he said, "a
word to those who have been
cruelly stricken by bereavement.
Some there are 'who, can take •
loss calmly and rather easily, but
for most of us when the call
comes to a loved one, our lives
are seared by the agony of the
parting and the 'bitterness of the
loss. Thank God we have the
capacity to grieve, to grieve
• deeply. It's the ,pledge of life's
fineness;' it's the rk of God's
greatest gift. 4"
He continued: "Life would be
a hollow, empty thing if we
could • take the, parting
unflinchingly with cold hearts
and dry eyes. Love would be a
mere mockery if it knew no
suffering at the valley of the
shadow. God has given us
sensitive, suffering spirits, made
of the fibre of His own life, able
to partake of the -delicious joy of
life and able also to drain the
bitter dregs . of Gethsemane.
°• Thank God, I say again, that we -
are , grieving folk. A dry-eyed
world would be as ugly a picture
as a world of flippant, mocking
laughter. • Let us claim our
birthright as Sons of God and
pay the dear cost for life's
richness and depth.",
Moment° of grief
The moment of grief, both
personal and institutional, is
seldom the best moment for the
assessment of a distinguished
career. It is a time for warm
tributes, not for cold appraisals.
Judgement may be warped by
the oppressive immediacy of too
vivid a sense of loss..`
The , engaging laughter, • the
easy, well bred ' charm, the
learned mind, °the quick
perception, the loving concern -
these"ehdearing qualities of fully.
developed manhood are with ts
no longer. But these qualities
were balanced by a realism, a
pragnxatiam, a *TOM, _-a _.Onse,
of the complettity of affairs, by
an understanding of the gulf
betweeri the desirable and the
•
By John Gwynne-Timothy
attainable, by a clear sense of
history.
By common 'Consent, George
Huron was a complicated man.
The reasons - for this were many
- the limitations imposed upon
a high administrative officer by
the realities of circumstances,_by
the constrained scope for
manoeuvre, by the limits
imposed by elected committees,
however accurately they reflect
the voice and diversity.. ,of
democracy.
Despite these laudable
limitations ofa constitutional
episcopacy, the Anglican polity
still lays great stress, and
ultimate responsibility, upon the
office of a bishop.
I think George Luxton's'
approach to his high office was
aniniated by two basic impulses.
The first was his unswerving
conviction of the•truth of the
Christian Faith. The second was
-his firm -belief in the 'family.
He deeply and devoutly
believed in the living God, and in
His manifestation in time and
history through His only Son,
our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Bishop
Luxton was happily married to a
_loving and capable wife,, and
their marriage was blessed with
children In whom they both
rightly took great pride and
pleasure.
Frequently the Bishop drew
the analoky of the human faririly
to' the Christian Church - not
only that our Lord grew to
manhood in an earthly home,
but the varied range of liberty,
discipline and loving concern of
the ' human family.
Characteristically, he laid stress
upon the duties and
responsibilities of parents, and
his own concern showed forth in
his life as a father, and as a
father -in -God, ' It was the
. touch -stone of his episcopacy.
The Bishop of Huron holds an
office which has many
ramifications in the various tiers .'
of Anglican government. He is
first, last and always, the bishop
• of a great and influential
diocese, the second most
populous in Canada.
But the wider world beats
incessantly, and increasingly, at
his door . the ecclesiastical
province of Ontario, the
Canadian Church across the
•
Dominion, the Anglican Church
around the world. And during
Bishop Luxton's episcopate the
modern ecumenical movement
made vital our Anglican
relationships with the splintered
denominations of Christendom.
In all these areas, and for
more than two decades, Bishop
Luxton played a prominent',
distinguished and influential
part. His range of knowledge and
grasp of detail were astonishing.
With equal ease -and authority he
switched from the broad
perspectives . of ''-Anglican
relationships with some sister
communion to the minutiae of
some local parish concern.
Always he knew the facts of
the case, statistical or human,
and with a Christian concern and
understanding' set ,,,forth the
arguments 'surrounding the
knottiest• problem. For sheer
competence in action he was a
joy to -behold :...whether he was
chairirrthe, meeting with lordly
By the editor
HURON CHURCH,,NEWS.
Meinii.hers of the Anglican
community 'of' the Diocese, of
Huron were stunned when they
learned of the sudden death on
Friday, October 2nd, 'of their.
Bishop, Rt. Rev. George N.
Luxton at the age of 69. He died
of a heart attach.
As the news spread across
• . Canada and beyond their sorrow
was shared by the many p,eople
'who had known the bishop and
tributes poured in from around
the world.
dignity and effortless ease, or
participating as a member in a
debate.
Great- administrator -
He was a great administrator.
Not long ago, at a meeting of the
diocesan executive committee, a
member remarked that whatever
the bishop wanted, any,Anglican
in the diocese should'
immediately do. "Your wish is
my command" is possibly the
least of the average Anglican's
attitude towards his bishop.
George Luxton won such a place
of leadership in the elected yet
intimate councils which
surrounded him by his qualities
as a man, by -his sheer calibre as
a, leader.' To serve with him and
under him was a privilege -and
an education.
George Luxton became 'sixth
Lord Bishop of Huron shortly
after the Second World War. The
preceding years ..aof war and
depression had seen the Church
ip this diocese, as elsewhere,
wallowing in the doldrums,
unable to launch upon new
initiatives, scarcely able to
maintain the , level of preceding
times.
Forthwith he launched upon
an aggressive programme of
Church extension, building, as
Bishop Townshend remarked,.
more churches than' any other
bishop. ,
In this ambitious undertaking
he had the able and
indispensable assistance of •the
widely loved Bishop Townshend,
as diocesan commissioner and- as
suffragan bishop, and -as director
of the church- extension
programme.
Early these men grasped the.
implications of the post-war rush
to -suburbia, and of the necessity
of • the Church spreading out to
minister to the new and growing
areas. ._
Quickly such expansion, with
its strain on limited resources,
raised the anticipated charges of.
the bishop's having an "edifice
complex", of building "chicken
coops" on every ,corner, instead
of concentrating scarce resources
more. effectively in larger units
in a motorized age of easier
transportation.
Policy questions
Clearly here was a question of
'policy on which it is•.petlraps still
premature to pass judgement
and on which everyone has his
• own views. • bishop Luxton
persisted in his contention that
the most, efficacious ministry is
still discharged locally by a
well-educated priest in his own
small parish.
Team ministries, experimental
ministries, special ministries of
various kihdt, the - bishop
supported and implerrrtke rated. But
he adhered to the vie* that the
'old tried-and-true method was
still the best.°
'Educational policy in all its
many - ramifications engaged
Bishop Luxton's unremitting -
attention. He keenly appreciated Likewise, to meet the special
the need for a well-educated needs of older men in training,
clergy, and like bishops before and the shortage of clergy, the
him since the es early niid'die ages, t set up meager -fall within
ever sought to provide it. .Huron ` College. Under the
' Under his direction the de -voted • leadership • of
Reverend Harry O'Neil, i'etrthe= ,»rc•h+detrecen .Jones this
principal of Huron College, and temporar- arrangement enjoyed
'It was on St. Andrew's bay,
November 30i 1948, that George
Nasmith -Luxton was.
consecrated sixth Bishop of
Huron, and at the diocesan
synod of 1970 he announced his
intention to retire in August of
1971.
Noted as. an outstanding
theological student Bishop
Luxton graduated from Trinity
-is
College in 1925. Following;
Ordination he served as a curate
at St. Patrick's Church, Guelph,
and Christ's Church Cathedral,
• Hamilton. He later served . as
Rector in Christ Church,
Calgary; St. George's Church, St,
Catherines and Grace
Church -on -the -Hill, Toronto.
In 1944 he was appointed
Rector of St. Paul's Cathedral,
London, and Dean of Huron. He
was , honoured by Trinity,
College, Toronto, with, the
degree of Doctor of Divinity in
1944, and in 1950 he received
an honourary LLD , from the
University ,of Western Ontario.
Throughout his entire
ministry as student, priest and
bishop, Bishop 'Luxton was
always to be found on the front
line of Christian endeavour. His
stirring radio ministry which
began in Calgary brought him to
the forefront in the 1930's. He
was controversial as he
'attempted to stir up Christian
responsibility in troubled -times.
Bishop Luxton took a. leading
role as Chairman of the Spiritual
Advance Committee of General
Synod in the 1940's. His interest
and • enthusiasm continued into
the expansive 1950's and
troubled 1960's. Always he was
busy thinking his way through
the questions. :of the day so that
he might play his part as a
responsible leader - a true
Bishop in the Household of God.
v. - His accomplishments were
many.
But why was he like this?"
What gave him such power and
influence? I write as one who
remembers him long before he
cameto the Diocese of Huron.
As a small boy in a small Nova
Scotia town I remember his
coming to forward the cause of
the Anglican Advance Appeal. I
remember his charm and vitality
as he inspected the architecture
of the Church, but above all his
cdiiviction and enthusiasm as he
spoke to the congregation about
the appeal.
That impression stayed, but
there was more to be added.
Bishop Luxton wa& Chairman of
the codim.ittee that launched the
new Canadian ChurchMan' as a
monthly newspaper. As editor of
that new venture I learned more
about his warrrtth of herart and
his dogged determination if he
thought a certain course was
right.
The measure of the •man was
his breadth of vision and his
depth of involvement. There was
no such thing as a half -measure.
His faith and commitment to the
cause ' of Jesus Christ often
caused him to be unr3opular for
the moment, but there was no
question in his mind of . the
course he 'must follow, 'Sacha: 4
man was a leader of are
capacity in - this uncertain
century.
Bishop Luxton was ,beloved
by many and respected by .0.
The Anglican Church of Canada,
and the o whole Christian
community, will miss his
presence in the Christian.
councils of Canada. However we
may thank God that we have
had the . privilege of.knowing
such a man; of receiving --his
loving pastoral care and for his
presence which has served as an
example of a true servant of
Jesus Christ, As we miss him,
may his presence add to the
glory of Heaven. '
The sympathy of .the whole
diocese is extended to Bishop
Luxton's wife Dorothy, and to
his three sons Martin, David and
D'Arcy. •
Bishop of Huron 1948.1070
subsequently archbishop of
Fredericton and metropolitan of
Canada, raised the funds for the
expansion of Huron College -
soon to 'make this Huron
diocesan seminary the largest
centre „in' 'Canada for training
.clergy, as well as one of the
leading its colleges in the
Dominion.
"Lasting success
a success which is still lasting in
the,. fruitful ministries of its
graduates.
But Bishop . Luxtbn
appreciated the pfact that the
Church needed a representation
in the rapidly growing areas of °
education broader thin
seminaries for the priesthood
could provide. He initiated, and
• during the years of their success,
supported the various
"Canterbury Clubs" for laity
and ordinands alike.
He established the full-time
-chaplaincy services in the
universities within the diocese,
and selected able men to fulfil
this.-speeialty entitiv mit cy:
Most important of all, - he
founded two new. Anglican
colleges in the new -universities
of the diocese, Renison College
at, Waterloo, and Canterbury
- College at Windsor, and' took
close personal interest,in their
development. Along ith lois
sustained interest in Huron
College, these two new
foundations will be . enduring
institutional memorials to his
patronage and initiative.
• While the claims of the
intellect must ever be uppermost
in the interests of a first-rate
bishop, the -requirements of
social, action in a suffering world
must be equally so. The mere
• ,rental. of .diocesan committees
and areas of responsibility
•
py
demonstrate the loving and
continuing Christian concern of
the diocese and its bishop for
the afflicted and,distressed.
_ Special projects'
Under Bishop' • Luxton's
leadership many special projects
were undertaken to meet
particular problems -- from the
launching of St. Monica's house
as a • home for unwed mothers
under the zeal of Frank Hallett
to the campaign to mitigate
hunger__ ...overseas - under.- the.
capable direction of Grace
Hutchings, and - the novel
a.ppxxobh to.trwaditional
-missionary Concerns at home
and abroad, in Africa and Asia.
All this is fait game: if we
believe that Christ is the Lord' of
all life, then all life is our
Christian 'concern,. It is
demonstrable historically that
virtually . every area of
educational and social action
began in the 'Church, and was
gradually usurped, as it grew in.
size, by the State, 'Which in this
secular age alone has the power
to tax, and hence the resources
to finance, large-scale long range
activity. To an unusual degree,
B _ .... pxedfel'.
dischargedishopLuxton
the leadingerceirole
the Church in these areas of
activity.
▪ (See Poi Five)