Big changes await many in the church.

The primate of the Anglican Church of Canada retires this month, after a remarkable 18 years in office--a period that has seen him make his mark on his church, nationally and internationally.

Without a doubt, the church owes Michael Peers, his wife of more than 40 years Dorothy, and their family, a large debt of gratitude for their sacrifices. Archbishop Peers' 1986 primatial election represented a sea change in all their lives, as he said in recent interviews on the eve of his retirement.

"I knew it wasn't the way Dorothy foresaw our life," said the primate, who left the diocese of Qu'Appelle to take up the Toronto-based appointment. He had been the Regina-based diocese's bishop since 1977.

After the election, the family left Regina--their youngest son moved to Toronto with his parents while the two older, grown children stayed behind in the Prairies.

It could not have been an easy transition for any of them.

Now, as we say farewell and thank-you to the man who has led the church for nearly two decades, it is also a time to look to the not-too-distant future.

Soon, the church's thoughts will turn to choosing a new leader for the Anglican Church of Canada. Many involved in the church are likely already thinking about the qualities they would like to see at the helm of this church. Some have no doubt already put a face to the person they would most like as primate.

Somewhere, out there in one diocese or another, an unsuspecting bishop is on the verge of that same change that befell Archbishop Peers nearly 18 years ago. A bishop somewhere in Canada is about to bid farewell to a diocese she or he has served and loved, in order to serve a much larger Community. Perhaps that bishop has a family that will be similarly uprooted, a family that did not sign up for the dramatic changes that await them, too. One of Canada's dioceses will lose a close friend and pastor.

Big changes await many in the church.

In the coming issues, the Anglican Journal will explain the process for the May 31 primatial election and we will feature profiles of the "bishops who are eligible to be elected primate. Regardless of whether or not you are a delegate to General Synod, we invite you to participate in the process, by taking the time to read up on the candidates and the procedures.

In the Anglican Church of Canada, many members share in the task of choosing a new leader. First, the house of bishops will meet in April to choose from among their numbers the candidates whose names will appear on that ballot. Additionally, parishes and dioceses have selected their delegates, the representatives who will mark their ballots in St. Catharines, Ont., a few months from now.

Those who hold the future of the church in their hands need to be upheld in your prayers. The responsibility is tremendous.

Change is on the mind of most, too, at the church's national office as it winds down its long stay at 600 Jarvis, its creaky home for decades. Preparations for the move to nearby 80 Hayden St. have gone in fits and starts, which is common in oft-delayed urban construction projects. A September 2003 move was replaced by a mid-February 2004 date, which was replaced by a now-moving target.

Years of files are being culled, furniture being measured and re-measured and planning has begun for how to say good-bye to a building.

Staff and visitors who have suffered arctic drafts, scorching radiators, sudden leaks that flood entire offices, deafening cooling systems and balky elevators are looking forward to all the modern conveniences of a new building.

But there will also be some sadness leaving behind, for instance, the oak-paneled boardroom whose gracious atmosphere has hosted many a meeting and many a celebration, where the diocesan crests on the wall remind that the church truly is the sum of its parts.

Then there is the sunny chapel, where intimate eucharists are held every Thursday.

The uncertainty around the moving date has become a running joke in national church circles. But those laughs will probably turn to wistful smiles, when the time comes to close the door on 600 Jarvis.