News of the new organization spread to many parts of Canada and scattered chapters were organized during the 1950s. To encourage the formation of BAC chapters and of Diocesan Councils in the ecclesiastical province of Ontario the Metropolitan Archbishop William L. Wright called a meeting of representatives of the seven dioceses of Ontario in the fall of 1960. The meeting was held at a conference centre in the Diocese of Niagara. The Bishop of Ottawa, Ernest Reed sent Winston Billingsley, Fred Stevens and Tony Boole from Ottawa. Delegates from Huron explained the B.A.C.'s Aims and Objectives and gave the other delegates literature on the organization.
The following is a description by Maurice Western of the next step in the chain of events:
"In early 1961 Bishop Reed invited a group of us -probably about 20-
to a luncheon meeting at the Beacon Arms Hotel. He was a remarkably able diplomat with a
talent for
getting his way which anyone in External Affairs would have envied. In the course of an hour's
conversation he never told us what he wanted; it simply came to us through some process of
osmosis. We were
talked into doing what he, of course, wanted in the first place; which was to set up the BAC on
a
diocesan basis. Once he had us in the right frame of mind he made the mild suggestion that we
should constitute ourselves a provisional council -since he had gathered that was our wish and, by
pure coincidence,
his own."
There was a ready interest among men of the diocese and by 1964 BAC chapters were active in the following parishes:
First Annual Conference - 1961 at Christ Church Cathedral
President: W/C. L.C. Gibson
Vice President: Capt. Hal Morris
Secretaries: Dr. Winston Billingsley, Maurice Western
Treasurer: Jack Brittain
The conference was opened by Rt. Rev. E.S. Reed, Bishop of Ottawa. Guest speaker was Eric
Freeman,
Secretary of Laymen's Work Division. Panel leaders were from Huron Diocese--Frank Hallett,
London;
Frank Chambers, Woodstock and Alan Judd, London. The discussion groups were coordinated
by Tony
Boole. The conference banquet was held at St. Lukes, Ottawa, where the guest speaker was The
Hon. Duff
Roblin, Premier of Manitoba. Nearly 400 men attended.
Second Annual Conferencein 1962 at All Saints, Westboro
President: W./C. L.C. Gibson
Vice Presidents: Capt. Hal Morris, G./C. Chester Hull
Secretaries: H.B. Stewart, Maurice Western
Treasurer: J.F. Brittain
The conference was opened by Rt. Rev. E.S. Reed, Bishop of Ottawa. The theme speaker was
Rev. T.H.
O'Driscoll, Rector of St. John the Evangelist church. Guest speaker, who spoke on "The Role of
the
Churchman in Today's World", was M.J. Coldwell former leader of the C.C.F. in Canada. He was
introduced by H.W. Herridge, House Leader of the New Democratic Party.
Third Annual Conference in 1963 at St. John the Evangelist, Eganville
President: Capt. Hal Morris
Vice Presidents: Maurice Western, Robert Marsh
Secretaries: Harry Bowkett, Harry Given
Treasurer: Jack Brittain
The conference was addressed by Eric Freeman, Secretary of the Division of Laymen's
Work, and by Rev.
Michael Peers, Chaplain at Carleton University. The guest speaker was The Hon. Walter
Dinsdale,
D.F.C., MA., M.P. for Brandon-Souris.
Fourth Annual Conference in1964 at St. Richard's, City View
President: Maurice Western
Vice Presidents: Jack Brittain, Victor Poland
Secretaries: Harry Given, Wilburn Cowan
Treasurer: George Davis
The theme speaker was The Most Rev. Howard H. Clark, Archbishop of Rupert's Land and
Primate of All
Canada. His subject was "The Believing Layman in a Secular World". The BAC Diocesan
Council had
committed itself to provide a land-rover for Bishop Zulu, Bishop of St. John's Umtata, South
Africa. At
this conference a land-rover was on display and the campaign to raise funds for the project began
in
earnest.
Fifth Annual Conference in 1965 at St. Aidan's, Ottawa
President: Jack Brittain
Vice Presidents: Ben Davis, Leslie Armstrong
Secretaries: Harry Given, Gordon Marsh
Treasurer: James Post
The theme was "Church Union" and the theme speaker was The Rt. Rev. W.E. Bagnall, Bishop of
Niagara. The guest panelists were The Ven. Archdeacon G.H. Johnson,
Toronto, Dr. J.R.W. Gwynne-Timothy, University of Western Ontario, The Rev. W.N.
Blackmore, Emmanuel
United Church, Ottawa, and Dr. H.L. Pottle, United Church layman.
Sixth Annual Conference in 1966 at St. Martin's, Ottawa
Seventh Annual Conference in 1967 at St. Luke's, Ottawa
Eighth Annual Conference in 1968 at St. Thomas', Ottawa
President: Lt-Col Frank Barr
The conference was opened by Rt. Rev. E.S. Reed, Bishop of Ottawa. The theme was "Church
Renewal,
1968" and the theme speaker was Rev. Tom W. Harpur, M.A. (Oxon) , B.Th., lecturer at Wycliff
College and
broadcaster on C.F.G.M. Toronto. Mr. Garnet Page was also a guest speaker--a member of St.
Matthew's, Ottawa.
Ninth Annual Conference in 1969 at St. Martin's, Ottawa
President: Lt-Col V.W. Bethel
Secretary: Major C. Landon
Treasurer: Capt. H.H. Sills.
The conference was opened by Rt. Rev. E.S. Reed, Bishop of Ottawa. The guest speaker was
Dr. Ralph
Sutherland, a faculty member of the School of Hospital Administration, University of Ottawa.
His subject
was "Life and Death" and he dealt with the right of adults to choose death.
Tenth Annual Conference in 1970 at Trinity Church, Ottawa
The conference was addressed by Rt. Rev. W.J. Robinson, Bishop of Ottawa on the subject of
"The Churchman and His Role" followed by a panel discussion led by Canon Harvey Southcott.
Mr. Mark Gibbs was also a speaker at the conference.
Eleventh Annual Conference in 1971 at St. Aidan's, Ottawa
Treasurer: H.H. Sills
This conference was noteworthy in that the guest of honour was The Most Rev. Michael Ramsay,
Archbishop of Canterbury who celebrated communion. The guest speaker was The Most Rev.
Edward Scott, Primate of the Anglican Church in Canada. The theme was "Hope for the Future".
Twelfth Annual Conference in 1972 at Christ Church Cathedral, Ottawa
President: John L. Nesbitt
Vice Presidents: Garnet Page, Angus MacDonald
Secretaries: Gordon Marsh, Dominick Sarsfield
Treasurer: Walter (Bud) Ainsworth
The conference speaker was The Most Rev. J.A. Plourde, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Ottawa.
His subject was "Religion and the Public School--An Updated Outlook". The conference was
also addressed by The Most Rev. William Wright, Metropolitan of Ontario.
Thirteenth Annual Conference in 1973 at St. Matthew's, Ottawa
President: Garnet Page
Vice-Presidents: Dominick Sarsfield, Angus MacDonald
Secretary: Gordon Marsh
Treasurer: Bud Ainsworth
The celebrant at the eucharist was Rt. Rev. Tom Greenwood. There were two main themes--"The
Year of
the Book"--a theme discussion was introduced by The Rt. Rev. William Robinson, Bishop of
Ottawa; and
"Mission" based on the Program Anniversary Exchange which provided guest speakers from three
missionary dioceses--Moosonee, Caledonia and Athabaska.
Fourteenth Annual Conference in 1974 at St. Martin's, Ottawa
Acting President: J. Harrison Cleveland
Vice President: Dominick Sarsfield,
Secretary: Bud Ainsworth
Treasurer: Gordon Marsh
The guest preacher was The Most Rev. Erica Sabiti, Archbishop of Uganda, Ruanda, Burundi and
Boga-Zaire.
The theme was "Exercise Ministry" and the discussion leaders were John Nesbitt, Q.C., on "The
Layman in
the Parish and Diocese"; and Rev. Dr. Russell Hatton of Church House on "The Layman in
National and
International Affairs". The Rt. Rev. William Robinson, Bishop of Ottawa, spoke at the luncheon
summing
up the conference.
Fifteenth Annual Conference in1975 at St. Thomas' Church, Ottawa
President: J. Harrison Cleveland
Vice Presidents: Gerald Rowsome, Fred Muggleton
Secretaries: Bert Woods, Tony Bambrough
Treasurer: Bud Ainsworth
The theme was "The Church of the Future" and the Rt. Rev. William Robinson, Bishop of
Ottawa, was the
key-note speaker. A guest panel consisting of Professor C. Peter Slater of Carleton University,
Department
of Religion, David Brewer, a member of the Finance Committee of Ottawa Diocesan Synod, and
Harry
Carter, who recently returned from the appointment of Ambassador to South Africa.
Sixteenth Annual Conference in 1976 at St. Aidan's Church, Ottawa
President: Lt-Col John H. Hardy
Vice Presidents: Gerald Rowsome, Gary Murphy
Secretaries: Fred Gray, Tony Bambrough
Treasurer: Bud Ainsworth
The theme was "Communications and Community" and the Rt. Rev. William
Robinson, Bishop of Ottawa, was the key-note speaker. A guest panel consisting of
Rev. Michael Hicks, a worker-priest employed in the public service, Murray
Coolican, a student at St. Michael's College, Toronto, and Rev. Keith Calder,
Rector of St. Matthew's, Ottawa, explored the subject for the conference.
Seventeenth Annual Conference in 1977 at St. Richard's, Nepean
President: Lt-Col John H. Hardy
Treasurer: Bud Ainsworth
The theme was again "Communications and Community" with Rt. Rev. William
Robinson as the key-note speaker. A guest panel consisting of Archbishop W.W.
Davis, Rev. J.A. Baycroft and Mr. J. Harrison Cleveland discussed the issues which
had been raised at General Synod in Calgary.
Eighteenth Annual Conference in 1978 at St. Martin's, Ottawa
President: Robert D. Wilmot
Vice-Presidents: Fred Gray, Harold Sprott
Secretary: Gordon Marsh
Treasurer: W.R. Shaw
The theme was "Partners in Mission" introduced by The Ven. Edwin K. Lackey,
Diocesan Executive Officer, and expanded on by The Rt. Rev. William Robinson,
Bishop of Ottawa. Several workshops were organized in which anyone attending
the conference could participate.
Nineteenth Annual Conference in 1979 at St. Richard's, Nepean
President: Gerald Rowsome
Vice Presidents: Jack Maybee, Fred Gray, Vern Webster
Secretaries: Stan Mott, Bud Ainsworth
Treasurer: Gordon Marsh
The theme of the conference was "Communications" and the theme speaker was Canon Barry
Curtis, Director of Programme, Diocese of Ottawa.
Twentieth Annual Conference in 1980 at Christ Church Cathedral, Ottawa
President: Gerald Rowsome
Vice Presidents: Jack Maybee, Fred Gray, Vern Webster
Secretaries: Stan Mott, Bud Ainsworth
Treasurer: Gordon Marsh
The guest speaker was Rev. David MacDonald, P.C., who is a Fellow in Residence at the Institute
for Research on Public Policy. He spoke on the subject "What is the Christian Authority on
Moral and Social Issues.
Twenty-First Annual Conference in 1981 at Christ Church, Aylmer
President: Eric R. Adams
Vice Presidents: Fred Gray, Mac Davison, Al Marshall
Secretary: Jim Elks
Treasurer: Gordon Marsh
The theme was "Anglican Men and Lay Ministry" and the theme speaker was. Rev. Dr. Bruce
Pellegrin. The conference was also addressed by Rt. Rev. William Robinson, Bishop of Ottawa
and Bishop-elect Edwin Lackey.
Twenty-Second Annual Conference in 1982 at Christ Church, Bell's Corners
President: Eric Adams
Vice President: Al Marshall
Secretary: Jim Elks
Treasurer: Milton Thwaites
The theme was"Anglicans in Mission" with the theme speaker Ven. Peter Coffin, Archdeacon of
Clarendon.
Other speakers were Bishop Sperry, Bishop of the Arctic and Rev. Roger Briggs, Diocesan
Chaplain to
Native Peoples. The conference looked at questions regarding overseas missions, the church in
the Canadian
North; and also the primary purpose of missions--evangelism, socio-political action, neither or
both?
Twenty-Third Annual Conference in 1983 at St. Thomas', Ottawa
President: Eric Adams
Vice-President: Al Marshall
Secretary: Jim Elks
Treasurer: Milton Thwaites
The theme of the conference was "Christians in the Modern World and How They Respond to
Social and
Public Issues. The subject was opened by an address by Dr. Robert Moore, former High
Commissioner for
Guyana. Rt. Rev. Edwin Lackey chaired a panel consisting of Dr. E.P. Cockshutt of N.R.C.,
Chairman of
the Diocesan Committee on Public and Social Responsibility, Miss Jennifer McQueen,
Commissioner of
the Public Service Commission, Rev. David MacDonald, of the Institute for Research on Public
Policy, and
Canon William Gilbert, Diocesan Director of Programme. Rev. Allan Box reviewed the theme
and
introduced the panel.
Twenty-Fourth Annual Conference in 1984 at St. James, Carleton Place
President: Al Marshall
Vice-President: Andy Morrison
Secretary: Herb Sills
Treasurer: Milton Thwaites
The theme of the conference was "Life With Seniors". Its purpose was to help participants assess
the needs
of older people in their community and take action to meet their needs. The conference
moderator was
Canon William Gilbert, Diocesan Director of Programme. The speakers and panel members were
Doreen
Staten, District Public Health Nurse, Evelyn Sparks, Director of the Ottawa West Senior Citizens
Support Service, Carol Burrows, Executive, Staff Member of the Council on Aging. and Ven.
Matt Roberts, a member of the Diocesan Board of Ministry to Elders. Also assisting in the
workshops were Canon Allan Rogers, Claire Tremblay. and Betty Gillham. The conference was
summed up by Rt. Rev. Edwin Lackey, Bishop of Ottawa.
Twenty-Fifth Annual Conference in 1985 at St. Aidan's Church, Ottawa
President: Al Marshall
Vice-President. Andy Morrison
Secretaries: Herb Sills, Don Baillie
Treasurer: Fred Gray
The theme of the conference "Life for the Aging" in many respects is an extension of the 1984
conference. The theme speaker was the Rev. Dr. Bruce Pellegrin, Rector of Trinity Church,
Cornwall.
The guest speaker Betty Gillham, Chairperson of the Diocese of Ottawa's Ministry to Elders
Board. Mrs. Pat Blyth also spoke on her ministry at Island Lodge.