The
Episcopal News Update

A weekly newsletter serving the Diocese of Los Angeles
January 17, 2021
Commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Annual diocesan MLK event to feature keynote from priest and former police officer Gayle Fisher-Stewart

The Rev. Gayle Fisher-Stewart — Episcopal priest, former police officer and author of 2020's Preaching Black Lives (Matter) — will keynote the Diocese of Los Angeles' annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance, to be held online at 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 16, 2021.

"Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community" is the event theme, drawn from the title of King's last book, published in 1969.

The event will be streamed on the diocese's Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Read more here.
Bishop Bruce will be a panelist for UBE teleconference on MLK

Bishop Suffragan Diane M. Jardine Bruce will be one of four panelists taking part in "Martin Luther King Jr. – Beloved Community as Fantasy or Genuine Possibility," a "Talk 2 Talk" teleconferencing event presented by the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) on Sunday, Jan. 17, 1 - 2 p.m. (PST).

"On this eve of honoring the life, work, and dream of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we gather leaders in The Episcopal Church who are challenged with pursuing God’s Beloved Community as part of the vision of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry," says the event announcement. "We will examine emerging threats to achieving Beloved Community and why black and brown bodies still should embrace hope."

Guest panelists, in addition to Bruce, are: the Rt. Rev. Shannon MacVean-Brown, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, moderator; the Rt. Rev. Deon Kevin Johnson, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri; and the Rt. Rev. Phoebe Roaf, bishop of West Tennessee. More information about the speakers is here.

Advance registration is required: click here. Participants will received an email with log-in instructions.

“Talk 2 Talk” takes place every third Sunday at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (starting time is subject to change). For information on upcoming topics or to suggest a topic and/or speaker, contact the UBE headquarters by emailing leadership@theube.org.
Interfaith MLK event will feature keynote address by Naomi Tutu

The Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu, associate priest at All Saints Church, Beverly Hills, will be the featured speaker at "In the Spirit of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.," an online event on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 8:30 - 9:45 a.m. The event is sponsored by the Interfaith Solidarity Network, which represents more than 50 faith communities throughout the San Fernando Valley.

Tutu, a noted activist for racial and social justice, is the daughter of Desmond Tutu, retired archbishop of Capetown, South Africa, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She will speak on "How Are We Called to Respond to the Life and Words of Martin Luther King." Her talk will be followed by a Q&A session. (A recent Episcopal News article and video interview featuring Naomi Tutu are here.)

The event also will include music, videos of King, his work and family members, and prayers and comments by ISN clergy partners, including the Rev. Joy Magala, who serves at St. Francis' Episcopal Church in Norwalk.

To register for the Zoom event, click here.
Diocesan staff to observe MLK holiday

Members of the diocesan staff, including those currently working from home due to pandemic restrictions, will be off duty on Monday, Jan. 17 in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial. Most staff members will return to work on Tuesday, Jan. 18.
Diocesan staff profile
For mission congregations, Clare Zabala Bangao is the one to call

By Pat McCaughan

[The Episcopal News] When the going gets tough for Southland mission congregations, administrators and vicars alike agree: “We call Clare.”

That would be Canon Clare Zabala Bangao, who shepherds, advocates, advises, supports, informs, encourages, guides and problem-solves for the 38 mission congregations and four mission centers in the six-county Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.

Bangao, who attends St. Mark’s Church, Upland, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of the Philippines, and was named an honorary canon of the diocese in 2017 by then-Bishop J. Jon Bruno. She has been married to Joseph Benson Bangao, a registered nurse, since 2018.

“I love working with mission vicars and administrators,” she says. “It is both a passion and a blessing. It helps me grow as a person — those moments, when you are be able to help, just to listen, those are my many, many, many blessings in this job. It’s a job, but it’s also a blessing.”

The 4-foot-11-inch soft-spoken Bangao has felt like an oasis of calm and grace for Kayla Brock, St. James the Great’s administrator. The Newport Beach church had just become a mission congregation when Brock was hired about two and a half years ago.

“I had never worked in The Episcopal Church and I wasn’t sure how it worked, or what my role was, or if the diocese would handle certain things or we would,” she said.

“Clare knows all the ins and outs. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve called her in a panic and, calmly, in her Clare kind of way, she’d say, ‘don’t worry’ and walked me through the process. For a while, it felt like I had a hotline to Clare. She was on my speed dial.”

Read more here.
Servants of the Spirit: Gifts for Ministry
Ministry, financial workshops to be held online throughout the year

The diocese's new series of online ministry workshops, titled "Servants of the Spirit: Gifts for Ministry," will continue throughout 2021.

Two workshops will be held each month; one on a ministry topic (usually the first Wednesday of each month, in the evening) and one on a financial topic (second Saturday mornings.) No workshops will be held in July or August.

Upcoming workshops:

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 7 p.m.
Note change of date: originally scheduled for Jan. 6
Digital Media Strategy for Congregations
Presenters: Marisol Barrios Perez and Rose Hayden-Smith of the diocesan Program Group on Communications. Register here.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 9 a.m.
Workshop for Wardens
A discussion about senior wardens and their relationships with and responsibilities to their congregations, communities, and the diocese. Led by Steve Yeazell, with contributions from the Rt. Rev. Catherine Roskam. Register here.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 7 p.m.
Trauma-Informed Care
TIC is understanding, recognizing, and responding to the effects of all types of trauma. A trauma-informed approach aims to help us create an environment that is sensitive to the needs of those effected by trauma. Presenter: Stacey Roth, LCSW. Register here.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 9 - 10 a.m.
Budget prep for 2021:
Narrative and Zero-based Budgeting
If you haven’t started working on your 2021 budget, utilizing one or both of these methods of budgeting might help. If you are done with 2021 budgeting, and you’d like to think fresh for 2022 and get a jump on planning for that, this workshop is for you. Led by the Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce. Register here.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 7 - 8 p.m.
Best Practices for Stewardship Campaigns
Presenter: Davey Gerhard, Executive Director of the Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS). Register here.

SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 9 - 10 a.m.
Training for Treasurers, Part 1
Learn valuable tools and best practices and procedures to help you serve as treasurer for your congregation. Register here.

Additional information about the workshop series is here. All workshops are livestreamed and recorded, and will be made available for on-demand viewing here.
People
Six ordained to priesthood in Jan. 9 rites

Bishop John Harvey Taylor ordained five new priests Jan. 9 in an outdoor liturgy, socially distanced due to the pandemic, at Church of Our Saviour, San Gabriel. Above: Standing with Bishop Taylor and the Rev. Norma Guerra, diocesan associate for formation and transition ministry (far upper left), ordinands are (from left) the Rev. Courtney Ann Urquhart Tan, the Rev. Steven Philip Swartzell, the Rev. Greta Ronningen, the Rev. Walter Joseph Thorne, and the Rev. Elizabeth Ann Piraino, joined by the Rev. Canon Melissa McCarthy, diocesan canon to the ordinary (far right). The service may be viewed on demand on Facebook and YouTube. Photo: Hannah Riley

Pictured above left: On the same day, Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows of the Diocese of Indianapolis ordained the Rev. Andrea Thornton Arsene (right) to the priesthood on Bishop Taylor’s behalf in a service at St. John’s Church in Lafayette, Indiana. Pictured with Arsene is Rebekah Sims of that diocese, ordained a deacon at the same service, which may be viewed on demand here. Photo: Screenshot
Events & Announcements
Bishop Brookhart to preach at service for Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The Southern California Christian Forum will present an Annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity service on Sunday, Jan. 24 at 3 p.m. via Zoom, hosted by St. Andrew's Russian Greek Catholic Church in El Segundo. The event will include a homily by the Rt. Rev. C. Franklin Brookhart, D. Min., (pictured at left) ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Montana. It also will include an ecumenical conversation among pastors of El Segundo churches, including the Rev. Dina Ferguson of St. Michael the Archangel Episcopal Church, the Rev. Lee Carlile of El Segundo United Methodist Church and Rt. Rev. Alexei Smith of St. Andrew Russian Greek Catholic Church.

For more information and to register for the Zoom link, email contact@socalforum.net.

The Southern California Christian Forum (SCCF), formerly the Southern California Ecumenical Council (SCEC), is a regional body representing churches, denominations, related ministries, and other ecclesiastical communities who cooperate to promote responsible and creative expressions of our Christian unity and witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Screening and conversation with makers of 'Far East Deep South' slated for Feb. 6

The Gathering: A Space for Asian American Pacific Spirituality invites the diocesan community to "Far East Deep South: Film Screening and Conversation with the Filmmakers Larissa Lam & Baldwin Chiu," on Saturday, Feb. 6. The online screening will begin at 2:30 p.m.; the Q&A with the filmmakers will begin at 4 p.m.

Far East Deep South explores the seldom-told history of early Chinese immigrants living in the American South during the late 1800s to mid-1900s through the eyes of Charles Chiu and his family as they travel from California to Mississippi to find answers about his father, K.C. Lou.

The film provides a window into the lives of the Chinese in the South and the discrimination they faced in the midst of segregation. Included in the story is the bond between the Chinese and Black communities as two groups disenfranchised by racism.The film highlights the struggles and perseverance of the Delta Chinese and explores the added challenge of exclusionary immigration policies, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act. Additional information on the film and filmmakers is available here.

The Gathering, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles to Asian Pacific Americans, holds events to engage topics relevant to Asian Pacific American communities and offers a space for Asian Pacific Americans to gather to share in their spiritual journeys.

The event is free and all are welcome to attend virtually. Advance registration is required: click here. For additional information, email TheGatheringEDLA@gmail.com.
Judith Favor to lead online 'Lectio on Life' writing workshop

Stillpoint: The Center for Christian Spirituality will present "Lectio on Life," a one-day retreat that "invites us to reflect on significant personal experiences in the light of Epiphany 2021, while enfolded in Stillpoint’s contemplative writing and listening community," according to the event announcement. The retreat, to be held online on Saturday, Jan. 30, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., will be led by Judith Favor, an active Quaker, retired UCC pastor and teacher at the Claremont School of Theology.

"The Lectio of Life invites us to reflect on significant personal experiences in the light of Epiphany 2021, while enfolded in Stillpoint’s contemplative writing and listening community.

"Adapting the practice of lectio divina as a template, we will revisit formative personal events over the past twenty years, as well as identifying significant spiritual learnings during the pandemic challenges of 2020. We will linger with our longings, and listen for hints of where Sacred Presence might be guiding us into an uncertain 2021. Twice during the retreat day, we have the option to hear and be heard in holy listening triads."

Cost is $60 per person. To register, click here.
GFS-LA seeks volunteer board secretary

Girls Friendly Society Los Angeles is seeking a volunteer to stand for election as secretary of the GFS-LA board. Deadline for nominations is Jan. 20, and the election will be held on Jan. 23.

Duties of the secretary include attendance at three board meetings per year (currently conducted via Zoom); writing and electronically distributing meeting minutes; and assisting with correspondence, record keeping and communications of the board. Skills needed: knowledge of word processing and ability to work with cloud storage are preferred.

"The leaders, advisors and board members of GFS are energetic and imaginative women of faith," according to the announcement. "We seek to provide a place for members to become friends by organizing events and opportunities for members from across the diocese of Los Angeles to have fun, travel and work together. The board encourages new ideas, such as the recent "Fly Away with GFS" online program, and supports all girls by creating programs that are up-to-date and affordable to all members. Members range from age 5 to 21, plus an additional Ambassador group for ages 21-30. Learn more abut GFS at www.gfscalifornia.org."

To apply, email Violet Limo, GFS-LA nominating chair at violimo2@gmail.com with the following information: name, email address, church name and city; rector or vicar's name; experience; and reasons for interest in the position.
Ontario spirituality center to offer six-session study of St. Paul and his letter to the Romans

The Center for Spirituality in Ontario will present "Paul: Mystical Jew & Reluctant Revolutionary," a six-session class based on the letter of St. Paul to first-century Christians in Rome, on Thursdays, Jan. 14 - Feb. 18, 6:30 p.m. The course will be led by James Dunkly and the Rev. Gianluigi Gugliermetto. Cost is $200 per person.

The class will study Romans as a window onto the spiritual reality of an early Christian community, explore Paul as a historical figure, and look at the history and interpretation of the letter's main theological themes.

Dunkly is a professor at Bloy House who studied theology at Oxford University (UK) and Brite Divinity School of Texas Christian University before completing a PhD at Vanderbilt University (1982). He taught New Testament for many years at Nashotah House and Episcopal Divinity School.

Gugliermetto has studied music, philosophy, and theology both in his native country of Italy and in the United States. He was granted his PhD in philosophy of religion and theology in 2008 (Claremont Graduate University). He is an Episcopal priest, rector of Christ Church, Ontario, and director of the Center for Spirituality.

Deadline for enrollment is Jan. 21. For information, click here. To enroll, email asst.director@centerforspiritualityontario.org.
SAVE THE DATE
GFS announces 2021 annual meeting

Girls Friendly Society - Los Angeles will hold its annual meeting for 2021 via Zoom on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 9:30 a.m. More information will be posted soon: for now, please save the date. GFS is an international Episcopal/Anglican organization for girls ages 5 and up. For more information, click here.
In the congregations
Congregations continue blood drives

Blood supplies are critically low in California, and congregations in the Diocese of Los Angeles have stepped up to help replenish them by hosting blood drives. Currently scheduled events are listed below.

Additional helpful resources from the American Red Cross:

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.

All donors and staff will be screened before entering the facilities.

MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Grace Episcopal Church
555 East Mountain View Avenue, Glendora 91741
Register here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)
Sponsor code: GECG

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 1 - 7 p.m.
St. Alban’s Episcopal Church
12692 Fifth Street, Yucaipa 92399
Register here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)
Sponsor code: ST ALBANS
St. Alban's will host a blood drive on fourth Tuesdays through August 2021. Upcoming dates are: Feb. 23, March 23, April 27, May 25, June 22.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
St. Mark's Episcopal Church
330 E 16th Street, Upland 91784
Register here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)
Sponsor code: stmarks
By appointment only. Donors must be healthy and identification is required.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1 - 7 p.m.
Christ Episcopal Church
1127 N. San Antonio Avenue, Ontario 91762
Register here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)
Sponsor code: CCPOntario
By appointment only. Donors must be healthy and be able to show identification. Upcoming dates are Monday, March 15; Thursday, April 8; Monday, May 10; Thursday, June 17.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
100 N. Third Avenue, Covina 91723
Information: 626.967.3939
Red Cross reservations here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)
Sponsor code: HTEC
Holy Trinity will offer a blood drive each month. Upcoming dates are: Thursday, March 18; Thursday, April 15; Thursday, May 6. Reservations through the Red Cross are required.

Will your church host blood drives in 2021? Send the information to The Episcopal News (news@ladiocese.org) for inclusion in the calendar.
From the wider Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church’s ‘From Many, One’ aims to heal America’s deep divisions one conversation at a time

By David Paulsen

[Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Church is launching a campaign, “From Many, One,” to promote a new spiritual framework for Episcopalians to engage in tough conversations with family, friends and neighbors, bridging the intense divisions that threaten to tear apart communities in the United States and beyond.

Starting Jan. 18, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Episcopalians will be encouraged to invite others to join them in “conversations across difference” guided by four questions: Who do you love? What have you lost? Where does it hurt? And what do you dream?

The campaign, which rejects retribution, punishment and “othering,” is inspired by the Latin phrase on the U.S. seal: E Pluribus Unum. Although it was developed before the mob of Trump supporters took over the Capitol for several hours on Jan. 6, the church campaign is launching at a time when many Americans are reeling from recent events. The goal is to celebrate difference and promote healing by emphasizing listening and curiosity.

“I have never been more profoundly aware of the need for passionate and practical commitment to the way of unselfish, sacrificial love that Jesus taught,” Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said Jan. 11 in a news release announcing the church’s “From Many, One” campaign. “Conversations with others across difference is not just a nice thing to do. It is a spiritual practice of love in action.”

So how will “From Many, One” help Episcopalians respond faithfully to today’s divisions? The campaign offers steps for facilitating one-on-one conversations that allow open expression of differences without judgment. Before setting up those conversations, participants can review the guide developed by the church. Engaging in “the spiritual practice of conversation across difference can help to knit us all into a diverse, more perfect union,” the guide says.

Read more here.
Continuing events
SUNDAYS, 6 p.m.
LACMA Sundays LIVE! Chamber Music concerts
St. James in-the-City Church, Los Angeles
Live-streamed and on demand here

MONDAYS, 5 -6:30 p.m. AND 7 - 8:30 p.m.
Becoming More Human: A Spiritual Exploration
Center for Spirituality in Ontario
Information here
A series of interactive online meetings using Matthew Fox’s book Original Blessing as the springboard for exploration and reflection. The series, which began Oct. 12, is for persons of any age or walk of life, who share an interest in processing their inner journeys. Participants may join at any point, though regular participation is presumed. Sessions are led by the Rev. Gianluigi Gugliermetto, director of the Center for Spirituality. Suggested donation is $7 per session. "Becoming More Human" will resume Jan. 11.
Opportunities
TRAVEL & PILGRIMAGE
Central Europe: Oberammergau Passion Play
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; rector@stbedesla.org. A full itinerary is here. (Please note the date change. The Passion Play was postponed for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.)

HOLLYWOOD-LOS ANGELES: Seeds of Hope Food Distribution Associate. Bilingual (English-Spanish). This position will be an essential part of the Seeds of Hope team getting healthy, nutritious food to more families in need in Los Angeles and surrounding counties. Job duties include picking up, sorting, organizing and delivering produce; providing great customer service; documenting quantities and submitting data for reports. Work hours are full time, but variable. Valid Class C driver's license, experience with driving 16-ft or larger truck required. Full job description is here.

CLAREMONT: Spirituality center executive director. The Center for Spirituality & Practice (CS&P), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resources for those seeking wisdom and spiritual practices for their daily lives, seeks a committed spiritual practitioner and high-capacity nonprofit leader to be its first executive director. A respected name in the spiritual enrichment landscape, the Center runs the multifaith/interspiritual website SpiritualityandPractice.com which offers a vast array of resources for the spiritually hungry. The new executive director will collaborate with founders Mary Ann and Frederic Brussat to advance their legacy and develop the organization into its next phase. A detailed position profile can be found here.

Additional job listings are here. Listings are free: send information to news@ladiocese.org. Applications for jobs must be sent to the contact included in the listing.