The Rev. Mark MacDonald, the first indigenous national archbishop of the Church of England in Canada, has resigned over what the church calls “recognized” sexual misconduct.
“This is devastating news. The feeling of betrayal is deep and profound when leaders fail to meet the standards we expect and the boundaries we set, “wrote Rev. Linda Nichols, archbishop and primate of the church, in an open letter published Wednesday.
Nichols cited a complainant against MacDonald in the letter, but no further details were provided about the church’s allegations.
“First and foremost, our prayers must be for the complainant, whose life has been affected by Mark’s actions. “Betraying the trust of someone in such an important role as a leader will require a long journey of healing and our constant prayers,” the letter said. continues.
A church spokesman rejected a request for an interview with CBC News and said he would not comment further on MacDonald’s resignation.
Macdonald, 68, was named the church’s first national local Anglican bishop in 2007, a post that makes him the pastoral leader of approximately 225 local churches, most of them on reservations.
He was ordained archbishop in 2019.
A biography on the church’s website says he served in Mississauga, Ont., Duluth, Minnesota, Thomas, Wisconsin, Mauston, Vis, Portland, Ore, and the Southeast Regional Mission of the Diocese of Navajoland during his career.
MacDonald graduated from Wycliffe College, a Christian evangelical seminary at the University of Toronto.
An article in 2013 published by the Anglican Journal, the national newspaper of the Anglican Church of Canada, described McDonald as a “statusless Indian” of ancestral descent through his mother and father. The article also says that he grew up [Ojibwe] people. “
The Church of England has appointed Bishop Sidney Black to serve as the interim national bishop of the indigenous people.
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