April 2019
From Bishop Barry
Bishop Barry at his last visitation at St. James', Yuba City, with the Rev. Deacon Cal Cornils and the Rev. Richard Laughman.
Dear Friends in Christ:

Grace and peace to you.

I hope that Lenten blessings have been yours in abundance, and that preparations for Easter go well.

I was greatly blessed to attend the Annual Spring meeting of the House of Bishops, this time at Kanuga. (My last one for the foreseeable future!) Most of our tightly scheduled time was focused on evangelism – one of the priorities for this triennium. But we were able to force enough of a change in the agenda to discuss the coming Lambeth Conference, and Archbishop Welby’s very disappointing and very hurtful decision to exclude spouses of bishops in same-sex marriages. While I will not be at Lambeth personally, I commend our statement to you. It truly reflects the mind of the House, and I am confident that our bishops will bear strong and faithful witness next summer. 

While at Kanuga, a few of us from Province 8 took a moment to make a brief video about the Creation Care pledge. I sincerely hope that you will join me, and invite others to join us, and that we will have a tsunami of pledges come in by Easter, as our Presiding Bishop has asked.

Finally, I want to put before you our finalized Memorandum of Understanding with the Diocese regarding my coming change of status. It is the result of several months of discussion with the Standing Committee and the Board of Trustees. I initiated this project, basing it on what our rectors do when they step down, both to affirm that practice, and to begin the conversation about how you and I can establish and maintain healthy boundaries in the new landscape so rapidly approaching. This diocese, unlike many others, has never before had a bishop resign and remain in place. We will all need to work at doing this new thing in a healthy way. At the very least, it means that I will disappear for a decent interval. My absence, even my silence, ought not to be construed as not caring; rather, given what we hope to accomplish, quite the opposite. I simply cannot be available to you in the usual way. Over time, appropriate, authentic new ways of relating will emerge. This won’t be cut-off. But we must all work at making space for new relationships to be established, new voices to be heard, new ideas and visions to come forth. Canon Megan will be a great bishop. More to the point, she will be our bishop. I trust that you will join me in working to make it so. It starts with clear expectations, and good boundaries, I believe. Let’s do that work carefully and well, with God’s help.

Believing in the Resurrection,
Bishop's Signature
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE BISHOP
Celebrate Bishop Barry
Join the diocese as we gather in three different events to honor Bishop Barry Beisner. These events are free. Please   RSVP here  if you plan to attend.
 
Saturday, May 11, 5:30 - 8 p.m.   

Friday, June 7, 5:30 - 8 p.m.

Saturday, June 15, 1:30 - 4 p.m.  
 
The diocese is giving Bishop Barry and Rev. Ann a trip to begin their life in retirement together. You may donate to their gift  here . 

For questions about these events, please visit the  bishop search website .
2019 Clergy Conference: May 21-23
Join the diocesan clergy and our Bishop-Elect Megan Traquair for the 2019 Clergy Conference on May 21-23 at the Bishop's Ranch in Healdsburg. Please register here .

All clergy who are serving in parochial positions in this diocese are expected to attend, so we may deepen and enrich our relationships. Please contact Bishop Beisner  via email  prior to the event if you are unable to attend for any reason.

Agenda : Details of arrival times & schedule will be sent at a later date. For general questions, please email  [email protected]  or call 916-442-6918, ext. 213.

If you need Chrism or Unction oil, please contact Jacqi Seppi (contact info above) and let her know how many bottles you need. Bottles will be delivered at Clergy Conference. The bottles are approximately 2 ounces in size.
Bishop Barry hires new Director of Communications
We are pleased to announce that Jay Elmquist will be joining the Office of the Bishop staff as Director of Communications beginning Monday, April 15.

You may contact Jay at [email protected] or at 916-442-6918.

Jay Elmquist has been a member of Trinity Cathedral for about four years. He found a home in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California when he moved to Sacramento in 2015. In that time he has worked on the Adult Spiritual Formation Committee and served in worship as a choir member, a Verger and a Eucharistic Minister. He is excited about the church and paving the way to the future. Jay is serving as a member of the Bishop Transition Committee, taking the lead in planning and implementing the Walkabout process. He is very excited to have a part in the future of our diocese in the role of Director of Communications. Read more about Jay here.
Bishop's visitation schedule 
  • April 21 - Trinity Cathedral, Sacramento (Easter) 
  • May 19 - St. Barnabas, Mt. Shasta
  • June 2 - St. Mary's, Ferndale
  • June 9 - Emmanuel, Grass Valley

Bishop Barry's 2019 visitation schedule is  available here .
NEWS AND EVENTS IN AND BEYOND OUR DIOCESE
Update on Camp Noel Porter
After a lengthy process of discernment stretching back years, in December 2018 the Board of Trustees authorized the listing of Camp Noel Porter property for sale. We have accepted an offer from a Christian organization whose stated purpose is to use the property for long term ministry/camps and God’s purpose. The Outdoor Chapel will remain in use and well cared for by this faithful organization.

Read the full update here.
California Episcopal bishops statement supporting moratorium on the death penalty in California
Grace and peace to you, in the Name of Jesus Christ. We are the bishops of the six dioceses of the Episcopal Church in California. On March 13, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order placing a moratorium on the death penalty in the state, calling it “ineffective, irreversible and immoral.” We are grateful to Governor Newsom for taking the bold and courageous step to institute a moratorium on executions in the state of California.
 
While we acknowledge that this may be an issue on which reasonable people of good faith might disagree, we want to reaffirm emphatically our Church’s opposition to the death penalty, a position first officially stated by our General Convention in 1958. Then, and in subsequent statements, the Episcopal Church has based its opposition to the death penalty in our understanding of God’s justice, our regard for the sacredness of human life, our commitment to respect the dignity of every human being, our desire to seek and serve Christ in all persons, and our mission to continue Christ’s work of reconciliation in this world. Read the full statement here .
Rooted in faith: Immigration advocacy, the Church and you
Alexia Salvatierra and Paula Nesbitt will be leading a two-day presentation and training on faith-rooted immigration advocacy. Racial reconciliation will also be part of this important workshop. We will also prepare ourselves for Immigration Day, which will be held at the state capitol on May 20. If you want to complete Racial Reconciliation Training certification, you must attend both days of the event.

When: Saturday, May 4, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, May 5, 2 to 5 p.m.
Where: St. Martin's, 640 Hawthorn Lane, Davis, CA 95616
Registration: The cost is $10; lunch will be provided. Please register her by April 19!
Safe Church training opportunity
Sunday School teachers, Lay Eucharistic Visitors, church staff, vestry members, and clergy are invited to participate in a workshop on Safeguarding God's Children and Safeguarding God's People. This workshop satisfies the denominational requirements for those who work with children or vulnerable adults.

When : Saturday, May 11, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Where : St. Augustine's,1800 Wildcat Blvd., Rocklin, CA 95765
Registration : The cost is $15; refreshments will be provided. Please register here .
Contact : T he Rev. Tom Gartin at [email protected]
St. Martin's co-hosts fundraiser for suicide prevention
Join St. Martin's, Davis, and the Suicide Prevention and Crisis Services of Yolo County, for “Giving from the Heart,” an Indian dinner fundraiser. Supporters will enjoy dining on authentic Indian dishes, sipping on local wines in a commemorative wine glass, and purchasing delectable treats from the dessert bar.

Attendees can bid on exciting auction items and purchase a ticket to win a wine refrigerator, fully-stocked with wines from some of California’s best grape-growing regions!

When : Saturday, May 18, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Where : St. Martin's, 640 Hawthorn Lane, Davis, CA 95616
Cost : Tickets are $50; tables are also available for purchase. Purchase here .
Celebration of new ministry for Rev. Anne Clarke; Rev Seth Kellerman celebrates 10 years at Emmanuel, Grass Valley
The Rev. Terri Hobart, the Rev. Amy Denney Zuniga and the Very Rev. Mack Olson pose for a photo with the Rev. Anne Clarke at her March 31 celebration.
Members of Emmanuel, Grass Valley, gathered for cake on March 31 in celebration of the Rev. Seth Kellerman's 10th anniversary at the church.
Supply clergy retreat opportunity
St. Raphael’s Episcopal Church at ECCO is offering Episcopal priests an opportunity to spend a weekend at ECCO, the Episcopal Conference Center Oakhurst, to enjoy the beautiful mountain setting in exchange for leading worship at St Raphael's at 10 a.m. on Sunday. Lodging and meals will be “on the house” at ECCO, for you and your spouse, Friday and Saturday nights.

Mileage is not reimbursed. There may be some weekends you can stay but have to eat locally if there are no groups staying at ECCO (more likely during winter months). ECCO is close proximity to the south end of Yosemite. Learn more here.
Curricula on Middle East issues and Jerusalem
In the past several months, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), an ecumenical organization of which The Episcopal Church is a constituent part, created a curriculum designed for congregational groups, exploring Middle East issues both historically and in our present-day context. The following message from Mae Cannon, executive director of CMEP, introduces the curriculum:

The Search for Peace & Justice in the Holy Land  is designed to be taught in a small-group environment over a period of five weeks with one 90 to 120-minute session each week, dependent on the group’s preference for discussion time. Each unit will consist of a preliminary reading text, a multimedia presentation, and a series of group discussion questions. Over this period of five weeks, participants will learn about topics such as the Christians of the Holy Land, the ties of Israelis and Palestinians to the Holy Land, and how to be an effective advocate for just peace in Israel and Palestine. The curriculum will address the significance of Jerusalem and other holy places to the three Abrahamic faith traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Many of the current realities in Israel and the Palestinian territories are addressed. This an overview of what is covered each week:
 
  • Week 1: “Ties to the Land: Christianity in Israel and Palestine”
  • Week 2: “Two Peoples, Two Histories”
  • Week 3: “Jerusalem: A Sacred City of Peace”
  • Week 4: “50+ Years Too Long: The Effects of the Ongoing Occupation on Israeli and Palestinian Society”
  • Week 5: “Faith in Action: Advocacy Training”

You may fill out this form indicating your desire to participate in  The Search for Peace & Justice in the Holy Land  curriculum. Please contact  Katie McRoberts at  [email protected] if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. 
From the wider Church
Traveling the Way of Love, Episode 2: Rest, the latest installment of a new video series from The Episcopal Church Office of Communication, premiered April 4. Traveling the Way of Love shares stories of the way people across The Episcopal Church practice the Way of Love with each episode highlighting one of the seven Way of Love practices: turn, learn, pray, worship, bless, go, and rest. View episode 2 here.
Other news: