Commission on Ministry  2022 Report

The Commission on Ministry (COM) serves as an advisory body to Bishop in discerning whether someone is called to ordained ministry. In this capacity, we help oversee the diocesan discernment process, offer recommendations to Bishop Marc at key moments, and assist with formation during the process.  Lay and ordained members from all five deaneries of the Diocese of California serve on the COM; we strive to represent the diversity of persons that God has called to serve the Church in California.

Each year in November we conduct a Vocations Conference for people who have been recommended by their local parish discernment committee to proceed in discernment toward Holy orders of the diaconate or the priesthood. Following the Vocations Conference, the COM makes recommendations about whether a person should be made a postulant. This year we met at the Bishop’s Ranch for the Vocations Conference. The COM then meets monthly throughout the year via zoom. Our regular business includes tracking everyone made a postulant and touching base with them at various stages in the process in order to make recommendations about whether they are ready to move to the next stage. At this moment, there are approximately 17 people admitted into the ordination process. This does not include people who are meeting with their clergy and local discernment committees.

Dr. Travis Stevens is the vocations officer for the Diocese and assists the COM. The COM and people in the discernment process greatly enjoy working with him. Canon Amy Cook has helped make the steps in the process more clear and streamlined online resources.

It is inspiring to serve on this committee because there is so much hope when listening to the future leaders of the church!

 

Current members

Davey Gerhard ’24 lay (2 term)

Mary Carter Greene  ’23 priest (1 term)

Liz Milner ’25 priest (1 term)

Jennifer Nelson ’22 deacon (co-chair,1 term)–will renew for another term

Karma Quick-Panwala  ’23 lay (1 term)

Partridge, Cameron ’24 priest (1 term)

Pickerrell, Nina ‘25 deacon (2 term but not consecutively).

Jeffrey Rainey ’25 lay (1 term)

Jeri Robinson  ’23 lay (1 term)

Barbra Ruffin-Boston ’24 lay (1 term?)

Lori Walton ’23 priest (1 term)

Ari Wolfe ‘25 deacon (1 term)

One member rotated off the Commission after completing a full term,  one moved to a different diocese, one took a position at CDSP working with people in the process there, and three have resigned in recent months for various reasons.

Paul Allick ’25 priest (1 term) – resigned

Will Crockett ’23 lay (1 term) – resigned

Beth Foote  ’22 priest (1 term) – resigned due to conflict as CDSP placement officer

Beth Phillips ’22 priest (co-chair, 1 term) – rotates off this year.

Jay Watan  ’22 priest (1 term) – resigned

Incoming members have been selected by Bishop Marc and their appointment to the COM will be ratified at Convention.