James Cullen, General Synod's treasurer and director of financial management and development, will retire later this year and the national office of the Anglican Church of Canada has begun a search for his successor.

"Sometime after (the) General Synod (convention), I will retire, but there's no set date yet," said Mr. Cullen in an interview. The church's triennial governing convention meets from May 28 to June 4 in St. Catharines, Ont.

Mr. Cullen, who will be 67 as of June 5, joined General Synod in 1997 with extensive experience in financial management, including 19 years with Canadian National Railway's telecommunications division where he was a vice president and general manager. He is a chartered accountant.

In the seven years he has worked at Church House, he has directed the finances of the Toronto-based national office through the pressure of legal costs related to Indian residential schools, a staff reduction in 2000 and a changing structure that has seen the incorporation of the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund, the pension office and Anglican Journal.

According to the job description posted by General Synod (available on the church's Web site at community.anglican.ca/jobs), the position calls for a candidate with significant experience in a senior financial management role who is familiar with volunteer boards and has an appreciation for financial development within the church. The national office operates on an annual budget of about $10 million.