A New Year, A Newly Designated Diocesan Mission

With the approval of Synod Council, Bishop Susan Bell formally designated the St. Luke’s Community as a diocesan mission under Canon 4.9, effective January 1, 2026. This is the third initiative receiving the canonical designation status in 2025. St. Luke's Mission reflects the diocese’s ongoing commitment to supporting innovative missional ministries. 

"This is a fitting way to conclude our 150th anniversary year as a diocese, and welcome a new year full of hope and possibility, trusting in God's daily provision," said Bishop Susan Bell."St. Luke's Mission, led by the Spirit, builds on the Anglo-catholic legacy of its forbears who worshiped at the church for generations."

Established in 2019, under the leadership of then church-planted Rob Miller, the St. Luke’s Community began with millennial young adults, as a small residential praying community in Hamilton’s north end. Rooted in the Anglican sacramental and Catholic traditions, the community has developed a consistent rhythm of worship and prayer, fostering a stable and engaged membership, shaped over time by its life as a praying community. This initiative also helped to form an ecumenical community of common prayer, which is now a collaboration across the city.

Through Anglo-Catholic and mystical traditions, St. Luke’s Mission offers weekly morning and evening prayer, offering silence, scripture, and stillness, led by the Reverend Rob Miller, now St. Luke's first ordained missioner. These prayer gatherings create accessible entry points for individuals seeking renewed spiritual grounding and a community culture. At the core of the mission’s life is the Sunday Eucharist, celebrated in Anglican Catholic tradition and serving as the primary gathering for worship and formation. 

A distinctive marking of St. Luke’s Mission is its emphasis on hospitality and relationship building, with each other and God’s creation. St. Luke’s Mission hosts shared meals regularly with community potlucks and gatherings at a local pub, offering opportunities for storytelling amongst friends. A community garden behind the church has become a focal point for collaboration, food sharing, and stewardship. Prayer events mark the change of seasons, and St. Luke’s gathers for community work days where they share in the care of the garden, the property, and the building, fostering a life of shared responsibility. During times of crisis and grief, the community creates spaces for solidarity, healing, and contemplative witness through prayer shrines and vigils. These gatherings serve to strengthen the connections of the community and neighbours alike.

Guided by the Spirit, the empty church on John Street in Hamilton didn't stay empty for too long. With a renewed vitality through sustained missional development, the community has grown to 30 active members. These members demonstrate a devotion to discerning new ways to embody Christ’s presence in their neighbourhood.

As a designated diocesan mission, an advisory board has been appointed by Synod Council to help support the work of the ordained missioner, the development of a Mission Action Plan in collaboration with Bishop Susan Bell, and establish clear missional goals, benchmarks, and financial planning tools to ensure long-term sustainability.  All of these supports are in place to continue to nurture the emerging faith community, with hopes for a thriving missional community in Hamilton's North End for years to come.

"I am so excited to see where the Spirit leads this community in the years ahead as it bears witness to the Gospel," said Bishop Bell.