Archbishop Lynne McNaughton

Archbishop Lynne began at VST as a 26-year-old female student with an undergraduate background in Sociology and English. She remembers the congeniality of the faculty and their deep love of the church. While they could deconstruct and challenge in class, they came to community worship where they would preach and preside. Students would follow faculty members to churches where the faculty members led Bible studies. Archbishop Lynne’s time at VST (1982-1986) coincided with the meeting of the World Council of Churches at VST. She remembers watching Archbishop Desmond Tutu arrive at the large meeting tent, on the current site of St Andrew’s Hall, where he was to address the assembly. He arrived at the Assembly late because of the reluctance of the South American Government to let him travel to the event.

The rhythms of student life were formative. Most students lived on campus and shared morning prayer and then breakfast together. Archbishop Lynne remembers her classmates, like Jay Olson and Rob Oliphant. There were 11 in her graduating class. The cafeteria, at meal-times, was a place of conversation and learning. “When you came into the cafeteria there was often a few faculty members there to speak with.” Archbishop Lynne’s experience at VST was delightfully ecumenical and Anglican and “deeply shaped my heart.” After community chapel during lunch, inspiring speakers were invited to address the whole of the community on issues of justice and social action in the world.

Archbishop Lynne returned to VST in 1995 as Director of Anglican Formation and continued as a faculty member until 2008. She remembers the wonderful influence of Archbishop David Somerville who took the Anglican student body on retreats.

On March 6, 2021, Archbishop Lynne McNaughton was elected 13th Metropolitan of the Province. The Archbishop was officially installed on September 17, 2021 during the 40th Provincial Synod in Vancouver where she received the Metropolitical Cross from the Prolocutor, The Venerable Clara Plamondon.

The Rev. Dr. Lynne McNaughton was elected the tenth Bishop of Kootenay on January 19, 2019 at the Cathedral Church of St. Michael and All Angels in Kelowna, B.C. She was consecrated and installed on May 16, 2019.