The Right Rev’d Andrew Asbil
Bishop of Toronto
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Bishop Andrew came to St. James Cathedral in 2016 from Church of the Redeemer in midtown Toronto. Previous to that Incumbency, he was the Rector of the Church of the Incarnation in Oakville, and St. Alban’s in Acton. In January of 2019 he was installed as Bishop of the Diocese of Toronto.
Visit the Diocesan website for a full biography.
The Very Rev’d Dr. Stephen Hance
Rector of St. James Cathedral and Dean of Toronto
Contact
(416) 364-7865, ext. 226
The Very Revd Dr. Stephen Hance was installed as Dean of Toronto and Rector of St. James Cathedral on Sunday, January 14, 2024.
He was formerly the National Lead for Evangelism and Witness for the Church of England. He was until 2019 the Dean of Derby. He trained for the ministry at St. John’s Nottingham and was ordained in Portsmouth Diocese where he served his curacy at St. Jude’s Southsea. He then served as Team Vicar of St. Saviour’s Hanley Road (London Diocese) before moving to Southwark Diocese in 1999, where he was Vicar of Ascension Balham Hill and then Director of Mission and Evangelism for the Diocese and Canon Missioner at the Cathedral.
He has a BSc in Sociology from Portsmouth University (where he also met his wife Jacqui), a BTh and MA from Nottingham University, a DMin from Asbury Theological Seminary (USA), and a Masters in Public Administration from Birmingham University.
Responsibilities in the wider Church of England and beyond have included being a member of General Synod, a member of the Council of Intercontinental Church Society, a trustee of Just Earth, President of the Alumni Council of Asbury Theological Seminary, and founder/convener of the Cathedrals and Growth Network.
He has written or contributed to books on Fresh Expressions, Mission Action Planning, forgiveness, confirmation, parenting, and preaching.
Stephen is passionate about the Church, the mission of God in the world, and enabling people to flourish. He has travelled widely, especially in Africa (where he was born) and North America.
He loves music, can often be found at a concert or listening to music at home (on vinyl, preferably) and is a musician himself. Stephen and Jacqui have three adult children, Eliott, Simeon, and Isaac. They enjoy the theatre, friendship, hospitality, and God’s creation.
The Rev’d Canon Geoffrey Sangwine
Sub-Dean & Vicar
Contact
(416) 364-7865, ext. 250
Ordained deacon at St James’ Cathedral in May 2000 and priest at St Clement’s, Eglinton in 2001, Geoffrey Sangwine served as Assistant Curate and later Associate Priest at St Clement’s for four years. Geoff went on to St Joseph of Nazareth in Bramalea, a dynamic multicultural parish in Brampton. In 2010, he moved to historic St John’s, Norway, where he worked with the parish to reinvigorate the music ministry and Church School. Appointed as Priest in Charge of St Simon-the-Apostle in August 2016, Geoff led the amalgamation with St Peter’s, Carleton Street and was instituted as Incumbent of the newly amalgamated parish of St Peter and St Simon-the-Apostle in June 2017 where he currently serves.
He attended the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto, earning a Bachelor of Music (Ed), and later the Master of Divinity degree from Trinity College. For many years Geoff was a chorister at St James’ Cathedral, a faith community he says has always been close to his heart and instrumental in his formation.
Geoff was installed as an honorary Canon of St James’ Cathedral in January 2020. He currently serves as Regional Dean and is a member of the Diocesan Postulancy Committee. With a passion for the Anglican tradition, Church music, and working with a diverse group of people, Geoff says “I am delighted to be returning to St James in the role of Vicar and Sub Dean to join in the Cathedral’s vibrant mission and ministry in the heart of the city”.
As well as loving theatre and concerts, Geoff relishes spending time at his cottage which he shares with his partner Mark, where they enjoy canoeing, hiking, campfires and spending time with family and friends.
The Rev’d Canon Kristen Pitts
Canon Missioner
Contact
(416) 364-7865, ext. 237
Kristen joined the St. James team as Canon Missioner in spring 2025, after moving from the United States, where she had served in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington since 2016. Her wide-ranging experience in ministry, education, organizational leadership, and justice-oriented theology supports her work of making the Cathedral a centre of spiritual nourishment and formation for the city of Toronto.
Prior to her call at St. James, Kristen served as the Chaplain and Director of Spiritual and Cultural Learning at Washington Episcopal School in Bethesda, Maryland, where she oversaw the community’s spiritual life, community service programs, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. She also has experience in parish and university ministries in the Washington, DC area. She holds a Master in Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts in English with teacher certification from Furman University in South Carolina, where she is originally from.
In her life beyond the Cathedral, Kristen enjoys spending time with her wife and their young son, as well as reading, learning ukulele, and trying out new food and wine pairings.
You can connect with her on Instagram @Canonical_KP
The Rev’d Matthew Waterman
Associate Priest
Contact
(416) 364-7865, ext. 254
Matthew joined St. James Cathedral as Assistant Curate in May 2024. He graduated from Wycliffe College Toronto in 2020 with a Master of Divinity, after having obtained a Bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Toronto in 2017. Prior to his ordination in May 2024, Matthew served in various roles in the Diocese of Toronto, and for a time in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. Matthew is married to the Rev. Carol Shih, another priest in the diocese.
The Rev’d Walter Hannam
Vicar, St. Bart’s, Regent Park
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A native of Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, Father Hannam held the chair of Theology and Anglican Studies at the College of Emmanuel and St Chad in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for seven years before his appointment at St James Cathedral and St Bart’s. He holds degrees from the University of King’s College (B.A. Classics, Philosophy), Dalhousie University (M.A. Classical and Patristic Philosophy), and Boston College (Ph.D. Theology). Father Hannam was made Deacon and ordained to the Sacred Priesthood in the Diocese of Saskatchewan, where he served as Chaplain of St Mary’s Church, Prince Albert; he also served as Honorary Assistant at All Saints’ Parish in the Diocese of Saskatoon. Father Hannam is married to Sarah, a professional librarian.
Dean Emeritus
The Very Rev’d Duncan Abraham
Honorary Assistants
The Rev’d Canon Beth Benson
The Rev’d Jo-Anne Billinger
The Rev’d David Bousfield
The Rev’d Lynn Braye
The Rev’d Canon Edmund Der
The Rev’d Canon Douglas Graydon
The Ven. Thomas M. Greene
The Most Rev’d Colin Johnson
The Rev’d Canon Kate Merriman