[The Anglican Church of Canada] Following the resignation of Editor Kristin Jenkins, the Anglican Journal will adopt an interim management structure and not hire a new editor until late 2013 at the earliest. Sam Carriere, director of Communications and Information Resources and Resources for Mission, shared this news with General Synod staff on Dec. 13.
Editor since 2009, Ms. Jenkins will leave the Anglican Journal on Jan. 7, 2013 to become director of advancement at Albert College in Belleville, Ont.

“It is my feeling, supported by advice I have sought and received, that I should not engage in a formal search and hiring process for an editor of the Anglican Journal until next year’s restructuring work is behind us, at the earliest,” said Mr. Carriere in an email to staff.

In November, the Council of General Synod passed a transitional budget for 2013 and agreed to establish a more conservative budget for 2014 in response to declining revenues. Throughout the next year, General Synod leadership will consider ways to restructure the national office, including the Anglican Journal.

In the meantime, the Journal will be led by three staff:

Archdeacon Paul Feheley will serve as managing editor, assuming overall responsibilities for staff management, assignments, newspaper content, and day-to-day activities. Mr. Feheley will continue in his current position as the Primate’s principal secretary. He has previously served on Anglican Communion communication teams at the Lambeth Conference, the Primates’ Meeting and the Anglican Consultative Council.

Bev Murphy will become the Anglican Journal’s business manager. Ms. Murphy will continue as General Synod’s senior manager of communications and now also oversee all aspects of the newspaper’s finances, including revenues, advertising, and liaising with Heritage Canada, which provides a major grant to the newspaper.

Sam Carriere’s role will be at arm’s length, serving as a consultant for the managing editor and business manager, as needed.
“I considered a number of temporary or interim possibilities to provide the Journal and its staff with leadership, direction and support. I also took as a given that existing Journal staff are quite capable of producing the newspaper within the present configuration,” said Mr. Carriere in his email to staff.

“The skills needed for the interim period, in other words, are more management and leadership skills than traditional journalistic skills, though some of the latter is, of course, essential.”

The Anglican Journal is the Anglican Church of Canada’s editorially independent newspaper, founded in 1875.

– Ali Symons is General Synod senior editor.