Bishop & Pro-Cathedral
On April 29, 2021, our founding rector, Rev. Alan Hawkins, was elected bishop co-adjutor of our diocese, the Diocese of Christ Our Hope. His election was approved by the ACNA’s College of Bishops on June 17th, 2021, so on November 5th, 2021, he was formally consecrated as bishop coadjutor here at Redeemer as a part of our diocese’s annual Convocation and Synod. At that point, Church of the Redeemer officially became a pro-cathedral of our diocese.
So, what do all of these words mean?
We know that words like bishop and consecration may be somewhat familiar to some who have spent a little bit of time at Redeemer, or in the world of Anglicanism in general. But what’s really wrapped up in the meaning of them? What does a bishop actually do, and what happens at a consecration service? Additionally, while those words might be somewhat familiar, what about terms like bishop coadjutor, dean, and pro-cathedral? And how do all of these things fit into what’s happening at Redeemer?
Revs. Alan and Dan sat down to talk through all of these things, and more. As we enter into this new season at Redeemer with Alan as bishop coadjutor, Dan as dean, and Redeemer as pro-cathedral, we hope this page serves as a good resource for much of what you might be wondering. We’re excited to enter into this time together as a church family!
What’s a pro-cathedral/cathedral?
When you hear the word “cathedral,” you might think of high stone walls and stained glass. Whether the “cathedral” has walls made of stone, wood, or another material, in the history of the church, a ”cathedral” has simply been the church where the bishop resides. He travels for his ministry, but the cathedral is the place of his “seat.” A pro-cathedral is a church which has a bishop’s higher presence, but not necessarily the “seat” of the archbishop or diocesan bishop.
What’s the role of a bishop?
There are actually several different kinds of bishops—archbishops, bishop ordinaries, bishop suffragans, bishop coadjutors (which Pastor Alan has been elected as), and assisting bishops. Each of these different kinds of bishops serves in different ways, but ultimately they all serve as chief pastors of the diocese and larger church—they serve as “pastors of the pastors.”
What does a bishop wear and why?
When an individual is consecrated as a bishop in the Anglican Church, they begin wearing some different vestments—rochets, chimeres, mitres, and more. These vestments are all meant to display the bishop’s office as standing in the line of the apostolic teachers, under the authority of the Scripture, and as a shepherd to the church. They are symbols not of the importance of the individual person, but of the nature of their role and their commitment to serving with humility.
What's a dean?
In cathedrals and pro-cathedrals, there’s an individual who is elected to the role of dean (in Redeemer’s case, this is Pastor Dan). The dean serves that church by bringing leadership and having involvement in the day-to-day interactions of the church as well as by working closely with the bishop. The dean leads with the delegated authority of the bishop.
What does it mean for Redeemer to become a pro-cathedral?
In many ways, not much changes! As the pro-cathedral, we’ll be working to serve and strengthen our diocese. We’ll also introduce a few new things: some differently colored clergy vestments, more services to celebrate different feast days of the church calendar, and a few other things. All in all, we’re not really changing, but expanding in some ways to serve in our diocese.
How have Dan and Alan co-labored in ministry and friendship already?
Now that Dan and Alan are moving from working together as Senior Associate Rector and Rector of Redeemer to Dean and Bishop Coadjutor, you might be wondering how they’ve worked together over the years in general. In this video they tell us a bit about their 20-year history of friendship and ministry together.
