ministry

vocation

pastoral and consensus ministries | editorial ministries | teaching ministries | affiliations

pastoral & consensus ministries

free catholic apostolate of the redeemer (1991-1995)
After my ordination in 1991, I formed the free catholic apostolate of the redeemer (later renamed the
ecumenical apostolate of the resurrection) in order to support and facilitate ministries for myself and others
in interfaith contexts. For many years, the Apostolate has held worship services at nursing homes and
retirement facilities in the East Bay.

fundamentalists anonymous (1991-1993)
In 1991 I organized the Concord, CA chapter of fundamentalists anonymous, a support group
for people recovering from abusive religious experiences. For the next two years the group hosted people
from backgrounds as diverse as Hare Krishnas and Pentacostals. We met twice monthly to discuss our feelings,
fears and recovery, honoring our experiences and supporting each other's spiritual journeys,
even as we were departing from our traditions of origin.

berkeley celebration circle (1993-1995)
In 1993 several of us from the FA group, along with friends from the Creation Spirituality staff and elsewhere
formed the berkeley celebration circle. We used Matthew Fox's Original Blessing as a lectionary,
and slowly we began to explore what it meant to be in healthy, interfaith spiritual community.

grace north church (1994-present)
This is a unique parish that is consensus in leadership, liturgical in worship, and interfaith
in teaching that I have served since 1994. One day I picked them out of the phone book, went to a service here,
stayed for their quarterly business meeting and was so impressed with this worship and learning community's
consensus form of government, I stayed and have been here ever since! A small community with a high perccentage
of British ex-pats, it is at once excentric, loving, and profound. One of the most unusual churches I have ever seen,
let alone been honored to be a part of.

festival of the holy names (1996-1999)
After two years of working with the Celebration Circle, I discerned a need within myself to do spiritual recovery work
around the Christian tradition, and organized the first of several "masses" that would later become the
festival of the holy names. The Festival began holding weekly services in the summer of 1996, and most of the
members of the Celebration Circle continued to worship at the Festival, which also drew members from the
nearby Graduate Theological Union. The Festival sought to take what we had learned about consensus community
and holistic theology and apply it to our native tradition, Chrstianity. We re-wrote the mass, and interwove
circle-dances and more traditional liturgical elements into a service that was both unique and deeply meaningful.

editorial ministries

the pacific church news (1997-present)
The magazine of the Episcopal Diocese of California, where I served as managing editor, and now do
layout and graphic design. This ministry allows me to stay connected to the Episcopal church, for which I have great fondness.
The PCN magazine is news-oriented and directly focused on the ministries and parishes in the Bay Area.

presence: an international journal of spiritual direction (1997-2003)
is the journal produced by spiritual directors international. I was privileged to serve as editor for over five years,
and have always been grateful to SDI for introducing me to the wonderful ministry of spiritual direction. An excellent journal.

creation spirituality magazine (1989-1995)
was the brainchild of Mattew Fox. I served as Editorial Assistant, Managing Editor, and finally Editor.
A beautiful, popular magazine of social and environmental justice wth interfaith values.

teaching ministries

grace institute for religious learning (1994-present)
This is the teaching arm of grace north church. I have taught classes on process theology, the book of revelation,
the gospel of thomas, the gospel of mary magdelene, and the gospel of philip.

chaplaincy institute for arts and interfaith ministry (2004-present)
I currently teach world religions, interfaith theology, and spiritual direction at this school in Berkeley, CA. This is a unique
interfaith seminary that ordains chaplaincs for interfaith ministry, and also offers certificate programs in spirituality and ministry.
I serve as director of the interfaith spiritual direction certificate program.

affiliations

old catholic
My ordination was in 1991 at the hands of the Most. Rev. Timothy Barker of the Old Catholic succession.
I currently serve under the episcopal oversight of the Most Rev. Lou Bordisso of the american catholic church.

I am also part of the benedictine network. The Network provides sacramental services for people of all faith traditions,
and specialize in ministering to those who are for one reason or another disenfranchised from their faith communities.

I am also a founding member of the order of holy wisdom (ohs), a consensus old catholic order
with a charism of teaching and spiritual guidance.

Like a true Gen-Xer, I refuse to be tied down to one ideology or denomination.
I see myself as belonging to the great family of PEOPLE OF FAITH of all traditions and spiritualities.
Nonetheless, I paradoxically also hold memberships in the following groups:

National Association of Congregational Christian Churches

International Association of Community Churches

Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America

Fellowship of Unitarian Universalist Christians

Oh, yeah, and let's not forget...