According to Episcopal Church and Anglican understanding, the term "canon" relates to persons attached to the bishop or to the bishop"s church, the cathedral. Canons are frequently members of the clergy; however, it is not unique for a lay leader in the church to receive such a designation.
"I think it is a tribute to Bishop Ramos that he honors lay people in his own diocese by empowering their ministry and by his supportive and humble faithfulness," Anderson said. "It is a great honor to me that I have been asked to be a part of the diocese in this way."
The diocese of Ecuador Central is one of the 110 dioceses which comprised The Episcopal Church. Part of Province IX of the Episcopal Church, it is one of two dioceses located in Ecuador. The diocese of Ecuador Central consists of 28 missions, 16 priests including four women, a retired priest and four missioners.
Meet Bonnie Anderson
Bonnie Anderson boasts a lengthy service in the Episcopal Church. She is an advocate for the ministry of the laity. Elected as president of the House of Deputies in 2006, Anderson served in the Diocese of Michigan in many capacities including Canon to the Ordinary, President of the Standing Committee, and member of the Commission on Ministry. In her southeast Michigan community, she designed, coordinated and implemented a citizen-sponsored river clean up involving 22 local governments and over 4,000 volunteers. The Governor of Michigan appointed her as a public member of the Michigan Environmental Review Board.
Anderson has been an adjunct lecturer at the University of Michigan in the School of Natural Resources and the Women"s Studies Department. Her published resources include "Spirituality and the Earth; Exploring Connections," "A Citizen"s Guidebook to the Great Lakes Ecosystem" and "White Racism: Look Me in the Eye."
She is a seven-time lay deputy to General Convention and has served as chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance (PB&F) for three terms.
Elected by Province V as its lay representative to Executive Council, Anderson served on Executive Council"s Standing Committee on Administration and Finance Committee and was the elected Executive Council representative to the Investment Committee for TEC. She was a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Planning and Arrangements and the Chair of the General Convention Task Force charged by the 74th General Convention to prepare a comprehensive model for General Convention, including structure and agenda, to be cons