# Paul Donison
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{{short description|Canadian-American Anglican bishop}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Bishop
| honorific_prefix = [The Right Reverend](/source/The_Right_Reverend)
| name = Paul Donison
| title = Rector and Dean of Christ Church Plano
Assistant Bishop of Gasabo
| image = Dean Paul Donison.png
| alt =
| caption = Donison during an interview on ''[Anglican Unscripted](/source/Anglican_Unscripted)''
| church = [Anglican Church in North America](/source/Anglican_Church_in_North_America)
[Anglican Church of Rwanda](/source/Anglican_Church_of_Rwanda)
| archdiocese =
| diocese = [Gasabo](/source/Anglican_Diocese_of_Gasabo)
| see =
| term =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| other_post = Rector and Dean, [Christ Church Plano](/source/Christ_Church_(Plano%2C_Texas)) (2016–present)
[Gafcon](/source/Global_Fellowship_of_Confessing_Anglicans) General Secretary (2023–present)
Assisting bishop, [Diocese of Christ Our Hope](/source/Anglican_Diocese_of_Christ_Our_Hope) (2024–present)
| ordination =
| consecration = February 4, 2024
| consecrated_by = [Laurent Mbanda](/source/Laurent_Mbanda)
| rank =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1977}}
| birth_place = Canada
| death_date =
| death_place =
}}
'''Paul Donison''' (born 1977) is a Canadian-born American Anglican bishop. His primary role in ordained ministry is as rector and dean of [Christ Church Plano](/source/Christ_Church_(Plano%2C_Texas)), the largest church and provincial [pro-cathedral](/source/pro-cathedral) of the [Anglican Church in North America](/source/Anglican_Church_in_North_America). Since 2024, he has also served as general secretary of [Gafcon](/source/Global_Fellowship_of_Confessing_Anglicans) and assistant bishop in the [Anglican Diocese of Gasabo](/source/Anglican_Diocese_of_Gasabo).
==Early life and education==
Donison was born in Canada and earned his [B.F.A.](/source/Bachelor_of_Fine_Arts) in theatre from the [University of Victoria](/source/University_of_Victoria).[{{cite web |title=The Very Rev. Paul Donison |work=Christ Church Plano |url=https://christchurchplano.org/welcome/staff-vestry/member-detail/1606627/ |access-date=24 January 2024}}] After university, Donison worked as a professional actor,[{{cite news |title=Christ Church Plano names new rector |url=https://starlocalmedia.com/planocourier/christ-church-plano-names-new-rector/article_9764998e-c95c-11e6-b76e-f3968a79ba4e.html |access-date=24 January 2024 |work=Plano Star Courier |date=December 23, 2016}}] including roles as Laertes in ''[Hamlet](/source/Hamlet)''[{{cite news |title=UVic students do honest job with modernized Hamlet |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/508931266/ |access-date=24 January 2024 |work=Times Colonist |date=February 15, 1998}}] and Friar Lawrence in ''[Romeo and Juliet](/source/Romeo_and_Juliet)''.[{{cite web |title=Romeo and Juliet (1998, Phoenix Theatre, University of Victoria) |url=https://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Theater/production/stage/1080/index.html |website=Shakespeare in Performance: Stage Production |publisher=Internet Shakespeare Editions |access-date=24 January 2024}}] He later attended [Regent College](/source/Regent_College), where he received an [M.Div.](/source/Master_of_Divinity) and a diploma in Christian studies.[{{cite web |last1=Donison |first1=Paul |title="My dear friends in the Parish of Morrisburg – Iroquois – Riverside Heights" |url=http://archives.anglicannetwork.ca/pdf/090923lettertoparishofMIRH.pdf |publisher=Anglican Network in Canada |access-date=24 January 2024 |date=September 23, 2009}}] He joined the staff of [St. Peter and St. Paul's Anglican Church](/source/St._Peter_%26_St._Paul's_Anglican_Church_(Ottawa)) in Ottawa as associate priest for discipleship and became rector in 2012.[{{cite news |title=Pittsburgh nominees announced |url=https://anglican.ink/2016/03/07/pittsburgh-nominees-announced/ |access-date=24 January 2024 |work=Anglican Ink |date=March 7, 2016}}]
In 2016, Donison was elected to succeed [David Roseberry](/source/David_Roseberry) as the second rector of Christ Church in [Plano, Texas](/source/Plano%2C_Texas), which was the largest church in the ACNA and host of the investiture of Archbishop [Robert Duncan](/source/Robert_Duncan_(bishop)) in 2009. After immigrating to the United States, Donison was formally installed by Archbishop [Foley Beach](/source/Foley_Beach) and Bishop [Todd Hunter](/source/Todd_Hunter_(bishop)) in January 2017.[{{cite news |last1=Walton |first1=Jeff |title=Christ Church Plano's Paul Donison on new Anglican Provincial Cathedral |url=https://anglican.ink/2021/11/19/christ-church-planos-paul-donison-on-new-anglican-provincial-cathedral/ |access-date=24 January 2024 |work=Anglican Ink |date=November 19, 2021}}]
==Global role==
In 2023, Donison was elected general secretary of Gafcon, succeeding Archbishop [Benjamin Kwashi](/source/Benjamin_Kwashi).[{{cite news |title=New General Secretary for GAFCON |url=https://anglican.ink/2023/11/10/new-general-secretary-for-gafcon/ |access-date=24 January 2024 |work=Anglican Ink |date=November 10, 2023}}] The Gafcon Primates Council determined that "the role of general secretary was episcopal in nature," so Gafcon Chairman [Laurent Mbanda](/source/Laurent_Mbanda) consecrated Donison as assistant bishop in the Diocese of Gasabo on February 4, 2024, at Holy Trinity Cathedral in [Kibagabaga](/source/Kibagabaga), [Kigali](/source/Kigali).[{{cite web |title=Itorero Angilikani ry'u Rwanda ryimitse Paul Danison nka musenyeri wungirije muri Diyoseze ya Gasabo |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzOK_Eyvkhg |website=YouTube |publisher=RwandaTV |access-date=5 February 2024 |language=Kinyarwanda |date=February 4, 2010}}] On February 17, Donison was invested as vicar general for the Texas deanery in the [Anglican Diocese of the South](/source/Anglican_Diocese_of_the_South) in addition to continuing his role as dean and rector at Christ Church.[{{cite news |title=GAFCON secretary general elected assistant bishop of Gasabo |url=https://anglican.ink/2024/01/17/gafcon-secretary-general-elected-assistant-bishop-of-gasabo/ |access-date=24 January 2024 |work=Anglican Ink |date=January 17, 2024}}] Later in 2024, [Christ Church](/source/Christ_Church_(Plano%2C_Texas)) joined several churches from the Diocese of the South and the dissolving [International Diocese](/source/International_Diocese) in forming the Great Plains Missionary District, which was created with a goal of incubating a new ACNA diocese in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and northeast Texas. With this move, Donison became an assisting bishop in the Diocese of Christ Our Hope, the missionary district's canonical home.[{{cite web |title=Transfers into the Diocese of Christ Our Hope in 2024: Missions, Congregations, Church Plants, and their Clergy |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/account-media/22791/uploaded/d/0e18675889_1730899453_dcoh-2024-church-and-clergy-transfers.pdf |publisher=Diocese of Christ Our Hope |access-date=7 January 2025}}][{{cite web |title=The Rt. Rev. Paul Donison |work=Christ Church Plano |url=https://christchurchplano.org/welcome/staff-vestry/member-detail/1606627/ |access-date=7 January 2025}}]
==Personal life==
Donison is married to Monika; they have four children.