April 30, 2023

Above: Event chair Dawn Vukich poses with the foursome from Rancho Santa Margarita, winners of the first-ever Shepherd's Cup. Below right: Barrett Van Buren encourages bids at the evening's live auction.

St. John’s, Rancho Santa Margarita, foursome wins first Shepherd's Cup 

"Worship the Lord in the beauty of 18 hole-iness!" quipped Bishop John Harvey Taylor as the inaugural Shepherd's Cup Golf Tournament on April 24 brought teams from more than 20 churches of the Diocese of Los Angeles together at the Industry Hills Golf Club's "Ike" course. Eighteen holes of play were followed by a dinner with silent and live auctions and a great deal of lighthearted fun, all to benefit the diocese's Generation to Generation capital campaign. 

A foursome from St. John Chrysostom Church, Rancho Santa Margarita, took top honors and the Shepherd's Cup. 

The Rev. Barrett Van Buren, rector of Blessed Sacrament Church, Placentia, served as auctioneer on behalf of the planning committee, which was chaired by the Rev. Dawn Vukich, golf ace and vicar of Faith Church, Laguna Niguel.

Read more here.

Teams from St. James' Church, Newport Beach, at left, and Holy Trinity and St. Benedict's Church, Alhambra, sport matching shirts for the tournament. Photos: Janet Kawamoto

Diocesan Council hears uplifting reports of ministry; hopes financial challenges can be countered with diplomacy, cooperation

By Janet Kawamoto

[The Episcopal News – April 26, 2023] The ongoing work of the Daughters of the King; a new association with the ecumenical Immaculate Heart Community; and a new affordable housing structure in Riverside were among the ministries celebrated in reports to the April 20 meeting of Diocesan Council.

The council also heard about some possible financial difficulties that diocesan leaders hope to counter with diplomacy and cooperation.

Treasurer’s report: Episcopal Church review body recommends increased assessment for 2023

Canon Andy Tomat, treasurer of the diocese, reported on two challenges to the diocese’s Mission Share Fund (MSF) budget; one involving the wider Episcopal Church, and one from local congregations.

Episcopal Church canons provide for assessments on its 109 dioceses to fund the wider work of the Episcopal Church. EDLA’s 15% 2023 assessment was made based on its 2021 income, which included a $3.3 million Payroll Protection Plan loan — later converted to a grant – that the diocese received to cover payroll expenses for staff, mission congregations, schools, and institutions such as Camp Stevens.

Though a church-wide appeals committee turned down the diocese’s request to be relieved of the obligation to include the PPP money when determining its assessment, Tomat said he and Bishop John Harvey Taylor hoped that some grace may still be extended to avoid the diocese either cutting its already strained budget even further this year or recouping the additional sum from missions and parishes, which themselves are struggling with fiscal pressures.

Read more here.

LA Council of Religious Leaders, Mayor Bass partner to bring unhoused ‘Inside Safe’

By John Harvey Taylor

[The Bishop's Blog – April 26, 2023] Convened by our president, Rabbi Sarah Hronsky, members of the Los Angeles Council of Religious Leaders met with Mayor Karen Bass and members of her staff Tuesday afternoon at City Hall. Also aboard were the Very Rev. Anne Sawyer, dean of St. John’s Cathedral in Los Angeles, and Canon Bob Williams, who assists in the council’s work. 

I repeated our pledge to build affordable housing on 25% of our mission and parish campuses, giving up to 4000-5000 of our neighbors places to lay their heads, and presented the mayor with a list of our 25 churches in the City of Los Angeles — not all candidates for housing projects, of course. My colleagues and I stressed all the ways faith institutions could support the mayor’s “Inside Safe” initiative without necessarily building housing.

The mayor pledged to do all she could to streamline approvals for housing projects. Canon Williams, who also works closely with The Bishop’s Commission on Gospel Justice and Community Care, highlighted her plans to create a mayor’s office of community safety to work with law enforcement. I thanked her for her prophetic, collaborative voice on housing as well as her refusal to acquiesce in the myth that communities have to choose between safe neighborhoods and compassionate policing.

— The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor is bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles.

Members of L.A. Council of Religious Leaders decry violence at al-Aqsa mosque, defacing of local Islamic Center

[The Episcopal News – April 24, 2023] Calling for peacemaking amid multifaceted conflicts, a group of members of the Los Angeles Council of Religious Leaders – including Bishop John Harvey Taylor of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles – issued an April 23 statement deploring recent violence against worshipers at Jerusalem's al-Aqsa Mosque and the Easter Day defacing of the Islamic Center of Southern California. Full text of the statement follows here.

As the holy season of Ramadan comes to an end, the undersigned members of the Los Angeles Council of Religious Leaders join in deploring Israeli police violence against peaceful worshipers in the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem on two occasions two weeks ago. Freedom of worship is a basic human right. Jerusalem should be a place of peaceful prayer for all who follow in the Abrahamic tradition – Jews, Christians, and Muslims. We especially deplore the desecration occurring as Passover, Holy Week, and Ramadan coincided.

As with the broader struggle between Israelis and Palestinians, the situation on al-Haram al-Sharif/the Temple Mount is tense and complex, with a history of provocation and violence on both sides. But these particular events resulted in indelible images, transmitted all over the world, of worshipers shoved and beaten while at prayer. This was the third consecutive Ramadan when Israeli police harassed Muslim worshipers, though this year’s violence was by far the worst.

Read more here.

Pomona parish to mark World Labyrinth Day with health fair

St. Paul's Church, Pomona, invites the diocesan community to its World Labyrinth Day Health and Well-being Fair on Saturday, May 6, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

The day's program will include two walks in the parish's outdoor labyrinth, led by Jennifer Redelle Carey, labyrinth trainer, as well as children's events such as finger labyrinths to trace, rocks to paint, and birdseed labyrinths to create. Inside the church the labyrinth mat will be open for additional meditation walking. A video created by Carey depicting labyrinths around the world also will be shown in the church. Attendees are invited to bring a picnic and enjoy the church's grounds and courtyard. Food and treats will be available for purchase.

The event also will feature St. Paul's first Health and Well-Being Fair of 2023. The 986 Pharmacy will conduct a vaccine clinic, offering inoculations for Covid-19, flu, and monkeypox. Pomona Valley Hospital will provide blood pressure screenings. The first five families to get Covid vaccines will receive a voucher from Pomona Food Bank; everyone who receives a vaccination will earn a $5 voucher for food and treats at the event. 

Funding is made available by generous grants from philanthropy to support L.A. County’s Covid-19 Equity work through a partnership with Southern California Grantmakers and the Center for Strategic Partnerships.

St. Paul's Church is located at 242 East Alvarado Street, Pomona 91767. For more information, visit the website or call 909.622.2015

Institutions and ministries

Palisades parish to host Neighborhood Youth Association’s 40th annual scholarship benefit; gala reception set for May 13

[The Episcopal News – April 26, 2023] All are welcome for the 40th Annual Scholarship Benefit supporting 100-percent college placement for students of the Neighborhood Youth Association, a diocesan institution since 1906.

“Building Bright Futures” is the theme for the May 13 event set to begin with a festive 5:15 p.m. reception preceding a 6 p.m. one-hour program in the Sprague Center on the campus of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Parish and School, Pacific Palisades.

Tickets are priced at $125 per person, with sponsorship opportunities available at $1,000, $2,500, and $5,000 or above. Tickets may be purchased online here.

Benefit chairperson is NYA board of trustees vice president Sarah Newman, longtime St. Matthew’s lay leader and retired teacher in the parish school. To date this year, Newman and her team have raised more than $80,000 in direct scholarship aid to be presented in some 20 awards to deserving students.

Read more here.

Concert, discussion with The Gathering and Laós Chamber Music will honor Asian Heritage Month

The Gathering will join Laós Chamber Music for a special Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month event featuring a picnic concert and a discussion of music and Asian identity on Saturday, May 6 at Church of Our Saviour, San Gabriel.

The evening's event will begin at 5 p.m. with a reception and a discussion of “Artistry, Music, and AAPI Identity," in which Laós Chamber Music musicians will talk about how their identity as Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) intersects with their artistry and career. Dustin Seo, founder and artistic director of and member of The Gathering’s leadership team, will moderate the discussion.

At 7 p.m. Laós Chamber Music will present a concert titled "Sunset Glow," which will include works by Maurice Ravel and Heitor Villa-Lobos and new works by Asian American composers Nicky Sohn and Niall Taro Ferguson. The concert will feature acclaimed soloist Kelci Hahn, a Los Angeles-based soprano who has made solo appearances with the L.A. Philharmonic, and sings with the L.A. Master Chorale.  

Attendees are encouraged to bring a picnic and enjoy this indoor-outdoor event at Our Saviour's Grace Chapel. There is no charge (though donations will be gratefully accepted.) Church of Our Saviour is located at 535 W. Roses Road, San Gabriel 91775.

In addition to its core season performances at Church of Our Saviour, Laós Chamber Music collaborates with other parish ministries, including programming at Jubilee Homes sober living center and Our Saviour Center in El Monte.

The Gathering: A Space for Asian Pacific American Spirituality is a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles that provides opportunities for Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) to gather together to tell their stories, learn from one another, engage in initiatives for peace and social justice, and talk about spirituality in the APA context.

Tour and lunch to celebrate 50th anniversary of Union Station center in Pasadena

All Saints Church, Pasadena, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Union Station Homeless Services on Wednesday, May 10 with a tour of the USHS Family Center in Pasadena, followed by a presentation and lunch with a Q&A session on the agency's work with CEO Anne Miskey and other key Union Station team members.

USHS, founded in the 1970s at All Saints Church and formalized as a secular nonprofit organization in 1984, helps families and individuals in the Pasadena area end homelessness and rebuild their lives. The 50-bed Family Center was opened in 2003 on Orange Grove Blvd as a safe, nurturing place for homeless parents and children to achieve self-sufficiency. USHS has since grown to be the lead agency for providing homeless services in the San Gabriel Valley. It owns and operate five facilities and supports dozens more. More about the 50th anniversary celebration is here.

For the May 10 event, participants will carpool from the All Saints Church parking lot at 11:30 a.m. The tour starts at noon, and we will return to the church parking lot by 2 p.m. Space is limited to 15 people, with a waiting list in case of cancellations. There is no charge. To participate, register here. For information, contact Amanda McCormick at [email protected]. All Saints is located at 132 N. Euclid Avenue, Pasadena 91101.

Camp Stevens wins camp association's justice award

The Camp Stevens delegation at the American Camp Association Regional Spring Conference, meeting April 18 – 21 in Palm Springs, accepted the Southern California-Hawaii Program Excellence Award for restorative justice, equity and inclusion.  

Camp Stevens, located in Julian and serving the dioceses of Los Angeles and San Diego, hosts a wide variety of programs, including summer camps for children, counselor training, family camps, off-site adventures for teens and adults, as well as conferences and retreats for church and community groups. Learn more here.

The Bishop's Blog

The Bishop's Blog is online here.

The road to Emmaus and St. Clement’s, San Clemente

April 24, 2023

We live our lives, in a way, on the road to Emmaus — according to the gospel, a village about seven miles from Jerusalem, according to Google, a bit of a muddle. In Luke’s story, two of Jesus’s followers are fleeing Jerusalem after Rome put him to death. They’ve heard the Resurrection stories but don’t believe them. Then they meet a man who preaches the gospel, reminding them of how the prophets’ promise culminated in Jesus. The pair kindly invite their new friend to stop for the night, though only in the breaking of bread do they realize it’s Jesus. He disappears; and they return to their destiny, whatever it is, in Jerusalem.

Read more here.

Bishop Gene Robinson at All Saints, Pasadena

April 15, 2023

The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson’s election as bishop of New Hampshire in June 2003 ignited schisms all over The Episcopal Church, including in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. He received so many death threats and so much hate mail that friends paid for a security detail. He wore a bulletproof vest at his March 2004 consecration. Plan B, completion of the service in a secure room with the canonical minimum of three bishops laying on hands, was in case he was attacked and injured but not killed.

Read more here.

Requiescant

The Reverend Peter H. Rood

July 29, 1955 – April 20, 2023

The Rev. Peter Rood, former rector of Holy Nativity Church, Westchester (Los Angeles), died unexpectedly on April 20 during what was expected to be routine surgery. He was 67 and had been serving at St. Stephen's Church in Oak Harbor, Washington, since 2019.

Survivors include his children and stepchildren, Dylan, Julian, Hilary, Kajia, and Paul: a half-brother, Austin; and several grandchildren. His wife, Christen Herman, died in 2021. 

Funeral information is pending.

During his tenure at Holy Nativity, Rood led the establishment of the parish's community garden — one of the first such in the diocese – and was deeply involved in interfaith and ecumenical matters, especially through the Guibord Center, founded by the late Rev. Gwynne Guibord, and in environmental activism. 

An obituary will be posted soon on the Episcopal News website.

Local memorial service set for Canon Jenny Ladefoged

A memorial service for the late Canon Jenny Ladefoged will be held on Saturday, June 3 at St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, 3646 Coldwater Canyon Avenue, Los Angeles 91604. The service will be followed by interment of her ashes in the memorial garden, according to her daughter, Lise Friedman.

"We'll finish in the Ministry Center with a celebration of her life featuring candy, marmalade, bread, cheese, and wine in a box," Friedman added.

Ladefoged died on March 13, 2021 in Nashville, where she had lived in retirement. An obituary is here.

For information about the service, contact Friedman at [email protected].

This week

Bloy House announces April, May formation classes for clergy and laity

Bloy House, the Episcopal Theological School at Los Angeles, has announced several continuing education and formation classes for laity and clergy.

SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

21st Century Ministry in Multicultural Contexts: Enjoying our Colorful Tapestry

Bloy House (in person)

1300 E. Colorado Street, Glendale 91205

Register here

Facilitated by the Rev. Carlos Ruvalcaba and the Rev. Melissa Campbell-Langdell. Ministry, lay or ordained, in our diocese is a multicultural experience. How do we gain skills and insight, not only to understand others' languages and cultures, but to be open to transformative friendships? We will explore the invitation of seeing the "other" as our friend, and discuss the importance of cultivating connections with those who share different backgrounds to bridge cultural and religious divides. What we learn from these relationships—how to nurture, respect, and care for others—will help us make meaningful change in the world. Lunch will be provided. Class fee: $25

SATURDAYS, APRIL 29, MAY 6 and MAY 13, 9 – 11 a.m.

Deacons: Who, What, Why

Via Zoom. Register here

Facilitated by the Rev. Dennis Sheridan, deacon. Three two-hour sessions will offer a glimpse into the life and history of the diaconate. We’ll answer the questions: What does it mean to be a deacon today? How do I know that I am called? What are the steps for getting there? Participants will hear stories about deacons who act as the bridge between the church and the world and learn about the distinctive diaconal voice. Recommended for those discerning a call to ordained ministry. Class fee: $50.

HFS invites all to 2023 Circle of Hope gala honoring longtime association with Sisters of Social Service

HFS, the adoption and foster care service and institution of the Diocese of Los Angeles, invites the diocesan community to its 2023 Circle of Hope gathering and fundraiser on Thursday, May 4, 6 – 8 p.m.

The event, to be held at the Oakmont Country Club, 3100 Country Club Drive, Glendale 91208, will honor HFS's 30-year association with the Sisters of Social Service, an organization founded in Hungary in May of 1923, known for their work in nursing, midwifery, and orphanage services. The Los Angeles organization was founded in 1926. 

In 1963, 14 years after HFS (originally Holy Family Services) was founded, the Sisters took over its administration and development and led the organization for the next 30 years. Sr. Bertille Prus, LCSW, became executive director of HFS in 1963 and served until her retirement in 1991. Sr. Mary Phyllis McCarthy, Ph.D., succeeded her as executive director, serving from 1991 to 1993. 

The May 4 Circle of Hope event will feature cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, an opportunity drawing and live auction. Complimentary valet parking will be provided. Tickets are $75 each; sponsorship opportunities are also available. For additional information and reservations (requested by April 30), click here or contact HFS at 213.202.3900.

DOK's online Spring Assembly, 'Time for Mary/Martha,' coming May 6

Daughters of the King Los Angeles invites women of the diocese to its annual Spring Assembly, "Time for Mary/Martha," via Zoom on Saturday, May 6, 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

"Whether you are most like Mary of Bethany, simply longing to be fed spiritually, or more like her sister Martha, eager to be up and serving others – or perhaps you're a blessed blending of the two – this Spring Assembly will have something for you," according to an invitation from DOK-LA's President Kimberly Cortner.

The program includes Morning Prayer and installation of the new diocesan DOK chaplain, who will lead an exploration of Celtic Spirituality; and a session (with breakout options) exploring various ministries sponsored by the Diocese of Los Angeles. The day will conclude with the chance to walk a labyrinth – even if just with a finger – in celebration of World Labyrinth Day. 

Participants who register by April 21 will receive by postal mail an assembly packet containing the printed program, St. Brigid’s cross materials, finger labyrinths, and "other goodies," according to Cortner. Those who register after April 21 will be able to download printed materials from the DOK-LA website.

Register here. For more information email [email protected].

Nine panels of historic AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed in Hollywood

Hollywood United Methodist Church is partnering with the National AIDS Memorial to display nine panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt to the public as part of its commemoration of the 30 years that its church tower has displayed red Ribbons of Love in support of AIDS ministries and awareness.

The quilt panels will be on display at the church, located at Highland and Franklin on the weekend of April 29 – 30, 12 – 4 p.m. each day. The display will be free to the public and feature panels of the quilt that reflect members and friends of the church who died from AIDS. The room where quilt panels were sewn also will be open to the public for viewing.

The quilt is the largest community arts project in the world. Its first panels were created 35 years ago during the darkest days of the pandemic. Today it consists of 50,000 individually-sewn panels with names of more than 110,000 people who have died of AIDS.

Hollywood United Methodist Church is a progressive congregation in the heart of Hollywood. In 1993, when the LGBTQ community was being excluded from houses of worship, this congregation proclaimed that all are welcome by affixing two red ribbons of love to the sides of the tower. 

The church is located at 6817 Franklin (at Highland), Hollywood 90028. The AIDS Quilt can be viewed in its entirety at www.aidsmemorial.org/quilt, where specific names also can be searched.

CFLC/Prism's online 'Exploring Chaplaincy' series slated for May

CFLC (Center for Lay Chaplaincy) and Prism, the diocese's restorative justice ministry, invite the diocesan community to a Zoom series titled "Exploring Chaplaincy," to be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in May.

The series will explore the work of chaplains who bring spiritual care to many diverse and challenging contexts. Dates and topics are:

• May 3: Military Chaplaincy, with Colonel Joanne Martingale, VA chaplain and CPE supervisor at David Grant Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base.

• May 10: Corporate Chaplaincy, with Alex Donovan, a certified lay chaplain pioneering a new form of chaplain presence at Optum Healthcare, focusing on support for medical professionals.

• May 17: Airport Chaplaincy, with Bishop D.D. Hayes, the Rev. Greg McBayer and Mushin Shasheed, chaplains at Dallas Fort Worth Airport.

• May 24: Port Chaplaincy, with Deacon Joey De Leon, interim executive director, and Julia Cooper, interim director of the Seattle Seafarers Center, which supports men and women working at sea.

• May 31: CFLC and Prism: Clergy and lay chaplaincy ministries in the Diocese of Los Angeles.

For information and to register, click here.

Trinity Church, Santa Barbara, invites all to 'An Afternoon with Sister Joan Chittister'

World-renowned spiritual and social leader, author, and Benedictine nun Sister Joan Chittister will speak at Trinity Church, Santa Barbara, from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 20.

At the event, titled "An Afternoon with Sister Joan Chittister," she will draw on the themes in her book, The Time is Now: A Call to Uncommon Courage. Pairing scriptural insights with stirring narratives of the truth-tellers who came before, Chittister will offer a compelling vision to combat complacency and to propel all of us toward creating a world of justice, freedom, peace, and empowerment.

Chittister has appeared on Oprah Winfrey's Super Soul Sunday program to discuss The Time is Now. She is a sought-after speaker and author of more than 60 books and hundreds of articles. Books will be sold at the event, with a book signing opportunity following the presentation.

This special event, Chittister's only upcoming West Coast appearance, is made possible through the Mark Asman Progressive Theology Fund and co-sponsored by the Walter H. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion, and Public Life at the University of California, Santa Barbara

Tickets at $30 are available online. Trinity Church is located at 1500 State Street, Tickets at $30 are available here. Trinity Church is located at 1500 State Street, Santa Barbara 93101. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. More about Trinity Church is here.

Seeds of Hope offers help to those seeking food assistance

Seeds of Hope, the food justice ministry of the Diocese of Los Angeles, is working with CalFresh Food, the statewide food program that helps Californians buy more groceries when money's tight, and the L.A. County Department of Public Social Services to help qualified Angelenos receive food assistance.

Seeds of Hope staff members are ready to support individuals and lead sign-up events at congregations. They will walk new applicants through the process to make registration quick and easy. Assistance is available in English and Spanish. (Applicants may also begin the process here.)  

To learn more or to host a support session, contact Erica Nieves of Seeds of Hope at [email protected].

February 2024 West African pilgrimage discernment group now forming

Members of the Diocese of Los Angeles community are invited to consider joining a group of prospective pilgrims to Senegal and the Republic of Guinea in February 2024.   

Sponsored by the Program Group on Global Partnership (PGGP) and IRIS, the diocese's refugee and migration ministry, the group will spend the next year considering the history of forced migration from the West African “Slave Coast” through study and prayer.  

The Episcopal Church’s Sacred Ground dialogue series may inform the group’s preliminary work, which will take place mostly through virtual monthly meetings. The pilgrimage itself will engage participants in active ministry with diocesan mission partners in West Africa, including possibilities for teaching and post-pilgrimage partnership.

For more information and to be invited to an informational meeting, please contact Troy Elder, IRIS' executive director, at [email protected]. 

SAVE THE DATE

2023 Episcopal Night at Dodger Stadium set

The Diocese of Los Angeles will once again descend on Echo Park for Episcopal Night at Dodger Stadium on Friday, Sept. 1 for a games against the Atlanta Braves, according to the Rev. Canon Greg Larkin (AKA "Canon Baseball"). Tickets may be ordered through each congregation's coordinator; more information will be available soon. For now, please save the date.

From the wider church

In US visit, Anglican Communion secretary general defends structure, while conservatives call for changes

By David Paulsen

[Episcopal News Service – April 24, 2023] The Rt. Rev. Anthony Poggo, secretary general of the Anglican Communion, preached April 23 at Trinity Church Wall Street in New York on Anglican unity during his continuing visit to the United States for meetings with Episcopal leaders, parishes and organizations.

Last week, while Poggo began his U.S. trip, a large group of conservative Anglicans were meeting in Rwanda. The meeting, known as the Global Anglican Future Conference, or GAFCON, included members of breakaway churches that are not recognized as part of the Anglican Communion. It concluded April 21 by collectively adopting a statement, “The Kigali Commitment,” repudiating Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby’s role as one of the four Instruments of Communion and casting doubt on the Anglican Communion’s structure.

Preaching at Trinity Wall Street two days after GAFCON, Poggo affirmed the value of Anglican unity in the face of theological differences.

Read more here.

1,100-mile ‘Camino’ across Diocese of San Joaquin to focus on ‘migrant, climate and racial justice’

By David Paulsen

[Episcopal News Service – April 21, 2023] Episcopalians in the Diocese of San Joaquin will embark April 22 on a 22-day tour of the central California diocese to draw awareness to the intersections of environmental disaster, racial discrimination and migrant exploitation and to reckon with the diocese’s own complicity in unjust systems.

The 1,100-mile pilgrimage – El Camino de la Pascua, or the Way of Easter – will be led by Bishop David Rice. He and the diocese’s group of pilgrims will travel by carpool and on foot to a wide range of sites that represent what the diocese describes as contemporary places of crucifixion and resurrection, from a homeless shelter to the Sequoia National Forest.

“Being out there engaging with partners and networks and becoming familiar with our larger context, it needs to be synonymous with the air that we breathe,” Rice said in a phone interview with Episcopal News Service. “That is the road map and will continue to be the road map for this diocese for years to come.”

Read more here.

GAFCON meeting in Kigali rejects all existing forms of Anglican authority

[Church Times – April 21, 2023] Conservative Anglicans angered by the Church of England’s partial endorsement of same-sex unions have expressed their rejection of the structures that hold the Anglican Communion together.

Lambeth Palace has responded by restating that Anglican structures can be altered only by recognized agreement.

At the conclusion of the the fourth gathering of the Global Anglican Futures Conference (GAFCON) in Kigali, Rwanda, participants released a communiqué on Friday morning dismissing the four “Instruments of Unity” of the Anglican Communion, saying that they have “failed to maintain true communion based on the Word of God and shared faith in Christ."

It says: “We have no confidence that the Archbishop of Canterbury nor the other Instruments of Communion led by him (the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates’ Meetings) are able to provide a godly way forward that will be acceptable to those who are committed to the truthfulness, clarity, sufficiency and authority of scripture.”

Read more here.

Registration open for churchwide ‘It’s All About Love’ festival in July

[The Episcopal Church – April 12, 2023] Episcopalians everywhere are invited to register to join a churchwide festival of worship, learning, community, and action July 9-12 at the Baltimore (Maryland) Convention Center.

“It’s All About Love: A Festival for the Jesus Movement” will open at 7 p.m. Sunday, July 9, with a revival worship service featuring Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. It closes at noon on Wednesday, July 12, following a festival Eucharist preached by House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris. The Rev. Mariama White-Hammond will preach on July 10.

Kwok Pui Lan, dean’s professor of systematic theology at Candler School of Theology, will speak during the July 10 morning plenary on racial reconciliation; Sarah Augustine, co-founder and director of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery, will speak July 11 on racial reconciliation and becoming Beloved Community. Author and speaker Brian McLaren will join Curry for a morning plenary July 12 on the future of evangelism. View the schedule online.

Worship will be led by Live Hymnal and friends from across The Episcopal Church, and a special prayer space will be curated by Lilly Lewin of Free-Range Worship.

“It’s All About Love” will feature three “tents” – evangelism, creation care, and racial justice – that will host evening revival worship services, as well as daytime workshops, panels, practice opportunities, and other ways to engage.

Read more here.

Calendar

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 8 p.m.

'Labyrinths' with Chanticleer

St. Matthew's Episcopal Church

1031 Bienveneda Ave., Pacific Palisades

Information/Tickets here or 310.573.7422

Chanticleer is known around the world as “an orchestra of voices” for its wide-ranging repertoire and amazing virtuosity. Their Music Guild program, titled “Labyrinths,” brings a rich and varied line-up from more than 500 years of music, from Josquin des Prez to Stephen Paulus and Caroline Shaw. About the program, Chanticleer writes, “Labyrinths twist and turn. They wind and wend, meander and mosey. Exploring a labyrinth can be scary, but it can also be meditative, and sometimes even healing. To walk a labyrinth is to admire the journey. Left and right, forward and backward, how did you end up here today? And what lies around the next corner? Life is one long labyrinth. Let’s explore it together.” A pre-concert presentation, “Liner Notes with Tom Neenan,” will begin at 7:10 pm and is free and open to the public. Neenan will be joined by members of Chanticleer for the pre-concert event. Tickets: $35 or Music Guild Season pass. 

FRIDAY, MAY 5, 8 p.m.

Spring Concert: Glories of Bach & Handel

All Saints’ Episcopal Church

504 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills 90210

Information: 310.275.0123 or [email protected] or here

Program will include Coronation Anthems 1 & 3 ("Zadok the Priest" and "The King Shall Rejoice") and Organ Concerto Op. 7, No. 1 in B-flat by Georg Frederic Handel; and Magnificat, BWV 243, by Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach and Handel are considered the two greatest composers of the High Baroque, and indeed two of the greatest in the history of Western music. This program features uplifting and joyous music, characterized by both grand gestures and intimate expressive moments. Handel’s Coronation Anthems were originally written for the coronation of George II in 1727. Bach finished his Magnificat in D in 1733, and it is a true jewel among his large sacred choral works. Tickets: $25 adults / $15 students & seniors. Admission free with Music Guild donor season pass.

SATURDAY, MAY 6, 7 p.m.

Laós Chamber Music: 'Sunset Glow'

Church of Our Saviour

535 W. Roses Road, San Gabriel 91775

You are invited to pack a picnic dinner and bring your family and friends for an evening of chamber music under the San Gabriel sunset in Our Saviour's indoor/outdoor Grace Chapel. The concert will feature young composers Nicky Sohn and Niall Ferguson, and soprano soloist Kelci Hahn, who sings with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and has appeared as a soloist with the LA Philharmonic. Come at 5 p.m. to enjoy a reception with refreshments, and a pre-concert discussion presented by The Gathering: A Space for Asian Pacific American Spirituality, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. The Laós Chamber Music musicians will discuss how their identity as an AAPI intersects with their artistry and career, in a panel moderated by Dustin Seo, founder and artistic director of Laós Chamber Music and member of The Gathering’s leadership team.

SUNDAY, MAY 7, 6 p.m.

Classical Sundays at Six: Colburn Chamber Ensembles

St. James in-the-City Episcopal Church

3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010

Information: 213.388.3015 or here

Featuring Honors Ensembles from the Colburn School. Free. Livestream and on demand at GreatMusicLA.org.

THURSDAY, MAY 11, 7 - 8 p.m.

A Resurrection Taizé

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church

1432 Engracia Avenue, Torrance 90501

Information: 310.540.1722

The mutual ministry of St. Andrew's and Christ Church, Redondo Beach, invite all to this monthly candlelit service of music, meditation and prayer. Taizé services will be held in-person or online throughout the year. Online services are available here.

SUNDAY, MAY 14, 4:15 p.m.

Solemn Evensong

St. James in-the-City Episcopal Church

3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010

Information: 213.388.3015 or here

Choir of St. James’, James Buonemani, director. Free. Livestream and on demand at GreatMusicLA.org.

THURSDAY, MAY 18, 7:30 p.m.

Missa Mystica on Ascension Day

All Saints’ Episcopal Church

504 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills 90210

Information: 310.275.0123 or [email protected] or here

All Saints’ Choir Schola will perform Missa Papae Marcelli by G.P. da Palestrina; and Ascendit Deus by Peter Philips.

SATURDAY, MAY 20, 2 – 4 p.m.

An Afternoon with Sister Joan Chittister

Trinity Episcopal Church

1500 State Street, Santa Barbara

Information here

Tickets here

World-renowned spiritual and social leader, author, and Benedictine nun Sister Joan Chittister will draw on the themes in her book The Time is Now: A Call to Uncommon Courage. Pairing scriptural insights with stirring narratives of the truth-tellers who came before us, Chittister offers a compelling vision to combat complacency and to propel all of us toward creating a world of justice, freedom, peace, and empowerment. Books will be sold at the event, with a book signing following the presentation. Tickets: $30 (available online).

SUNDAY, MAY 21, 5 p.m.

Baroque Music of Mexico City Cathedral

All Saints’ Episcopal Church

504 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills 90210

Information: 310.275.0123 or [email protected] or here

Ruben Valenzuela, renowned leader of Bach Collegium San Diego, directs Tesserae Baroque in a program of popular pieces performed in Mexico City Cathedral during the Baroque period. The performance will include Victoria’s Missa ‘Ave regina coelorum’ -- a piece so popular in Mexico City that the partbooks had to be recopied -- in addition to works by Padilla and others. Tickets: $30 (seniors and SCEMS $25; students $10). Admission free with Music Guild donor season pass. 

SUNDAY, MAY 21, 6 p.m.

Classical Sundays at Six: Ciaramella Early Music Ensemble

St. James in-the-City Episcopal Church

3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010

Information: 213.388.3015 or here

Free. Livestream and on demand at GreatMusicLA.org.

THURSDAY, MAY 25, 7:30 p.m.

Candlelight Vigil: Remember Their Names

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

4400 Barranca Parkway, Irvine 92604

Information: Kathy Cartelli, [email protected]

On the 3rd anniversary of George Floyd’s death, join us for a candlelight vigil in memory of those who suffered a violent death due to the color of their skin, their faith, their gender identity, their cultural heritage or because of whom they chose to love. The service will include lighting of the candles, opening comments, reading of victims' names, closing with a song of hope.

SATURDAY, MAY 27, 4 p.m.

Memorial Day Weekend Organ Recital

St. Martin in-the-Fields Episcopal Church 

7136 Winnetka Avenue, Winnetka 91306

Information: 818.348.1419 or here 

Christian D. Stendel, St. Martin's organist, will perform music by Copland, Bach, Brahms, Barber, Elgar, Howells, William Lloyd Webber, and Widor. There is no charge, but donations will be gratefully accepted.

SUNDAY, MAY 28, 6 p.m.

Classical Sundays at Six: Finn Sagal, baritone & Wendy Caldwell, piano

St. James in-the-City Episcopal Church

3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010

Information: 213.388.3015 or here

Free. Livestream and on demand at GreatMusicLA.org.

Additional events are listed on the diocesan calendar here. Calendar information may be emailed to [email protected].

VOLUNTEER

Food Pantry

Our Saviour Center

4368 Santa Anita Avenue, El Monte

With lower pandemic numbers and everyone back at school and work our Food Pantry is in need of volunteers. Lend a hand on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the second and fourth Saturdays of each month from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m., rain or shine, to help us help the neediest families in our community. Volunteers should be age 16 and up. Street parking is available on Santa Anita, McGirk and Lambert avenues. Please wear a mask. All activities are outdoors; dress appropriately and wear close-toed shoes. For information or to sign up (not required), email [email protected].

EMPLOYMENT

Listings may be sent to [email protected]. There is no charge.

ARCADIA: Office Manager. Arcadia Episcopal Preschool is opening the position of Office Manager, effective June 15, 2023. The position is a 20 hour per week responsibility and requires a person with bookkeeping experience who is familiar with computer skills, Quick Books and ADP. Duties include management of accounts payable, payroll for 9 or 10 staff members, collection and recording of tuition, close association with the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, and preparation of financial reports for the vestry of the Church of the Transfiguration. The benefits for health and insurance are administrated by the diocese. Wage depends on qualifications and starts at $25,000 annually. Interested applicants should contact Senior Warden Melody James at [email protected]. A detailed list of responsibilities will be available to applicants. The church and preschool address is 1881 South First Avenue, Arcadia, California 91006. Full job description here.

GLENDORA: Organist. Grace Episcopal Church is seeking a professionally trained church organist to be a part of our strong and vital music ministry. The organist will be expected to play for one Sunday service and one choir rehearsal per week, feast days, and for festive concerts. We offer a traditional Rite II service at 10 a.m. on Sundays. The preferred style of music is classical sacred music, ranging from Palestrina to Rutter. The pipe organ is by Manuel Rosales, built in 1977, with a new console in 1980, and substantial reconditioning work in 2016. The organ has two manuals and 26 ranks. The organist will work directly under our choirmaster/director of music in a collaborative manner. Salary: $18,000. Weddings and funerals will provide additional compensation. A full job description is here. Send resume to the Rev. Susan Scranton via email at [email protected] or by postal mail at 555 E. Mountain View Avenue, Glendora 91741.

LOS ANGELES: Administrative Assistant, St. Philip's Episcopal Church. Part time (no more than 15 hours/week). On site as much as possible. Wage: $18/hour. Requires English and Spanish. Full job description here. Contact: Marc Nesbit, senior warden, at [email protected] or the Rev. Thomas Quijada-Discavage at [email protected].

SAN GABRIEL: Three part-time music positions. Church of Our Saviour is hiring an Interim Children’s Choir Director for grades 2-5 (2-3 hours/week), an Alto Soloist/Section Leader (4 hours/week) and a Director of Music (almost half-time). To send a resumé, or for further information, contact Dr. Paul Kilian at [email protected].

SANTA BARBARA: Parish Preschool Director, All Saints by-the-Sea. The Preschool was started in 1964 and is an extension of the mission of All Saints by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. The school set forth its purpose to aid in the development of the whole child – physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and spiritually – in an environment of warmth and love. Teachers at All Saints want to share with parents the goal of helping children develop as individuals while also learning to live happily with other people. To help prepare children for school, we hope that they will learn the first steps in communication, to listen, follow instructions and participate in group activities. We provide opportunities for vigorous physical play and use of imagination. We make available to the child new sensory experiences in science, music, arts and crafts, dramatic play, poetry and stories. We want to give the child a broad experience of the world around them at their own pace. Being near the ocean, we are especially fortunate to learn more of its wonders. A full job description is here. Applications must be submitted by May 1 via email at [email protected].

SANTA BARBARA: Office Manager, Christ The King Episcopal Church. This is a permanent part-time position, $25/hour with flexible hours. The office manager will create and maintain a pleasant work environment, ensuring high levels of organizational effectiveness, communication and safety. If you're a passionate self-starter and love helping people, CTK is a great place to work. Apply today! More information is here. 

THOUSAND OAKS: Assistant Principal, St. Patrick's Episcopal Day School. Duties include helping with admissions, development, parent relations, student supervision, and program development. Candidate must have a college degree, a teaching credential, and a minimum of five years working in a school. Administrative experience is desirable. If interested, please send resume to [email protected].

TUSTIN: Sexton. St. Paul's Episcopal Church. 25 hours/week. The sexton serves to maintain a high standard of cleanliness and readiness of Church facilities to enable the work and ministry of the congregation and to create a pleasant atmosphere for members, guests, and staff. Job description here. Contact: [email protected].

Episcopal Church Center

LOCATION NEGOTIABLE / NEW YORK, NY: Editor/Reporter. Episcopal News Service is seeking a full time Editor/Reporter to join its team and help to embolden the church's primary source of news and ministry of storytelling. Full job description here. 

The Episcopal News Update is published on Wednesday afternoons. News items, job listings, calendar items, questions and comments may be sent to [email protected]. Weekly deadline is Tuesday at 12 p.m. Photos are welcome: please include them as email attachments (rather than embedded in a document). To subscribe, click here.

— Janet Kawamoto, editor