The Anglican Diocese of Adelaide on Saturday 1 November bid a very fond farewell to the Most Reverend Geoffrey Smith, who has served as Archbishop for more than eight years.
He was also Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia and Archbishop of Adelaide since 2017.
At a Thanksgiving Eucharist and laying up of the pastoral staff service, Archbishop Geoff concluded a 43-year ministry.
He was ordained a deacon in 1982 and a priest in 1983 in Brisbane, served in various roles across Australia and Papua New Guinea and the Anglican Board of Mission (ABM) before becoming the tenth Bishop of Adelaide.
He will retire to the Sunshine Coast with his wife, Lynn.
The service was marked by profound gratitude for his leadership, which spanned a period defined by the global pandemic and significant national church challenges.
In his own speech, Archbishop Smith reflected on the faithfulness of God throughout his life, saying the song All My Life summed up not just his time in Adelaide, but his whole journey.
He expressed deep thanks for the support he and Lynn felt, noting, “You can feel prayer and we have felt lifted up through all the adventures that has been part of the last eight and a half years.”
He also assured the diocese of his prayers for the election of “Bishop Number 11”, confidently saying, “under God, the future is very bright”.
Tributes from clergy and laity at the end of the service highlighted his focus on mission and trust.
The Reverend Andrew Mintern, speaking on behalf of the Adelaide clergy, credited the Archbishop with transforming the diocese.
“After eight and a half years of your leadership, Geoff, we are clearly a more trusting diocese,” he said, recalling the Archbishop’s quiet persistence in encouraging clergy to actively pray for growth and implement mission action plans.
He also praised Archbishop Geoff’s calm demeanour during the peak of the global pandemic, where he encouraged the Church leaders to reimagine mission in the context of those challenging times.
Katherine Delitt, representing the laity, noted that a “respect for and empowerment of laypeople was a significant feature of your leadership”. She recounted a shift in the diocese under his guidance, “rather than fixating on the increasing age of congregants and the decreasing number of church attendees” to instead focusing on God’s faithfulness.
The Archbishop’s role as Primate of Australia, which he held from 2020 to October 2025, was also acknowledged. Archbishop Kay Goldsworthy praised his ability to lead leaders, saying he was a “non-anxious presence among us” and guided the bishops through “the COVID lockdowns, a General Synod after a couple of false starts… and complex theological discussions”.
Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia, commended Archbishop Geoff’s ministry both within the church and the wider community.
The Governor valued his willingness “to speak out on issues that matter deeply to our community”, including poverty, domestic violence, child protection, and social justice. She concluded that Archbishop Smith is “widely respected, deeply appreciated, and indeed loved within the Laity ministry, diocesan Council and the State”.
Archbishop Smith reserved his most heartfelt thanks for his wife, Lynn, calling her “one of the most Christian people I know”, and thanking her for her steadfast love and support. Bishop Chris McLeod added a special tribute to Lynn, recognising her own ministry of welcome at the cathedral to those who were “searching for God”.
Lynn was presented with The Diocesan Extraordinary Service Award for her work over the years leading the Mission Shaped Introduction Initiative, as a member Board of Anglican Funds Management, a Member of Board Anglican Representative (National Redress Scheme) Limited, and Coordination of the Clergy Spouse Network.
You can access and download more pictures from the Archbishop’s farewell service here.
