The Episcopal Diocese 

of Northern California

Beloved Community

Resource Newsletter

Published by

The Commission for

Intercultural Ministries

May 2024 

Episcopal Church Becoming Beloved Community

Newsletter Highlights:

• Africa Day, Baptisms Celebrated on Pentecost Sunday at Trinity Cathedral
• Trinity Sunday Sermon
• Diocese Adopts Land Acknowledgement
• Season of Courage Exhibit: Here I Am, Lord
• The Phase II Racial Justice Audit Survey is Coming to a Close June 1st
• I Will, With God's Help: Journey Toward Racial Healing and Justice Workshop Registration Now Open
• St. Michael's, Carmichael, Completes Racial Healing and Justice Workshop
• St. John's, Roseville, Awarded Impact Grant by The Episcopal Church
• Betty Kwan Chinn Book Signing & Lunar New Year
• St. Alban's Episcopal Church Celebrated Earth Day with an Electric Car Show

"Pentecost blessing" by Steve Garnass-Holmes

Pentecost icon by Kelly Latimore

Trinity Cathedral hosted a joyful celebration of Africa Day and several baptisms on Pentecost Sunday. Many African nations were represented at the service just as many nations were represented at Pentecost in which people experienced a miracle of the Holy Spirit which brought them together in a moment of unity by hearing the good news of God in Jesus Christ in their own languages. The honored guests at the service were from the African nations of Sierra Leone, Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Liberia, Rwanda, South Africa, and West Africa.

"By the grace of God, we are all children of God. With every breath of gratitude for the love of our Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit, walls of fears can tumble. As Christians we live in loving community by moving together into the ambiguity, the mystery of the future with humility, honesty, courage and confidence in God. We create loving community by honoring all people, even those who are different from us....We let go of unholy ways and embrace our transformation, and the transformation of our entire community even if it’s hard or scary. We live beyond fear into love by knowing Jesus, who knew the depth of human rejection, has gone before and is at our side."



You are invited to read the powerful sermon provided by the Rev. Gail Cafferata, Priest Associate of the Church of the Incarnation, here.

General Convention’s Racial Truth-Telling, Reckoning & Healing committees heard testimony on May 23 on three proposed resolutions: the commitment to reparations, increasing the number of people of color in church positions, and the establishment of model policies for anti-racism and racial reconciliation work. Photo: Screenshot

General Convention’s Racial Truth-Telling, Reckoning & Healing committees heard testimony on May 23 on three proposed resolutions: the commitment to reparations, increasing the number of people of color in church positions, and the establishment of model policies for anti-racism and racial reconciliation work.

Twenty-five people attended the online hearing of the House of Bishops’ and House of Deputies’ committees, which though distinct, typically meet and deliberate together. Once finalized, resolutions will advance to the 81st General Convention, to be held June 23-28 in Louisville, Kentucky.

The full list of resolutions can be found here.

Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin

Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows

Episcopal Parish Network is honored to present another of our Keynote Conversations from the 39th Annual Conference held recently in Houston. During this keynote, EPN welcomed two groundbreaking leaders into conversation. Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the first Black woman bishop in the Church of England, joined Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, the first African American woman diocesan bishop in the Episcopal Church.

Together they explored how we live into our unique Anglican witness in a time of change and transformation for the church and the world. This conversation will inspire and encourage you in your ministry for the church and the world.

At our recent Revival I was honored to introduce Carole Ward from St. Stephen’s, Sebastopol, who read the newly adopted Diocesan Land Acknowledgement. It was approved unanimously at the meeting of the Board of Trustees and the Revival was that first event at which it was read in public. It is printed below and can be found on the Diocesan website: 

It was also my pleasure to announce that the offering at the Revival Liturgy would be tithed to the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan’s Homeland Return project. The Tribe has the opportunity to purchase 232 acres of their original homeland. You can read more and donate at their website.

It was an honor to be invited by Miriam Casey, Co-Chair of the diocesan Commission for Intercultural Ministries, to contribute a story to the Season of Courage: Here I am, Lord exhibit for the Fearless Faith Revival in April. I wrote about the land-based ministry that we have been creating at St. Martin’s, and I was eager to see what other stories would be included. When I walked into sheltering embrace of the exhibit at the Revival, I found myself wanting to spend more time with these stories and make sure that more of my parishioners saw them as well.

Then the idea hit me: we could bring the exhibit to St. Martin’s! And instead of setting it up outside, where it would only be available for a single day, we could put the posters up around the interior of the church. That way, it would be visible for a few weeks, a season even, and anyone in church would be able contemplate each story at their own pace, letting the impact of the stories sink in over time.

So it was that on Pentecost, the Season of Courage: Here I am, Lord exhibit was introduced to worshippers at the Church of St. Martin in Davis.

Having stories that show real examples of courageous leadership around the Diocese of Northern California has been a gift to our whole parish. In a recent conversation, a parishioner told me that she thought the caregivers in our community were some of the most courageous people she knows. I wholeheartedly agree! Those are stories we should find some way to tell.

We also continue talking about what other, new courageous steps we might take in our efforts to become Beloved Community, such as the recent Pride solidarity event we held on Trinity Sunday, painting a rainbow crosswalk across the entrance to our parking lot. 

As I’ve prepared my sermons these last few weeks, the courage of the disciples has been more apparent to me than ever. I’ve realized that it always takes courage to answer the call of the Spirit—and, that the Spirit will always give us that courage when we need it most!

A link to my Pentecost sermon, which referenced the Season of Courage exhibit is here. For more information about the Season of Courage: Here I am, Lord exhibit, contact Miriam Casey (miriamlwcasey@gmail.com) or Bob Wohlsen (bob.wohlsen@gmail.com).

Plowshare Prayer

Spencer LaJoye

Listen to the beautiful Plowshare Prayer sung by Lacey Brown during the Saturday evening worship service at the Fearless Faith Revival.

The Phase II Racial Justice Audit Survey

is Coming to a Close June 1st

We are extremely grateful to those who have completed the Phase II Racial Justice Audit survey. If you have completed it, thank you very much. If you have not, the deadline is Saturday, June 1st, at midnight Pacific Time. It takes 20-30 minutes to complete and submit. As Bishop Megan states in her cover letter to the survey, “The survey is not terribly lengthy, and your response will be instrumental in gaining a better understanding of our life together – both its strengths and its weaknesses.” Clergy of local churches, vestry and mission committee members, and selected parishioners of churches in the diocese were invited to take the survey by the Mission Institute.

At the end of this summer, the Mission Institute will provide a report by deanery of audit results.

Thank you for making time for this request in the midst of your busy lives. For specific questions about the survey, please reach out directly to the Mission Institute who provided contact information in the survey. For general questions about the survey process, please contact the Racial Justice Audit Co-Chairs, Lynn Zender, zenderlynn@gmail.com, or

Jo Ann Williams, bjwilli@surewest.net.

May God bless and keep you, be gracious to you, and give you and all of us peace.

The Mission Institute in collaboration with the Commission for Intercultural Ministries of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California

Group photo of workshop attendees, facilitators, and church staff at St. Michael's workshop.

Photo by Jo Ann Williams

St. Michael's, Carmichael, of the Capital Deanery hosted the "I Will, With God's Help: Journey Toward Racial Healing and Justice" one-day workshop on Saturday, May 11. While there were many participants from St. Michael's, participants from other churches included Trinity Cathedral and St. Paul's of Sacramento; St. Martin's, Davis; St. George's, Carmichael, and St. James, Lincoln.

The workshop facilitators from the Commission for Intercultural Ministries were The Rev. Canon Tina Campbell, 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 Pastor Katie Holeman, Associate Priest at St. Michael's, who provided the delicious home cooked lunch for everyone and to Michelle Falcy who provided audiovisual support for the workshop.

St. John's, Roseville, helped Neighborhood Wellness organize, launch and furnish a “Pacers Take Space” area at Grant High School in Sacramento in Fall 2022. The congregation continues to generously contribute and deliver items for the essential pantry. Students who have been identified by the school as being most at risk are invited to receive physical and mental health services, educational support, leadership opportunities, and have access to the pantry where they receive nutritious snacks, feminine hygiene products, toiletry items, school supplies and other essential needs. Pictured (L-R) are Cynde Martin, Senior Warden Janet Wiese, and Diane Williamson from St. John's.

St. John’s Episcopal Church in Roseville is one of the 2024 recipients of a Becoming Beloved Community Impact Grant through The Episcopal Church. They have been awarded $9,000 to help The Neighborhood Wellness Foundation fund a summer internship program for students at Grant High School in Del Paso Heights. St. John’s relationship with Neighborhood Wellness (NW) grew out of the parish’s participation in The Episcopal Church’s Sacred Ground Dialogue Circles. Participants were very moved by what they learned and experienced in taking Sacred Ground and longed to do something that would make a difference in the lives of those who have been affected by generations of racial discrimination and inequality.

This impact grant will enable NW to fund students for a summer internship program so that older students can provide mentorship and support for younger students during the school year. This program will provide interns with a unique opportunity to gain valuable experience and skills in the field of behavioral health support. Through this internship, participants will contribute to the mission of Pacers Take Space by focusing on various essential topics, including adverse childhood and community experiences, de-escalation and anger management, and financial readiness and budgeting.

The main impact this involvement has had and will continue to have for St. John’s is to widen our vision of the Beloved Community as we engage in the fourth quadrant of the labyrinth, “Repairing the Breach”. The satisfaction that comes from working with these dear friends as they raise up their community will continue to inspire and ignite us to further engage in this partnership.

What does racial justice have to do with environmental pollution and climate change? How do the histories we explore in Sacred Ground shape environmental injustice today? This webinar explores the connections between the environment and the history of race and racism.

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

Introduction - Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage

(U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

"She worked tirelessly to establish homeless shelters and to feed thousands in her community. As a child, she was separated from her family and exposed to the worst of humanity. Despite these monstrous conditions, she journeyed from fear to forgiveness and became a beacon of hope for those most vulnerable and an inspiration for all." - From The Gray Bird Sings -The Extraordinary Life of Betty Kwan Chinn



This interview was moderated in February 2024 by Fr. Daniel London, Rector of Christ Church, Eureka, with Betty Kwan Chinn, Pastor Dan Price, and the author of the book, Karen Price.

Watch this moving interview with Sacramento native and filmmaker Baldwin Chiu as he shares his family's history as Chinese immigrants in the American South and the impact and consequences of the Chinese Exclusion Act on multiple generations of his family.

On April 21, between and after church services, St. Alban’s Creation Care Committee celebrated Earth Day with an auto show sharing hybrids and electric vehicles. The car show featured a Tesla, a Toyota Rav 4 and other earth friendly models of cars. For comparison and showing how much more inefficient an external combustion engine is, a 1999 Ford F150 was also on display.

St. Alban’s and its parishioners have a commitment to reducing greenhouse emissions. St. Alban’s and the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California, which stretches from the Sacramento Valley to the Oregon border, have officially adopted a policy that the Episcopal churches in its jurisdiction be carbon neutral by 2030. St. Alban’s may achieve being carbon neutral by the end of the year.

Not only have many parishioners purchased EV and hybrid cars, some have also installed solar panels and heat pumps. The church itself has a long commitment to creation care. Solar panels were installed in 2019. Gradually carbon monoxide appliances were replaced with energy efficient electric kitchen appliances, gas water heaters replaced with electric and duct insulation installed. Its biggest project is replacing its gas furnaces with earth-friendly heat pumps. One heat pump has already been installed and four more are in the process of being installed.

For more information about St. Alban’s and its commitment to creation care, contact (707) 822-4102.

For further information, contact the Very Rev. Sara Potter, (707) 822-4102, or revsara@stalbansarcata.org

We’re excited to share with you the Faithful Resilience Collection, a six-part Story Map series that promotes place-based awareness for communities of faith. As climate change illuminates our interdependency with Creation, it compels us to prioritize the healing of our imbalanced relationships with Earth and one another. We are called to actions of resilient care for human and non-human communities, actions that recognize Creation for its inherent dignity and honor our own belonging in the web of life. 

This collection provides mapping and reflective resources to support your faithful resilience planning efforts. As you navigate the collection you can expect to:

• Begin to identify the Indigenous communities with ancestral lands where your congregation is located.
• Identify the watershed where your congregation is located and grow in understanding of the ecosystems and critical habitats in the area.
• Identify the physical impacts of climate change affecting your congregation and nearby communities to help understand your community's vulnerability.
• Identify the social impacts of climate change faced by your area and understand the environmental and climate justice concerns you can help to address.
• Use reflection questions to grow your understanding.
• Find resources to go deeper and better plan for resilience in your congregation.

Learn about congregations around the U.S. who are serving as faithful examples of resilience-building.

Flames lick above emergency vehicles on Highway 162 as the Bear Fire burns in Oroville, California, Sept. 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Latinos are uniquely positioned to take action on environmental causes due to the hazards they face and their commitment to the issue, said experts at a Wednesday (May 22) panel hosted by Georgetown University.

“What makes our community become environmentalists,” said Elena Gaona, communications director for the Chispa (Spanish for “Spark”) branch of the League of Conservation Voters, “is more urgent and more connected to the life and death of their children and of themselves and of their neighbors.”

“While climate change is here, it has been here longer and felt more deeply by communities that are Latino in the U.S.,” she said.

In affirmation and celebration of The Episcopal Church’s LGBTQ+ members, the Office of Communication is pleased to unveil a new Pride shield available online for churchwide use.

The design retains the upper-left blue corner of The Episcopal Church’s shield logo and incorporates elements of the traditional Pride flag as well as the Progress Pride flag and Philadelphia Pride flag. In their use of black, brown, pink, and light-blue diagonal lines, the latter two flags represent intersectional progress in acknowledging people who are often overlooked by the mainstream LGBTQ+ movement: communities of color; the transgender community; and the many thousands harmed by anti-LGBTQ+ policy—from those who lost their lives in the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and ‘90s, to those still disproportionately impacted today.

“As a longtime ally of LGBTQ+ people, I was so excited to work on this Pride shield for The Episcopal Church,” said Melissa Walker, senior graphic designer. “I hope many more people feel seen and included by this new graphic as we enter Pride month.”

For half a century, Episcopalians have been working toward a greater understanding and radical inclusion of all God’s children. Resolutions from General Convention in 1976 recognized LGBTQ+ people as children of God with an equal claim to the pastoral care of the church and equal protection under the law. In 1994, General Convention amended the church’s canons to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, providing equal access to the rites and worship of the church, including ordination. In 2015, General Convention voted to amend the canons that regulate marriage, permitting any couple the rite of holy matrimony.

The Rev. Dr. Russell Levenson, Jr.

Dr. Samuel Perry

The Very Rev. Owen C. Thompson

Episcopal Parish Network presented an important and thought-provoking keynote conversation featuring Dr. Samuel Perry, a professor of sociology at the University of Oklahoma and one of the world's top experts on Christian Nationalism. Joining Sam in this discussion and the church's response are the Rev. Russell Levenson, former rector of St. Martin's, Houston, and the Very Rev. Owen Thompson, dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Cincinnati.

• Call for a Ceasefire Now
• Regulate Ghost Guns
• Help Find Justice for Indigenous Women
• Eliminate Medical Debt
• Address the Opioid Epidemic
• Support LGBTQIA2S+ Migrants

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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