The Episcopal Diocese 

of Northern California

Beloved Community

Resource Newsletter

Published by

The Commission for

Intercultural Ministries

April 2024 

Episcopal Church Becoming Beloved Community

Newsletter Highlights:

• The Commission for Intercultural Ministries and The Commission on the Environment Present The Season of Courage Exhibit
• Historic Pilgrimage to St. Paul's Inspires Hope
• I Will, With God's Help: Journey Toward Racial Healing and Justice Workshop Registration Now Open
• Church of the Ascension, Vallejo, Hosts Racial Healing and Justice Workshop
• Racial Justice Audit Surveys for Congregations Distributed This Month by the Mission Institute
• Navajoland Seeks to Become Missionary Diocese in Resolution Proposed to 81st General Convention
• Climate Blessing
• California Climate Lobby Day 2024
• Saint Alban's Creation Care Ministry Leads the Way
• Outreach, Advocacy, Justice and Mercy
• St. Luke's, Auburn, Band of Angels Sing "Wade in the Water"
• The Lost Japanese Community of Winters
• Advocacy Team News - April 16, 2024

Bishop Megan provided opening remarks.

Historic Pilgrimage to St. Paul’s Inspires Hope

By Karen Nolan, CIM Sacred Ground Coordinator

Some two dozen people gathered at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Saturday, April 13, 2024, to learn more about the history of the first congregation established in the Diocese of Northern California nearly 175 years ago.

“Fearless Faith: A Sacred Ground Pilgrimage to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Sacramento” was a joint effort between the diocesan Commission for Intercultural Ministries, which oversees racial reconciliation efforts, and one of the committees planning the upcoming “Fearless Faith” Episcopal Revival (April 27 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Roseville).

Viewing St. Paul’s history through the Sacred Ground lens entailed learning about both the dark side of its history and its bright spots.

In her opening remarks, Bishop Megan Traquair expressed a hope that an in-depth look at history would show not only “the places where we’ve gone seriously wrong,” but also “the bright spots – the spots worthy of celebration that we just did not know about.”

Quoting from the first chapter of Colossians, which proclaims that Jesus “is before all things and in him all things hold together,” she observed: “It is through the power of that promise that we make this exploration – in Christ all things hold together.”

“Things we are aware of and things we are just now becoming aware of have always been in his hands, and he has always been holding those broken pieces – the joy and sorrow of them – all together,” the bishop said. “That is what gives us hope, that is what gives us courage, and gives the ability to engage in some of this work.”

“History is a mix,” the Rev. Rik Rasmussen acknowledged as he outlined the church’s

history. "With the 175th anniversary, we tend to want to talk about all of the good stuff. But there are some things in our history that are not so good, that we tend not to talk about."

He started by recognizing that the three different buildings that have housed the church were built on unceded territorial lands of the Patwin, Miwok and Nisenan peoples. The church’s founders included historical figures such as William Crocker and Leland Stanford, who brutalized Native Americans and Chinese laborers, among others, as they built their railroad and financial empires – money from which paid for undeniably gorgeous stained-glass windows, some of which continue to overlook the present sanctuary.

The Rev. Rik Rasmussen, Rector, presented the history of St. Paul's Church.

Bill Burg, President of Preservation Sacramento, presented Sacramento redevelopment history.

The Rev. Canon Tina Campbell, Diocesan Indigenous Missioner, was ordained at St. Paul's and was the diocese's first deacon in the re-emergence of the Diaconate as a "full and equal order."

Miriam Casey, Co-Chair of the Commission for Intercultural Ministries (CIM), presented on the meaning of the Beloved Community labyrinth.

Bob Wohlsen, CIM Advocacy Team Chair, discussed ways to repair the breach, the fourth quadrant of the Beloved Community labyrinth.

Photo credits: Bishop Megan Traquair - Jo Ann Williams; the Rev. Rik Rasmussen, Miriam Casey and Bob Wohlsen - Karen Nolan; Bill Burg and the Rev. Canon Tina Campbell - Bob Wohlsen

Group photo of workshop attendees, facilitators, and church staff at Ascension workshop.

Photo: Jo Ann Williams

The Church of the Ascension in Vallejo in the Wingfield Deanery hosted the "I Will, With God's Help: Journey Toward Racial Healing and Justice" one-day workshop on Saturday, April 20. In addition to participants from Ascension, there was wide representation from other churches including Epiphany, Vacaville; Incarnation, Santa Rosa; St. Luke's, Woodland; Grace, Fairfield; St. John's, Petaluma; St. Mary's, Napa; St. Paul's, Benicia; and St. John's, Petaluma.

The workshop facilitators from the Commission for Intercultural Ministries were The Rev. Canon Kathy Hopner, Diane Williamson, and Jo Ann Williams. They presented historical and current information about the Indigenous, African American, Latino and Asian/Pacific Islander communities as well as the source and impact of white privilege on American society. The workshop was framed within the context of the Baptismal Covenant.

Many thanks to Dean Perry Polk, Senior Warden Leila Llewelyn, event coordinator Dorothea Carroll-Elumba, and the staff at Ascension for their wonderful support in making this a successful workshop.

Keeping Track of Sacred Ground

Are you forming a Sacred Ground Circle? Let the Commission for Intercultural Ministries know by registering it here: https://forms.gle/hriHCPKmLwjUHEyEA

Are you interested in joining a Sacred Ground Circle? Sign up here: https://forms.gle/G26EPxDzEFSpnsZW7

Racial Justice Audit Surveys for Congregations Distributed This Month by The Mission Institute 

The Mission Institute (MI) distributed the Racial Justice Audit surveys for congregations by

email on Saturday, April 13^th. Clergy of churches, vestry/mission committee members, and designated parishioners in the diocese need to look for their survey invitations in their emails. The surveys are confidential and are electronically submitted directly to MI. We strongly encourage your participation. For general questions about the survey, please contact the Racial Justice Audit Co-Chairs, Lynn Zender, zenderlynn@gmail.com, or

Jo Ann Williams, bjwilli@surewest.net.

Episcopal Parish Network is honored to present the first of five keynote conversations from our recent Inspiring Leaders Annual Conference in Houston. This first conversation features an exceptional panel of clergy and laity discussing the primacy of the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry. Noted journalist, John Burnett, most recently of National Public Radio, leads the panel through a discussion on the impact of Curry's election, the legacy of his consequential leadership, and how the Episcopal Church was changed by his time in office.

As Bishop Curry's tenure ends later this year, EPN is pleased to recognize his historic leadership and convene a thoughtful discussion of how it has facilitated the church's evolution in areas like evangelism, racial reconciliation, and mission. We are confident you will enjoy this conversation and be heartened as we move towards the election of Bishop Curry's successor in Louisville this June.

The 2024 Deputies of Color. Photo by Lynn A Collins.

The Deputies of Color (DOC) recently held its in-person pre-General Convention meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, to discuss, among other things, its legislative priorities and resolutions that it will collectively support at the General Convention. The question some may ask: Why does the DOC need to work together? Deputy Joe McDaniel from the Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast and Deputy Heidi Kim from the Episcopal Church in Minnesota met recently to discuss these questions.

House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris and Presiding Bishop Michael Curry signed documentation on April 17 to create the new Episcopal Coalition for Racial Equity and Justice as an independent nonprofit. Photo: Amanda Skofstad/Office of Public Affairs

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris, The Episcopal Church’s two presiding officers, signed documentation on April 17 to create the new Episcopal Coalition for Racial Equity and Justice as an independent nonprofit incorporated in New York.

The signing, which took place in Raleigh, North Carolina, ahead of Executive Council’s April 18-20 meeting there, is the culmination of a three-year effort by churchwide leaders to establish long-term and lasting commitments to the church’s ongoing racial healing framework. The goal, first identified by Curry and Ayala Harris’ predecessor, the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, is to address the harms of the church’s complicity with white supremacy, colonialism and the racism that still is found embedded in the church and other American institutions.

An advisory group formed by Curry and Jennings had called for the creation of the coalition as one of its recommendations, encouraging the church and its members to embrace racial justice and truth-telling as a lifelong vocation. In July 2022, the 80th General Convention endorsed the creation of such a coalition to be “a voluntary association of Episcopal dioceses, parishes, organizations, and individuals dedicated to the work of becoming the Beloved Community.”

Church leaders are establishing the Episcopal Coalition for Racial Equity and Justice as an independent nonprofit so it can continue pursuing its mission regardless of any shifts in church leadership or future changes in ministry priorities under General Convention’s direction.

Volunteers at Good Shepherd Mission in Fort Defiance, Arizona, fill boxes of food for delivery to Navajo Nation residents as part of a feeding ministry of the Episcopal Church in Navajoland in November 2021. Photo: Leon Sampson

Navajo Episcopalians are asking The Episcopal Church to elevate their area mission, known as Navajoland, to the status of a missionary diocese – a step that, if approved in June by the 81st General Convention, would enable Navajoland to elect its own bishop while continuing to receive financial support from the wider church.

The change is proposed by Resolution C009, which was endorsed and submitted by a special convocation held in January by the Episcopal Church in Navajoland. Episcopal leaders there worked on the plan with the church’s Standing Commission on Structure, Governance, Constitution and Canons. Their work followed a previous resolution, approved in 2022 by the 80th General Convention, entrusting Navajoland “to establish its own rules and procedures for a process of discernment for the calling of a bishop that reflects the values, teachings, and traditions of the Diné.”

In Navajoland, “we have a church that is growing,” the Rev. Cornelia Eaton, the area mission’s canon to the ordinary, told Episcopal News Service. Eaton is one of five ordained Navajo clergy now actively serving Navajo Nation communities, and in recent years, they and other church members have expanded Navajoland’s ministries that serve local residents and bolster the mission’s financial sustainability, from starting a beekeeping operation to the opening of the Hozho Wellness Center.

As an area mission, however, Navajoland’s bishop is appointed by the House of Bishops. At the January convocation, “there was a lot of energy around people wanting to become a missionary diocese. … A lot of the elders spoke up in support,” Eaton told ENS. “It gives us the autonomy to select or have an election for a bishop.”

The Navajo people have their own ways of raising up leadership, Eaton added, “a Navajo traditional cultural way of doing that.”

Faith-based organizer Aaron Scott has been named gender justice staff officer--a new Episcopal Church position called for by the 80th General Convention that is dedicated to LGBTQ+ and women's ministries. He will start on April 29.

Scott co-founded Chaplains on the Harbor, and he most recently worked at Union Theological Seminary’s Kairos Center as project coordinator for the Countering White Christian Nationalism Initiative. He serves on the national steering committee for the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.

As an organizer from the transgender community, Scott began his gender justice work in 2006 with Queers for Economic Justice; since then, his work has included leadership development for women and LGBTQ+ people navigating the immigration and public assistance systems—and those ​living in encampments, shelters, and incarceration facilities.

Scott has been appointed at the recommendation of a committee that included people of trans, nonbinary, LGBTQ+, and cisgender identities—as well as representatives from Episcopal Church Women, TransEpiscopal, and the Union of Black Episcopalians. 

Scott holds a master’s degree in biblical studies from Union Theological Seminary, with an emphasis on gender and the New Testament, and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Latinx studies from Fordham University.

In his new role, Scott will seek to inspire, gather, and equip Episcopalians for justice, advocacy, and inclusion work focused on women and LGBTQ+ people. He will provide and develop formation opportunities to support inclusion of all gender identities and expressions, collect and share related resources, and grow networks of leaders for encouragement and cooperation.

Earth Day Resources: Creation Care Newsletter - April 2024 (mailchi.mp)

Gil Topete - Legislative Director for Senator Henry Stern, Bob Wohlsen, Katharine Harrison, Rachel Lucine

Bob Wohlsen and Miriam Casey met with California Assembly members, Senators and their staffs to advocate for laws and policies that supported our church’s efforts to Care for Creation.

Our Commission on the Environment’s work to lead the diocese to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 was a very powerful story to share with the legislators.

The advocates gave input into Assembly and Senate bills that address the Value of Solar, Bidirectional EV Charging, Oil and Gas Divestment, Climate Budget Protection, and the Climate Bond. 

Legislators value input from their constituents, especially how legislation and policies affect them and their communities. This lobby day on March 20 was organized by the Climate Center, a nonprofit that is “working to turn bold ideas into action for a climate-safe future” for all and Environment California works for clean air, clean water, clean energy, wildlife and open spaces, and a livable climate.

Lobby days occur during the legislative sessions. The sponsoring organizations line up visits with legislators and their staffs, prepare the info and talking points for specific legislation and policies, assign and orient lobby teams. Each team is led by an experienced lobby day captain. Sign up and do your part to build the Beloved Community and learn more about how the state government works in California.

A future lobby day currently on the CIM Advocacy Team’s radar is Lutheran Lobby Day - May 15 - info and registration here

For more information about this event and advocating in Sacramento, contact Bob Wohsen - bob.wohlsen@gmail.com

Earth Day was April 22nd, and it is a time within the Season of Easter and Rogationtide when we focus on God’s creation, and how we can be loving caretakers of this beautiful creation. In the diocese there are many congregations that are making changes to reduce their carbon footprint to help heal the climate. This story from Daniel Moyer, Chair of the Saint Alban Creation Care Ministry, shares information about their journey.

The Saint Alban’s Creation Care Ministry was approved by our Vestry by vote in late 2018. The ministry formation was due to the results of an outreach survey of our congregation which showed that creation care is among the top concerns of our parish. Our first meeting of the Creation Care Ministry was February 5, 2019. The Genesis Covenant was approved/signed (by Vestry) April 28, 2019. We meet monthly on the first Tuesday of each month via Zoom.

Over the past few years the Saint Alban's Creation Care ministry has accomplished many projects, such as:

●    Installation of a grid-tied 7.4kw photovoltaic array

●    New Energy Star Refrigeration/Freezer

●    Replaced our commercial grade gas range with commercial grade electric range

●    Replaced our gas water heater with electric water heater

●    Heat Pump servicing our office wing (soon to have the whole church on heat pumps)

●    Xeriscaping Landscaping featuring native plants

●    Hosted conversions with church about green topics (like green burial, gas saving car clinic, etc.)  

Last night I got together with members of our Outreach and Advocacy teams. They are all engaged in a wide range of ministries across the city of Sacramento, and I am proud of what they do. They work with the unhoused, with migrants and refugees, in environmental justice, and with children at Floyd School. Their work is meaningful and it is inspired by the Episcopal faith. They take the idea from the Baptismal Covenant that we should “strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being” seriously. 

As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, I hope you can also contemplate the implications of our baptismal covenant on your life. What are you called to do by your faith? Who should you love in the name of Jesus?

Perhaps contemplate joining one of our ministries of outreach or advocacy. 

Derrick Harris carries his son, Daniel, 5, Historically Black Colleges and Universities' March to The Well event in Greenville, SC, in honor of MLK Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. USA TODAY NETWORK via Reuters Connect

Every morning, I drive my two sons, ages 11 and 13, to school. Normally these rides are mostly quiet as I listen to podcasts, and they watch something on their iPads. But this February, I told my sons we were starting a new tradition: Taking turns naming a figure of Black history and sharing why we believe that person was significant. To my surprise, my sons’ initial reticence quickly turned to enthusiasm. So far, we’ve talked about Louis Armstrong, Jesse Owens, Sojourner Truth, Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks, and Carter G. Woodson — the leader of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History who established the second week of February to be “Negro History Week” to counterbalance the ongoing erasure of Black contributions in the U.S.

As a dad, I’ve loved this new tradition, both to connect with my sons and to supplement their knowledge about the beauty and importance of Black history. My sons are quick to resist making everything about race, but they are also becoming increasingly aware of the realities and challenges of racism. As they get older, I want them to be able to recognize but not internalize the racism around them; I want them to have a deep pride and understanding of all of who they are — including their Jamaican, African American, and British heritage. I want to ensure they’re shaped by a commitment to advance the unfinished business of racial justice. And for me, there’s a spiritual element too. My sons need to know Black history so they can see themselves as God sees them: beloved.

Have you been curious about our group, Band of Angels, that meets several times a month? Here is a sneak peek of what they do together. It is open to all, so reach out and consider having a fun Tuesday morning singing a couple of times a month!

Prior to WWII, the community of Winters in Yolo County enjoyed a thriving Japanese community. Relocation to internment camps after Executive Order 9066 shuttered schools, stores, and other businesses owned by Japanese Americans. At the end of WWII, Japantown in Winters was burned to the ground and many former residents interpreted this as a message that they were not welcome to return. 

On 4 May, Winters will dedicate a monument to the Lost Japanese Community of Winters.

All are welcome.

• "Shimomura, Historical Society Take Steps to Preserve History" - see page 2 of newsletter:

• Historical Society of Winters Dedication Day Events, May 4, 2024

Robert P. Jones and Grace J-Sun Kim, professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion, discuss her forthcoming book, When God Became White: Dismantling Whiteness for a More Just Christianity.

A new report details Border Patrol’s cruel and unnecessary confiscation and destruction of migrants’ belongings, including medicines, legal documents, and religious objects.

Seeking lives of safety and opportunity, people coming to the United States as migrants and asylum-seekers may carry only their most essential and beloved possessions. When they arrive in the U.S. and are taken into Border Patrol custody, many migrants endure the devastating loss of their property: Border Patrol agents routinely confiscate, trash, or force them to throw away their precious belongings.

In a new report published in partnership with organizations working on the southern border, From Hope to Heartbreak, we document routine cases of this abusive treatment focusing on confiscation of medication and medical devices, legal and identity documents, religious items, and items of financial, practical, or sentimental value.

The report relies heavily on hundreds of intakes conducted by the Kino Border Initiative (KBI), which runs a migrant aid center along Mexico’s border with Arizona, and ProtectAZ Health, which offers free medical screenings and care to migrants in Phoenix.

A crowd marches to Sacred Heart Church for the March and Vigil for Human Dignity in El Paso, Texas, March 21, 2024. Photo: Justin Hamel/REUTERS

Some 15 Episcopalians joined Rio Grande Bishop Michael Hunn and the Rev. Lee Curtis, the diocese’s canon to the ordinary, in a march and vigil on March 21 in El Paso, Texas, to protest recent efforts to close a local network of migrant shelters and enforce a bill that allows law enforcement to arrest and detain anyone suspected of being in the United States illegally.

“The idea is to gather people of goodwill from all faith traditions together to have a march and a vigil calling for the humane treatment of everybody who comes to that border, and that includes, in my mind, to treat Border Patrol as human beings and not ask them to do inhumane things,” Hunn told Episcopal News Service before the march and vigil.

Recent threats to close the Catholic-affiliated nonprofit Annunciation House and enforcement of SB4 prompted the Catholic Diocese of El Paso to host the interfaith “‘Do Not Be Afraid’: A March & Vigil for Human Dignity.” The Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande’s borderland ministries, Interfaith Immigration Interfaith Coalition, Catholic Charities of Southern New Mexico, the Immigration Law & Justice Network and other organizations joined the Catholic diocese in sponsoring the event.

Advocacy Team News - April 16, 2024

Advocacy in Action

Shireen Miles, Trinity Cathedral member and Migrant and Refugee Resettlement Team leader, joined with Sacramento Area Congregations Together and other immigrant rights organizations at last week’s California Assembly Committee on Public Safety hearing on AB 2209 to oppose the bill. The proposed legislation would allow law enforcement to investigate any person who is alleged to have violated, or who has been previously convicted of, possession of fentanyl for sale or selling, furnishing, administering, giving away or transporting fentanyl.

Passage of this legislation had the potential to criminalize all migrants in connection with the fentanyl crisis. The bill appears to be premised on the notion that the majority of fentanyl dealers are undocumented immigrants. The data does not reflect this premise.

The committee heard the opponents of the bill and voted to not move it forward.

Legislators listen to public comment. As persons of faith, we have powerful stories to tell about our ministries in the community and the effects potential legislation will have on these ministries. Our voices are heard as we bring these stories to their attention. Next time you have the opportunity to attend a legislative hearing to testify or observe, take this valuable learning opportunity.

More Advocacy News

The policies and laws that our elected officials make affect our ministries. You do have a voice! There are many ways to use it to promote building the Beloved Community. Here are current ones:

• Lutheran Lobby Day, Sacramento - May 15, Register here.
• Episcopal Office of Government Relations - Vote Faithfully Election Engagement Toolkit 2024 - start an election engagement ministry at your church. This toolkit has all you need to get started.

For more information on the above news and how you can become an advocate, contact

Bob Wohlsen, Advocacy Team Chair - bob.wohlsen@gmail.com

• Call for a Ceasefire Now
• Support the Environment and Public Health
• Say No to Expanding Detention

For more information, contact Bob Wohlsen, Advocacy Team Chair, bob.wohlsen@gmail.com.

The Episcopal Diocese of Northern California

The Commission for Intercultural Ministries

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