Giving Thanks for Bishop Malcolm

Reflections from Bishop Dan on the life and ministry of Bishop Malcolm Harding

Dear friends,
As we shared last week, our dearly beloved Bishop Malcolm Harding died on Sunday, June 14th in Brandon, Manitoba, just a week before his 90th birthday. We, along with his family, grieve his loss, while also remaining deeply grateful that he is now rejoicing in the presence of his Lord Jesus, whom he served so faithfully and well throughout his ministry.

Throughout his life, Bishop Malcolm was passionate about promoting the Gospel across the country. He worked diligently for the renewal of the church, focusing on its understanding and experience of the transforming power of Jesus’ saving work. As Bishop of Brandon, he emphasized the importance of spiritual renewal, conversion, lay leadership, and the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church. He understood that Jesus’ Gospel is deeply merciful and transforms all aspects of our lives; because of this, he emphasized counseling, healing, pastoral care, and the practical application of the Christian faith to human needs.

After Lambeth 1998, he was inspired by the worldwide Anglican Communion's commitment to evangelism. He began to envision a new role for bishops as missionaries and teachers. And so, in the year 2000—the year before his retirement—he undertook a mission journey to communities stretching from the northern tip of his diocese to the very south. He traveled with his wife, Mary Lou, and other ministry leaders by car, teaching, sharing, doing mission work, and gathering children and families together around the Gospel of Jesus.

After retiring as Bishop of Brandon in 2001, Bishop Malcolm became deeply involved with Anglican renewal and the Essentials movement, which eventually led to the formation of our diocese. He became the Ambassador for Anglican Renewal Ministries Canada and traveled widely across the country, encouraging clergy and congregations while promoting renewal, evangelism, and discipleship.

In 2007, at a gathering of Anglican leaders in Burlington, Archbishop Greg Venables, Primate of the Southern Cone province in South America, announced that he would provide oversight for those who wished to remain faithful to Biblical Anglicanism. Bishop Malcolm joined Bishop Don Harvey to form a new, faithful diocese called the Anglican Network in Canada. It began with two bishops (+Don Harvey and +Malcolm Harding), two presbyters/priests (Sean Love+ and Archie Pell+), and two churches (St. John’s Richmond, BC and Resurrection, Hope, BC).

Malcolm’s public commitment to provide this leadership as a highly respected bishop was courageous, and he suffered persecution from church leaders in his previous diocese because of it. Yet, God used his courage to deeply strengthen this orthodox Anglican movement, which has since grown into our present Anglican Diocese of Canada. He provided episcopal support, encouragement, and counsel to clergy and congregations as our diocese grew and began to flourish. He profoundly blessed many churches, clergy, and laypeople through his humble and joyful leadership, his loving pastoral care, his godly wisdom, and his Holy Spirit-led teaching and preaching.

Bishop Malcolm retired from active episcopal responsibilities in 2009. Even as he experienced major health challenges later in life, he continued to be a deeply joyful and encouraging minister of the Gospel. I personally experienced his loving support many times in my own ministry. In God’s grace and timing, I was able to visit him in Brandon just a week before he died. His memory had declined, yet as I thanked him on behalf of the diocese for his amazing ministry as one of our founding bishops and for his deeply encouraging leadership, he was surprised and, with a big smile, joyfully thanked me. This beautifully represented Bishop Malcolm’s lifelong ministry, in which, even in his weakness, the joy of the Lord Jesus shone through him.

We, as a diocese, are deeply grateful for Bishop Malcolm Harding’s faithful and loving ministry. Please pray for his dear wife, Marylou, and their family, that the hope of Jesus will be their sure comfort. I also invite your prayers—and your presence, if you are able to attend—as we gather for his funeral and interment on June 29th at 11:00 am at The Dome Building, Keystone Centre, 1–1200 13th Street, Brandon, Manitoba.

Thanks be to God for +Malcolm’s life, well-lived for the glory of Jesus in His church.

Yours faithfully,

+Dan

The Right Reverend Dan Gifford
Diocesan Bishop