Principal secretary to edit Anglican Journal

Archdeacon Paul Feheley, principal secretary to the primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, has been appointed managing editor of the Anglican Journal.

Kristin Jenkins, editor of the Journal since July 2009, has accepted the position of director of advancement for Albert College, Canada’s oldest co-educational boarding and day school in Belleville, Ont. Her resignation becomes effective Jan. 7, 2013.

Feheley, 59, will be part of a three-person interim management group also consisting of Bev Murphy, senior manager of communications for General Synod, and Vianney (Sam) Carriere, director of communications for General Synod. In addition, Carriere is director of General Synod’s fundraising department, Resources for Mission.

Feheley will assume, on a part-time basis, overall responsibilities for staff management, assignments, the content of the newspaper and day-to-day activities. He will continue to function as principal secretary to Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, and as priest-in-charge of St. Chad’s, Toronto.

Murphy will oversee the newspaper’s finances, including advertising. Carriere will act as consultant and adviser to both Feheley and Murphy.

A formal search and hiring process for an editor for the Journal will not take place until the restructuring of General Synod is completed in 2013, said Carriere. “I’m happy that the existing staff of the Journal can put out the newspaper, so journalistic skills and experience–which should normally be the prime criteria [for selecting an interim editor]–were less of a factor for me in making a decision.”

In appointing Feheley, Carriere said he wanted someone who had “solid management experience,” and someone who can support the staff “both practically and pastorally.”

Carriere dismissed notions of a conflict of interest with the newspaper’s time-honoured policy of editorial independence. “I think Paul is aware of it, of the possibility, and he’s hoping to avoid that.” Carriere added that he and Feheley both believe that editorial independence “is not negotiable and we both want to maintain that as an important concept in the life of our church; it something that makes us unique and is worth keeping.”

In a brief meeting, Feheley assured Journal staff that he values the editorial independence of the newspaper. “I have no intention to use my other position to interfere with the independence of the paper,” he said. “I hope we can make it work in a positive way.”

Feheley said he was “surprised” to be offered the position, but that he said ‘yes’ because he knew he was working with a “completely professional” staff. “I am deeply honoured by the request.”

In an email announcement to General Synod staff, Carriere pointed out that Feheley has worked in communications for the Lambeth Conference of Bishops and the Anglican Consultative Council. He also brings “endless energy, boundless enthusiasm, a capacity for hard work, [and] a great love for challenges,” Carriere told the Journal. “He’s good with people, he’s one of the most knowledgeable people of the Anglican Church of Canada that you can ever meet.”

A graduate of University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music, Feheley received his Master of Divinity degree at Trinity College. His thesis work was in the field of communications. He was ordained into the priesthood in 1979.

Feheley was principal secretary to then primate, Archbishop Andrew Hutchison from 2004 to 2007. He has worked as incumbent at St. George’s Memorial Church in Oshawa, St. Martin’s Anglican Church (Bay Ridges), The Church of the Epiphany and St. Mark (Parkdale), and The Parish of the Caledon East.

Feheley has two grown sons, Kevin and Bryan.