Diocesan Convention

Bishop’s Report to Convention

“I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:19

This year, the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego marks our second virtual diocesan convention due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, we were still grieving the loss of in-person gatherings and worship services. This year, our congregations are back to worshiping in person, and COVID-19 cases are dropping as vaccination rates rise. There is great hope as we continue to pray for the end of the pandemic, but we have still chosen to meet virtually for this convention for one more year. Next year, we pray that we can once more greet each other in person!

The pandemic has affected all of our congregations in a number of ways. Even as most worship reopens, some people have not yet chosen to return. Yet we have seen our church discover new ways to follow Jesus during this unexpected time of turmoil. Most of our congregations discovered how to worship online, and some added new online Bible study and communal prayer options. Many leaders also built closer relationships with fellow church members, as they made special efforts to reach out by phone and stay in touch. Some congregations grew as they welcomed new members online, who eventually joined worship in person. Several responded to vast needs in their neighborhoods, as feeding programs and other social services to our communities expanded.

Indeed, the work of the church continues. In my address to this convention, I will highlight significant steps we have taken on the Strategic Plan our diocese adopted in 2020. In our strategic priorities of Church Growth, Discipleship, Evangelism, Service, Advocacy, Leadership, and Stewardship, we have made progress, even if it’s not always evident. We have laid the groundwork for new ministries, congregations, and missional initiatives. We have found renewed passion for the work of racial justice, creation care, and border and immigration ministries. We have done intentional work on streamlining how we identify leaders and equip them for ministry. We have supported several congregations in becoming financially stable, and joined in the excitement as others reached new people, grew, and thrived. We have been inspired as congregations have devoted energy to serving those in need in their communities.

In all of these ministries and missions, we have exercised Courageous Love. Courage is not the same as fearlessness; courage is the ability to act even when we are afraid. The pandemic has brought us fear, stress, and anxiety, but we are still willing to act courageously, following Jesus and loving God and our neighbor. In our ministries and our continued work to proclaim the good news of Jesus and follow Christ into our world, we are continuing to work toward the vision of our diocese:

As a growing, diverse, worshipping community of Jesus Christ’s followers,

 we will courageously share God’s transforming love in our neighborhoods and beyond.  

We believe that we can make this vision a reality, because even in a pandemic, God is always doing a new thing. As the church changes, God’s mission continues. And as we join God in mission, we follow Jesus in exercising Courageous Love.

In Christ,

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Susan Brown Snook

Diocesan Convention

Reports to Convention

Advocacy Committee

In 2021, our Advocacy Committee and Diocesan Service and Justice Coalition (DSJC, formerly Diocesan Service Summit) focused on working on the objectives and actions related to our strategic goals in the Diocese’s 2020 Strategic Plan.

Advocacy Strategic Plan goal: We engage more people in advocacy to bring about peace, justice, and a right relationship with Jesus and all of creation.

 Service Strategic Plan goal: We build relationships to know and love God and our neighbors and work to meet each other’s needs.

Progress on Advocacy Objectives and Actions

 Our first Advocacy objective is to enculturate holy conversations about immigration, creation care, racial reconciliation, affordable housing, and gun violence to inspire prayer, action, and service by December 3, 2025.

Our second Advocacy objective is to collaborate with advocacy partners to promote at least four opportunities per year that engage Episcopalians in social justice work.

• We hosted a Transformational Leadership Academy related to peace and justice. One result of that was to create a number of task forces related to this work: Creation Care, Affordable Housing, and Racial Justice. With the arrival of a new Missioner for Border Ministry, we expect to start an Immigration task force soon.

• Last November, the diocese hosted a virtual Border Ministry Summit that was partially sponsored by Episcopal Migration Ministries and was attended by people all over the country, including the other dioceses that border Mexico.

• We have encouraged churches to adopt the Sacred Ground curriculum, a racial reconciliation curriculum created by The Episcopal Church. As of Nov. 2021, we have hosted XX number of groups in XX number of churches and diocesan groups.

• We have hosted an Imagine Theater racial reconciliation theatrical production to encourage holy conversations about racism.

• We have authored diocesan resolutions related to social justice for the 2021 Diocesan Convention.

• Our Youth Collaborative has hosted events to encourage holy conversations about social issues.

• We are collecting learning resources for all ages.

• The Bishop has written several letters to the diocese related to racial justice, creation care, and immigration, and we have elevated her voice in the community through organizations such as the San Diego Organizing Project.

• Priests of the diocese participated in several public prayer services urging peace in our nation in January of 2021.

• We are working with the Episcopal Public Policy Network of California and the San Diego Organizing Project to find ways to invite more Episcopalians in social justice work.

Progress on Service Objectives and Actions

Our first Service objective is to incorporate Christian spiritual practices into all service opportunities to share the Good News to all those serving and all who are served by December 31, 2023. Our second Service objective is to empower churches to connect with their neighbors and community programs by December 31, 2024.

During the COVID shutdown, some churches’ service to their surrounding communities were shut down, such as Showers of Blessings and food banks. However, some of them have reopened in 2021.

• At least one church has restarted Showers of Blessing, a multi-denominational service opportunity in Encinitas. The diocese lent unused Showers trucks to Jewish Family Services.

• Many of our churches do Blessings in a Bag to provide snack bags for people on the streets.

• This summer many churches worked together with other churches and/or agencies to provide backpacks for school children: 250 backpacks for Community Christian Service Agency, 150 for St. Mark's Back2School Bash, 160 for Headstart at St. John's in Chula Vista, 100 for Fallbrook Food Pantry through St. John's, 100 for Military Outreach Ministries through St. James, 100 for North County Lifeline through Christ Church.

• Some feeding programs have remained open with modifications through the pandemic but are not so easy to replicate during pandemic times. One example is St. Luke’s food pantry and their sponsorship of the Mama Africa catering service.

• St. Timothy's community garden gave 48 lbs. of cabbage in March, 100 lbs. of tomatoes and 80 lbs. of cantaloupe in July for the Community Cares program in Rancho Peñasquitos to distribute.

• The Diocesan Service and Justice Coalition shares the news of service opportunities at their meetings and is working to get more of these opportunities into the diocesan news so that other churches can replicate them.

• The Youth Collaborative offers service opportunities for youth across the diocese, although some were curtailed due to COVID this past year.

In the coming year, the DSJC will work with clergy on incorporating more spiritual practices in service opportunities.

The Rev. Janine Schenone, Advocacy Committee Chair

Audit Committee

Bishop’s School

The Bishop’s School enrolled 144 new students from 90 different schools for the 2020-2021 school year (grades 6-12).  The total number of students enrolled for the school year was 800.  Forty-eight percent of Bishop’s students identified as students of color, and approximately 20% of the student body received financial assistance through our need-based Financial Aid Program.

We began the 2020-2021 school year with full distance learning and transitioned to a hybrid model in October 2020 with students coming to campus on a staggered schedule (two days of on-campus learning followed by four days of distance learning). We welcomed the entire student body back to campus on April 20th, 2021. 

In a normal year, we have 72 sports teams, 40 performing arts shows (in dance, theater, choral and instrumental music) as well as visual arts shows (in photography, animation and more).  Following pandemic safety guidelines, the school live-streamed all of the games and shows so families could watch their students perform. Both student-athletes and performers were masked most, if not all of the time, in accordance with those requirements (e.g. volleyball players remained masked even while playing, and all the shows featured masked performers at all times). Students and faculty were grateful for the opportunities to continue doing these activities that mean so much to them.

For Athletics, we worked with CIF to compress three seasons of sports into two, doing things like combining girls’ and boys’ tennis into one co-Ed team in one season. This means that students who are multi-sport athletes found themselves playing two or three sports in the same season. Water polo (both boys and girls) won championships, and Lucy Yuan ‘24 was the coastal league girls’ golfer of the year.

For Performing Arts, our theater tech team led by AJ Paulin designed and built outdoor stages and props so students could safely rehearse and perform.  Singers and musicians really had to get creative.  The band and orchestra members couldn’t play wind instruments, so students were learning how to play and perform with different instruments than they normally play.  The choirs found outdoor spaces like the alumni courtyard that allowed them enough room for social distancing and offered great acoustics. 

Upper school students completed more than 13,228 hours of service in local, state, and international communities, serving vulnerable populations (the elderly, the disabled, children, and teens), addressing homelessness and hunger, building houses, working in orphanages and hospitals, tutoring in schools and promoting environmental sustainability. 

The Shaffer Family Foundation Science Lecture series welcomed Nicole Capretz, an environmental lawyer, and founder and executive director of the Climate Action Campaign, to speak with students about climate responsibility. 

In the summer of 2021, Bishop’s launched its first Summer Knights program, 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. 

In Chapel, we focused on the Prophet Micah’s directive to “do justice.”  Head of School Ron Kim, in his opening chapel talk to students, spoke about Ellen Browning Scripps’ commitment to social justice causes of her day (including the women’s suffrage movement), and her belief in the power of education to advance the cause of social justice.

The Board of Trustees finalized our strategic plan, including a revised mission, vision, diversity, and core values statement.  The new mission reads: “Bishop’s is an Episcopal school that nurtures students of intellect and character to think independently, learn collaboratively, grow their sense of self, and act with greater purpose.”  The six core values include integrity, compassion, inclusion, intellect, excellence, and justice. In addition, a statement on Bishop’s Episcopal Identity, co-written by the Rev. Nicole Simopoulos-Pigato and The Right Rev. Susan Brown Snook, was adopted by the Board of Trustees and is now updated on the website.

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 2021 

Camp Stevens continues to tackle the challenges of the global pandemic as an interdependent community. Our revenue loss increased to almost $700,000 while navigating a reduced business model and the impact of the temporary closure December - February to save resources and to prioritize safety during a time of high COVID-19 cases and deaths. While all employees collected unemployment, we were able to offer living space at camp and health insurance, knowing that supporting our people would help us come back stronger after the closure.  

We successfully raised over $400,000 over the past year, through grants, donations, and government funding. In 2021 we are concentrating our fundraising efforts on operational grants and transitioning the focus from Emergency Operating to the Transformation Fund.  

The Transformation Fund will support our recovery efforts include everything from essential facilities repairs, increased staffing through our intern program as retreat business increases, and opportunities to diversify our impact on and interaction with our geographical and greater community. Fundraising successes include $10,000 grant from the Small Business Association, $15,000 from the San Diego Foundation, and the generous grants and donation from the Dioceses of San Diego and Los Angles as well as the Episcopal Relief and Development.   

Serving 267 campers over five weeks, Summer Camp was 100% COVID free. The modified camp schedule and model reduced campers by 50%, but staff by only 20%. This allowed us to maintain a high standard of care and compliance with protocols. As retreat programs increase this fall, a minimum number of staff and support are required even with limited capacity due to safety standards. Camp Stevens is beginning its healing journey. While we still struggle with the month-to-month cost of operations we remain hopeful and faithful as we look to the future.    

Canon to the Ordinary Report

I am often asked, “just what IS the Canon to the Ordinary?” There’s a churchy word for everything! A canon is a member of the clergy or laity who is on the staff of the diocese and the “ordinary” is the Bishop. I perform tasks as assigned by the Bishop. We joke that I am her “right-hand woman.” In our diocese, my duties include clergy and congregational transitions, Diocesan liturgies, congregational development, Convention, Clergy Conference, and staff support for the Executive Council and its committees, implementation of the Strategic Plan, and support of the Commission on Ministry.  

Clergy and Congregational Transitions through November 6, 2021 

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

• The Rev. Nancy Burnett is serving as transitional deacon at St. Mark’s, City Heights. 

• The Rev. Cindy Campos now serves at St. Dunstan’s, San Carlos. 

• The Rev. William Doggett is serving as interim rector at St. Bartholomew’s, Poway. 

• The Rev. Cathey Dowdle is now an assisting priest at St. Bartholomew’s, Poway.   

• The Rev. Katherine Gordon is serving as transitional deacon at St. Alban’s, El Cajon. 

• The Rev. Richard Hogue was called as Associate for Congregational Life at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, San Diego, effective November 8, 2021.  

• The Rev. Patricia Horkey now serves as Associate Rector for Pastoral Care at St. Margaret’s, Palm Desert. 

• The Rev. Daniel Kline serves as co-rector of St. Paul in the Desert, Palm Springs. 

• The Rev. Jeff Martinhauk is now the Chief Financial Officer of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. 

• The Rt. Rev. James Mathes is the Dean of Students at the School for Ministry. 

• The Rev. Daniel McMillan is serving as deacon at St. Andrew’s, Pacific Beach. 

• The Rev. Regan Schutz is now the rector at Christ Church, Coronado. 

• The Rev. Kirby Smith was called as priest-in-charge at All Saints’, Vista. 

• The Rev. Jessica Thompson serves as co-rector of St. Paul in the Desert, Palm Springs. 

The following congregations are in a transition period (or will enter in the next week):  

• All Souls’, Point Loma: The Revs. Joe and Terry Dirbas will conclude their ministry at All Souls’ (Joe as rector, Terry as Associate rector) as of November 7. An interim will be called. 

• Christ the King: The Rev. Jason Samuels concluded his ministry at Christ the King. The congregation is currently being served by supply clergy. 

• Holy Cross, Oceanside: The Rev. Richard Hogue will conclude his ministry at Holy Cross as of November 7. An interim will be called. 

• St. Andrew’s Lake Elsinore: The Rev. Cristina Borges concluded her ministry at St. Andrew’s. The congregation is being served by supply clergy. 

• St. Bartholomew’s, Poway: The Rev. Mark McKone-Sweet concluded his ministry at St. Bartholomew’s. The Rev. William Doggett is serving as interim.  

• St. Hugh’s, Idyllwild: The Rev. Dan Rondeau concluded his ministry at St. Hugh’s. The congregation is being served by supply clergy. 

• St. Thomas, Temecula: The Rev. Julie Bryant concluded her ministry at St. Thomas. The congregation is being served by the Rev. David Jackson and supply clergy. An interim will be called. 

Holy Cross moved from its facility in Carlsbad in February, 2021. The space was deconsecrated. They are now worshiping in space rented from Oceanside Sanctuary.

St. Stephen’s, Menifee has been closed temporarily as of June 2021. A redevelopment is planned. 

Diocesan Liturgies  

Gratefully, in-person worship was largely restored in 2021, albeit with restrictions. 

The Diocesan staff offered a virtual Good Friday service. 

An ordination service was held on September 18 at the Cathedral. Nancy Burnett and Katherine Gordon were ordained transitional deacons and Daniel McMillan was ordained vocational deacon. 

The annual clergy Renewal of Vows was held at Clergy Conference at Vina de Lestonnac Retreat Center on September 29.  

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.

 For those discerning a vocation to ordained ministry, the process overseen by the Commission moves through four stages: initial inquirer, aspirant/applicant, postulant, and candidate.  The continuous thread through all of these stages is a weave of discernment, field education, formation and evaluation.

 Commission Chair this year was Meredith Hardy, joined as Co-Chair in May by the Rev. Richard Hogue.  A new role within the Commission was established, PDC & LH Coordinator (Parish Discernment Committees and Listening Heart Sessions).  This COM member coordinates and oversees PDCs and LHs for each discerner.

 The Commission continued the previous year’s discussion and consideration of the Discernment & Formation Handbook, collaborating with the Bishop and Canon of the Ordinary to further simplify discerner requirements.  As each COM member is liaison for at least one individual on the formal discernment journey, the role of COM liaison was also further explored and clarified.  An orientation for new COM members was developed, and the Class of 2023 participated in this orientation.

 Lastly, the COM this year took on the task of developing written requirements for three Lay Licenses for the Diocese of San Diego, to be posted on the diocesan website.  These are: Lay Evangelist, Lay Preacher and Lay Catechist.  Specifics for each license were approved by the Bishop.  The new Licenses were presented at the annual Diocesan Day of Information on October 9, 2021.

The following are currently in a formal process of discernment and formation, overseen by the Bishop and the COM:

• Two inquirers

• Three aspirants

• Four postulants, discerning for Priesthood

• One Candidate for Ordination, Transitional Deacon

• One Vocational Deacon was ordained September 18, 2021

• Two Transitional Deacons were ordained September 18, 2021

 Members of the Commission on Ministry:

     Class of 2021: Ms. Meredith Hardy, Mrs. Donna Morales, Mr. John Will
Class of 2022: Rev. Richard Hogue, Rev. Rebecca Di Novo, Mr. Mark Patzman
Class of 2023: Rev. Paul Carmona, Mr. Justin Lewis, Mr. Terry Kelly

Also, in regular attendance:

     The Rt. Rev. Susan Brown Snook, Rev. Canon Gwynn Lynch (Canon of the Ordinary), Rev. Brenda Sol (liaison from the Standing Committee)

Respectfully submitted,
Meredith Hardy and Rev. Richard Hogue, Co-Chairs

The Clergy Enrichment Committee Report

Members: The Rev. D. Rebecca Dinovo- chair, the Rev. Canon Gwynn Lynch, the Rev. Brenda Sol, the Rev. Joseph Dirbas, the Rev. Janine Schenone, the Rev. Mary Lynn Coulson, the Rev. Edward Busch, the Rev. Susan Latimer, the Rev. Andrew Butler, the Rev. Daniel McMillen, the Rev. Regan Schutz.

The primary focus of the Clergy Enrichment Committee (CEC) this past year was supporting the clergy of the Diocese through the pandemic via distance/online meetings and interactions. We have started and continue to re-imagine what the CEC will offer and do differently in the Diocese under the guidance of Bishop Susan Brown Snook.

Just before the pandemic began, we offered an in-person “Clergy Day” on February 20th at St. Andrew’s in La Mesa. Morning Prayer was offered by Fr. Harold Reed followed by a presentation by the Bishop and Christian Gillette on the topic of “discipleship” along with table discussion and lunch. 

Following the area-wide lock down and church/office closures during the pandemic, the clergy began meeting via zoom with the Bishop weekly and later bi-monthly. In addition to offering some support to these meetings, the primary task of the committee over the past year has been planning and overseeing the annual Clergy Conference.

The clergy met for an online Clergy Conference in 2020 and were encouraged to meet in “clergy pods” which consisted of small groups of 2-4 clergy meeting either online or distanced/outdoors for discussion and mutual support. The speaker, who joined us via zoom, was the Very Rev. Dr. Cynthia Briggs Kittredge, the Dean and President of the Seminary of the Southwest. The topic was, “When the World Falls Apart: Apocalyptic Texts for our Times” with a focus on the apocalyptic texts in the lectionary for late Pentecost and Advent which spoke in many ways to the chaotic and tumultuous moment. Other offerings included brief “embodiment” practices lead by the Rev. Susan Latimer as well as online worship and games/ice breakers along with a closing conversation with the Bishop.

We have been meeting in recent months to plan the 2021 Clergy Conference which will take at the Vina de Lestonnac Retreat center in Temecula with the Rev. Scott Gunn at the end of September.  The conference will be a hybrid gathering of online and in-person participants on the theme of “Being Made New.”

We will continue to discern our role in the upcoming year and we encourage all congregations to support and encourage their clergy to take advantage of any and all upcoming times of learning, fellowship, and worship with the Bishop and fellow clergy.

In Christ,

The Rev. D. Rebecca Dinovo

Chair

Communications Report

Christmas, December 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, December 2020

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 2021

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.

The Communication Department also produced a virtual Good Friday service and Easter Sunday service for virtual use at a local level.

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 by:

Chris Tumilty

Director of Communications

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 2022 we anticipate having two Cursillo weekends. The Spring 2021 weekend will be April 28th through May 1st, 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

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. Rebecca Dinovo’s presentation gave insight into “The Franciscan Call to Pray, Love, and Serve”. Our Spring Assembly included a presentation by The Rev. Meg Decker titled “Inspire Spiritual Growth and Development” and a study of the use of Canticles in our services led by Mary Gaines. We are in discussion for our Fall Assembly to be held in October.

The last year and a half has been a challenging one for DOK. We had to learn to Zoom, be flexible with masking, not masking, meeting in person, meeting on-line, and the list goes on. Our daughters have stepped up to meet the challenges before us. We have responded to the call to pray and serve our parishes and church communities.

2022 will hopefully see more 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 2021 were:

The Rt. Rev. Dr.  Susan Brown-Snook, President
The Rev. Janine Schenone, First Vice President
Mr. Joseph Jok, Second Vice President
Mr. Ruben Rodriguez, Secretary
The Rev. Kirby M. Smith, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (January through February 2021) and the Rev. Canon Jeff Martinhauk, Chief Financial Officer (beginning July 2021)

The Council met virtually throughout 2021 because of the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. The first meeting was held on January 9 and included training for new members. Regular meetings were held monthly except for August. Special meetings were held in March and August. The Council did a study of the book of Acts, using a guide entitled “Acts: From Maintenance to Mission,” created by Bishop Susan and the Rev. Canon C. K. Robertson, Ph.D.

Council members were asked to choose the committees they would like to serve. The committees mirror the categories in the Strategic Plan:

·         Evangelism, Discipleship, and Church Growth

·         Leadership and Congregational Development

·         Service and Advocacy

·         Stewardship

Council approved Missional Congregational Grants in March 2021.

Throughout the year, Council approved financial aid to the following congregations:

·         St. Thomas, Temecula

·         St. Stephen’s Preschool, Menifee

·         St. Matthew’s, National City

The Council made the following property agreements:

·         Early lease termination between Holy Cross and Green Properties.

·         Extension of sales agreement for excess property at St. Thomas, Temecula.

·         Lease agreement between Holy Cross and Oceanside Sanctuary.

·         St. Luke’s conversations with Trestle for Affordable Housing.

·         Sale of church property in Brawley, California

·         Ended earlier sales agreement for excess property at St. Thomas, Temecula and entered into a new sales agreement.

·         Entered into a management contract for St. Thomas Preschool with Learning Care Group.

·         In May 2021 Council voted to close St. Stephen’s, Menifee for a period of discernment on its future mission.

·         Approved a lease for shared space at St. Stephen’s.

·         Approved a lease for shared space at St. Andrew’s, Lake Elsinore.

Council also approved COVID policies for Diocesan Staff and events.

Submitted by the Rev. Canon Gwynn Lynch on behalf of the Rev. Janine Schenone, First Vice-President of Executive Council.

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, four years past the due date, less than 30% 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 and we are happy to share this resource via a thumb drive or by e-mailing a link to the archive.  For access to this archive please contact Jeff Green at (619) 857-9577.

• 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 at (619) 857-9577

• The diocese has also 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 three years the ECC and several churches have received grants of $100,000 each. If you are interested in applying for the Non-Profit Security Grant please contact Jeff Green at (619) 857-9577.

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 experience in the field of safety/security and are interested in becoming a member of the Diocesan Disaster Preparedness Committee, please contact Jeff Green at (619) 857-9577.

Ecumenical and Interreligious Ministries Report

Having been appointed to serve the bishop in support of diocesan ecumenical and interfaith affairs just prior to onset of the coronavirus pandemic, there is not much activity to report. Many of the scheduled meetings and gatherings were canceled for safety reasons and plans for future events continue to be on hold as we discern the best path forward in light of current health protocols.

The Lutheran/Anglican/Roman Catholic Dialog of San Diego (LARC) continued to meet via zoom over the last year. Discussions included identifying opportunities for joint prayer services, providing prayer resources to the churches in our diocese, and suggesting ways for diocesan leadership to join in conversation in prayer. Several LARC events that were scheduled for 2020 were considered for 2021 but, alas, placed on hold yet again.

The 2021 national workshop on Christian unity and the annual meeting of the Episcopal Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers was held virtually in April 2021. The 2022 NWCU is scheduled to occur in person at Garden Grove, CA in May 2022.

Finally, the San Diego Regional Interfaith Collaborative (SDRIC) met virtually and offered resources to church and faith leaders in the San Diego community.

There continue to be multiple avenues for our diocese to engage in interreligious activities and to coordinate our efforts with members of other faith traditions. The opportunities are exciting and there is a commitment to interfaith work in this region. We are eager to move beyond this pandemic and return to offering in-person learning, fellowship, service, and prayer opportunities.

Lastly, I’d like to thank Bishop Susan Brown Snook for entrusting me with this opportunity. I was grateful for the call and was eager to participate. However, role as deputy interfaith and interreligious officer for the diocese of San Diego will come to an end this fall. I am certain the bishop will appoint a deputy dedicated to the work of building bridges between communities of faith in our local areas.

With gratitude to our bishops and those who lead us and guide us as we seek to live into the kingdom of God,

The Rev. Joseph Dirbas,

Ecumenical and Interreligious Officer, Episcopal Diocese of San Diego

Episcopal Church Women

Our ECW group initially was known as “The Women of St. Mary’s”. However, in keeping with the National and Diocesan groups, we changed our name to Episcopal Church Women. Although our membership fluctuates, our group has been consistently active since its inception almost 30 years ago. Thanks to the efforts of Sandy Bedard, we are regular contributors to the UTO campaign. An offshoot of ECW is our active Prayers and Squares quilting group which has given many handmade prayer quilts to grateful recipients in need of solace. Our bylaws, being really out of date, were reviewed and updated. We’ve had two successful sidewalk sales selling items donated by a congregant. We were blessed to be able to send some help to Navajoland. In August we had a wonderful Garden Tea in the lovely yard of Debbie Benson. We all wore hats and drank tea out of our lovely little teacups. It was lots of fun and good fellowship. We have a great book club called Pew Sisters who try to meet monthly. Our current read is “Ten Women of the Bible”, stories of “women in Scripture and the remarkable way God broke down cultural barriers to use them in the unfolding of His story”.  Twenty-five years, that is how long St. Mary’s has continuously been putting on our annual Bazaar. Our chairs are working hard to sort, organize, and price the donations while keeping plans within Covid restrictions. There will be a Boutique for gently used and vintage items, a yard sale overseen as usual by the tireless Gail Voorhees. In the past, we’ve sold soups, homemade baked goods etc. but with Covid restrictions, we will be adding a Craft Show showcasing our handmade quilts, table runners, and other items made by the members. And as a special bonus this year we will be having music provided by our own Shirthouse Band. Come, buy, and enjoy the Bluegrass music. We are considering sending a representative to the Baltimore Triennial next year, funding permitting. Our President, Carol Weissenberger attended the recent Provence 8 ECW retreat via Zoom. The theme was “Love”. It was informative and interesting to meet delegates from the other Dioceses.

As an aside, we would like to let everyone know St. Mary’s has a small Labyrinth behind the Church. Walking a labyrinth is an ancient practice for spiritual centering, contemplation, and prayer.

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Women would like to network with other ECW groups in the Diocese. We can be reached by leaving a message at the Church at 760-789-0890. Or contact our President, Carol Weissenberger, at cvr00m8n@outlook.com.

Episcopal Community Services

Thanks to the generous support of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego and its parishioners, ECS has been busy working to build a healthy community. Bringing together neighbors for that brighter tomorrow.  

We believe in a world where all are supported to reach their full potential, and that there is hope for a brighter tomorrow. That belief is especially important – and sustaining – now and during the last year.  

It has been a period of great loss in our country and community. Many lost loved ones, and others faced unthinkable challenges. During these trying times, ECS worked to exemplify its mission of serving God by serving your neighbors in need. 

At ECS, being a neighbor is about inspiring children, empowering adults, and transforming communities by providing high-quality social services that promote healthy interdependence. From adults experiencing homelessness to educational equity and from battling substance abuse to supporting those with mental or behavioral health issues, your neighbors in need have received vital support services at ECS during these transitional times. The ECS team of 450 dedicated employees serves 7,000 people annually across 22 locations. 

Your neighbors in need of behavioral health and substance use disorder services received these vital programs via telehealth. Counselors and staff worked diligently to ensure that each client received the resources they needed, despite the challenges of connecting virtually.  

Your neighbors enrolled in early childhood education programs through Head Start were taught in a virtual format, and educational learning tablets were provided to over 900 children. And this fall, teachers and staff worked tirelessly to prepare classrooms for a safe return to in-person instruction.   

Your neighbors living in Uptown Safe Haven, our transitional housing facility in Banker’s Hill, received so much outpouring of support and love from supporters across the area. These residents continue to support each other as they rebuild their futures for a brighter day. These challenges have not been easy, yet our team has proven yet again that there is no challenge too great to overcome.  

ECS faced additional changes this year when Lesslie Keller retired after 13 years of dedicated service. Thanks to Lesslie, ECS is a trusted partner in the community with secure financial standing and a strong, high-performing team.  

Looking ahead, our focus at ECS will be lifting our visibility in the region, telling our stories with impact, and creating powerful partnerships to drive equity, opportunity, and possibility for all. We envision ECS as being a top tier charitable organization known across the region for making lasting, meaningful change. We envision ECS an employer of choice, known as a great place to work and volunteer. We see ECS as being a voice for equity, an advocate for low-income families, and a driver of social change.  

Our team is exploring opportunities to grow our services, and expand our footprint, and in doing so we will create more opportunities for our community of supporters to grow and expand. We are excited to partner with our parishes on the ministries they hold dear, and find ways to support and complement one another.  

We see a bright future for ECS and our community, and we are so grateful to be in partnership with you. 

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

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, the property committee, investment committee, and budget committee report to the finance committee. The finance committee currently consists of seven members.   

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 committee welcomed a new CFO in 2021, the Rev. Jeff Martinhauk. 

As in 2020, the most pressing challenge faced by the committee was the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diocese and on individual parishes.  State and county mandates for health/safety protocols prevented parishes from conducting in-person worship services for much of the year, and many churches were unable to reopen on-campus schools or could only operate them at limited capacity.  As a result, revenue streams to both churches and diocese continue to be significantly impacted.  Through the finance committee and executive council, the diocese continues to work with individual churches to ensure their financial health though a variety of methods such as direct grants, Common Life Share waivers, and interest forgiveness/primary deferral on loans.  The committee has also worked extensively to look at the effect of current budget shortfalls on future year revenue projections.  Although many challenges are expected in the coming months as the pandemic continues, the diocese continues to maintain a solid financial position. 

In 2021 the finance committee 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 parishes with the sale of cell tower leases, consulting on the sale of church property, reviewing/approving solar purchase and maintenance agreements, 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 finance committee also maintained oversight on issues impacting at the diocesan level including funding of the Strategic Plan, hiring of new diocesan employees, updating medical plans available for employees, and maintaining appropriate levels of property/casualty insurance.

The Diocese and its constituent churches continued in 2021 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.  Looking forward, the group will continue to assist with projects such as affordable housing, 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 to those individuals who donated extensive amounts of time in managing the financial resources of the diocese:  The. Rt. Rev. Susan Brown Snook, Ms. Pat Carson, Mr. Chris Christopher, Ms. Guin DeJarnett, Ms. Terry Farrelly, Ms. Lesslie Keller, the Rev. Canon Gwynn Lynch, the Rev. Jeff Martinhauk, Mr. Frank Rojas, Ms. Jan Romerdahl, Ms. Erin Sacco Pineda, and Ms. Julie Young.  The committee also recognizes and thanks the members who left committee this year:  the Rev. Kirby Smith, Mr. Tom Sparrow, Mr. Allen Sweet, and Mr. David Tremaine.

Yours in Christ,

Respectfully submitted, Andy Waters, Chair

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   

Military Missioner

This past year our military and veteran ministry has been primarily one of providing resources to parishes wishing to move into this ministry. One of the most significant things to happen has been the meetings and introduction of parish leadership to the Navy Chaplains here in San Diego. For example, Good Samaritan, La Jolla and Church of the Good Shepherd, Bonita have had one-on-one meetings with Navy Chaplains to begin the synergistic network that can happen when our parishes host and coordinate with Navy chaplains to offer marriage and resiliency workshops where we can provide hospitality, facilities, food and childcare for the Navy and Marine Corps.

I have also provided tours of bases to several churches in our Diocese and am available to do more if your parish is interested. I have conducted trainings to introduce parishes to this ministry with the presentation such as, “Ten Easy Steps to Begin a Ministry to Active Duty Military” and an introduction to “Military Ministry in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego.”

I have created a Military Cycle of Prayer modeled on our Diocesan and Anglican Cycles of Prayer.  I have also researched Veteran organizations in San Diego so that our parish leadership has knowledge of which organization provide the best resources for veterans in crisis. I am also networking with Veteran organizations in San Diego to raise our visibility to the Veteran community. For the first time ever, our diocese and many of our parishes, honored Vietnam Era Veterans with certificates and pins thanking them for their service.

Recently, one of my recent projects has been to look at each parish's website and see if there is a “Welcome Message” to the military, their families and veterans. I provide four examples churches can use, or they may their write their own, providing directions and times of services. “Creating a Military and Veteran Friendly Church Website” can be found under our Diocesan resource page https://edsd.org/ministry-to-armed-forces/.  Based on my consultations from Military Missioners across the country, this is an important first-step towards creating a military ministry. We know that most people will visit our websites before attending our parishes.  

The Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma and the Diocese of Arizona have as well recently begun ministry to the military and veterans and have brought aboard priests to serve as Military Missioners. I have been a consultant to these Missioners providing them resources and documents to assist them in starting this ministry.

In the coming year, it is my hope that we can finally meet and come together come to brainstorm on exactly how your parish can support our military and veterans.  I plan to continue to provide more training and tools for local parishes to understand and respond to the needs of the military and their families. An important first step is to enroll your parish in the Military Chaplains Association, Veterans/Military Friendly Congregations (VMFC) website so military families can more easily find you.  Complete the VMFC enrollment form at https://vmfc-usa.org/.  The national organization, Military Missions Network’s (MMN) has continued to update resources for leaders so that we can redeploy the best practices and strategies in missional military ministry to you.

As we remain faithful to the mission of the Kingdom of God, EDSD is in an exceptional position because San Diego has the largest concentration of military in the world. We have 110,700 Active Duty personnel and 118,300 family members, which is 7.6 percent of our population.  More than 240,500 veterans reside in San Diego accounting for 9.0 percent of the whole San Diego population, and it continues to grow.

Peace and Justice

There has been significant activity this year within the Diocese – both in efforts across the Diocese and at individual churches - related to peace and justice issues. A new Missioner was hired with the goal of increasing the Diocese’s focus and capacity related to justice work. Deann Rios began a part-time position as a Co-Missioner for Peace & Justice in January of 2021, and The Rev. Rebecca Dinovo assumed the same title as a volunteer Co-Missioner. Each worked an average of 8 hours per week this year to support and connect existing work and create new peace and justice opportunities within our churches, Diocese, and communities. As a means of better loving our neighbors, the goals of this work included engaging groups and individuals of all ages in spiritual, educational, and action-oriented efforts in the areas of racial justice, creation care, food justice, affordable housing, inter-faith work, gun safety, civil discourse, and border and refugee ministry. All of this work is being done under the leadership of Diocesan staff and the Advocacy Committee and in partnership with the Service & Justice Coalition, a group comprised of representatives from churches focused on outreach and justice. Read More

Property Committee

The Property Committee of the Diocese reports through the Financial Committee to the Executive Council. Its function is to provide help and guidance to member churches in all aspects of property management, facility maintenance and repair including help in contractor selection and contract support. In addition to these responsibilities we are providing detail programmatic support to those churches who are interested in the installation of Solar systems, to reduce utility costs, in their churches. This comprehensive activity embraces design, financing and installation of these systems in a cost effective manner. We provide limited financial assistance to  our missions & churches in need of help in property repair and maintenance through our grant program. We work with congregations to develop deferred maintenance budgets.  We welcome all member churches in need to contact us.

Submitted by Sandi Lanzarotta Chan, Committee Chair

Retired Clergy Spouses/Partners/Surviving Spouses Report

This ministry is conducted by chaplains appointed by the diocesan bishop in coordination with the Church Pension Group (CPG) to pastorally support the more than 200 retired clergy living within the diocese. The Office of Pastoral Care at CPG provides a detailed list of retired clergy and their spouses/partners /survivors enrolled with CPG to the appointed chaplains throughout The Episcopal Church, and administers educational programs and conferences for the constituency as well as training for the Chaplains.  A large number of retired clergy live in this diocese but remain canonically members of other dioceses.  Also, many retired clergy participate in part time ministry through supply work, interim service, and assistance at local parishes. The Chaplains for our diocese are the Rev. David Burgdorf, primarily serving in the Coachella Valley, Mrs. Stephanie Smith, who maintains mailings for birthdays, get well, and sympathy cards, and the Rev. Edward Busch and the Rev. Babs Meairs. Contact with our charges is made by phone, email, and, when possible, personal visits. The Province VIII Conference for Chaplains rescheduled for September 2021 was moved from an in person venue in Portland, Oregon, to virtual . This year CPG conducted several webinars on updating the new Medical Insurance Plan for Retired Clergy and their spouses. Also discussed were current issues considered relevant to keep Chaplains informed and to aid our ministry. Reports of contacts with our constituency are submitted to CPG twice a year. This Spring we initiated monthly virtual meetings with interested clergy and spouses via ZOOM, exploring topics of interest and relevance. Looking ahead, we want to explore ways to expand contact and continue to make our ministry available to our constituency, to provide information and support when appropriate, and to work with parishes on identifying the activities and care involving our retired clergy and their families.

School for Ministry

This has been a year of transition for the School for Ministry. The Rev. Brian Fidler, who was such a blessing as interim dean of studies, completed his service in May. Then later in June, the Ven. Pam Rieger made the prayerful decision to leave her ministry with the school. Both Brian and Pam deserve our heart-felt thanks! During Brian’s tenure, he began a curriculum review grounded in work done by our bishop and faculty with the Rev. Dr. Tom Ferguson, focusing on core learning goals and desire outcomes and informed by our bishop’s vision for the school.  Since my arrival as dean of studies, we have been transforming that vision into a concrete offering of courses for our certificate of theological studies.

As a result of this hard work, a new curriculum will be rolled out in January of 2022 with registration opening as the diocese gathers for Convention. The focus of the School for Ministry will be formation of deacons and lay leaders. With this in mind, we continue to offer courses in Bible, liturgy, practical theology, ethics, and homiletics. Recognizing that the teaching of theology and church history are inherently related and interconnected, our new curriculum shifts to provide four integrated courses in theology and history under the classification, “Christian Witness.” Keenly aware that we are at an inflection point in our culture as well as Christian Mission, we will provide courses that explore issues of church and society, racial reconciliation, multiculturalism, and public ministry. With that in mind, a new array of courses will be offered over the next three semesters: Public Ministry, The Beloved Community, Discipleship for the Twenty-first Century, and Ecumenical and Interfaith Ministry. To round out our offerings, we anticipate having a variety of summer offerings including a retreat based course in Christian Spirituality, Hermeneutics which was piloted this summer, and Canon Law.

As with all of church life, the School of Ministry has been impacted by COVID-19. Having been online for three full semesters, we have learned new skills. It is also clear that people who would not otherwise have taken classes have participated. In the weeks ahead, we will be determining how we will proceed in the future. In all likelihood, our classes will be a hybrid model, allowing both remote and in-person learning. In addition, we anticipate continuing to have classes both on Saturdays and one weeknight (this semester we offered Hebrew Scriptures on Monday night). 

While designed to meet the needs for diaconal formation, our courses are also structured to provide formation for all baptized Christians wishing to deepen their formation for ministry.   Individuals are always welcome to register for credit or audit. Indeed, if a course is of interest, you are welcome to “come and see” by visiting a first session. Our January courses begin on Saturday, January 15, 2022.

In conclusion, I want to thank Bishop Snook for the opportunity to serve as dean of studies. As I retire from full time ministry and return to our diocese, it is a gift to be able to contribute to the community that I love. Finally, I want to thank the whole diocesan staff for their support of the School for Ministry, especially Alyson Terry, who provides administrative support for the school. We are blessed!

If you have questions about the School for Ministry, please do not hesitate to reach out to me, sfmdean@edsd.org.

Respectfully submitted,

The Rt. Rev. James R. Mathes

Dean of Studies, School for Ministry

Standing Committee

Standing Committee Members 

The Very Rev. Penny Bridges (Clerk Jun-Nov) (2024) 

Ms. Judy Brown (2024) 

Mr. Louis “Butch” Glosson  (2021) 

The Rev. Colin Mathewson (2023) 

The Rev. Mark McKone-Sweet (President Nov-June) (2021) 

Mr. Darryl Peralta (2023) 

The Rev. Brenda Sol (Clerk Nov-June then President) (2022) 

Mr. Stephen Turnbull  (2022) 

Since September 2020 (the date of the last report), the Standing Committee met twelve times for regularly scheduled meetings and twice for special meetings. All meetings took place via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following actions were taken: 

Consents to Episcopal Consecrations or Elections 

• Consent of Election – Diocese of Oregon – The Rev. Diana Akiyama 

• Consent of Election – Diocese of Wyoming – The Rev. Canon Paul Gordon Chandler 

•   Consent of Election –Diocese of Southern Virginia – the Rev Susan Haynes 

•   Consent of Election – Diocese of Chicago – the Rev. Paula Clark 

•   Consent of Election – Diocese of Pittsburgh – the Rev. Dr. Ketlen Solak 

Diocesan Ordinations 

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

Candidacy 
Brian Petersen 

Candidacy and diaconate 

Katherine Gordon 
Daniel McMillan 

Diaconate 

Nancy Burnett 

Financial Matters 

• Approved Purchase-Sale agreement of property at St. Stephen’s. 

• Approved revised lease between St. Luke’s and IRC. 

• Approved lease between St. Andrew’s, Pacific Beach and Pacific Life Church 

• Approved designation of Young Adult Mentorship Program (YAMP) as an “Other Community of Faith” per canon III.5.3. 

• Approved new process for approving solar installation projects 

• Approved lease termination agreement for Holy Cross 

• Approved property agreement for land given to St. John’s, Indio 

• Approved loan of $450,000 to St. Andrew’s Encinitas from the ECBF 

• Approved lease between All Saints, Vista, and Victory Church 

• Approved addendum to diocesan template for solar energy agreement for St. Philip’s, Lemon Grove 

• Approved the sale of property formerly in the care of All Saints, Brawley 

• Approved the lease of Carlsbad property (formerly Holy Cross) to Oceanside Sanctuary 

• Approved the lease of St. Dunstan’s cell phone tower to Vertical Bridge  

• Approved lease of All Souls’ cell tower and debt refinancing for All Souls’ 

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

Miscellaneous 

• Approved request of St. John’s, Chula Vista, to be restored to parish status 

• Approved canonical changes permitting virtual Diocesan Convention and declaring “Extraordinary Circumstances” due to the pandemic. 

• Approved Bylaw revisions for: 

• St. Paul’s Cathedral 

• Good Samaritan, San Diego  

• Grace, San Marcos  

• St. Andrew’s, Encinitas  

• All Saints’, San Diego  

• All Saints’, Vista  

• St. Alban’s, El Cajon  

• Holy Cross, Carlsbad  

• St. Bartholomew’s, Poway  

• All Souls’, San Diego  

• St. Margaret’s, Palm Desert  

• St. Thomas, Temecula  

• St. John’s, Fallbrook  

• St. Paul’s, Palm Springs  

• St. Barnabas, Borrego Springs  

• St. Peter’s , Del Mar 

• St. Luke’s, North Park (conditional) 

• Approved Mission Model Bylaws 

• Approved the Closure of the mission of St. Stephen’s, Menifee 

• Approved the request of St. Luke’s for Parish status 

• Approved the change of St. John’s, Indio to Mission status 

• Approved changes to Parish Model Bylaws 

• Appointed committee member Judy Brown as Standing Committee liaison to the Affordable Housing Task Force 

• Accepted the Renunciation of Orders by the Rev. Pamela Rieger 

• Approved corporate name change of St. John’s, Chula Vista (to remove the term “Vestrymen”) 

• Affirmed the canonical amendment to Canon 2:04 regarding Emerging Communities 

Respectfully submitted, 

Penelope M. Bridges, Clerk 

Treasurer’s Report

First, I want to thank Kirby Smith for his work in this role over the past few years and his willingness to answer my questions. A really big thanks to Canon Julie Young for training me as I took the reins on this position that she handled so well for so long.  I’m so excited to be starting my ministry with you in this role and I hope any of you will call me if I can be of service.

This year has been an unusual year for the diocese as it has for all of us.  For the first three quarters, the diocese has recorded about $1.7 million in revenue and we had budgeted $1.5 million.  Most of the funds that we have received that were unbudgeted came from COVID related grants.  We recognized a little over $140k from the government’s Employee Retention Tax Credit and $40,000 in a COVID grant from the Episcopal Church.  Both of those grants were put away to be used in the 2022 budget.  We are using $135k of PPP funds received last year for COVID in this year’s operating budget.

2021 Expenditures to date have been $1.80M, compared with our budget of $1.86M.  We have had higher than budgeted repairs and maintenance expenses of $65k at the Episcopal Church Center in Ocean Beach for security upgrades, and those costs are being paid for by a grant from the Federal Government. 

The diocese has continued to fund COVID and other grants in 2021.  Total grants made to date have been over $290k.  The COVID funding paid for with the For Such a Time as This fund and other grants helped congregations do things like keep a priest on staff, buy sound and av live streaming equipment, and provide food access for the Julian community through Camp Stevens.  In one case the funds you donated through the For Such a Time as This fund even enabled one congregation to provide car repairs for a single mom with young kids so her car could keep working in the pandemic.  Thank you for pulling together as a diocese to allow these things to happen.

Property grants this year included a renovation of the bathrooms at St Matthew’s and improved drainage at St. John’s Chula Vista to prevent future water damage, among others.  Property grants have been increased for next year and if you have deferred maintenance needs, I hope you will apply for those funds.  We will have applications on the website in the next few months, and we will also announce them in the Friday emails from the diocese when they are ready.

Congregational support is one important function of the diocese, and another is regional ministry.  We had part-time regional missioners for Multicultural Ministry and for Military ministry going into this year, and this year we added part-time positions for Advocacy and for Border Ministry to strengthen the diocese’s ability to collaborate among and between congregations to serve the wider region of San Diego.  The border ministry position is paid for entirely by a grant from the wider Episcopal Church.

The 2020 audit was completed in October.  Audited financial statements are available here.  2020 showed $2.7m in total unrestricted revenue and $2.9m in unrestricted expenses, for an operating loss of $155k.  After operating investments, the total change in net assets was $379k.

Finally, we have an investment committee that creates policy for our endowment and other investments.  That committee has selected two different investment managers, State Street through the Episcopal Church Foundation, and Dowling and Yahnke with investments held at Charles Schwab.   The committee meets quarterly to review performance and holdings and has its own report in the convention package and is chaired by Judy Brown.  Holdings grew in the first three-quarters of 2021 to $7.8m from 7.1m at 12/31/20 (net of cash).  Earnings from investments yielded about $830k in 2020 and $1.2m in 2019.  In 2021, investments have earned $461k.  The diocese only uses earnings in accordance with its investment policy, usually approved by the diocesan convention in the annual budget resolution.  Investments are a significant portion of our income.

Respectfully submitted,

Jeff Martinhauk,

Chief Financial Officer

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. 

2021 Events: 

Youth Collaborative -  meetings began on Zoom and transitioned to in-person during the summer. This year we also began a gathering of Children’s Ministry professionals. 

In-Person Programming - We returned to gathering in person with a day of play at Bahia Point in Mission Bay. There was sailing, volleyball, pizza and friends. Twenty young people from five congregations took part in the fun. Broomball will make a return in December this year.

Digital Ministry Offerings - Young people from around the diocese along with children and youth ministry leaders worked together to create a virtual Christmas pageant, Epiphany pageant, and Vacation Bible School program. The two pageants were written and produced by Greg Tuttle and funded by a grant from the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. The Vacation Bible School program was Treasured by Group and was also produced by Greg Tuttle. All three of these offerings were livestreamed on both Facebook and YouTube, and were viewed not only in our diocese, or our country, but garnered views from around the world. 

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

Youth Leadership Council - This year 8 young people from our diocese have been invited to be part of the inaugural Episcopal Diocese of San Diego Youth Leadership Council. The YLC will help steer the course of youth ministry at the diocesan level. Their work will include planning the youth presence at the retreats, Nightwatch, convention and much more. The group will also continue working in the three focus areas selected by the youth at convention last year. Those areas are antiracism, inclusion, and spiritual wellness. The YLC is actively participating in this year’s convention. 

Children and Youth Ministry Leaders Retreat - October afforded the opportunity to gather at Camp Stevens for a two day retreat with both Children and Youth Ministry leaders. Workshops included Godly Play, youth ministry games, and Las Posadas. There was dedicated planning time for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. We worked together to address individual concerns in ministries. Freetime included hiking, feeding goats and chickens, and laughing with friends new and old. 

Upcoming Dates - Please watch the diocesan news for details on the following offerings.

Broomball - December 10, 2021 - UTC Ice Rink 

Epiphany Retreat - February 4-6, 2022 - Camp Stevens

Nightwatch - March 5, 2022 - St. Paul’s Cathedral

Pentecost Bonfire - June 5, 2022 - Bahia Point Mission Bay

Mission Trip - TBA December 2021

Youth Group Collaborations – Many churches in our diocese have chosen to work together to host online and in-person youth gatherings. These collaborations allow 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. Creating critical mass is key to vibrancy in youth ministry. Collaborations yield so many positive results.

Faith to Go - Faith to Go is a diocesan podcast designed to foster conversations about the Gospel at home. The podcast is hosted by team members David Tremaine and Charlette Preslar. There are online resources available at www.myfaithtogo.org . For more information on Faith to Go please email faithtogo@edsd.org 

Final Recap: This year continues to be about flexibility, collaboration and support. The children and youth ministry leaders in our diocese have done all of this with grace and good spirits. Now more than ever, we realize that we are blessed with the opportunity to partner in ministry. For more information on children and youth ministry offerings in our diocese, and how to connect with 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. 

Registrar’s Report

Background
The Registrar of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego has a variety of responsibilities, which include keeping a record of confirmations, conducting background checks, issuing lay licenses under the direction of the bishop, tracking compliance of the Safeguarding God’s People training and the Policy on Sexual Abuse and Misconduct: Prevention and Response. Additionally, the Registrar oversees reporting from clergy on their ministerial activities.

Confirmation
As of September 19, 2021, Bishop Susan Brown Snook made thirty-four Sunday visitations and special services. A total of 6 of these services included confirmations. A summary of the number of adults and children (those individuals who were fifteen years old or younger at the time of their confirmation) who were confirmed or received for the last five years is as follows:

Lay Licensing
Each church is hereby asked to provide the diocesan Registrar with their updated lay licensing information for Eucharistic Visitors by August 1, 2022.

Clergy Information
There is a total of 174 canonically resident and non-canonically resident clergy in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. As of October 1, 2021, the Office of the Bishop has received the Annual Pastoral Care Declaration forms from 68 members of the clergy. As of October 1, 2021, there were 36 in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego listed as non-resident and 21 of those listed as non-resident clergy held licenses to officiate. 

Church Compliance for Safeguarding God’s People
Every church in the diocese is required to advertise quarterly in their Sunday bulletin a notice advising individuals to report misconduct directly to the Rev. Canon Gwynn Lynch, Canon to the Ordinary, by email glynch@edsd.org.

Alyson Terry, Registrar