Peter Wall (priest)

Peter Wall is a Canadian Anglican priest. He is Dean of the Diocese of Niagara.

Wall was born in Kingston, Ontario, educated at the University of Toronto and ordained in 1989.[1][2] His first post was as Rector of St. Matthew's by the Lake in St. Clair Beach, Ontario.[3] He was Rector of Bishop Cronyn Memorial Church, London, Ontario[3] from 1993 to 1998, he has been Dean of Niagara since then.[4]

He is the father of two children.[1]

Wall sang as a boy, earned his degree at the University of Toronto in voice, and sang professionally with a number of organizations, including the Canadian Opera Company.[1] He taught voice at the University of Western Ontario.[1] As a priest, Wall has continued to sing, performing at charity fundraising events as a member of a vocal trio of three priests that came together in the 1997, the "Three Cantors."[5] The group includes Wall, Archdeacon David Pickett and William Cliff, Bishop of the Diocese of Brandon.[1][6][7] Wall, who has a "huge bass/baritone voice," has also sung with Symphony Hamilton.[5]

In 1994 he was chosen as the guest speaker at the "healing and memorial service" to commemorate International AIDS Day, a nondenominational service held at All Saints Anglican Church at City Hall Square, Windsor, Ontario.[3]

It was widely expected that Wall would be elected Bishop of Niagara in 2007 when Bishop Ralph Spence retired. Opposition to his election is thought to stem from the fact that 2003, Spence disciplined Wall for marrying a lesbian couple Christ's Church Cathedral.[8] The marriage, which is thought to be the first same-sex marriage ceremony performed by an Anglican priest in Canada, was the subject of national attention.[9] In 2008 Wall was one of seven candidates nominated to become Bishop of Edmonton; of the seven, Wall was one of only two who were willing to discuss their view on the blessing of same-sex marriage. Wall's position was that if he had been a voting member of the General Synod that took a very close vote on the issue in 2007, he would have voted in favour of a motion to allow each individual diocese make its own decision on the question.[10]

References
  1. Freibauer, Caroline (30 January 1999). "Soul Strains: Three Anglican priests sing for charity". Brantford Expositor. ProQuest 345761619.
  2. Huron BlogSpot
  3. Fidelman, Charlie (29 November 1994). "Community of Ghosts". Montreal Gazette. ProQuest 254129897.
  4. The Pilgrim’s Guide to CHRIST’S CHURCH CATHEDRAL, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  5. Fraser, Hugh (9 June 1999). "THREE CANTORS BRANCHING OUT". The Hamilton Spectator. ProQuest 269959277.
  6. Forget, Andre (2 November 2015). "Brandon chooses Huron College rector as new bishop". Anglican Journal. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  7. Morden, Paul (11 January 2003). "Three Cantors sing for hunger". Observer. ProQuest 348138615.
  8. "Michael Bird is Anglicans' new bishop". The Hamilton Spectator. 4 June 2007. ProQuest 270300095.
  9. Dube, Francine (18 November 2013). "Anglican defends marrying lesbians: His flock applauds him". National Post. ProQuest 330005656.
  10. Retson, Don (8 March 2008). "Candidates for Anglican bishop weren't quizzed on hot issue; Local diocese didn't want to make selection process founder in same-sex blessing question". Edmonton Journal. ProQuest 253547263.


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