D8

By WILFRED LANGMAID
For The Daily Gleaner

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

Ven. Patricia Drummond has been appointed as Archdeacon of Fredericton by Most Rev. Claude Miller, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton and Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical province of Canada.

Enlarge Photo

submitted photo

Ven. Patricia Drummond is the new Archdeacon of Fredericton. When appointed as Archdeacon of Chatham in 2005, Drummond was the first female archdeacon in the 160-year history of the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton.

The announcement was made by Miller on Sunday, Nov. 1, when the appointment took effect.

In this role, Drummond replaces Ven. Geoffrey Hall, who had been serving as Archdeacon of Fredericton apart from his duties as executive assistant to the bishop, secretary of synod, and diocesan archdeacon since the retirement of Ven. John Sharpe in 2007.

Drummond retired as Rector of the Anglican parish of New Bandon on Sept. 30, having served there since 2004. She continued as Archdeacon of Chatham, a role she had served since 2005, until the end of October.

Rev. Richard Steeves, Rector of the Anglican Parishes of Newcastle, Nelson, and Hardwicke, was appointed Archdeacon of Chatham effective Sunday, Nov. 1.

When appointed by Miller as Archdeacon of Chatham in 2005, Drummond was the first female archdeacon in the 160-year history of the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton, which includes all of New Brunswick.

Drummond, who was born in Wales, studied at Cambridge University, where she earned BA and MA degrees. At Cambridge, she met Hugh Drummond, a professional engineer who became her husband.

The mother of two children, Drummond moved to Fredericton in 1971 when her husband assumed duties as head of the engineering department at the Research and Productivity Council.

Earning her BEd degree at UNB, Drummond worked as an educator in the public school system for many years, teaching at Sunbury West Middle School, Gagetown Elementary, Hubbard School in Oromocto and Assiniboine School in Oromocto. She also began a long relationship with the community of Christ Church (Parish) Church, serving in such capacities as ACW, choir, vestry, warden, church librarian, chair of cornerstone committee, and layreader.

Drummond discerned a call to ordained ministry in the early 1990s. She studied by correspondence, choosing the reading and tutorial course of Montreal Diocesan Theological College, specifically its 12-course academic component of ordination requirements. Upon completing this study in 1997, Drummond was ordained to the diaconate by Rt. Rev. George Lemmon, and served in a non-stipendiary position at Christ Church (Parish) Church, while continuing to teach half- time.

Drummond was ordained priest in 2000 by Rt. Rev. Bill Hockin. Earlier that year, Hockin appointed her as Christian education director for the Diocese of Fredericton, and she stopped teaching in the public school system. Apart from this 25-hour-a-week position, Drummond was an honorary assistant at Christ Church Cathedral.

While Drummond had never served in full-time parish ministry before her appointment in 2004 as Rector of New Bandon, she did serve on an interim basis in the Parishes of Newcastle and Nelson and the Parish of Bright during her time as Christian education director for the Diocese of Fredericton.