Bishop of the Arctic

Born on May 22, 1936, in Sale, England, John Christopher Richard Williams arrived in Kugluktuk in 1960 at the age of 24.

His journey north began with what his son Drew described as a chance encounter in a student dormitory room, when he came across a handmade ceramic coin bank shaped like an igloo — a fundraising display for the Diocese of the Arctic.

Williams’ decision to ask what the coin bank was, Drew said, “ended up being either the stupidest or most significant question he would ever ask in his life.” That moment led to a deeper conversation about ministry in the North and the need for clergy in isolated communities.

Christopher Williams became fluent in Inuktitut and later, with colleagues, translated sections of the Old Testament in order to make the text more accessible to people in the North. (The General Synod Archives, Anglican Church of Canada)

Moving away from plans for a career in advertising, he instead immersed himself in northern culture, becoming fluent in Inuktitut and later working alongside colleagues to translate portions of the Old Testament, helping to make religious texts more accessible in the language.

Over the years, Williams lived and worked in Taloyoak, northern Quebec, Kinngait and Baker Lake before moving to Yellowknife with his family in 1978. He became the fourth Bishop of the Arctic in 1991 and served in the position until his retirement in 2002. He died on May 16, just days before his 90th birthday.

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