Anne Marguerite Squire (née Park; October 17, 1920 – April 24, 2017), 31st Moderator of the United Church of Canada from 1986 to 1988, was the first female lay person elected to that post.
Her time as Moderator was marked by controversy over the question of whether members of the LGBTQ community should be ordained.
Anne Park was born in Amherstburg, Ontario to a Methodist mother and Anglican father.
During her time in office, Squire was the target of much vitriolic correspondence from church members who opposed the ongoing study on human sexuality and ministry.
It could be burned to ashes — but it could be strengthened and tempered like steel.”[4] As part of her final days as Moderator, Squire presided over the 32nd General Council of the United Church, where the report Gift, Dilemma, and Promise: A Report and Affirmations of Human Sexuality was received.