Diocesan Convention

Bishop’s Report to Convention

Alleluia, Christ is Risen.

In a year of anxiety, when everything we have counted on as a church seems to have been upended, and when the world is suffering from four pandemics – coronavirus, economic downturn, racial injustice, and deep political division and conflict – it is appropriate to begin my report to you with the great statement of faith of the Christian church:

Christ is Risen Indeed. Alleluia.

After all, the pain of the world is real. People are suffering and at a time when the comfort of the church is needed most of all, we have had to reinvent how to be the church. Yet we place our faith in the great truth that God raised Jesus from the dead, and therefore no situation on this earth is beyond the saving reach of God. I have said often that God is an opportunist. Even in crisis, God finds opportunities to bring love and hope. Even in the death of God’s own Son, God brought resurrection.

I see signs of hope throughout our diocese, even in this year of suffering, 2020.  Throughout our diocese, clergy and lay leaders have found new ways to be the church, from learning how to do online worship, to establishing old-fashioned phone trees, to offering public prayer and witness in a time of racial injustice. Consider these signs:

• A group of leaders in our diocese worked for over a year to discern God’s will for our diocese, and created a strategic plan that will carry our church into a new era of evangelism, church growth, and loving outreach to our communities over the next five years. Rooted in our discerned values of Diversity, Transformation, Love, Courage, and Evangelism, our plan asks us to step out in faith that Jesus often asks us to do more than we imagine we are capable of, yet the Holy Spirit always gives us the resources to do what Jesus calls us to do.

• Some of the ministry that the strategic plan calls for has already begun, as the Holy Spirit has opened up opportunities for new development and evangelism in congregations, new campus ministries, new ways of doing discipleship in an online world, new ways to serve our communities, and new ways to advocate for justice.

• Approximately half of our congregations have begun Sacred Ground groups, revealing that many Episcopalians are eager to open themselves to learning about the experience of other racial and ethnic groups, and to work toward reconciliation and justice.

• In response to my call for donations to the “For Such A Time As This” fund, people in our diocese gave over $150,000 to relieve the suffering of others during the coronavirus pandemic and economic downturn, allowing me to support our congregations in responding generously to those who are suffering. I have been inspired by the projects you have presented to me to support, such as buying equipment to support feeding programs that are helping four times the number of clients they were serving this time last year; creating learning pods for children whose home support does not give them what they need for online schooling; helping people who are out of work find new jobs; meeting the needs of individuals in ways that are literally life-saving; and much more. I am so thankful for your generosity that has empowered us to be the church in this difficult time, and for your visionary ministries that are serving our communities.

• Our diocesan Executive Council has stepped out in faith to provide significant resources to support congregations who are in financial distress because of the pandemic. Because of this support, our diocese will experience a deficit this year, dipping into our accumulated savings to help congregations in this time of trouble. It took courage for our leaders to take this step, but as a member of the finance committee said, “This IS the rainy day we have been saving for.”

• We have been greatly blessed in our diocese by a group of leaders in our congregations and in diocesan ministries who are willing to reinvent and transform what it means to be the church during difficult times, in worship, pastoral care, building disciples, and reaching out to our communities. I am grateful for your leadership, and particularly for our clergy who have borne so much anxiety for their congregations during this pandemic-tainted year, and have responded so faithfully to the challenges this time has brought.

Even in times of difficulty, the church is still the church. I would even say that in times of difficulty most of all, the Jesus Movement shines with hope, knowing that God is present in the midst of our difficulties, that the light of Christ continues to shine, and that God brings new life even out of death itself.

Therefore let us be hopeful, friends. Let us look for how God is calling us to bring hope to an anxious, stressed, suffering world. Let us be faithful in our belief that God will show us ways to proclaim the good news of Christ by word and example in a world that so desperately needs to hear that good news now. Let us be loving as we pursue the mission of Christ in a world that is divided, angry and anxious. In faith, hope, and love, let us make the great proclamation of our faith:

Alleluia. Christ is Risen.

Christ is Risen Indeed. Alleluia.

In Christ,

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Susan Brown Snook

Diocesan Convention

Reports to Convention

Advocacy Committee

In 2020, the Advocacy Committee has continued its work to spread the knowledge and love of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit by inspiring peace and justice throughout our diocese. We focused our efforts in two main areas this year:

• Racial Reconciliation. The Episcopal Church has made racial reconciliation a major emphasis in our Presiding Bishop’s call to become the Beloved Community that Jesus envisions for all of us. We rolled out the Sacred Ground curriculum, starting with a pilot program at Good Samaritan Episcopal Church and then promoting this ground-breaking program with speakers at the Leadership Academy. Eighteen churches have now begun Sacred Ground or will begin it shortly. The Advocacy Committee members also formed their own Sacred Ground group and completed the curriculum in October of 2020.

• Immigration/Border Issues. Our diocese is the host for the third annual Border Ministries Summit, which draws together the four Episcopal dioceses along the U.S./Mexican border, the bishops of Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala, and other interested Episcopalians from around the United States. For the first time, we will have a completely virtual summit. We will spend much of our time working with the Global Immersion Project, the ministry of two pastors to bring about peacemaking and reconciliation in troubled spots in the world.

The Rev. Janine Schenone, Advocacy Committee Chair

Archdeacon’s Report

Deacon Letters of Agreement were re-formatted and included term sheets for deacon’s expenses.  The letters of agreement and term sheets were sent to all non-stipendiary assigned deacons, active and retired/active in a DocuSign electronic format.

We held our first virtual Deacon’s Annual Retreat this year.  The theme of the retreat was “A Call to Diakonia”.  We were blessed to have Bishop Susan attend the retreat both days, giving her deacons undivided attention.  The retreat, held over two days, included book studies, with presentations from our current EDSD Deacons, followed by breakout room discussions. Because of the low cost of holding the retreat virtually we also invited SFM students, Aspirants, and candidates for ordination to participate.  We continue to meet virtually every other Thursday for fellowship, pastoral needs, ministry support, and sharing of needs throughout the diocese.

I attended the Association for Episcopal Deacons’ Archdeacon Conference, held in Jacksonville FL in March. I found most Archdeacons are also Rectors of their local schools for deacons.  They were gracious in sharing their materials with me to bring back to use.  I also learned more about the Province VIII & VI Gathering about “Our Fragile Island Home” Conference in August.

I attended the Province VIII & VI Conference (held virtually 8/20- 8/21 due to the virus).  Learned how deacons are taking action throughout the country to protect creation; how it is a true Diaconal call in our assigned churches as well as in the world.  To bring the Church to the World to take action in the areas where creational care is suffering.

Respectfully submitted,

The Venerable Pamela Rieger

EDSD Archdeacon

Audit Committee

We used Leaf & Cole to do our 2019 financial audit.  The audit was performed in June 2020.  There were no discrepancies found.  Even during COVID-19, all documents were able to be reviewed.  The audit team was grateful for the support from Diocesan staff in getting the audit completed quickly and efficiently.

There were minor findings:

Adopt a Comprehensive Gift Acceptance Policy During the audit, it was noted that the Diocese does not have a comprehensive gift acceptance policy. The purpose of a gift acceptance policy is to provide guidelines relating to the acceptance and processing of gifts that are consistent with the Diocese’s mission. A gift acceptance policy that clearly sets forth your organizational position on non-cash and deferred gifts not only provides you a road map but also removes the development team from the decision-making process and puts it squarely with the Board of Directors. This policy has been drafted and should be implemented during 2020.

A Gift Acceptance Policy has been drafted & will be approved by the Finance Committee & Executive Council. 

Review of Payroll Prior to Processing During the course of our audit, we noted that payroll is not approved prior to or after processing. We recommend that payroll be reviewed prior to submission of payroll to the third-party processor. This could be accomplished by running a preliminary payroll report from the payroll software and submitting it to the Treasurer for approval.

A process was developed and implemented to make sure payroll is reviewed prior to processing.

Credit Cards At present, the Diocese has credit cards that are used by its employees. We noted instances when personal expenses were charged to the company credit card which were subsequently repaid to the Diocese. We recommend that the Diocese reviews its credit card policy to ensure that the policy is being followed by its employees.

Although the incidence of personal use of Diocesan credit cards was minor, the credit card policy was reviewed & staff has been briefed on the policy.

Bishop’s School

Annual Report to Diocesan Convention (November 2020)

The Bishop’s School - La Jolla, CA

School Year (2019-2020)

The Bishop’s School enrolled 800 students for the 2019-2020 school year (grades 6-12).  Of that 800, 144 came from 74 different schools and 59 different zip codes.  Forty-three percent of students self-report as persons of color, and twenty percent of our student body is receiving financial assistance through our need-based Financial Aid Program.

This year, the Performing Arts department lost a beloved faculty member, Jared Jacobsen, who taught at Bishop’s for 22 years.  “Mr. J” had a tremendous impact on the lives of students, and he is greatly missed by all.  The fall choral performance, A Musical Celebration of Mr. Jacobsen, was a beautiful tribute to his life and legacy. Throughout the year, Bishop’s students distinguished themselves in a great many ways in the Performing Arts with choral performances (The Singer’s Showcase), jazz and orchestra performances, theatre productions (She Kills Monsters, Twelfth Night, Shorts Festival, Becoming), and dance performances (Narnia).  

When it comes to athletics, few schools in Southern California can rival the success of Bishop’s teams in sports across the board. The School’s teams have won 109 CIF titles, fifth among all San Diego high schools. In the 2019-2020 academic year, two teams (boys’ and girls’ water polo) won the CIF championship, and football, girls’ tennis, girls’ volleyball, boys’ water polo and girls’ water polo all won their league titles. The spring 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19, but spring teams certainly would have also performed well. Three student athletes were named CIF players of the year, in boys’ and girls’ water polo and football. Bishop’s longtime water polo coach (and aquatics director) was named coach of the year.

Upper school students completed more than 19,500 hours of service in local, state and international communities, serving the elderly, disabled, children/teens, addressing homelessness/hunger, building houses, working in orphanages and hospitals, tutoring in schools and promoting environmental sustainability. 

The student body experienced a breadth and depth of speakers, including Endowed Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, an accomplished atmospheric scientist who studies climate change.  For the Endowed Leadership Lecture Series, students heard from Naomi Shihab Nye, an award-winning poet and Professor of Creative Writing-Poetry at Texas State University, and Carrie Hessler-Radelet, the President and CEO of Project Concern International and former Director (2012-2017) and Deputy Director (2010-2012) of the Peace Corps. The Woltman Lecture Series brought to campus Azim Noordin Khamisa, an author, thought leader, peace activist, and international inspirational speaker, as well as Dr. Edith Eva Eger, an award-winning author, eminent psychologist and Holocaust survivor.  

The Board of Trustees has continued to work with  Greenwich Leadership Partners to lead the board, school leadership, faculty, staff, parents and alumni in a strategic planning process.  Through this process, the school is revising its mission and vision statement and core values.  In Chapel and as a community, we have been reflecting on the three directives given by the Prophet Micah to the Hebrew people in Micah 6:8: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly.  For the 2018-2019 school year, we focused on kindness.  For this school year, we focused on humility.  For the 2020-2021 school year, we will focus on justice. 

With the coronavirus pandemic, we transitioned to virtual learning on March 13, 2020.  We are grateful for the leadership of our head of school, Mr. Ron Kim, through these challenging times.  In May 2020, Ron Kim appointed Michael Beamer as Assistant Head for Internal Affairs, with the primary responsibility to develop, implement and communicate a health and safety plan for all students and adults in the community, so we could provide in-person, on-campus instruction for the 2020-2021 academic year. He also has responsibilities and oversight in areas of critical importance to the School, such as wellness, strategic planning and diversity.

Next summer twenty-four students will enter into the first class of Summer Knights, a program designed for students in underserved schools to become better acquainted with independent school education and benefit from a preview of college prep programming. Students are nominated by sending schools and organizations for their academic strength and personal promise. 

For NEXT YEAR (2020-2021 School Year) - Focus on Justice (what love looks like on the level of society) 4 New DEI Coordinators (A Day DEI lessons), Director of Community Life (Tanner) - #winatsocial - social institute programs

Joel Allen left in September 2020 - Jerry appointed

Camp Stevens

The Camp Stevens mission is to inspire, challenge, and empower personal, social, and environmental transformation.  Rooted in the Episcopal Church and our natural world, Camp Stevens’s core values are: Openness, Gratitude, Connection, and Wonder

OVERVIEW 2020

Embracing learning and change is the foundation of Camp Stevens’ culture. We’ve needed this foundation more than ever in 2020 in the face of an international pandemic and the social uprising against racism.

Anti-Racism Work: The Camp Stevens Board, Staff, and Diocesan leadership released our position statement on anti-racism in response to the most recent violence in a long history of generational racism against our Black family members.  In addition to following the lead of and learning from the Black, Indigenous, People of Color (POC) movement leaders, our community has invested in organizational education and systemic review.

Organizational education has included a Me and White Supremacy staff learning group, as well as a staff and board Sacred Ground Dialogue Circle. We recognize that education about racism and related intersectional justice issues is a lifelong process. This is just our start. The songbook was the first systemic document reviewed, resulting in the removal of songs with racist content or historical context. We will continue the process by reviewing all of our core documents, policies, and processes. In accordance with our values and as an Episcopal voice, we believe we are called to learn about, make changes toward, and uphold anti-racist ideas, beliefs, systems, and policies. Check out our Anti-Racism Work page on our website for ongoing updates.

Covid-19 Impact and Innovation: From the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, we embraced the highest level of safety measures to keep all members of our community healthy and well. We closed to the public and sheltered in place March through mid-June. Our staff of 20 committed to staying connected by hosting weekly virtual community gathering sing-alongs, developing online outdoor education resources, and facilitating self-care opportunities through virtual labyrinth walks, zoom chaplain discussions, as well as hikes, exploration, and experiences, live from our grounds.

A new partnership with local Sage Mountain Farms established Camp Stevens as a Community Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) pick up site. Our CSA offerings include boxes of fresh vegetables, fruit, and a chance to donate for homemade Camp Stevens bread and goodies. Fundraising and grant money from Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) and the Diocese of San Diego, has helped us expand our operation to offer free or low-cost CSA boxes as well as delivery to community members experiencing hardship. This is an essential new ministry that we plan to grow in an effort to rebuild our community and offer meaningful resources for our neighbors.  The hardest decision of this time was canceling summer camp. While this program gives our beautiful space so much life and love, we know this was the safest option to protect our kids, families, chaplains, counselors, and staff. We can’t wait for 2021!

June 20th we opened our doors for day use and July 4th started hosting overnight household retreats. Safety remains our highest priority as we welcome our much loved greater community back for retreat, rejuvenation, and hopefully, healing. The extreme financial loss of this crisis has been mitigated by a combination of hustle for funding and generosity of our community. We will continue to learn, change, and grow as we build a new future together.

Canon for Evangelism and Discipleship

I was called to this new position in February 2020, just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic hit our community. Although 2020, The Year of Discipleship, has been marked by many unexpected and unprecedented events that have required us all to make many profound changes and sacrifices, our diocese has not lost sight of its goal of becoming more faithful followers of Jesus.  This report covers focal areas of discipleship and evangelism, and describes progress made toward facilitating diocesan engagement in each during this extraordinary time of uncertainty, change, repentance, and opportunity. 

Leadership Academy 2020: Thank you to Good Samaritan, for hosting this diocesan-wide formation event that was attended by 128 people. Held on February 15, 2020, the day began with a Plenary Session on Service and Justice with The Rev. Kim Coleman and The Rev. Jerry Drino. Formation tracks included in introduction to Sacred Ground, best practices for Wardens, Vestries and Treasurers, Evangelism, Discipleship, and Transformational Leadership.

Eucharistic Visitor/Small Group Leader Training: Together with The Rev. Pam Rieger and Facilitated by The Rev. Canon Gwynn Lynch, three virtual trainings were conducted to train Eucharistic Visitors to safely minister the sick and homebound during the pandemic.  The Eucharistic Visitors were also trained to lead small groups as an option of gathering and sharing the Eucharist while large worship services were suspended.  75 people were trained as Eucharistic Visitors and Small Group Leaders in the zoom trainings.

Online Discipleship Platforms:  This year, we were able to support and grow two online discipleship platforms that proved to be invaluable tools: DiscipleshipEDSD.org, and Faith To Go. As many of our offerings, including Holy Week resources, Bible studies and Book Studies were out of necessity, moved online, the regular offerings on these platforms helped support ongoing spiritual formation to families, small groups individuals and congregations. Special thanks to Charlette Preslar, David Tremaine, and Maya Little-Sana for their hard work and commitment to bringing online discipleship resources to our diocese this year.

“E-Revivals: Sharing Good News!” The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the Church to re-evaluate and rethink the way that we do many things, evangelism being one of those things. In order to answer this call to share the good news of Jesus Christ even in times of social distancing, we have begun work on an exciting virtual evangelism project we are calling “E-Revivals.” Throughout 2020-2021, we will be producing and releasing a series of online videos that will highlight stories of good news from around the diocese and include artistic elements as well as a clear sharing of the Gospel message. Each video will invite viewers to connect with community, and participate in ongoing conversation. We are looking forward to this project and the impact it will have in EDSD and beyond.

As we move into 2021, The Year of Evangelism, I look forward to joining with you in learning new ways to share the good news of Jesus Christ with our communities, while continuing to deepen our walk of faith as disciples of Jesus.

Canon Christian Gillette, M. Div.

Canon for Evangelism and Discipleship

Canon to the Ordinary Report

It has been my privilege and honor to serve as the Canon to the Ordinary this past year. I have learned so much in this challenging and complex year. The duties of the Canon to the Ordinary include clergy and congregational transitions, Diocesan liturgies, congregational development, Convention, Clergy Conference, and staff support for the Executive Council, the Strategic Plan and the Commission on Ministry.

Clergy and Congregational Transitions

The following clergy transitions took place (in alphabetical order):

• The Rev. Cristina Borges was called as vicar of St. Andrew’s, Lake Elsinore. She is also serving as Priest-in-charge at St. Stephen’s, Menifee.

• The Rev. Andrew Butler was called as rector of St. Margaret’s, Palm Desert.

• The Rev. Cindy Campos was ordained to the vocational diaconate in September 2020 and now serves at St. Bartholomew’s, Poway.

• The Rev. Chris Craig-Jones was ordained priest in December 2019. He serves at St. Michael’s, Carlsbad.

• The Rev. Carlos Expósito was called as rector of All Saints’, San Diego.

• The Rev. Roger Haenke was called as Priest-in-charge at St. John’s, Chula Vista.

• The Rev. Richard Hogue was called as vicar of Holy Cross, Carlsbad. He is also serving quarter-time at St. Andrew’s, Encinitas.

• The Rev. Jocelynn Hughes was called as rector of St. David’s, San Diego.

• The Rev. Colin Mathewson was called as supervising priest at St. Matthew’s, National City.

• The Rev. Frank Muñoz was called as Priest-in-charge at Grace, San Marcos.

• The Rev. Hannah Wilder was ordained priest in January 2020.  She serves at St. Mark’s, City Heights

The following congregational transitions are still in work:

• All Saints’, Vista is still involved in a search. They are led by the Rev. Susan Astarita as their interim.

• Christ Church, Coronado is near the end of their search for a new rector. The Rev. Michael Tinnon has served as their interim.

• St. Paul’s, Palm Springs is still involved in the discernment and search process. The Rev. David Caffrey is their interim.

• All Saints’, Brawley requested that they be permitted to end their ministry this year. The church was closed in June 2020.

Diocesan Liturgies

Like many of us, I became rather adept at virtual and socially distanced worship!

Prior to quarantine, there were two beautiful ordination services. The Rev. Chris Craig-Jones was ordained to the priesthood at St. Michael’s in Carlsbad. The Rev. Hannah Wilder was ordained priest at St. Mark’s, City Heights.

The Diocese was invited to host the signing of a Bilateral Relationship between The Anglican Church of Mexico and The Episcopal Church. This took place February 16 at St. John’s, Chula Vista. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and the Archbishop Francisco Moreno were present to sign the agreement.

After the quarantine, the Office of the Bishop worked hard to support our congregations as they came up to speed in digital worship. Holy Week services were designed and distributed. A Diocesan-wide Easter service of Lessons and Music was shared. The bishop offered a diocesan-wide service for Labor Day weekend.

Both the School for Ministry graduation and Cindy Campos’ ordination to the vocational diaconate were held in the courtyard of the ECC, appropriately distanced and masked.

Faithfully submitted,

The Rev. Canon Gwynn Lynch

Commission on Ministry

In accordance with the canons of the Church and of this diocese, the Commission on Ministry (COM) is appointed to promote the ministry of all baptized persons in the Diocese and, specifically, to assist members of the Church in discerning the nature and scope of their call to ministry, recommending to the Bishop such persons for lay and ordained ministry as may be needed to carry out the work of the Church in this Diocese.  Members of the commission are appointed by the Bishop for a three-year term and the commission meets monthly.

This has been a year filled with great creative energy and a significant number of robust conversations, all of which focused on envisioning and clarifying the conjoined processes of discernment and formation for lay and ordained ministry in our diocese.  Specifically:

The COM engaged in ongoing discussion of the charisms associated with each order of ministry; the competencies needed in each order; and an ongoing review of the curricula needed to form these individuals. 

These discussions resulted in a revised Discernment and Formation Handbook, articulating the process through which one moves toward ordination, along with a clearly defined timetable and the inclusion of electronic forms for each stage of the process.  The Handbook can be found at edsd.org> Mission and Ministry> Ordination Process.

In an effort to enhance the continuity of the work of the commission through its rotating membership, the position of co-chair was created with the appointment of Mr. John Will (COM class of 2021), who will succeed the current chair.

A virtual “Listening Hearts” training session was held (the first of its kind in the United States) to prepare five individuals (and to refresh three more) in the process of convening a Parish Discernment Committee in support of individuals exploring a call to ordained ministry.

And, the annual Discernment Retreat virtually hosted six aspirants and one deacon in exploration of their respective calls to ordained ministry.

Those currently engaged in the process of discernment and formation include: 12 in the early stages of inquiry, 5 applicants, 3 postulants, 1 candidate, and 1 ordained in the vocational diaconate.

Members of the Commission on Ministry:

     Class of 2020: Mrs. Meredith Hardy (secretary), The Rev. Brian Fidler (chair)

     Class of 2021: Mrs. Donna Morales, Mr. John Will (co-chair), The Rev. Richard Hogue Jr

     Class of 2022: Mr. Mark Patzman, The Rev. Rebecca Dinovo, Archdeacon Pam Rieger

Also, in regular attendance:

The Rt. Rev. Susan Brown Snook, The Rev. Canon Gwynn Lynch (Canon to the Ordinary),

The Rev. Mark McKone-Sweet (liaison from the Standing Committee)

Respectfully submitted,

The Rev. Brian Fidler, chair

Communications Report

Christmas 2020

The EDSD Communications Department, in cooperation with churches throughout the diocese, produced a vibrant Virtual Lessons and Carols service for use at a local level in the 2020 Advent/Christmas season. With virtual worship

Border Ministry Summit

In late 2020, the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego hosted the Border Ministries Summit for the Episcopal Church. This virtual event gathered people from all over the world to learn more about immigration, refugees, and resources. Enjoy a recap of this beautiful event at BorderMinistries.com

Virtual Called to the Wall

The EDSD Communications Department was happy to continue the annual Called to the Wall event in coordination with the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and the Diocese of Western Mexico by coordinating and producing a virtual. Called to the Wall is an annual pilgrimage that brings attention to current immigration issues. This year, the virtual liturgy will bring light to immigrant children, family separation, asylum seekers, and more.

SAILS & Digital Worship for Migrant Children (Holy Week)

In late March of 2021, the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego was approached by South Bay Community Services to provide thousands of immigrant children with spiritual care while they stayed at the San Diego Convention Center. Read more here.

In the days following, the Communications Department provided coordination with numerous news outlets, developed a website to share up-to-date information, produced a Spanish Good Friday Service, produced a Spanish Rosery Video, and produced a Spanish Easter Sunday Service.  

Diocesan Holy Week Offerings

Tenebrae: A Service of Shadows – With the traditional feel of a Tenebrae service, the Service of Shadows had a simpler format and opportunities for worshipers to sing along at home. With readings from Psalms and Lamentations from readers around the diocese and a diocesan band leading us in Taizé chants, viewers enjoyed a spiritually filled time of worship.

EDSD.org redeveloped 

Welcome to the new diocesan website for the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. EDSD.org has undergone a dramatic makeover—it is faster, more user-friendly, and welcoming to a newcomer. The Communications Department hopes you take some time to poke around and let us know what you think. Over 16 months, the website team has evaluated, redesigned, and enhanced the EDSD.org website to be more user-friendly. “Developing a diocesan website is tricky; you need to allow the deep--insider--Episcopalians access to an amazing breadth of resources while maintaining a welcoming information layer for newcomers to learn about and feel encouraged by the organization. I know this new design will suit the needs of EDSD for years to come,” said Director of Communications Chris Tumilty.

“I want to thank our communications team, led by Communications Director Chris Tumilty, and also Elizabeth Kurtz, our website developer, for the wonderful job in providing a fresh, new look for our diocese,” said Bishop Susan Brown Snook..

Please take some time to look through the new design and let us know where we can improve.

Good News Festival

Throughout 2021 the Communications Department was integral in planning multiple aspects of the Good News Festival. We produced a website, print materials, sharable video content, and more in preparation for the festival. Despite it being rescheduled, we are looking forward, more than ever, to welcoming you, your neighbors, family, and friends to the Good News Festival on December 9-10, 2022.

Convention

The Communications Department is happy to provide the second virtual convention in the history of the Diocese. While we all hoped to meet together in person this year, a virtual convention offers a layer of safety that we all have come to understand. We hope you enjoy the stories, virtual environment, and refinement of the Virtual Diocesan Convention process this year.  

Faithfully submitted,

Chris Tumilty

Director of Communications, EDSD   

Cursillo

Cursillo was founded in Spain in the 1940’s by lay people to help the laity become better followers of Jesus Christ. In other words, Cursillo is a Discipleship program.

Cursillo teaches discipleship by providing lessons in piety, study, and action. Cursillo is a comprehensive, in-depth program that begins with the weekend.

The weekend is designed to deepen a person’s relationship with Jesus and enable them to live out their life as a witness to Jesus in the world. Each person is inspired at a spiritual level (piety), at an intellectual level (study) and a ministry level (action). When we interact with God at all three of these levels, we become better followers of Jesus Christ.

Cursillo, over the last year, has had to cancel its weekends due to COVID-19, but we were able to hold smaller spiritual renewal programs, Ultreyas, through online videos. 

For the year 2021 we anticipate having two Cursillo weekends. The Spring 2021 weekend will be March 25th through 28th, provided health conditions permit, and the Fall weekend is planned for October, dates to be determined. Both weekends start on Thursday night and end on Sunday evening and will take place at the Pine Valley Bible Conference Center.

For more information about Cursillo, please talk to your Cursillo parish representative and visit the San Diego Cursillo website at www.sdcursillo.org

Your friend in Christ,

The Rev. George M. Calvert

Diocesan Cursillo Spiritual Advisor

Daughters of the King

The Order of the Daughters of the King is a spiritual sisterhood of women dedicated to a life of Prayer, Service, and Evangelism.  The Mission of the Order is the extension of Christ’s Kingdom.  Empowered by the Holy Spirit, our vision as Daughters of the King is to know Jesus Christ, to make Him known to others, and to become reflections of God’s love throughout the world.  Membership in the Order is open to women at every stage of life between the ages of 7 and 107 who desire a closer walk with the Lord.  It is an International Order of both lay and ordained women.  The Diocese of San Diego currently has seventeen active Senior Women’s Chapters and two Junior Daughters Chapters.

There are three Diocesan wide gatherings yearly:  Spring Assembly, Fall Assembly, and Quiet Day.  These are open to all women of the diocese.   Quiet Day was held in March. The Rev. Becky Tinnon spoke on the theme: “Be still and know that I am God.”  Due to the pandemic, Spring Assembly was conducted on Zoom.  Rev. Janine Schenone was our speaker and her topic: “Our Role as Women in Leading and Building Communities - Especially in Difficult Times.” Fall Assembly, also on Zoom, had Rev. Susan Latimer speaking on “Wisdom for our times with Hildegard of Bingen.”

2020 and the pandemic saw many daughters called to prayer and service as part of phone calling committees to help keep parish members in community. Gatherings were held on zoom. It has been an interesting year!  Our daughters have stepped up to meet the challenges it presented.

2021 will hopefully see in-person gatherings and worship services, diversity in our parishes and chapters, and the National Convention (Triennial) for DOK in Baltimore, MD, in June. We will continue to work on the six goals of our Strategic Plan. We will Reignite the Flame by: Inspiring Spiritual Growth and Development, Strengthening Our Call to Service and Evangelism, Nurturing and Growing Our Members, Raising Up and Mentoring New Leaders, and Instilling a Community of Giving.  

We will continue service projects and support our rectors as requested.  Some projects include: book & Bible studies, cards to military, bread for newcomers, Taize services, flowers to shut-ins, and Vida Joven (a home for disadvantaged children in Mexico). On the Diocesan level, Daughters support outreach programs such as Showers of Blessings, Second Chances, and St. Luke’s Refugee Community.  Prayer, as always, is an integral part of the services provided by each chapter. 

For information concerning The Order of the Daughters of the King or to attend a gathering, please contact Fran Friesen at ffriesen44@gmail.com or 760-533-4410

For His Sake,

Fran Friesen - DOK Diocesan President

Diocesan Executive Council

The Officers of the Diocesan Executive Council for 2020 were:

The Rt. Rev. Dr.  Susan Brown-Snook, President
Ms. Judy Brown, First Vice President
Mr. Joseph Jok, Second Vice President
Mr. Ruben Rodriguez, Secretary
The Rev. Kirby M. Smith, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer

This was the first full year with Bishop Susan as the head of our Diocese. The council continued its leadership The December 2019 retreat, held at Good Shephard, Hemet focused on the direction the Diocese is going.  There was discussion about the Strategic Planning committee. Breakout sessions considered Formation, Advocacy, and Healthy Church. The recurring themes emulated from the retreat include: 1) Youth and Young Adult Formation; 2) Attending to the Border and Migrants; 3) Supporting Healthy Church Growth. These themes served to undergird the work of this body throughout the year.

Building on the VISIONS experience of the standing committee, executive council, and diocesan staff in 2019 embraced the Sacred Ground curriculum. This curriculum allows us to address our mostly white population and the impact of privilege and power on diverse communities. Multiple congregations have dialogue circles now, and there is be one circle, diocesan-wide reflecting our broad diversity. Several churches have multiple groups.

The council continued to read and discuss together Canoeing the Mountains by Tod Bolsinger.  It is based on the leadership of Lewis & Clark.  It shows how there are expectations that are drastically different when we reach the goal line.  It helps identify how leaders need to accept those differences & move forward to the next task. It was timely & gave the start of additional Leadership training at the 2019 Convention & 2020 Leadership Academy.  As COVID-19 hit early in the year, the book strengthened our resolve to step forward in faith in leadership and developing relationships to show we are in the trenches together.

Throughout the year, the council received updates on formation, advocacy, healthy church, the wider church, and safety and security. In particular, the Healthy Church Work Group launch the "Embracing the Flock" initiative designed to nurture and support the growth and development of healthy laity, healthy clergy, healthy congregations with the hope and dream of strengthening a mission driven diocese. Five mediators are now trained in the diocese to teach and serve as facilitators throughout the diocese.

Building on the believed value of Lombard workshops in 2018 & 2019, more facilitators were sent to Lombard Institute workshops took place this year on healthy churches and conflict in the church.

Your diocesan executive council spent time reflecting and imagining during this year of lots of changes. COVID changed the way we do church and how the Diocese of San Diego supports that.  We set up a For Such a Time as This campaign to raise funds to support churches struggling during the financial difficulties related to COVID.  The Executive Council allocated funds to support this.  Several churches have been supported in various ways using this fund.  Some of the areas of support were CLS relief, Pension Waivers, Pastoral support for parishioners struggling financially, and many other areas.  Bishop Susan and the financial team managed receiving the requests and processing them.

The Executive Council has approved the Strategic Plan.  We were pleased and thankful for the hard work of the Strategic Plan Committee.  They put in many long hours to put together a plan to lead the Diocese through the next phase God has planned for us.

Ever since Bishop Susan began her journey with us in May 2019, her presence, energy, and vision have been actively at work as she prepares us for a faithful and joy-filled future as evangelistic disciples prepared and ready to serve. She visited congregations, held Listening Sessions, established a strategic planning process, to mention a few activities. We are blessed with the presence, love, compassion, vision, and energy of the Rt. Rev. Susan Brown Snook. An abundant future awaits us all.

More detailed information appears in the individual committee reports and the minutes of the executive council are available on the website at https://edsd.org/who-we-are/about-the-diocese/diocesan-governance/.

Disaster Preparedness & Church Safety/Security

At the 2015 diocesan convention it was resolved that all churches and organizations would provide the diocese with a copy of their updated disaster preparedness plan by 2017. Currently, three years past the due date, less than 20% of our churches and organizations have submitted a plan to the diocese. With the recent COVID-19 disaster and the continuing threat of natural disasters, crime and violence to our churches, the need to have a plan and to be prepared has never been greater.

To assist our churches and organizations in creating effective disaster preparedness plans and church safety & security systems the diocese has done several things: 

We have created an extensive digital archive of disaster preparedness and church safety & security resources which has grown to over 6 Gigabytes. We have been handing the archive out on thumb drives to participants in Leadership Academy and other training sessions. Over the past year we have started sharing the archive online. For access to this archive please contact Jeff Green.

We have also created an Emergency Operations Plan phone app that can be customized for each church/organization and shared with parishioners and clients. A sample of the phone app can be accessed here:  www.church911plan.com . The phone app is meant as an enhancement to your disaster plan and not a substitute.  If you would like a similarly customized Emergency Operations Plan phone app for your church/organization please contact Jeff Green.

We are developing a new disaster preparedness/church safety & security SharePoint portal that will host the archive mentioned above and real-time safety, security and disaster news and training. It will also act as a communication hub in times of disaster.

The diocese has been assisting interested churches in applying for the FEMA/State of California Non-Profit Security Grant to receive funding to enhance the physical security of their facilities.  Over the past year the Episcopal Church Center, St. Bart’s and St. Timothy’s have each been awarded $100,000 for security enhancements and St. Paul’s Cathedral was awarded $75,000 in 2016 and completed their enhancements in April of 2019. If you are interested in applying for the Non Profit Security  grant please visit this URL: https://www.caloes.ca.gov/cal-oes-divisions/grants-management/homeland-security-prop-1b-grant-programs/infrastructure-protection-grants

The diocese has also been working with churches to develop customized templates for wall mounted disaster plans in a simple flip chart style. Some examples can be seen here:  https://www.ehsconsult.com/backup-ehsconsult-emergency-procedures-flip-charts/. Contact Jeff Green for template information and information on how to save money on these items.

In the next year we have plans to re-constitute our Diocesan Disaster Preparedness Committee and increase the effectiveness of networking with disaster preparedness coordinators at the various churches and organizations. We will also be enhancing our network for diocese-wide communications in times of disaster. If you have experience as a trained first responder or in the field of safety/security and are interested in becoming a member of the Diocesan Disaster Preparedness Committee, please contact Jeff Green.

Submitted by: Mr. Jeff Green, (619) 857-9577,jgreen@edsd.org

Episcopal Community Services

Serving God by serving those in need

through programs and services that foster hope and dignity.

Our vision: A Community Where All are Supported to Reach their Potential

2020 has been a year like no other in the history of ECS. When the pandemic began closing down most public activities, ECS’ work was designated essential and to be continued in spite of the pandemic.

We quickly realized that to continue our work with community members who are coping with mental illness, homelessness and addiction, and provide services to the children and families who depend on us, we would need to make some changes very quickly as we transitioned to remote operations. We set about purchasing over 200 computers, 20 iPads and 55 iPhones and began training the staff in new delivery procedures.

In order to keep people safe but attend to their needs, our counseling services switched to telehealth. I am happy to report that our Central East Regional Recovery Center and ACCORD DUI individual and group counseling services were provided with little interruption. That included continuing to house homeless men and women who wanted to address their substance abuse issues. This past year we have placed 269 homeless adults and transition aged youth in recovery residences. Our Uptown Safe Haven residential program for chronically homeless adults with mental health diagnoses continues to operate and to date we have housed 42 people who have been kept safe and healthy. Residents who came to us active in their addiction were able to receive our drug and alcohol counseling services through the program to great success. Knowing our residents were confined to the property due to the pandemic, many volunteers began providing snacks and games and activities which went a long way to assure our clients that they were not forgotten and to ease their anxiety.

The therapists at our children’s behavioral health counseling program Para Las Familias were also set up to work remotely, providing telehealth services to anxious families. Over a hundred therapy kits were distributed for use and families were provided with emergency assistance gift cards through a generous donor. Over the past year we have served 226 families.

Our Head Start , Early Head Start and State Preschool campuses were closed when the pandemic hit but the teachers stayed in touch with our families. In their conversations it quickly became apparent that food insecurity was a major problem. Our ECS Nutrition Services staff went to work preparing meals for the whole family to be picked up and with the help of a generous grant from the San Diego Foundation and many volunteers, almost 700 people were served each week for over 60,000 meals during the summer. With the resumption of school in the fall, albeit primarily remotely, we are still providing healthy, nutritious food for takeout to the children. Our teachers have now been trained to provide distance learning and over 1000 tablets have been purchased for the children so that they will have the ability to remain in touch with their teachers and classmates and continue educational activities.

We have been very proud to continue our services during this unusual year and are grateful to the many supporters who have made it possible. Our staff of over 450 have stayed very busy, buoyed by the success of our virtual Making Miracles gala and the support of many generous donors. We are grateful for the on-going support we receive from the diocese, our hardworking board of directors and the many providers and volunteers that we collaborate with. This year, more than ever, we have realized the importance of working together.

Respectfully Submitted, Lesslie Keller, CEO

ECS: Inspiring children. Empowering adults. Transforming communities.

Episcopal Relief & Development

I. COVID-19 and Episcopal Relief & Development

Episcopal Relief & Development staff are supporting partners around the world and in the United States in response to needs created by the COVID-19 Pandemic. The organization is providing technical expertise and tools to assist as partners adjust programming with necessary physical distancing and enhanced sanitation protocols in order to keep program staff, volunteers and beneficiaries safe. Episcopal Relief & Development is also providing emergency assistance such as food, medical supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE) and sanitation kits.

The US Disaster Program has created a number of resources, including webinars, toolkits and Bible Studies, to support dioceses in a faith-based response to epidemics and pandemics.

Learn more about Episcopal Relief & Development’s COVID-19 relief and response work in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States.

II. Campaign: ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE

ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE is a $3 million grassroots Church-wide fundraising campaign dedicated to expanding the organization’s global programs improving the lives of children up to the age of six. Research shows that the first 1,000 days for children are critical in setting a foundation that affects their ability to grow, learn, and thrive over their entire lives. Around the world, 155 million children under six are not reaching their full potential due to inadequate nutrition and health care. Episcopal Relief & Development works with communities to ensure that children have access to food, clean water, and quality health care. This campaign will allow the organization to expand programs across multiple communities in several countries to reach even more children and their communities.

Individual, congregations and dioceses can join ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE through learning, sharing and giving.

If your congregation is interested in taking part in ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE, please contact me, Meredith Hardy, at mlh8108@gmail.com.

III. Congregational Report

Congregational Event Summary: In February 2020, St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Palm Desert held a fundraising event called “Wine to Water”.  Wine was collected from parish members, inventoried and sold at the Wine to Water event.  This fun party included a silent auction of wine, raffles, hors d’oeuvres, and a wine bottle ring toss!  The event raised just over $5,000, enough to cover the cost of building a well and its maintenance for a community in South America.

At the end of last year, some of our parishes participated actively in the Gifts for Life Program, ordering Christmas gifts for family and friends from our catalogue of offerings to help others near and far away.  Gifts purchased included goats, portions of wells, maternal health supplies, girls’ educational scholarships, to name a few.  Carolyn Leif, Congregational Ministry Partner at St. Paul’s Cathedral, reports that she always orders “from the Gifts of Life Catalogue each year for my grandchildren”.

Currently, only a few of the congregations in our diocese have a Congregational Ministry Partner. Let’s increase this for next year! Congregational Ministry Partners keep your congregation informed of the work of Episcopal Relief & Development, host/co-host fundraising events, help secure speakers from Episcopal Relief & Development, and write articles or news on the organization for your congregation’s bulletin or newsletter. A Congregational Ministry Partner connects your congregation to Anglican partners across the world and supports the congregation in being a beacon of God’s love to neighbors near and far.

Please reach out to me at mlh8108@gmail.com to discuss the Congregational Ministry Partnership opportunity at your congregation.

IV. Financials

Our diocesan giving to Episcopal relief & Development includes donations from individuals, congregations, the diocese and organizations within the diocese.  The most recent amounts are as follow:

2019 Total Diocesan Amount: $148,237.72

2020 Amount To-Date: Quarter 1 - $18,883.90

                                      Quarter 2 - $22,437.94

Respectfully submitted,

Meredith L. Hardy, Diocesan Ministry Partner

Diocese of San Diego, California

Faith Alive

Faith Alive is a small group-based ministry that renews or strengthens the spiritual life of a parish through the sharing of personal stories by Christians who are not members of the parish.  Each of these stories illustrates a specific instance of the Holy Spirit working in their lives, which makes a Faith Alive Weekend possibly the ultimate reality show. This effort is impactful because it uses a non-threatening means to convey two major ideas 1) If God is working in that person’s life maybe he can work in mine too, and 2) if that person’s story helped me maybe I can use my story to help someone else.

I have been privileged to have been involved in Ten (10) Faith Alive Weekend efforts, four (4) as a member of a parish team (Good Shepherd Bonita) and six (6) as a member of a visiting Faith Alive Team (St. Luke’s, Prescott, AZ; St. Martin’s, Houston, TX; Wellspring, Modesto, CA; St. Richard’s, Round Rock, TX; St. David’s, South Yarmouth, MA; Holy Trinity, Garland, TX). I have also participated in a Faith Alive National Reunion and currently serve on the Faith Alive National Board of Directors. It is my hope that I can draw on the experiences gained from these efforts to help me convey the how and whys of a Faith Alive Weekend to interested parties in this diocese.

I am pleased to report that the Church of the Good Shepherd Bonita held a three-day Faith Alive Weekend Retreat, which started on February 7, 2020. The Away Team was led by Bill and Denise Stewart from Cincinnati, Ohio and included eleven (11) other volunteers from Texas and this diocese (Romulo and Rosie Ituarte, Lynn and Linda Ten Eyck). Good Shepherd support for this effort was led by Fr. George Calvert and Ted Parsons. Faith Alive weekends are filled with joyful music, much food and fellowship, deep sharing of life experiences, much personal prayer, and unplanned surprises prompted by the Holy Spirit. The Good Shepherd Faith Alive Weekend was filled with all these things and more. Please contact Fr. George or Ted Parsons if you want to know more about this weekend and the fruit it bore.

Faith Alive is always in need of people to fill teams for scheduled weekends. If you have led small group discussions, been a youth or children’s program leader or aid, served on a prayer team, or performed as a musician in a worship service; you are equipped to be an effective team member. Please contact me if you are interested in a future opportunity to tell your story as you serve others.

Faith Alive has a proven record of success and I believe in its capabilities to make a difference in the lives of parishioners.  A critical component of the “Jesus Movement” reaching out into the world is the equipping of saints; formation is the foundation for evangelism. This is one of the major objectives of Faith Alive. I view the coming year as a renewed opportunity to share more about this with parish leaders in this diocese. 

May God continue to bless us all,

Darryl Peralta

619 426-1387 (H) 619 890-1387 (C)

peraltadarryl82@gmail.com

Finance Committee

The finance committee of the executive council is responsible for providing financial oversight support to the council. Its primary responsibility is to oversee financial matters and the financial condition of the diocese and to make recommendations to the council. Additionally, both the property committee and budget committee report to the finance committee. The finance committee currently consists of ten members.

The principal issue before the finance committee this year was the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diocese and on individual parishes.  With churches not able to conduct worship services in traditional ways and some parishes forced to close on-campus schools, revenue streams to both churches and diocese were significantly impacted.  Working with the Bishop, the committee recommended a variety of financial assistance options to executive council.  These options included but were not limited to direct grants, Common Life Share waivers, CPG payment deferrals, interest forgiveness/principal deferral on loans, and assistance in applying for PPP loans.  As revenues for this year will impact CLS in future years, the committee has been extensively involved in planning for 2021/2022 and beyond.

In 2020 the finance committee has continued to work with individual parishes on a variety of property and financial issues in order to assist in the upkeep, maintenance, and improvement of church property and the safeguarding of church financial assets.  Some initiatives before the committee this year were assisting churches with setting up agreements for solar/battery storage, helping in the sale of property in San Diego, Temecula and Brawley, providing guidelines and assistance for financial audits/reviews, providing of grants/loans for emergent and long-term property maintenance, altering the loan terms for parishes in need of restructuring, reviewing building/construction contracts, and assisting MAP congregations with financial matters.

The committee continued its mission of ensuring that the diocese stayed within budget limits and maintained the highest standards of fiscal responsibility.  This involved monthly review of revenue and expenditures relative to budget and extensive work with the budget committee on planning for future years.  The finance committee also oversaw the restructuring of financial reports available to the diocese and the changing of audit guidelines for individual parishes.

The Diocese and its constituent churches continued in 2020 to bring the Good News and healing to our communities and neighbors via a wide variety of outreach projects and missions.  In its role as the financial oversight component of the diocese, the finance committee continued to support the Bishop and the executive council in allocating funds for meeting our mission/vision.  Providing mission staff/resources to local college campuses and the local military population were among new items discussed in committee this year.  Looking forward, the group will continue to assist with projects such as feeding the hungry and providing mobile showers to those in need through direct grants or assistance to churches who are taking the lead in these projects.

Please join me in extending thanks to the members of the finance committee and those who attended monthly meetings this year: The Rt. Rev. Susan Brown Snook, Ms. Pat Carson, Mr. Chris Christopher, Ms. Terry Farrelly, Ms. Guin Kerstetter-DeJarnett, Mr. Frank Rojas, Ms. Jan Romerdahl, Mr. Tom Sparrow, Mr. Allen Sweet, Mr. David Tremaine, Ms. Judy Brown, the Rev. Canon Gwynn Lynch, Ms. Erin Sacco Pineda, and especially our diocesan treasurer, the Rev. Kirby Smith, for their commitment to the financial welfare of the Diocese.

Yours, In Christ,

Respectfully submitted, Andy Waters, Chair

Healthy Church Work Group

The Executive Council created the Healthy Church WorkGroup in June of 2018. The EC commissioned the HCWG to develop strategic resource use criteria, review parochial data, activate resource sharing groups, support small churches, and focus on developing community relationships with other diocese and denominations.  After 26 months of work together, the HCWG continues to assist churches in becoming healthy churches in the Diocese of San Diego.  The Executive Council set the 2020 goals for the HCWG:  Develop best practices for healthy churches.  Support small churches and their ministries.  Assist in developing leadership competencies.  Manage Grant Programs – Fearless Love, Multicultural, Property, Programs & Ministries, and Operational Grants.

HCWG developed a common vocabulary about what it means to be a healthy church.  We settled on the seven marks of a healthy church, as described in The Healthy Church Handbook, by Robert Warren, 2004.  This handbook helps define attributes, exercises, tools, and best practices to develop healthier churches.    

Using parochial reports (2008 to 2018) for all the churches in our diocese, the HCWG developed a "Watch List," consisting of several churches that could benefit from immediate attention and assistance. The committee identified four ways to assist congregations:

1. The Debt Mitigation Sub-group used strategies for reaching debt-free status. It addressed both commercial and diocesan loans. In 2019 all commercial church loans were paid off in the diocese. We continued to explore ways to mitigate parish debt to the diocese.

2. The Small Church Sub-group used strategies to benefit churches with average Sunday attendance (ASA) under 35. It provided training to vestries and bishop's committees to develop their action plans and visions of the future.

3. The Leadership Sub-group: under the “Embracing the Flock” initiative, which was approved by Executive Council in March 2019,  looked at ways to educate and train healthy clergy, healthy laity, healthy ministry, and mission-driven healthy church practices.  Funding for this program provides the resources and a framework for leadership learning.   The expanded curricula at the February 2020 Leadership Academy provided tracks that covered lay leadership, new vestry member training, transformational leadership, and a healthy church's marks. Other sessions were about creating leadership competency models for clergy and laity and mediation skills training. This group arranged for refresher training for CAT (church assessment tool) interpreters and recruited two new individuals to help vestries assess their church health.

4. The Partnerships Subgroup recommended Executive Council support emerging organic partnerships inside and outside of this diocese. It urged multi-year funding the joint Campus Ministry with the ELCA and the new construction project for the Agape House Campus Ministry at SDSU.

In March, when the pandemic hit the region, the HCWG shifted priorities based on this new reality.  We switched to only Zoom meetings and pivoted to topics that would address issues arising from the coronavirus.  Financial risk assessments for all churches enabled HCWG to determine where to direct help to ailing congregations. We reworked the "Watch List" categories and reset priorities because the pandemic affected many churches, with loss of income. One focus was to revamp the grant request process, shorten the total process time from months to weeks, and simplify the documentation required. The EDSD staff, former requestors, and HCWG members developed and recommended a shorter, better grant system for 2021 for approval by Executive Council. Another topic was the theology of interest, and policy of loans, made by the diocese to parishes. The HCWG sent new recommendations to the Finance Committee and Executive Council for adoption. Given the coronavirus's constraints, we anticipate working until 2020 DioCon and being ready to transition to the implementation of the new Strategic Plan.

Steve Turnbull,

Chair, Healthy Church Work Group

Historiographer

“I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.”  -Psalm 77:11

According to the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, the Historiographer is charged in part with obtaining, preparing and preserving all special historical and biographical matter, printed or manuscript, pertaining to the diocese, its parishes, missions, institutions and undertakings.

In 2020, our accomplishments included the following

1. Conducted research for parishes celebrating milestones in their history.

2. Responded to inquiries from individual’s regarding family history.

3. Assisted the Office of the Bishop in locating records of Baptism, Confirmation and Marriage from records of closed parishes and missions.

4. Responded to and assisted researchers on educational projects.

5. Collaborated with diocesan representatives on proposed resolution to the diocesan convention to replace Canon 9.

In 2021, our goals include:

• Securing fire resistant on-site storage for sacramental records in our custody.  Continue the reorganization of our diocesan files and records to include the documentation of locations where certain records will be maintained.  We will be working to maintain all records in an environment that keeps them safe and secure from theft, fire, moisture and anything else that would compromise them.    

• We will begin planning for our 50th Anniversary as a diocese. 

• Continuing to work with the various parishes/missions and institutions of the diocese to encourage and facilitate the preservation of historical records and archival materials on the parish/institutional level. 

• If Canon 9 is changed by convention, formally organize an Archive of the Diocese of San Diego.  With great thanks to Larry Salvadori of St Bart’s, Poway, we have in place four individuals who have agreed to assist with archive work and audits as needed.  They are:  Karen Pearce of St Bart’s, Poway, Steve Cox of All Saints, San Diego, Cynde Durnford-Branecki of Grace, San Marcos and Rachel Ambasing of St Matthew’s, National City.  Due to the Covid19 pandemic, we have begun training remotely by distributing the book Archives for Congregations to all members mentioned above.  

I continue to encourage the donation of documents and materials considered to be significant in the life of a parish, mission or the diocese.  If you have or know of anything that may add to the historical records of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, please let me know. 

Additionally, if you have any questions regarding the history or archived materials of the diocese, I hope you will contact me at jjwillcv@gmail.com .

John J. Will,

Historiographer of the Diocese

Investment Committee   

COVID-19 has impacted finances.  Initially, we started the year off well and in the black. We’ve met with our financial advisors twice since COVID hit.  Initially, we lost significantly in both the Endowment funds with Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF) and our Dowling and Yhanke (D&Y). 

When we met in August 2020, our balances are in a better place.  We are still down but not to the extent we were in the middle of March 2020.

The committee discussed with ECF and D & Y about Social Responsible investing.  Both organizations are very active in this area & excited to work with us in this arena.

There are still concerns about the election, COVID-19 issues and vaccines, lost jobs, business closings, commercial real estate, etc.  There is still volatility in the market.  Hopefully things will start to settle down by the beginning of 2021.

The committee is secure with our financial advisors and how they are managing our money.

Latino Missioner

A Way Forward for the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego with Hispanic/Latino Ministries

Objectives

Explore relationships between Anglo congregations and Hispanic/Latino communities

Increase understanding of the Hispanic/Latino culture in the context of Christian living

Expand horizons around developing vibrant multicultural Christian communitie

Deepen connections with ELCA, UMC, Presbyterians and others

Activities

The following are the activities as Latino Missioner from November 2019 to October 2020:

• Together with St. Dunstan’s parishioners visit to Ursulo Galvan, Baja California, Mexico. bringing help to inhabitants affected by wildfires.

• Ecumenical Pastor Breakfast

• Diocesan Convention

• St. Paul’s Breakfast

• Cursillo 252 Los Angeles

• Diocesan Staff Christmas Party

• St. Luke’s Church, North Park

• St. John’s Church, Fallbrook

• Lutheran Posadas

• Christmas party for Ursulo Galvan’s Children, Baja California, Mexico

• St. Andrew’s Church, Encinitas Posadas

• St. Paul’s Cathedral Posadas

• Rev. Hanna Wilder’s Ordination

• Call to the Wall planning committee meetings

• Epiphany Diocesan Youth Retreat

• PB Michael Curry’s Covenant Signing Event planning committee

• St. Paul Church, Palm Springs

• Western Diocesan Convention, Guadalajara, Mexico.

• Day with the Bishop, St. Andrew’s La Mesa

• March 2020 Covid19 quarantine officially started

• Virtual Nuevo Amanecer

• July, August, September, October Monthly Virtual Nuevo Amanecer Conference

• Clergy Zoom meetings on Thursdays with Bishop Susan

• Virtual Preaching at St. Paul’s Cathedral

• Sewanee Latino Ministry Collaborative 2020 Summit

• Virtual Clergy Conference

• In Person Preaching St. James Church, La Jolla

Ongoing activities

Virtual Diocesan Staff Meeting every Monday of the month.

Virtual All Staff Meeting every first Wednesday of the month.

Virtual Latino Ministry meeting on the second Thursday of the month. We currently have a support group for the development of the Latin ministry in our diocese. Its members are: Rev. Penny Bridges, Martha Curatolo, Pastor Jon Dolittle, Mr. Rom Ituarte, Rev. Luis Mañeru, Ms. Rosie Medina, Deacon Lilia Mendoza, Rev. Alex Nagy, Pastor María Santa Cruz, Ms. Bonnie Stroock. I also appreciate the participation of our bishop, the Rt. Rev. Susan Brown Snook and Canon Christian Gillette. Thank you very much for your support and participation.

Grateful,

The Rev. Carlos A. Garcia, Missioner for Hispanics/Latino.

Military Missioner

At last year’s Diocesan Convention our Bishop elevated ministry to our military and veteran community to the highest level in the history of the Episcopal Church. Hiring the first ever Military Missioner in the Episcopal Church, if not the Anglican Communion. This action is in recognition that, by virtue of God’s providence, our Diocese has been entrusted with a unique stewardship of ministry. San Diego has the largest concentration of military presence in the world with 110,700 Active Duty personnel and 118,300 family members, which represents 7.6 percent of San Diego County's total population. More than 240,500 veterans reside in San Diego and they account for 9.0 percent of the entire San Diego population. 

I am a recently retired Navy Chaplain and have spent most of my time in ministry serving in the Diocese of San Diego.  Since my coming aboard the EDSD, I have been (like most of you) quarantined, working out of my home. This has not stopped the ability to network and meet with others in the Diocese interested in commencing a ministry to this unique population. Introductory training workshops have been developed, our diocesan website has been updated with resources and links on how to begin a parish ministry to military families (and more) will soon be added.  Meetings have begun with parish leaders interested in outreach to the military.  I have just finished a month-long think-tank process with the Military Missions Network’s (MMN) Fall 2020 Church Collaboration.  A wide cross-section of 40 leaders around the country explored the best practices and strategies in missional military ministry. 

Among mainline churches, ministry to the military has been lacking energy and leadership.  In the coming year, as Military Missioner, I can coordinate with Navy chaplains offering marriage and resiliency workshops where we can provide hospitality, facilities, food and childcare. As such, we can come together and affirm to our military and veterans that we care about them. Providing training and tools for local parishes to understand and respond to the needs of the military and their families is a priority. We will provide training to clergy on PTSD and on how congregations can better respond to the military and veterans. We will equip a parish to identify who is in their church and help them set a solid foundation as they work toward implementing a vision and a purpose for their military ministry. You can begin today by enrolling your parish in the Military Chaplains Association, Veterans/Military Friendly Congregations (VMFC) website so military families can more easily find us.  Complete the VMFC enrollment form at https://vmfc-usa.org/

EDSD is in an exceptional position with missionary outposts all over the county; we can minister to the military and veterans like no other church because, we have churches everywhere throughout San Diego, Riverside and Yuma. The military and veterans of San Diego are the very people our Church should be reaching with a divine-human synergy so that we remain faithful to the mission of the Kingdom of God. 

School for Ministry

Meeting with the Bishop early in January, a new vision for the SFM was presented and we began the process of looking at low-hanging fruit that we could do early on to begin the re-formation of the school to grow into a more viable, effective, formational, and vibrant school for formation of deacons and priests, locally. We hired a consultant to help with the “Visioning Process”.  I continue to meet online with the rest of the “visioning team” about every 3 weeks. 

For the first time, we developed a Letter of Agreement for instructors at the SFM.  The agreement included (among other things) compensation, Syllabus template, expectations for assignments, grading, evaluations, and deadlines for submitting grading and evaluations.

For the first time, we held a 2020 Fall Semester Instructor and Staff Orientation prior to the student orientation.  The Student Handbook, the Instructor’s Guide were all updated and posted to the SFM Webpage- and was discussed at the meeting.  We will be holding a Faculty and Staff meeting at the end of the Fall term. (another first)

I attended and participated in the SFM Graduation ceremony held at the ECC and broadcast virtually throughout the diocese. Cindy Campos and Nancy Burnett were the graduates. 

A team consisting of the Director of Communications, the SFM Registrar, and myself worked together to re-design the SFM Website to make it intuitive, and a good source of resources and information needed by SFM Students. 

I will be continuing my role as the SFM Chaplain and meeting with the students every Saturday morning at 730 am for Morning Prayer, check-in and building community. 

We continue behind the scenes to develop a plan through the Visioning Process to reimagine and bring to reality the new direction for SFM.

Respectfully submitted,

The Rev. Pamela Rieger

SFM Rector & EDSD Archdeacon

Standing Committee

Standing Committee Members

The Rev. Kent Branstetter (2020)

Mr. Pete Casalegno (2021)

Mr. Louis “Butch” Glosson  (2020)

The Rev. Colin Mathewson (2023)

The Rev. Mark McKone-Sweet (2021)

Mr. Darryl Peralta (2023)

The Rev. Brenda Sol (Clerk) (2022)

Mr. Stephen Turnbull (President) (2022)

Since the November 2019 Diocesan Convention, the Standing Committee met ten times for regularly scheduled meetings and twice for special meetings. The following actions were taken:

Consents to Episcopal Consecrations or Elections

• Consent of Election – The Rev. Dr. Lennon Yuan-Rung Chang, Bishop Diocesan of the Diocese of Taiwan

• Consent of Election – Susan Haynes, Bishop Diocesan of the Diocese of Southern Virginia

• Consent of Election – The Rt. Rev. Mark Allan Van Koevering, Bishop Diocesan of the Diocese of Lexington

• Consent of Election – The Rev. Canon Frank Sullivan Logue, Bishop Diocesan of the Diocese of Georgia.

• Consent of Election – The Rev. Deon K. Johnson, Bishop Diocesan of the Diocese of Missouri.

• Consent of Election – The Rev. Poulson C. Reed, Bishop Diocesan of the Diocese of Oklahoma.

• Consent of Election – The Very Rev. Craig Loya, Bishop Diocesan of the Diocese of Minnesota.

• Consent to Election – The Rev. Dr. Glenda Curry, Bishop Diocesan of the Diocese of Alabama.

Diocesan Ordinations

The following people were interviewed and approved for stages in the Ordination process:

Candidacy

• Nancy Burnett

Candidacy & then Diaconate

• Cindy Campos

Financial Matters

• Approved an extension of St. Luke’s Lease Agreement with Uptown Faith Community Service Center.

• Approved the lease between St. David’s and The Garden.

• Approved a sale of property at St. Thomas, Temecula.

• Approved the initiation of St. Luke’s Shower Project.

• Approved the EDSD Solar Initiative Service Agreement between Fellowship Energy Group and Church Building Fund.

o   In connection approved the Master Solar Power Purchase Agreement for the diocese and all its missions, and for any parishes joining the agreement in the future.

o   Approved the Master Solar Power Purchase Agreement for the Episcopal Church Center.

o   Approved the Master Solar Power Purchase Agreement for St. Luke’s, North Park

• Approved the sale Mystic Point Condo at St. Michael’s.

• Approved the Nobel Lease Agreement with St. Timothy’s.

Miscellaneous

Approved Bylaw revisions for:

• All Saints’, Vista

• St. John’s, Chula Vista

• St. Paul’s Cathedral

• St. Peter’s, Del Mar

• Affirmed the request by All Saints’, Brawley to close.

•  Restored St. Mathew’s, National City to Mission Status

•  Approved resolutions for submission to Diocesan Convention regarding Pandemic Related Canonical Changes.

•  Approved support of the Bishop’s decisions regarding limiting In-Person Worship during the pandemic.

Mr. Stephen Turnbull, President of the Standing Committee

United Thank Offering

Recovering with Love and Gratitude – An Episcopal Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Local Contexts.

COVID-19 has changed everyone’s lives and the requests are even greater.  UTO has adapted their grant application and funding program to address the immediate COVID-19 needs of this unexpected economic downturn change in our communities. 

The Grant Request process is now being divided into two grant request and funding opportunities: the first round of Grant Requests has been awarded and funded in August 2020 with money received from January through June 2020; the second round will fund in February 2021 from the offerings received from July through December 2020.  The Diocese of San Diego submitted one Grant Request for the first round of funding 2020.

100% of all offerings collected are distributed each year.  In 2019, $1,535,740.55 were given to support innovative mission and ministry throughout the Episcopal Church and Provinces of the Anglican Communion. 

For more information about UTO’s work in the world and what a difference your gratefulness and generosity for all of God’s blessings makes, and to learn more about UTO please contact me at the email address below and visit the National UTO website at:

https://episcopalchurch.org/united-thank-offering

YOUR CHANGE MAKES CHANGES IN THE WORLD

Respectfully submitted,
Jamie Campbell Wood, UTO Representative

Episcopal Diocese of San Diego

Jamiecwood3@gmail.com

Youth Collaborative Report

Mission: The EDSD Youth Collaborative is a collective of San Diego parishes invested in youth ministry.  We use our common resources to serve youth and families throughout the diocese.  We meet quarterly to plan, collaborate, share events and resources, and provide support to those involved in youth ministry.  Collaborative events include mission trips, conventions, youth retreats, service opportunities, and various other activities including Nightwatch and Pentecost Bonfire, Rockin Jump,  and Broomball.

2020 Events: Our fifth year of working together has been unlike any we have ever experienced. Below are details on many planned events, as well as several that grew out of our situation

Youth Collaborative meetings transitioned to Zoom and grew from quarterly meetings to monthly check-ins and collaboration opportunities.

To the Ends of the Earth! Epiphany Retreat at Camp Stevens – Youth in grades 6-12 had the opportunity, to connect, bond and serve at Camp Stevens. This year we grew to two lodges with a total of 56 youth participating. We housed the high school group in Lax-Sadler and the Middle School group in Wolterstorff.  We also completed a service project at Camp Stevens, reconnected with old friends from around the diocese and welcomed first time participants from St. Phillips Lemon Grove.

Night Watch – 63 youth came together at St. Paul’s Cathedral for our annual overnight Lent offering. This was the last event we held in-person for the year. This year’s theme was, “Leap into Faith” and was held on February 29 – March 1st. Highlights included a Velcro wall, a multi-station prayer experience in the cathedral, late night Eucharist, and warm cinnamon rolls in the morning.

Pentecost Beach Bonfire – With a huge thank you to Camp Stevens and youth leaders from around our diocese, we were able to take the bonfire virtual! Even though we could not be together in person, it was a tremendous opportunity to come together virtually.

Dismantling Racism Group – Certified Trainer, Maya Little-Sana from St. Paul’s Cathedral, facilitated our first Dismantling Racism group. This program comes from the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing in Atlanta. Due to Covid-19, this program was completely online. We plan to repeat the offering during Epiphany 2021.

Urban Immersion Mission Trip for youth in grades 7-9 was cancelled because of Covid-19.

EYE20 for youth in grades 10-12 was cancelled because of Covid-19.

Diocesan Convention – This year’s program is hosted on Whova! The youth will be following a three track program that will help to shape the direction that youth ministry takes in our diocese over the next few years.

Youth Christmas Pageant – This first time offering will feature youth from as many congregations as possible. The completed video will be available on December 15th for downloading and streaming in online service. The script and video production is being provided by Greg Tuttle, Youth Minister at St. Dunstan’s.

Youth Group Collaborations – One of the gift of these times is that location seems to matter less. Many churches in our diocese have chosen to work together to host online youth gatherings. This allows for creativity, connection, and shared workload. The youth are enjoying it because it allows them to see friends from other areas on a regular basis. I anticipate that this offering will continue even as we begin gathering again in-person.

Final Recap: When I sat down to write this report, I thought that it would simply say, “We cancelled everything.” But we didn’t. In a year that has been unlike any other, we continued to connect and serve youth from all over our diocese. Moreover, creativity and connection grew in ways none of us could have seen coming this year. Relationships between youth ministry leadership is a vital part of this offering. The support, encouragement and collaboration of colleagues is key to not only successful programing, but also for professional growth. For more information on the EDSD youth collaborative, and how to become part of the group, please contact youth missioner Charlette Preslar, cpreslar@edsd.org. Also, please follow the group on Instagram: edsdyouth or on Facebook: Episcopal Diocese of San Diego Youth Ministry. Youth ministers are particularly encouraged to reach out to Charlette. All it takes is one connection to start your partnership in the group. The more parishes that partner, the wider variety of offerings and locations we are able to support!