Hiltz was ordained a deacon on 3 June 1977 and a priest on 29 June 1979. He served in several parishes in the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island: Christ Church, Sydney; Melford-Guysborough; Timberlea-Lakeside; The Cathedral Church of All Saints, Halifax; and St. John's Church, Lunenburg.
The Guardian newspaper described him as a "
liberal-leaning bishop". He is considered a moderate theological liberal and opposes the death penalty. He supports, and voted in favour of, the blessing of same-sex unions at the 2007 General Synod that elected him. In recent years, Hiltz has undertaken a televised joint Christmas message with the National Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, carrying into greater fulfillment past declarations of Anglican–Lutheran solidarity. In October 2009, he was reportedly dismayed by Pope
Benedict XVI's invitation to welcome groups of disaffected Anglicans into the
Roman Catholic Church. Hiltz announced in January 2018 that he had submitted his notice of intention to resign as primate as of the conclusion of the 42nd General Synod in July 2019. ==Residential schools==