COMMISSION ON MINISTRY
Commission on Ministry Members
2025 | Barbara Vassell, St Paul's Modesto, co-chair
2025 | Fawn Pender, St Paul's Visalia
2025 | The Rev. Luke Martinez, Episcopal Church of the Saviour, Hanford
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2026 | Melissa Crider, Episcopal Church of the Saviour, Hanford
2026 | The Rev. Dcn. Carolyn Woodall, St Anne's, Stockton
2026 | Candice Gale, St John's, Lodi
2027 | Lauralee Brown, St James, Sonora
2027 | Nancy Silva, St Paul's Modesto, co-chair
2027 | Patricia Pallares, St Michael's, Ridgecrest
2027 | The Rev. Bob Woods, St Sherrian's, Kernville
2028 | The Rev. Dcn. Greg Masztal, St. Paul's Modesto
2028 | The Rev. Dcn. Cathy Kline, St Michael's Ridgecrest & St Paul's Bakersfield
2028 | The Rev. Gail Bernthal, St Raphael's, Oakhurst, Holy Trinity, Madera & Church of the Resurrection, Merced
Discerning a call to lay licensed ministry
Commission on Ministry (COM) serves the diocese by walking with individuals who feel called to licensed lay ministries. These ministries include Lay Preaching, Eucharistic Ministers, Eucharistic Visitors, and Worship Leaders. COM has the responsibility of creating clear roadmaps for those who wish to be trained and licensed to serve their communities in the aformentioned ways.
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If you are interested in discerning your call to lay licensed ministry, please click on the information below and contact your local clergy person.
Discerning a call to ordained ministry
Commission on Ministry (COM) also serves the diocese by walking with individuals as they discern their calling to ordained life. This is a holy and deeply challenging ministry as it an ever-shifting landscape, more often than not, the approach of a commission like COM is not “one size fits all”. And so, COM is responsible for creating clear roadmaps for discerners of the ordained life and to do so, again, with as much flexibility as canonically possible. COM’s primary responsibility is to not only walk with individuals, but to partner with the Office of the Bishop as said individuals move towards ordination.
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If you are interested in discerning your own call to ministry, please contact your local clergy person.