Education:
Doctor of Ministry, Congregational Development,  Seabury-Western Theological Seminary 1998
Master of Divinity, Church Divinity School of the Pacific, 1989
Bachelor of Science, Human Relations and Organizational Behavior, University of San Francisco, 1983

Other Church Positions:
Rector, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Milwaukee, Wisconsin  1994-1998
Canon, St. Mark’s Cathedral, Minneapolis, Minnesota  1991-1994
Associate Priest, St. Francis Episcopal Church, San Jose, CA  1989-1991

Service In The Wider Church:
Clergy Leadership Project Chaplain  2005
Diocese of Massachusetts (1998-present)
President, Standing Committee;
Dean, Concord River Deanery;
Alternate to General Convention, 2003 and 2006;
Chair, Resolutions Committee;
Executive Committee of Diocesan Council;
Budget Committee;
Steering Committee for the Congregational Support and Development Ministry Area;
Clergy Conference Planning Team;
Clergy Education for Church growth Task Force,
Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Clergy Advisory for Parishes;
Bearings mentor.
Diocese of Milwaukee (1994-1998)
Dean, Milwaukee Metro Deanery;
Diocesan Council;
Our Next Generation, Board of Directors;
The Gathering, Board of Directors;
Interchange, board of Directors;
Interfaith conference, participant.
Diocese of Minnesota (1991-1994)
Social Concerns Committee;
Commission on Ministry Discernment, CoChair;
Dean, Region 8;
Women Priests Meeting, Convener.
Diocese of El Camino Real (1989-1990)
Deanery Convener;
Diocesan Council;
Santa Maria Urban Mission, Board of Directors;
Peace and Justice Committee, Chair;
Diocesan Jubilee Office, Asian American Ministry Committee.
National Church
Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, Board of Directors, Jubilee Subcommittee chair – 1995-1998;
Episcopal Peace and Justice Network (Chair 1989-1993, Secretary 1988-1989);
Jubilee Board of Directors (1992-1995).

Personal And Family:
Age 60, Divorced, 4 grown children, 2 in-law children, 3 grandchildren
Enjoys needlepoint, cooking, travel, walking and painting

Parish Participation & Giving Trend Chart

Parish Web Resource:
http://www.goodshepherdacton.org

Her Remarks:

It seems strange to write a statement about how “I” would serve among you as Bishop because my whole sense of ministry is being “part of a team.” I gather and inspire teams of people with differing gifts, interests, education, pieties, theologies and experience. I lead collegially. Through such leadership the Holy Spirit can do far more than I. Trust, forgiveness, empowering others and an instinct for recognizing people’s gifts are among the tools I use for such leadership. 

I am passionate about the church. However, my passion is not blind or bound up in “what has always been.”  We must reach out to shifting populations, cultures and technologies around us to proclaim the gospel in ways that people can hear.  Such reaching out is another of my tools for collegial leadership. I am also passionate about clergy and pastoring among them is a great blessing.

You have already begun an exploration of how the diocesan structure might more effectively minister collaboratively and mutually. The idea of furthering that exploration with you intrigues me.  ECR is poised for change and growth. I have successfully led a congregation through such an evolution. My experience and education in Congregational Development are invaluable to such growth.

A diocese, however, is only as strong as its congregations and so strengthening congregations, exploring new ways of being congregations in a changing diocese, may be the direction the Spirit is leading ECR. I believe every parish, ministry and chaplaincy has a unique gift needed by the world. Working with congregations to uncover and claim their unique ministry is work that I find holy and life giving.

Two bible stories undergird my theology. The first is the story of the woman at the well whom Jesus called as the first evangelist. An outcast, a many times married foreigner, she was the one who was able to proclaim Christ and convert a whole village. I have come to know that it is not always from our strengths that we minister most effectively; rather, it is sometimes from the places we have failed. We gain wisdom from what and how we learn from our mistakes. Having been divorced twice I learned, as did the many-times married woman at the well, of my profound dependence upon Jesus who continually forgives, redeems and beckons me to be more than I can be alone. So, I have learned from mistakes, personal and professional, as well as successes, personal and professional. You are a diocese that has learned from mistakes as well as successes. I believe that commonality will make us a strong team.

The second story that defines my theology is the story of the prodigal son. I believe that God, like the father in the story, waits for us, yearns for us, indeed runs to scoop us up in powerful arms of love. It is that unbounded, forgiving love I believe we are called to proclaim together to a spiritually starved world.

Responses to Diocese of El Camino Real Questionnaire

We want our bishop to be the chief steward of God’s Mysteries, to be rooted in faith and
centered and faithful in prayer, deriving strength from a strong and mature spiritual life.
One who will be listened to and will listen to the counsel of others. To our clergy, our
bishop will be their coach, mentor and counselor; to the laity, their spiritual guide and
fellow traveler.
1. Briefly describe your personal journey to leadership in the Episcopal Church,
and your belief you are called by God to be a bishop in the Church.

I began my journey of leadership in the church as a laywoman in my 20’s. I have loved serving the church at every level—Parish, Deanery, Diocesan and National, and have been blessed to continue to be called into leadership positions as an ordained woman –also at all levels.

My passion for justice and sense of serving the “least of these” undergirded much of the early work to which I was called. But in the last ten to twelve years I have been called to work with parishes (my own and others) in the area of Congregational Development (as an aside—I do see these two focuses of ministry as inextricably interconnected). Parishes need to have an outward focus if they are to grow and thrive. So in many ways the ministry to which I have been called has been a natural extension of my deepening faith and an outward expression of the educational opportunities in which I have participated—and also a journey along a continuum.

At the Church of the Good Shepherd, where I have served for the last eight years, we have grown from a pastoral size to a program size church. Concurrently I have served the diocese as co chair of the Congregational Development and Support Committee, and I have worked as a consultant with parishes that are in decline and with their vestries to teach church growth principles so that they might take the steps necessary for their parishes to identify the ministries that will be part of their strategy for mission and thus church growth.

In the past few years I have also served on both the Diocesan Council (and Executive Committee) and the Standing Committee (serving this year as President). Further, I have served as an Alternate Deputy to the last two General Conventions. In 2001 I was also the “local candidate” for Bishop when Bp. Gayle Harris was elected. Even though I was not elected, I know that I was called to be part of the process, and I learned a great deal about the diocese and myself. That knowledge has enabled me to serve my parish and my diocese more effectively.

Currently I am also the Dean of the Concord River Deanery and as such have pastoral oversight for the 16 parishes in our area –most specifically with concern for the care of the clergy.

Each of these experiences has informed my knowledge of the church from a Diocesan perspective and certainly from the vantage point of how a bishop can serve a Diocese effectively. In many ways I feel as though all the experiences I have had in the church, since teaching Church school and being part of the Education Committee in my 20’s to all the responsibilities I now have, have been leading me toward serving as a Bishop. Before deciding to respond to your invitation to be part of your discernment process, I have prayed, and I have spoken with colleagues, laypeople, a spiritual director, my therapist and bishops who are friends.  As with all calls in the Episcopal Church, I realize it is a three-way call among an individual, the church and God. I am responding now, but ultimately the people of ECR, with the help of their discernment and prayers will call the person God intends.

For me, it is not just a call to be a bishop in any diocese—I am certain of that. Rather it is a call to serve using the gifts, passions and experiences that have formed me and informed my ministry.  This is what I have to bring, and those experiences, passions and gifts are what I believe match what you are looking for in a bishop at this time.

As Dean my sensitivity to the challenges that face clergy in congregations with dwindling resources has increased. I have been able to listen, share experiences, arrange help for and otherwise support such clergy. I believe this is an extremely important thing for a bishop to be willing and able to do. Not only do I want to work with parishes in creating new and exciting ways to grow, but I want to provide their often stressed clergy with emotional and spiritual support.

We seek a bishop who has the determination to address our many challenges such as our
declining church membership, reduced financial support for both the diocese and
congregations, and our great diversity—ethnically, culturally, economically and
technologically. Our bishop will identify and implement processes that will grow new
congregations and other ministries that are healthy and self-sustaining.
2. How have you encouraged church growth including evangelism, faith formation,
and stewardship in your ministry? Please give specific examples of how you
increased worship attendance, financial well-being, and spiritual maturity in
congregational settings.

I am collegial leader. I believe that spirit of mutuality has been the biggest key to encouraging and facilitating church growth and evangelism in my ministry. Eight years ago. I was blessed to be called to Good Shepherd where the vestry, congregation and I shared a common vision—we wanted to grow and we wanted to learn how to grow together. At each vestry meeting I would spend at least an hour teaching them what I had learned while studying for my D. Min in congregational development. We learned together about welcoming others; the need to change leadership styles; how to enhance our worship to make it easily accessible to churched and un-churched alike; studying demographics to see who it is we should be trying to invite to be among us and gearing our programs to meet those needs; to avoid using “insider language” when proclaiming the gospel that un-churched might be able to hear it. We reorganized the governing structures of the parish, and at the same time continued to value the traditions of the parish and The Episcopal Church.

I was able to engage the congregation in this mutual learning in many ways. One of the first things we did as a vestry was a role-play game that I created.  I gave each Vestry member a piece of paper with a description of a person who was visiting for the first time on a Sunday morning—“young mom with children,” “someone with access challenges,” “a woman who needed a bathroom”, “someone 7 minutes late,” “visitor from another church,” etc. Then I had them all go out to the parking lot, pretend they were that person arriving about the time church was to start on Sunday morning—and they were surprised at that they learned!

Within days we had signs up directing people to every spot in the parish; we knew where the key to the lift was located; we created a greeting committee; put up visitor parking spaces in the parking lot; and so many other little and inexpensive things that made us accessible to anyone who walked in. We also saw how shabby some things looked, with junk piles in various places and bulletin boards that had not been changed for what seemed like years.

Once the Vestry was on board, I planned parish forums and learning days. Everyone in the congregation was taught the principles of church growth. New ministries were created: others were revamped, especially in the ways we greeted and included visitors. Committees were expanded to include new members. We invited new people onto the Altar Guild and other committees that had not had new members for many years. At the same time we tried many different kinds of education for adults other than on Sunday morning. Small book groups, spiritual parenting, men’s bible study, a prayer shawl ministry, and many others all began to be an integral part of our common life.

We called people to serve both as volunteers and as paid staff, but when staff members were hired, I insisted they were paid fairly and had health and retirement benefits. This of course required a whole new approach to stewardship. I began by asking the Search Committee who had called me to become the Stewardship Committee—as there was no such committee in place. For a few years they did an admirable job of raising awareness of the needs of the church, but they had a long held sense that money was not to be asked for too overtly and certainly not talked about. 

We want our bishop to be one among us and not one above us—a shared ministry
between our diocese and our congregations, between our clergy and our laity. Our
bishop will challenge clergy and lay to work together in a relationship of trust and
honesty.
3. What have you done in your ministry to resolve conflicts? In addition, describe
how your leadership has led to reconciliation in your congregation and across your
diocese regarding the important issues facing ECUSA today?

When I arrived at Good Shepherd there was a long standing conflict that was paralyzing the congregation. . The church had “always” had three services—the usual “8:00,” a folk mass, and a traditional service.  The piety of each of the services and the people who attended them was radically different. They were like three separate congregations under one roof. Leadership roles had to be evenly divided and each group needed to make sure they received the same amount of attention and positions as the others. Fortunately, the interim rector who served before I came had already reduced the services to two. There were less than 120 people attending per Sunday.

I began my tenure by just listening to all factions, over coffee, by phone, and more formally in the Worship Committee. (Those meetings sometimes drew over 50 people.) Within months of arriving, I called a new musician who understands that he is a “Music Minister,” not a performance director. Together we have worked with the Worship Committee to create a unique worship experience that draws from many traditions and feeds the diversity of pieties that we have within our community. Our music program has expanded dramatically (along with many other programs of course). We have two adult choirs, a boys choir, a girls choir, and two handbell choirs that enhance our worship. Recently we have set up a memorial fund that supplies instrumental music for Christmas and Easter.

One of the most helpful things in making this transition was engaging the whole congregation in a liturgical study. We celebrated a 1549 BCP service, a 1662 service, a 1928 service and then a “2028” service as part of our regular worship one fall. That “going back to go forward” really allowed us to see our common roots, and it freed us to worship and sing in a wide variety of styles. We are learning as a community to value the styles that we may not call our own.

Theologically our congregation is a microcosm of the Episcopal Church. We do not agree on the issues but we have learned to talk about our different beliefs, biblical understandings and theologies with deep respect for one another. We take great care to allow all voices to be heard.  When Massachusetts passed a same gender marriage law, it caused great consternation for some, great rejoicing for others in our parish. So I invited one of the state legislators (also a faithful Episcopalian) to come in and moderate a conversation among the parish members about marriage and homosexuality.  It was very well attended; people spoke with passion and compassion. In the end we agreed to disagree. We agreed that what mattered was being part of our Episcopal community, not forcing others to believe as we believe.  We take great joy in coming to the table to share in the body and blood of Christ together. That is what we have in common and that is what carries us when we disagree.

Because I was an Alternate Deputy to the last two General Conventions, I was there when decisions were made that made the headlines, but I was also there when we discussed poverty issues and the Millennium Development Goals, new liturgical possibilities and literally hundreds of other things. Each day I wrote back to my congregation about what was going on in the context of a theological reflection. I wrote about the resolutions, but even more importantly, I wrote about what it is like to be with 5,000 Episcopalians in worship; what being part of such historic events meant in the long run of God’s time and how I saw the Spirit working through us. Because the congregation had a wider view of what had happened, the divisions of the church have not impacted us as seriously as they might have had we not had so much teaching and conversation.

As President of the Standing Committee I am dealing with a parish that wants to leave the Episcopal Church and take property with them.  It is my deepest prayer that we will be able to allow them the freedom to do what they believe they need to do, in a way that will not close the door to the possibility of reconciliation. I hope that property will not be the thing that perpetuates division.  The bible and modern times are too filled with examples of how property can divide. Thank God it is also filled with examples of how Jesus reconciles!

We believe that we have an exciting and spirit-led diocese offering many challenges and
many rewards. We are blessed to be part of God’s people in one of the most beautiful
places on earth.
4. From your understanding based on the profile, what excites you about being
called as Bishop of El Camino Real?

The possibility of being bishop of El Camino Real excites me because I see potential. I see resurrection coming. I know what it feels like to be in the tomb wondering if resurrection will ever happen, and if it does what it will be like. It may feel like you have long been in the tomb and you do not yet know it is going to be like with your new bishop, but I see in your profile deep trust and faith that you will find the way out of that tomb together.

I believe El Camino Real needs a bishop with whom you can have a happy and successful relationship. I have known what it is to leave a parish in less than ideal circumstances. I have learned to accept my part in what caused the divisions, but even more I have found forgiveness, new strength, new skills, new life.  I have found resurrection. I know it is possible. I have lived it. I believe it for you too, and I would like very much to be part of that journey to a new way of being Diocese and Bishop together in Christ with you.

Your statement that you want to learn to be a diocese while your new bishop learns to be a bishop is very enticing to me. That kind of mutuality, learning, trust in God’s direction is what my ministry at Good Shepherd and in the diocese has been about. I know that when people or institutions stop learning and changing, they atrophy and die. ECR is faced with some real challenges. I recognize that.  I have experience in addressing the kinds of congregational development and financial challenges you face. I would like to share that experience with you.

A very personal reason that being Bishop of El Camino Real excites me is that I was ordained at the Cathedral in San Jose.  I would like to give back to you a small portion of the gift that serving the church as a priest has been to me. I have been blessed to serve the church and the people of God in so many ways and so many places, but El Camino Real made it possible. I would come back a far different person than the young priest you minted almost 18 years ago, but the gifts of ministry that have come my way are ones I believe would now serve us both well. Should you decide to call me, I believe together we could be a visible and vibrant example of Christ’s love to the world.

Web page last updated: 9 May, 2007