By Rev. Dr. Ed
& Janice Hird
An article previously
published in the
Light Magazine
The late Bishop Malcolm Harding deeply loved Canada and the
Anglican Church, even with their flaws. He
had a contagious joy in the Lord with an unforgettable twinkle in his eye and a
smile on his face. Just short of the age
of 90, +Malcolm died on Sunday June 14th 2026. His wife Marylou said to us, “He’s home again.”
Rev Paul & Lois Carter, the first Anglican Mission in Canada Network
Leader, commented, “We remember +Malcolm as a man filled with grace and the
courage to do what is right.” Rev. Sharon Hayton of CMJ Canada said: “He had an amazing ability to share and teach
with such grace and genuine love that all could receive.” He was so kind and
loving, yet he had the courage of his convictions when the Anglican Church was
going astray. He was the second
Anglican bishop in Canada to seek oversight
from faithful Anglican Archbishops overseas, initially receiving a licence from
Archbishop Gregory Venables of the Anglican
Province of the Southern Cone of South America. He memorably observed:
I now realize that we cannot
have unity at the expense of truth. I cannot in conscience travel the path that
the Anglican Church of Canada is traveling, away from historic Christian
teaching and established Anglican practice.
Born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, he moved to
Canada and was ordained as a deacon in 1962. After serving five rural parishes
in New Brunswick, he burned out and went into Social Work for ten years. In the early 1970's, a lawyer in Dauphin
Manitoba invited him to a bible study, the last thing that Malcolm would have
wanted to do. He had been steeped in the liberalism of Dr. Paul Tillich. He then cautiously became involved in a Marney
Patterson Crusade and for the first time began to understand what Jesus
meant when He said, "You must be born again." Then a priest came to
town who introduced him to life in the Spirit.
As Malcolm put it, “They didn’t push. They didn’t arm-twist. They
lovingly, patiently loved this guy who had given up on the parish ministry.”
Bishop Malcolm commented: “I well remember
the beginning of that world-wide marvellous outpouring of God's Holy Spirit in
the late 50's and early 60's which became known as the charismatic renewal. It
was indeed that very movement of the Spirit which propelled me back into the
ordained ministry in the early 70's, having been a dropout for some ten years.” In 1973, Malcolm was ordained as an Anglican
priest, and took a two-third’s cut in salary.
Yet God provided for his family.
In 1992, he became the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of
Brandon where he gently modelled how to move in the Spirit, holding an annual
diocesan Holy Spirit conference. He taught that “the spiritual
gifts, especially the so-called gifts of power such as tongues, healing and
prophecy, should be treated as tools to build up and revitalize the body of
Christ.” Reed Fleming, a Church Army Officer & past ARM Chair, commented, “During
the last year of his episcopacy, Bishop Malcolm wanted to do an evangelistic
tour (Mission Trek) covering every parish in the Diocese of Brandon. My friend Agnes Flam and I joined
Bishop Malcolm and his wife Mary Lou as we travelled thousands of kilometers
over that year. It was a holy and a delightfully memorable time! He was at once
a great and a humble man!” Bishop Malcolm was also greatly loved as the
Episcopal Visitor for the Anglican
Church Army/Threshold Ministries. The former National Director, Captain
Bruce Smith saw him as 'humble and kind.”
From 2001 to 2008, he served as the National Ambassador and
then as Missioner for Anglican Renewal Ministries of Canada,
leading over one hundred parish missions in twenty-five dioceses. He called it
‘being on the old sawdust trail.” From
2006 to 2007, he was also ARM’s Leadership Training Institute Director. Like
Jesus, +Malcolm had a delightful, childlike playfulness. We will never forget
how he loved relaxing with his massive miniature railroad set in his basement.
Fittingly, his favorite song was Jesus on the
Mainline which both Laurie-Anne
Copple (ARM Office Manager) and Emma Marsh (a past ARM
Vice-Chair) said that he loved to sing with the Swampy Cree in Northern
Manitoba. Archdeacon
Paul Crossland, who served on the ARM Board, fondly remembers how Bishop
Malcolm always made time for each person, giving them his full attention. He was radically present to both Jesus and
others. Rev. Barbara Richardson of St Chad’s Toronto called Bishop Malcolm “a
presence, a man for the people.” Through his gentleness, many clergy and laity
opened up to the Holy Spirit:
Don't fear the Holy
Spirit. Far too often, clergy and laity have conveyed to me a deep
fear that if they really let go and let God's Spirit move freely as the breeze,
there will be total chaos and all control will be lost.
Letting go and letting God is often easier said than
done. He saw Anglican renewal as "a
rekindling in the fireplace of Anglicanism." “My whole ministry,” said +Malcolm, “is
really all about helping clergy and parishioners rekindle those vital flames of
Pentecost so that the church can become what God has always intended it to
be---'Aglow in the Spirit’". Rev.
Fred Carson, SOMA Canada
Director & ARM Board member, said “he was a great and honourable man…I
will miss his quiet mannerisms, his practical faith, his bold but sensitive
proclamation of the Gospel, and his way of always providing an opportunity for
people to be heard.”
We will never forget when Bishop Malcolm, with his wife Marylou, was the
evangelist/keynote speaker at the BC Christian Ashram retreat which
was at Crescent Beach. Virtually everyone
he prayed with rested in the Spirit.
Because Bishop Malcolm had a deep passion for personal
evangelism. he shared
about it on the retreat: “Get people to tell their stories. Witness talks are
so important.” He loved to ‘gossip the gospel’ wherever he went.
At the Ashram, he commended Elsie Quick’s Partners in
Hope as “the best example of outreach ministry in Canada. Partners in
Hope brought together everything that I dreamed would happen.” Elsie commented that he was a great friend to
Partners in Hope with his
vision for ministering to the whole person.
He was full of kindness and
joyfulness and a clear-eyed vision of God’s kingdom being revealed among us. I
can see him sitting across a table at a drop-in center listening carefully to
individuals - listening with attentiveness and care. He had an easy smile and
laugh, simply interacting with persons who, despite their appearance or the
odours coming from them, were persons with dignity. They were created in the image of God, and
then had life situations that needed to be addressed so they could begin living
fully God’s amazing plan for their lives.
While sometimes seen as a threat by the establishment,
Bishop Malcolm was deeply loved by other godly bishops and priests.
Bishop Felix Orji of the Diocese
of All Nations experienced him as a very, very gracious and godly Bishop, “I’m
grateful to him for his example of bibliocentric, cruciform, gracious and
reasonable practice of ministry. “
Formerly of the Diocese
of the Arctic, Bishop Larry Robertson said “he would always call me at
least once a month to see how I was doing. He had a gentle Spirit and never
attempted to direct me but instead through questions and prayers would help me
seek the Lord’s guidance. He was a good friend and a great partner in the
proclamation of the Gospel.”
Previously from the Diocese of Athabasca, Bishop
Fraser Lawton, said, “I think +Malcolm was an amazing man and inspired many
of us in ministry. He was devout, never ostentatious, but always filled with
gentle love and grace.”
Bishop
Charlie Masters of ANIC/ADOC said, “When I and Bishop Trevor Walters and
Bishop Stephen Leung became Bishops, I found Bishop Malcolm, and his dear wife
Mary Lou, were always incredibly encouraging and assuring me of their love and
prayer. I thank God for this dear, gracious, mighty Bishop, who has now been
promoted to glory.”
The Western Suffragan Bishop Mike Stewart of AniC/ADOC noted, “My favourite
phrase of dear +Malcolm when speaking about the work of the Holy Spirit in
bringing renewal to the Church was, “Let the wind blow!”
Rev Bob Bailey of Holy
Cross, Abbotsford described him as “very humble, very committed, and very
straightforward. I always liked him. He was as committed as anyone could be.”
A key Ontario
priest, Rev Bruce McCallum,
saw Malcolm as “a very kind and gentle man, a pioneer in the renewal movement.”
Rev. Pete
Falk who served in Minnedosa, Manitoba, commented, “Bishop Malcolm Harding
loved the Lord Jesus. He had a servant’s heart. I never doubted he was in my
corner. He frequently would reach out to see how I was doing. As my first bishop, he ordained me. I thank
God for him. I learned from a master who learned from the master Himself, Jesus
Christ.
May Bishop Malcolm Harding’s example inspire other Canadians
to worship the Father in spirit and truth.
Anglican Renewal Ministries Board
Bishop Malcolm Harding speaking at Renewal Mission 2003.
Between us is Archbishop Gregory Venables, the retired Primate of the Southern
Cone visiting St. Simon’s NV.
Bishop Malcolm & Marylou Harding
