Rt. Rev. William Cliff elected 13th Bishop of Ontario

The Rt. Rev. William Cliff, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Brandon, has been elected to succeed The Rt Rev Michael Oulton as Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Ontario. His tenure as the thirteenth Bishop of Ontario will commence upon the Service of Installation planned for a later date. Bishop Oulton has served as Diocesan Bishop since 2011. He announced his resignation in January of this year to take effect upon the installation of his successor.

Bishop-elect Cliff was elected on the 1st ballot during an Electoral Synod held on Saturday April 29 at St. George’s Cathedral in Kingston. The other nominee in the election was Major the Rev. Canon Bradley Smith, Rector of St. John the Evangelist Church in Peterborough, Ontario. Bishop-elect Cliff received a majority of votes from both the clergy and lay delegates to the synod. Once the election is confirmed by the bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario, Bishop Cliff will become Bishop-elect of the diocese.

Bishop-elect Cliff will become the chief pastor of the Diocese of Ontario whose See City is based in Kingston. The diocese is home to 63 congregations, serving Anglicans in Eastern Ontario within an area bordering the north shore of Lake Ontario extending from Quinte West to Cardinal.

Bishop-elect Cliff was ordained to the priesthood in 1992. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, Huron University and Kings College at Western University. Over the past 31 years since being ordained, Bishop-elect Cliff has served in various locations and in a variety of roles. He is currently the 7th bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Brandon, Manitoba and Chair of the Pension Committee of the General Synod. He has served in past roles as Canon Precentor of the Diocese of Huron and as a board member of the Royal School of Church Music in Canada. He served in various ministries within the Diocese of Huron, most notably as a member of the Three Cantors singing group, raising over two million dollars for relief and development work through two hundred concerts held across Canada. He also serves the Anglican Church of Canada in both national and international roles in addition to being an active keynote speaker, workshop leader and columnist.