Margaret Glidden, who served as Communications Director for the Diocese of Edmonton from 2008 to 2025, wrote this farewell reflection on her time telling the stories of the ministries that take place here.

I could not tell you for certain how many issues of The Messenger I was privileged to produce. When I began working for the Diocese of Edmonton in 2008, Kelly Fowler was at the helm. In awe of her creative ingenuity, I volunteered to write articles, in part to learn more about the design process. Before I knew it, and before I realized the extent of the work I was taking on, I had begun my ministry as the Edmonton editor, working in collaboration with Peter Clarke (now a Canon and Deacon), the editor for the Athabasca diocese.

That summer, I went to my first conference for the Anglican Editors Association (AEA). I arrived at the residences of St. Mary’s University in Halifax knowing not a soul. Finding my way to the dining hall for breakfast, I found an empty seat next to two friendly-looking ladies and gingerly asked if they were Anglican editors. Joanne Shurvin-Martin, associate editor of the Saskatchewan Anglican for the Qu’Appelle diocese, and the late Ana Watts, editor of the News Brunswick Anglican and "Queen of the AEA," gave me the warmest welcome.

Over the next 17 years, I found company and community in this group of Anglican editors, photographers, designers and writers. While I’m a cradle Anglican with a background in community journalism, I had much to learn about covering the church. The Anglican editors and National Church staff, in particular graphic designer Saskia Rowley, were an ongoing source of support and guidance. Sharing the good work of our Anglican community quickly became my passion.

I devoted many hours to chasing, writing stories and presenting stories, both in the pages of the paper and in the Synod Scene newsletter. I soon discovered, however, that getting the story was not going to be easy. While Anglicans do an unfathomable amount of good work, they are also reluctant to talk about it. For the first time in my career as a reporter, I found myself chasing good news stories. If you are to ask me about the most challenging part of my work, hands down, it is promoting (with reasonable notice) and keeping up with the news of our Anglican community. This role has taught me much about persistence, patience and faith.

As most of you now know, last month I stepped back as communications director for the diocese and editor of The Messenger. If you will allow me one last ask, please share your good news with my successor for the interim, the Rev. Stephanie London. The less time she spends chasing your stories, the more time she can devote to sharing the good news.

I will be forever grateful to our Anglican, ecumenical and interfaith community for their demonstration of grace, kindness, compassion, forgiveness and generosity. You have helped me realize I am, in fact, part of the good news story I have been chasing all along. 

Thank you, and God bless.