A Short History

The Christian Episcopal Church of Canada was founded as and intends to be a traditional continuation of the Church of England in the Dominion of Canada, which since 1955, has been styled the Anglican Church of Canada. The doctrine, discipline and worship of the Christian Episcopal Church (XnEC) of Canada conforms to the Solemn Declaration made by the Bishops and Delegates from the Clergy and Laity of the Church of England in the Dominion of Canada gathered together in their First General Synod at Toronto, Ontario, in September 1893.
The Parish of Saint George is a parish of the said XnEC of Canada, and as such is bound by the Constitution and Canons of the Christian Episcopal Church of Canada and is under the authority of its Primate and the Bishop Ordinary of the Diocese of Richmond.
Saint George’s was formed back in 1998 when Robert Redmile, Anthony DeBoer, Gerald and Mary Rowsome, Kay Stevenson, and Dorothy Anderson decided that there was a need to establish a traditional Anglican congregation to serve the people of White Rock and South Surrey. At that time, Saint George’s was a mission outreach of Saint Saviour’s Parish in Richmond and it took some time for the Rector to draw up a workable constitution and by-laws and to get all the necessary paperwork done to the satisfaction of the Provincial Government. However, by God’s grace, the Government’s requirements were fulfilled, and the Parish of Saint George was incorporated under the Society Act of the Province of British Columbia on May 3, 1999.
The application to Her Majesty’s Government of the Province of British Columbia for incorporation as a Society under the Society Act of British Columbia was filed by the following individuals: Robert David Redmile. Roy Gerald Rowsome. Mary Elinor Rowsome. Dorothy Constance Anderson, and Kathleen Francis Stevenson.
The Right Reverend (a Priest at that time) Robert David Redmile was the first Vicar of Saint George’s. The first Service of Evensong was held at the home of Mr Gerald and Mrs Mary Rowsome on 22nd March 1998, Mothering Sunday. The first public Service of Evensong was held at Saint John’s Presbyterian Church at 1480 George Street in White Rock, on Sunday, 1st November 1998, All Saints’ Day. The Reverend Anthony DeBoer was the minister-in-charge before the Venerable James Krawchuk was inducted as the Rector of the Parish on 27th November 2005, the First Sunday in Advent.