Give
Every donation goes toward our mission and ministries.
Striving to reflect the diversity of heaven by living into the long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice of Beloved Community in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California.
Latest News
As followers of Jesus, we are lay and clergy volunteers committed to embodying our Baptismal Covenant to strive for justice and peace, and to respect the dignity of every human being. We are inspired by the King Center philosophy to “envision the Beloved Community where injustice ceases and love prevails.”
The labyrinth represents the self-reflection and examination we must do individually and as a community. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we must tell the truth, proclaim the dream, practice the way of love, and repair the breach to become God’s Beloved Community.
Our mission is to build the Beloved Community within the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California. With partners, we are identifying and prioritizing needs within the diocese and developing initiatives to address those needs, to make Beloved Community part of the culture and fabric of our congregations.
Examples of these initiatives include racial healing and reconciliation training; indigenous ministries and land acknowledgment; immigration and refugee resettlement; Latino/Hispanic ministries; public policy advocacy; and the racial justice audit. As additional needs are identified, new ministries are developed to address them. –Adopted June 9, 2022.
Please contact us at NorCalCIM@gmail.com to learn more about our work.
The Commission for Intercultural Ministries is integrating the Becoming Beloved Community vision into its various areas of focus.
Efforts include:
If you would like more information about how you can be involved with building the Beloved
Community, please contact Miriam Casey at edncbbc@gmail.com.
Becoming Beloved Community https://episcopalchurch.org/beloved-community
Subscribe to CIM’s Beloved Community Resource Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/WeHHFWL/CommForInterculturalMinis
Introduction to the Season of Courage
Stories
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/WeHHFWL/CommForInterculturalMinis
November 2024: https://conta.cc/4fFLyr8
September 2024: https://conta.cc/3XLEjaU
August 2024 Special Edition: https://conta.cc/4cQy36i
July 2024: https://conta.cc/3Whzwxk
June 2024: https://conta.cc/3xjTa1Z
May 2024: https://conta.cc/3yNdEAw
April 2024: https://conta.cc/4aPZSeK
March 2024: https://conta.cc/49OyMEh
February 2024: https://conta.cc/3I4H4M6
February 18, 2024 Special Edition (Season of Courage – Here I Am, Lord): https://conta.cc/42LWxu7
January 2024: https://conta.cc/3U0zzwU
December 2023: https://conta.cc/3v9uNTp
November 2023: https://conta.cc/46tSDWX
October 2023: https://conta.cc/3uHkS7o
September 2023: https://conta.cc/3Lmrfm5
June 2023: https://conta.cc/3JdZQS0
May 2023: https://conta.cc/45ujH9f
April 2023: https://conta.cc/3ULBP9A
March 2023: https://conta.cc/3FuKHKc
February 2023: https://conta.cc/3YVtpxM
January 2023: https://conta.cc/3QR08Ro
December 2022: https://conta.cc/3j6W7vr
November 2022: https://conta.cc/3m3V8O5
October 2022: https://conta.cc/3E1X2Fk
September 2022: https://conta.cc/3QYf6DO
August 2022: https://conta.cc/3ABb13a
July 2022: https://conta.cc/3LyXcZ4
June 2022: https://conta.cc/3n0GNTb
The Commission provides and supports anti-racism training in The Diocese of Northern California. This training is a requirement for leadership positions in The Episcopal Church and furthers the goal of Becoming Beloved Community. Bishop Megan has offered guidance on who is required to take this training.
CIM training teams provide “I Will, With God’s Help: Journey Toward Racial Healing and Justice” workshops at locations throughout the diocese.
Stay tuned for the 2025 workshop schedule which will be published in early 2025.
This workshop is rooted in our baptismal identity and the promises we make in baptism. It focuses on how we can more fully live into our promise to be more loving toward our neighbors. During the workshop we follow the path of the Becoming Beloved Community labyrinth.
This workshop meets the requirement for licensing for Lay Eucharistic Ministers, Lay Eucharistic Visitors, and unlicensed lay leaders (such as vestry members and ministry leads) in the Diocese. Other lay licensed ministries (lay preachers, worship leaders, formation leaders, and evangelists) need to take Sacred Ground to meet Diocesan licensing requirements.
If you are interested in hosting or attending a workshop, contact Miriam Casey at edncbbc@gmail.com
The Commission encourages and provides support for Sacred Ground Dialogue Circles within the Diocese. Sacred Ground is an 11-session, film-based dialogue on faith and race offered through the national church. Circles are currently meeting online (through Zoom) and in-person. Information about Sacred Ground is available here: https://episcopalchurch.org/sacred-ground Those who wish to form a Sacred Ground Circle must first register with The Episcopal Church to receive necessary passwords: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/sacred-ground/registration/.
CIM also appreciates being notified of new Circles in our diocese so we can provide certificates for those who complete at least 80 percent of the coursework. Register new circles here: https://forms.gle/ugvbm69y68SC1XAUA
Interested in joining a Sacred Ground Circle? CIM can let you know when openings occur. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/G26EPxDzEFSpnsZW7
Questions can be directed to Karen Nolan at NorCalCIM@gmail.com.
Subscribe to the CIM’s Beloved Community Resource Newsletter:
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/WeHHFWL/CommForInterculturalMinis
Miriam Casey, Commission for Intercultural Ministries Co-Chair, coordinates and supports the one-day “I Will, With God’s Help: Journey Toward Racial Healing and Justice” workshops. Workshop presenters include:
Karen Nolan, Epiphany Episcopal Church, Vacaville, coordinates and supports Sacred Ground Circles in the Diocese.
In 2019, the Latino/Hispanic (L/H) Ministries Task Force was re-activated. Our goals are to:
● Connect with congregations about our task force and also connect congregations with each other when our inventory shows similar Spanish-speaking services or concerns.
● Develop a list of resources of what is available around our Diocese and at The Episcopal Church (TEC) and post this on the diocesan website.
● Identify the kinds of services desired by second- and third-generation Latino/Hispanic individuals or families.
● Identify barriers to providing Spanish-speaking services and explore ways to address them.
● Develop approaches/strategies for reaching out more fully to the Latino/Hispanic community.
● Explore partnering with local organizations/groups to reach out to the Latino/Hispanic community.
In December 2022, the Missioner for Congregation Life convened a diocesan leadership planning session to outline a strategic plan for growing this ministry. Details about the plan are described in the article from the December 20, 2022 issue of the Diocesan ENews. https://conta.cc/3FPWcLz
Toolkits are available to congregations that would like to hold celebrations for any of the following holidays:
Latino/Hispanic Ministries: https://episcopalchurch.org/latino-ministries
Our current members include: The Rev. Amy Zuniga, The Rev. Anne Arthur, The Rev. Mack Olson, The Rev. Canon Tina Campbell, Lynn Zender, The Rev. Tammy Smith-Firestone and Amy Nykamp.
Would you like to join us? Do you have ideas, services or resources to suggest? We would love to hear from you. Please contact the Rev. Mack Olson: mack@norcalepiscopal.org
The purpose of the Indigenous Ministries Task Force is to encourage and support local congregations in recognizing and forming meaningful relationships with their Indigenous neighbors, including the development of land acknowledgments.
Task Force Members
The Rev. Canon Tina Campbell, Indigenous Missioner for the Diocese of Northern California, leads the Task Force.
Other members include:
The task force welcomes new members. Contact the Rev. Canon Tina Campbell at tinarcampbell@comcast.net.
This group began a couple of years ago as the Afghan Resettlement Team following international events which resulted in thousands of refugees coming to our country. In consultation with World Relief and International Refugee Committee offices in Sacramento, we have been assisting our diocesan congregations in their many efforts to resettle refugees in their communities.
In 2022, we renamed ourselves the Refugee Resettlement Team to acknowledge the need to assist refugees and immigrants from many parts of our world. We meet regularly.
If you would like to join us or would like more information, please contact Bob Wohlsen at bob.wohlsen@gmail.com.
Read: Two Years Later: The Refugee Resettlement Team Pauses and takes note. | Article written by Bob Wohlsen, August 2023
Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) is a ministry of The Episcopal Church that proudly carries on a century-old legacy of Episcopal ministries that welcome immigrants and refugees. EMM lives the call of welcome by supporting refugees, immigrants, and the communities that embrace them as they walk together in The Episcopal Church’s movement to create loving, liberating, and life-giving relationships rooted in compassion. EMM’s desire to honor the inherent value of human connection brings communities together to love their neighbors as themselves.
EMM offers a variety of educational resources, training, and support to individuals, congregations and communities seeking to learn more about how they can be welcomers. The Commission for Intercultural Ministries supports the vision of Episcopal Migration Ministries.
Episcopal Migration Ministries. https://episcopalchurch.org/episcopal-migration-ministries
The Advocacy Team leads efforts to support proposed and pending legislation at the state and federal levels based on congruence with our Christian faith and guidance from the National Church.
It meets monthly to consider legislation through the lens of our Christian values and guidance from the National Church.
Team members also participate in weekly Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) briefings and in the EPPN Ambassador program. They also join advocacy efforts with like-minded groups, such as EPPN-CA, the Lutheran Office of Public Policy, and the Poor People’s Campaign. The team hosts advocacy training programs for the diocese.
Opportunities for advocacy are communicated through the monthly Beloved Community Resource Newsletter, as well as through the weekly diocesan E-News.
Links to three videos from ECLA Advocacy Summer School:
Bob Wohlsen, Church of Incarnation, Santa Rosa, leads the team. Bob.Wohlsen@gmail.com
Members include:
The team welcomes new members. Contact Miriam Casey at edncbbc@gmail.com
The Commission for Intercultural Ministries thanks everyone who participated in this year’s survey of congregational leaders, and our thanks to the Mission Institute (MI) for conducting the audit at parish level. In late 2024, MI will issue a new audit by deanery. In addition to the Board of Trustees, this report will go to the Deans who will send it to each of their congregations.
Findings and recommendations for the first-year audit (2023) of diocesan leadership was sent earlier this year to the Board of Trustees for their review.
These reports are not a destination, but rather a continued journey on the path toward Beloved Community.
Please contact Lynn Zender, zenderlynn@gmail.com, or Jo Ann Williams, bjwilli@surewest.net, Racial Justice Audit Co-Chairs, for questions or comments about the audit.
Racial Justice Audit – The Episcopal Diocese of Northern California: www.norcalepiscopal.org/racial-justice-audit/
Racial Justice Audit of Episcopal Leadership: www.episcopalchurch.org/ministries/racial- reconciliation/racial-justice-audit/
Racial Justice Audit Co-Chairs are Lynn Zender, zenderlynn@gmail.com, and Jo Ann Williams, bjwilli@surewest.net. Questions about the audit may be addressed to them.
The Rainbow Ministry exists to celebrate and embrace the fabulous gender and sexual diversity of all God’s people, fostering education, invitation, and connection throughout the diocese. Meetings are generally conducted by Zoom at 1 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Contact a member of the leadership team to receive a link.
Leadership Team
Steve Preston: gnsteve1947@icloud.com | Rev. Mack Olson: Mack.Saintpatricks@gmail.com | Michael Adams: madams95747@yahoo.com | Anne Seed: aseed@samuelmerritt.edu | Karen Nolan: karen.s.nolan@gmail.com
Resources:
Community:
The Trevor Project: www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/
Advocacy and Support Organizations for LGBTQIA2S+ Youth: www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/lgbtqia2sresources
PFLAG: https://pflag.org/
Security:
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) offers safety advice for houses of worship
The Commission publishes current resources and reports in its monthly Beloved Community Resource newsletter. If you would like to be added to the distribution list, please subscribe here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/WeHHFWL/CommForInterculturalMinis
Sacred Ground https://episcopalchurch.org/sacred-ground
Becoming Beloved Community https://episcopalchurch.org/beloved-community
The Way of Love https://episcopalchurch.org/way-of-love
Racial Healing and Reconciliation https://episcopalchurch.org/racial-reconciliation
Latino/Hispanic Ministries https://episcopalchurch.org/latino-ministries
Indigenous Ministries https://episcopalchurch.org/indigenous-ministries
Episcopal Migration Ministries https://episcopalchurch.org/episcopal-migration-ministries
The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations https://www.episcopalchurch.org/ministries/office-government-relations/
Racial Justice Audit – The Episcopal Diocese of Northern California https://www.norcalepiscopal.org/racial-justice-audit/
Racial Justice Audit of Episcopal Leadership: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/ministries/racial- reconciliation/racial-justice-audit/
LGBTQ+ in the Church: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/who-we-are/lgbtq
Diocesan Commitment to Diversity: https://www.norcalepiscopal.org/diocesan-commitment-to-diversity/
Every donation goes toward our mission and ministries.