[Anglican Communion News Service] On July 19, the Rt. Rev. Mark Short, bishop of the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, was elected the 18th primate of the Anglican Church of Australia.
The Board of Electors, consisting of all diocesan bishops, as well as 12 clergy and 12 laity elected by the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia, conducted the election at St. Andrews House, Sydney. Short received a majority of votes in each category — bishops, clergy and laity — and he accepted the appointment.
Short said that he was “honored and humbled by this call to serve,” and stated that he looked forward to “working together with Anglicans across Australia to share the lasting hope we are given in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Before becoming bishop of Canberra and Goulburn, Short was national director of the Bush Church Aid Society and has served as rector of Turvey Park (now South Wagga) and archdeacon of Wagga Wagga in the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. He also has worked as a graduate economist for the Commonwealth Department of Industrial Relations and as a journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald.
Educated at Moore Theological College and the University of Durham, in the United Kingdom, he was ordained deacon in 1996 and priest in 1997, in the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn.
The primate is the spiritual leader of the Anglican church in Australia, the chief executive officer of the church’s national staff team, and a member of every national committee, council and board. The primate represents the church nationally and internationally, especially at the Anglican Communion Primates’ Meeting.
Short will take up his new duties on Nov. 1, after the current primate, Archbishop Geoffrey Smith, completes his duties on Oct. 31. Short will continue to serve as bishop of Canberra and Goulburn along with being primate.
Smith said, “I welcome the appointment of Bishop Mark Short as the next primate of the Anglican Church of Australia. I was pleased that the election process demonstrated strong support for Mark. I am confident that he will bring a godly, considered leadership to the role, incorporating his wide experience of the Australian church, a scholarly outlook and a calm approach. I wish him all the best as he prepares to take on the role.”
The Rt Rev. Anthony Poggo, secretary general of the Anglican Communion, offered his support for the newly elected primate, saying, “I extend my congratulations and support for Bishop Mark as he prepares to take on this new responsibility as primate of the Anglican Church of Australia this November. We give thanks for their part in the global Anglican family. I pray that God will grant him wisdom in this new chapter of his ministry and will be a blessing to all those he serves.”