Disruption in Toronto's Anglican Churches, 1960-1985: The Effect of West Indian and Other Minority Immigration on Parish Identity

Changes to Canada’s immigration regulations introduced in the 1960s opened the door to an influx of immigrants from non-traditional sources, that is countries outside of the British Isles and northern Europe. The challenge of incorporating this racially and ethnically diverse array of newcomers compelled Anglicans to rethink their conventional views on race, culture, tolerance, and assimilation. This transformation is most evident in Toronto where the racial minority population increased sevenfold in the years 1961 to 1986. This study adds an important element to the thick description of the identity shift that the Anglican Church underwent in the latter half of the twentieth century. The research provides contextualization for today’s Canadians as they mutually negotiate the incorporation process, and for the Anglican Church as it presents the Gospel to an increasingly diverse population. By focusing on the interplay of immigration, a critical element in the formation of contemporary Canadian identity, and the Anglican Church, a body identified with Canada’s dominant culture and values, this thesis locates the historiographical discussion in the centre of Canadian history. By drawing upon unpublished sources, the thesis enlarges the existing narrative and makes a unique contribution to Canadian scholarship in immigration studies. This thesis, which focuses on the seminal period 1960 to 1985, demonstrates that immigrants—primarily Black West Indies—seeking to find a home in Toronto’s Anglican churches disrupted established patterns of parish life in a church still largely British. While the opening chapters provide a national and diocesan context, the second half of the thesis looks at the changes wrought by immigration in three Toronto parishes. In seeking to incorporate newcomers, these parishes redefined their identity in relation to an increasingly multicultural Canada, their historic ties to Britain, and a multiracial Anglican Communion. While the number of parishes experiencing large-scale immigration was limited, the impact of the changing demographics was embraced by the diocesan leadership, resulting in policies and programs affecting the whole diocese. The self-understanding reached by the Anglican Church during the period 1960–1985 generated fresh opportunities for evangelism and challenges for the practice of ministry in an increasingly pluralistic context.

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