The Reverend Canon Melissa M Skelton.

In this video, Skelton declares that she wishes to bring “restoration of a sense of feeling and reality of unity in the diocese.” Clearly, she supports the Ingham decisions that split the diocese, since she believes that the diocese was “called” – presumably by God – to go “down that road.”

Her recipe for “the re-unification of the diocese” is listening by using circle processes. I’m not sure what she means by circle processes – other than going around in circles, an activity at which Anglicans have had plenty of practice, particularly when pretending to listen. Doubtless, a veneer of unity won’t be too hard to manufacture since the most vigorous dissenters from diocesan dogma have already left. Those who remain will be too timid to make much of a fuss, contenting themselves, instead, with their appointed role of token conservatives: evidence of diocesan diversity.

Earlier this year, Skelton was hoping to be bishop of New Jersey; New Westminster, with its “difficult 20 years”, must have been her second career choice.