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Bishop John Harvey Taylor recently announced that The Bishop’s Gala (previously known as the Bishop's Dinner) will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7 and will feature the Most Rev. Michael Curry, presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church. "Bishop Curry will be the guest of the Diocese of Los Angeles, pointing his listeners along the Way of Love just four days after the historic 2020 elections," said the invitation, referencing Curry's initiative for prayer and service.

The socially distanced program, featuring a reception and the presiding bishop’s address, will take place in the White House East Room replica of the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda. If the event can only be held digitally due to the pandemic, the address will be open for ticketed participants only. Proceeds will benefit Bloy House: The Episcopal Theological School at Los Angeles. Reservation information will be announced soon.

Six new grants from the One Body, One Spirit COVID-19 emergency fund, ranging from $2,500 to $6,000, were awarded Aug. 18 by the Corporation of the Diocese, which continues to consider four pending applications.

New grant recipients are:

At its July 21 meeting, the Corporation approved three new grants: to All Saints, Highland Park, to adapt facilities for increased social-distancing and community service; St. Alban’s, Yucaipa, to meet health insurance premiums; and St. Athanasius, Echo Park, to continue parish outreach.

The Corporation made its initial round of grants June 16 to five recipients: the congregations of St. Mark’s, Downey; Holy Faith, Inglewood; and St. Thomas of Canterbury, Long Beach; and the ministries of IRIS Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Services, and the Jubilee Consortium to assist in food distribution and other outreach to people in need.

To contribute to the One Body One Spirit fund, or for information about applying for a grant, click here.

The Program Group on Stewardship in conjunction with TENS: The Episcopal Network for Stewardship will present a webinar titled "Deepening our Stewardship Formation" on Saturday, Sept. 12, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Goals for the webinar, according to Bishop Suffragan Diane Jardine Bruce, include:

More information is coming soon. Advance registration is required: click here.

"Trauma & (Un)Truths" is a series of webinars examining systems of oppression in church and society, presented by New Community, the Diocese of Los Angeles' multicultural ministry, and Bishop Suffragan Diane M. Jardine Bruce. The first of four webinars, held on Aug. 22, introduced three topics that will be covered more extensively in the following sessions (see dates and topics below). A video of that introductory session is available here; copies of the presentations are posted here. All are invited to join the remaining webinars. There is no charge, but advance registration is required: click on the registration links in the descriptions below.

Presented by the Rev. Canon Mary Crist and the Rev. Fennie Chang. The Doctrine of Discovery, established by European governments and ratified by early United States policy, held that the claims of European Christians took precedence over those of Indigenous peoples throughout the world, launching five centuries of human rights violations. The Episcopal Church repudiated the doctrine in 2009, yet it lives on through the church’s laws, systemic racism, and historical trauma. New Community is working to discover the untold truths in order to work together for change and to build Christ’s beloved community. Register here.

Presented by Erika Bertling, Canon Suzanne Edwards-Acton, the Rev. John Limo and Gayle Kawahara. Although race has no scientific basis in biological or genetic reality, it is nevertheless a very real social construct intentionally designed to separate people into perpetual power hierarchies of superiority and inferiority. Whether or not individuals are aware of it, want it, or feel they have it, racial identity — especially in the deeply racialized history and culture of the United States, greatly affects all human experience. Racial identity is both externally imposed and internally constructed, and is crucial to understanding how people’s identities and experiences have been shaped by race. Register here.

Saturday, October 17, 1 – 3 p.m. (note time)

Cosponsored by The Gathering – A Space for Asian Pacific American Spirituality (Diocese of Los Angeles) and Episcopal Asian Supper Table (Diocese of New York). Featuring Jonathan Tran, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophical theology and George W. Baines chair of religion, Baylor University; with respondents (TBA). Racial capitalism is a development of economic, political and social systems of oppression, formed by exploiting division between racial and cultural groups. These systems, sustained through power dynamics, are less likely to be seen as overt forms of racism and are instead demonstrated as hegemonic undercurrents. They exist in most systems of economy, including the church. Dr. Tran will explore the past and present implications of racial capitalism on Asian Pacific Americans as well as how the church can respond to bring about change toward racial justice. More about this topic from Dr. Tran is here. Register here.

Spanish-language interpretation will be provided for all webinars, which will be conducted via Zoom. For additional information, contact Bishop Bruce at [email protected].

Bishop John Harvey Taylor and Canon Kathy O’Connor will offer a diocese-wide virtual worship service on Sunday, Sept. 20, with the express purpose of giving parochial clergy a break from planning virtual services for their congregations, and to give the bishop an opportunity to speak to the entire diocese. The service, to be conducted in English and Spanish, will be live-streamed from St. Paul’s Commons with the support of Provost Frank Alton and the altar guild of St. Athanasius’ Church.

Bishop Taylor notes that the issues that caused the diocesan website to crash during the last all-diocese service have been addressed. Log-in and service bulletin information will be announced in a future issue of the Update; for now, please save the date.

The Rt. Rev. John H. Taylor presided and preached at an Aug. 22 online graduation service for Bloy House, the Episcopal Theological School at Los Angeles (formerly Claremont). Graduates included: Cari Anderson-Meadows of St. Timothy's, Apple Valley and Trinity, Redlands; Oliver Lim of St. Luke's, Monrovia; Dominique Piper of Blessed Sacrament, Placentia; Liz Piraino of St. Timothy's, Apple Valley and All Saints, Riverside; and Greta Ronningen of Church of Our Saviour and the Community of Divine Love.

The service was originally scheduled to be held at Kresge Chapel at the campus of the Claremont School of Theology, Bloy House's home for the past 50 years, but the service was held online due to coronavirus restrictions. Bloy House recently moved to its new quarters at the Lutheran Center in Glendale, headquarters of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Southwest California Synod. Dean Sylvia Sweeney oversaw the move before retiring Aug. 1. Interim dean is the Rev. Canon Gary Hall. Both attended (via Zoom) the graduation program.

Bloy House was founded by Bishop Francis Eric Bloy and the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles in 1958 as a diocesan institution dedicated to educating both lay ministers and those seeking ordination. To learn more, click here.

[Episcopal News Service - August 26, 2020] For the second year in a row, a wine country camp and conference center owned by the San Francisco-based Diocese of California has narrowly escaped damage from wildfires, which over the past week got as close as a half-mile from the property.

The Bishop’s Ranch sits on 360 acres among the vineyards of Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, in the Diocese of Northern California. Normally it holds retreats, summer camps, conferences and other gatherings, hosting up to 150 people at various buildings around the property, including a historic Spanish-style villa. Because of COVID-19, all on-site programming had been canceled in March, but the ranch had just reopened for socially distant weekend retreats on Aug. 14.

Read more here.

[Religion News Service - August 23, 2020] The Rev. Mike Kinman, rector at All Saints Episcopal Church, got the call just before midnight on Thursday (Aug. 21).

It was his son letting him know police had blocked off streets near Pasadena City Hall and All Saints Church. Officers were standing in a line on the City Hall steps, in riot gear, and demanding that Black Lives Matter Pasadena protesters leave the encampment they had set up.

For days, protesters have been holding demonstrations after Pasadena police on Aug. 15 shot and killed Anthony McClain, a 32-year-old Black man from Pasadena, according to the Pasadena Star-News. They're demanding Pasadena police to not only release the names of officers involved in McClain’s death but also to fire and prosecute them.

More than 10 protesters wound up spending the night at All Saints Church after Kinman said a brief standoff with police ensued outside the church. In video footage, activist and Black Lives Matter leader Andre Henry is heard telling the officers: “Am I leading an armed rebellion that you guys come out in guns and shields?"

Read more here. A related story, "Pasadena unanimously passes new police oversight model," is here.

Camp Stevens will welcome families to a socially distanced Labor Day Family Camp Sept. 5 - 7. Private room, cabin, or lodge rental covers food, lodging, and activities from Saturday lunch to Monday breakfast. Meals are served outdoors and each family will have its own seating area for the weekend. All staff and guests must maintain social distancing and masks are required in certain circumstances including program activities and passing on trails. Attendees can choose to participate in as many activities as they like, or just relax in nature and get away from it all. Register online here.

Camp Stevens also invites families to "U-Pick Day" on Aug. 30, an opportunity to harvest berries, fruit and vegetables from the camp gardens for a fee. The camp will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To register, click here.

The Daughters of the King of the Diocese of Los Angeles will hold its Fall Assembly 2020, titled "Into the Future ... By the Grace of God!" Online on Saturday, Oct. 24, 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. The program, which will explore the question "Lord, what will you have us do?" from the DOK prayer, will include Morning Prayer, special guest speakers, election of new diocesan officers, and adoption of revised bylaws. To register, click here. For additional information, contact Kimberly Corner, [email protected].

The Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools (SAES) and National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) will present a webinar titled "Whose School Is It Anyway?" on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 12 p.m. PDT. Leading a church with a school comes with a completely different set of blessings and challenges. This joint NAES/SAES webinar will offer church leaders some best practices for creating a healthy church/school relationship as well as how to support and nurture the head of school. To participate, register here.

Biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine will lead a three-part webinar, "Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner's Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven," at 4 p.m. on three successive Wednesdays - Sept. 2, 9 and 16. In the webinars, sponsored by The Guibord Center, Levine will introduce the major topics in the Sermon on the Mount, explain historical and theological contexts, and show how the words of Jesus echo his Jewish tradition and speak forward to reach hearts and minds today.

Levine is a professor of New Testament and Mary Jane Werthan professor of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School and Department of Jewish Studies. She has written more than 30 books, most recently The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently (co-authored with Marc Z. Brettler), Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner’s Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven; and The Kingdom of Heaven: 40 Devotionals. In 2019 she became the first Jew to teach New Testament at Rome’s Pontifical Biblical Institute.

For information and registration links, click here. The program will not be available for later viewing.

The Guibord Center: Religion Inside Out, an independent institution founded by the late Rev. Gwynne Guibord, a priest of the Diocese of Los Angeles, works to increase understanding among Los Angeles' diverse religious communities.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, "Feast in the Field," The Abundant Table’s annual August fundraising dinner, has been transformed into an appeal for Solidarity Shares for area farmworkers. Each donation of $90 — the price of last year's dinner ticket — buys six discounted weekly CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes of fresh, organic, pesticide-free fruits and vegetables for farmworkers who cannot otherwise afford the produce they pick and pack.

To contribute to the Solidarity Shares, click here. Donations may also be made by check: send to The Abundant Table, P.O. Box 6295, Ventura, CA 93006. Read more here.

"My Work to Do," an online affinity group designed to help white men and women build stamina for discussing racism, systemic injustice, racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in their everyday lives, is planning new sessions and invites members of the Diocese of Los Angeles to participate. "We invite those feeling lost or overwhelmed into the conversation," says Canon Suzanne Edwards-Acton, project founder, "especially white people who might not have a local anti-racism program or accessible discussion happening in their lives." The initial program is a five-week session, with one 1.5-hour online meeting per week at which participants will discuss such topics as housing discrimination, implicit bias, whiteness as a function, and systems of white supremacy — and where to go from here. To learn more and to register for upcoming sessions, visit the website here. For more resources see “Countering Racism, Building Community” here.

Each of the churches offering a blood drive in coming weeks (listed below) requests that donors make appointments by visiting RedCrossBlood.org. Type the sponsor code (specified below) in the donor box. Donors may save up to 15 minutes by completing pre-donation reading and answering health history questions here, rather than filling out forms on the day of donation. Donations are by appointment only; no walk-ups will be permitted.

St. Paul's Church

242 E. Alvarado Street, Pomona 91767

Sponsor code: SPECP

Grace Episcopal Church

555 E. Mountain View Avenue, Glendora 91741

Sponsor code: GECG

TENS (The Episcopal Network for Stewardship)

Online: Click here for reservations

Walk through this year's TENS resources to maximize their usefulness. The Diocese of Los Angeles login is (username) 1PETER; (password) FOUR:10

St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church

Hollywood (Los Angeles)

Streaming here (Facebook) and here (YouTube)

Information: 323.876.2102

In this debut of St. Thomas' Church's new bimonthly podcast, Kyle Leon Henderson hosts and leads discussions with Canon Ian Elliott Davies on topics relevant to modern Anglican theology. The ongoing series will air the first and third Friday of each month.

St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church

Hollywood (Los Angeles)

Streaming here (Facebook) and here (YouTube)

Information: 323.876.2102

Join Dr. Byron Adams — composer, musicologist, and parishioner of St. Thomas — as he explores the historical and spiritual significance of the Rosary and leads a full recitation of the devotional prayer. Available afterward for viewing on demand.

St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church

7501 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90046

Streaming here (Facebook) and here (YouTube)

Information: 323.876.2102

Canon Ian Elliott Davies officiates. Music includes Recollection by David Conte, Evening Service in F by Syney Watson, O salutaris by Camille Saint-Saëns, Tantum ergo by Gabriel Fauré, O cor Jesu by Lorenzo Perosi, and Rhapsody No. 1, Op. 17, by Herbert Howells. The service will be broadcast live on St. Thomas’ Facebook and YouTube pages.

Online Sunday and weekday worship services in the Diocese of Los Angeles are listed here. To add a congregation's services, send information to [email protected].

September 2022

Join Bishop Guy Erwin of the ELCA and Canon Jim Newman of the Episcopal Church for a 13-day journey across central Europe to Oberammergau, Germany. The day-long Oberammergau Passion Play is produced every decade and is a four-century “thank you” to God for saving the people of this picturesque Bavarian Alpine village. Experience this spiritual event and look at the culture and religion of Poland (Warsaw, Krakow, Auschwitz and Czestochowa), Hungary (Budapest), Czech Republic (Bratislava), Austria (Vienna & the Salzkammergut) and Germany (Oberammergau & Munich). Cost is $4,899 from Los Angeles including $450 taxes/airline surcharges.) Information: Jim Newman, 3590 Grand View Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066; 310.391.5522 or 888.802.6722; [email protected]. A full itinerary is here. (Please note the date change. The Passion Play has been postponed for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.)

Current job listings in the Diocese of Los Angeles are here. Listings are free: send information to [email protected]. Applications for jobs must be sent to the contact included in the listing.