New Ministry, New Opportunities, Goodbye to old friends

After more than a year, I have broken my blogging silence to announce the happy news that I have been called to be Rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Medford, Oregon! These last six months have been difficult for my family and me as we contemplated what was the decision on June 4 by the Vestry of Good Samaritan Episcopal Church (my current parish) to retain Fr. Mike Ferrito as sole Rector and to release me to pursue other ministries. At that time, what those other ministries would be was an open question with a dozen or so search processes in progress. However, I'm pleased to report that I will be moving six hours north of here in San Jose to pursue and enable ministry in the Rogue Valley of southern Oregon.

Friends, family, and readers of this blog may recall that this is a return to the Diocese of Oregon for me, as I served for over seven years as Vicar of St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Albany, Oregon from 2002 tr 2009. In a somewhat interesting twist, it was less than 24 hours before I received this call that The Rev. Robert Morrison was formally welcomed as my successor as Vicar of St. Alban's in a service there!

While I look forward to new opportunities and challenges in ministry, I will be sorry to bid farewell to friends at Good Samaritan and in the Diocese of El Camino Real. I have spent over six years here in ministry and would like to thank Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves for all of her support for me and the congregation I led for that time. I'm grateful to her and to my colleagues in the diocese.

I begin my ministry at St. Mark's on September 1, so have six weeks of frantic activity in front of my family and me!