Chaplain General Biography

Brigadier-General, The Venerable Karl R. McLean,
CD, QHC, BA, MDiv, DD


Brigadier-General,
The Venerable
Karl R. McLean,
CD, QHC, BA, MDiv, DD

After completing High School, Padre Karl McLean attended Dalhousie University, University of Waterloo, Regent College, and Vancouver School of Theology. On completion of theological formation he was ordained Deacon and subsequently ordained Priest in Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton. He served as Curate at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Saint John, N.B., and then was appointed Rector of the Parish of Shediac.

Padre McLean was recruited to the Canadian Forces in June 1987. From 1987-89 he served as a unit chaplain at CFB Calgary with 1PPCLI. He was posted in 1989 to Ottawa as Base Chaplain at Rockcliffe until 1991 when he completed a yearlong French course. In 1992 he was posted to BFC Bagotville where he served as Wing Chaplain until 1995. Padre McLean was then posted to CFB Gagetown as the unit chaplain with 2RCR and after as the Chapel Life Coordinator. He deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina from Jan – Jul 1996 as a Brigade Chaplain with CCIFOR.

In 1997 he was promoted to the rank of Major and posted as Chief Instructor at the Canadian Forces Chaplain School and Centre in Borden where he remained until 2001.

Padre McLean was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 2001 and became the Command Chaplain for the Army. In 2003 he was posted to the Office of the Chaplain General as Director Chaplain Administration Education and Training-2. During this time he served as the Senior NATO Chaplain with SFOR in Sarajevo from Nov 03 to Mar 04. In 2005 he became the Command Chaplain for the Air Force.

He was promoted to the rank of Colonel in 2006 and assumed responsibilities as Director of Chaplain Administration Education and Training. In 2008 he was appointed the Director of Chaplain Operations, and in 2009 he was appointed the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Chaplain General. Following his promotion to Brigadier-General, Padre McLean was appointed Chaplain General of the Canadian Forces on September 1, 2010.

Padre McLean is an Archdeacon (emeritus) within the Anglican Military Ordinariate of Canada. He has served two terms as a member of the Council of General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada. In October of 2010, Padre McLean was appointed Honourary Chaplain to Her Majesty the Queen.  He also received a Honourary Doctorate from The University of King’s College, Halifax in May of 2011. In October of 2012, Padre McLean was invested as Dean in the Order of St. George.