People
Episcopal News Service. October 19, 1995 [95-1273K]
The Rev. David Harris, an editor with the Halifax Chronicle-Herald, has been named editor of the Anglican Journal/Journal Anglican. Harris, who holds an Master of Arts degree in theology from Oxford University, became a reporter with the Chronicle-Herald in May, 1987, and a general editor in April, 1991. In November, 1994, Harris was appointed religion editor for the Chronicle-Herald and its sister publication, the Mail-Star. He praised the Journal for its attempt to be well-rounded and broadly representative of the church. "I think editorially it can become even broader, and in style and design I think it can be more focused and reader-friendly," he said.
Barney Pityana, former director of the World Council of Churches' program to combat racism, has been elected chairperson of the newly constituted Human Rights Commission in South Africa. Pityana, an Anglican priest exiled during the apartheid era, was one of 11 people appointed by President Nelson Mandela to the commission which was formally launched on October 2. He said that the commission was not a formal government body but it had the powers to keep the government in check with regard to the human rights clauses in the new constitution. Compared with the culture under the apartheid regime when human rights were totally ignored, the fact that this commission has been instituted is a significant development," he said. "It shows the government is serious to create a culture of human rights."
Patrick Gahan, head chaplain at St. Stephen's Episcopal School in Austin, Texas, has been named executive director of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge/USA (SPCK). Gahan, who has a master of divinity degree from the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, has served as assistant to the rector at Christ Church in Tyler, Texas, and director of development at St. Andrew's-Sewanee School. He said that he plans to continue several of the initiatives conducted by SPCK, including the Adopt-a-Seminary program, which provides books for seminaries around the world, and sponsoring Russian seminarians, as well as developing new projects in Newfoundland, Haiti and Mexico. Robert Rust, chairman of SPCK's board of trustees, said "We conducted a nationwide search for the next generation of leadership at SPCK and we found, in Patrick, someone who is an outstanding leader. We feel that we have someone who can have a profound impact on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion."
The Rt. Rev. Richard Chartres, the area bishop of Stepney in the Diocese of London, has been appointed the new Bishop of London to succeed the Rt. Rev. David Hope who has been appointed Archbishop of York. Chartres voted against the legislation to ordain women to the priesthood in 1992 and has never ordained a woman priest. He will continue the practice of Bishop Hope in the diocese in ordaining all deacons but will leave the ordination of priests to his assistant bishops. He emphasized that he works happily with "able and gifted women priests" in his own team, and will use the talents of the 70 women priests in the diocese.