Vic: Melbourne Vicar General retires to country after 16 years

AAP General News (Australia)
04-30-2001
Vic: Melbourne Vicar General retires to country after 16 years

MELBOURNE, April 30 AAP - The Vicar-General who headed Melbourne's Anglican Church
during the debate over the ordination of women will retire to a country parish.

Bishop John Stewart, 61, will leave Melbourne today after 16 years as Vicar-General
- the acting head of the church in the Archbishop's absence.

He will be inducted as Vicar of the Parish of Woodend, near Bendigo, on Wednesday.

Bishop Stewart was appointed Vicar-General in 1988, and became acting leader of the
church in the late 1980s during the time of continued debate over the ordination of women.

Women were ordained into the Anglican Church in Melbourne in 1992 under then Archbishop
Keith Rayner.

For the past seven years Bishop Stewart has presided over the Eastern Melbourne region.

He has also been responsible for the inner city and northern regions, been vicar at
two Melbourne parishes and chaired numerous church-related councils and committees.

Bishop Stewart tried his hand at stand-up comedy during this month's Melbourne Comedy
Festival and has become renowned for his after dinner speeches.

Melbourne Archbishop Peter Watson paid tribute to Bishop Stewart's "long and distinguished"

service in Melbourne.

"He has made many outstanding contributions to the life of the church in this city," he said.

"We wish him every blessing for the future."

Bishop Stewart farewelled Melbourne with a service at St Columb's Church in Hawthorn,
before about 200 people.

AAP ac/jlw/mg/bwl

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