The Texas Episcopalian Magazine - 2025 in Review

TEXAS EPISCOPALIAN

2025 IN REVIEW THE

guided BY FAITH

Cover Photo Credit: Scott Jarrett, All Saints', Austin

THE

TEXAS

EPISCOPALIAN

(SINCE 1874) IS AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF TEXAS.

Our mission is to share the stories of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas to inform, to inspire.

PUBLISHER: The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle

WRITER - EDITOR: Tammy Lanier, tlanier@epicenter.org

WRITER: Albina Velasco, avelasco@epicenter.org

DESIGNER: Angela Hider, ahider@epicenter.org

PHOTOGRAPHY: Daniel Villarreal, dvillarreal@epicenter.org

The Texas Episcopalian is published annually by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas 1225 Texas St., Houston, TX 77002-3504 Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX Address changes may be emailed to: connected@epicenter.org

POSTMASTER: Address changes: The Texas Episcopalian, 1225 Texas St., Houston, TX 77002-3504

© 2018 The Episcopal Diocese of Texas

Let’s Start at the Beginning.

Founded in 1838 by the Episcopal Church as a mission to the people of Texas, the Diocese of Texas has been guided continuously by the Holy Spirit to plant ministries and congregations to partner with and serve the wider community. Today, the Diocese of Texas spans nearly 70,000 square miles and encompasses 81 counties. Headquartered in historic downtown Houston with offices in Austin, Tyler, and Fort Worth, we are led by the Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle,

ninth Bishop of Texas. We are more than 450 active clergy-strong with 175 congregations, over 100 missional communities, 20 campus missions, chaplaincies, foundations, institutions, and over 72,000 parishioners serving our neighbors. We embrace all people with mutual love and respect. We are one Church reconciled by Jesus Christ, joining God’s mission to reconcile others and build up the kingdom of God.

So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

Leading with a Purpose in Mission

C. Andrew Doyle Bishop Diocesan

The Rt. Rev. Doyle became the ninth Bishop of Texas in 2009. The ministry of a bishop is to represent Christ and his Church, particularly as apostle, chief priest and pastor of a diocese; to guard the faith, unity and discipline of the whole church; to proclaim the word of God.

Brian R. Seage

Assisting Bishop

Bishop Seage served as the tenth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi before joining the Diocese of Texas in January of 2025. Bishop Seage is responsible for the North Region of the diocese and serves part-time.

The Rt. Rev. Fisher was elected Bishop Suffragan in 2012 by the clergy and church representatives of the Diocese of Texas. As Bishop Suffragan, in addition to other significant duties and responsibilities, he helps Bishop Doyle perform confirmations and assists churches in the Eastern and Northeastern Regions of the Diocese.

Héctor F. Monterroso

The Rt. Rev. Monterroso was Bishop of Costa Rica for 14 years before he came to the Diocese of Texas in 2017 to help Bishop Doyle. Monterroso visits 45 congregations during the year, primarily in the Southern Region of the Diocese of Texas. He also works to grow a multicultural presence in our

The Rt. Rev. Ryan was elected Bishop Suffragan in 2019 by the clergy and church representatives of the Diocese of Texas. As Bishop Suffragan, in addition to other significant duties and responsibilities, she helps Bishop Doyle perform confirmations and assists churches in the Western

Christine M. Faulstich

The Rev. Canon Faulstich was appointed Canon to the Ordinary in 2019. She mentors rectors, clergy new to the diocese, bi-vocational priests, transitional deacons, pastoral leaders, pastoral leader

A larger geographical entity within the diocese is called a convocation. It is geographic and usually includes one metropolitan area with surrounding counties. Texas has 11 convocations, the head of which, nominated by the bishop and elected by council, is called the “dean.” The dean arranges meetings of the convocational clergy to provide fellowship, continuing education, communication, planning and moral support for clergy and their families, and to gather lay members to share ideas and projects. Deans are ex-officio members of the Executive Board of the diocese.

DEANS OF CONVOCATIONS

The Rev. Paul Skeith, Non-Parochial

The Rev. Robert Gray, St. Aidan’s, Cypress

EAST REGION

Northeast:

The Rev. Dr. Cole Hartin, Christ Church, Tyler San Jacinto:

The Rev. Blake Rider, St. Stephen’s, Huntsville Southeast:

WEST REGION

Austin:

The Rev. Eileen O’Brien, St. James’, Austin Central:

The Rev. Daryl Hay, St. Andrew’s, Bryan Northwest:

NORTH REGION

Fort Worth:

The Rev. Robert F. Pace, Trinity, Fort Worth

West Harris:

The Rev. Lisa

The Rev. James Pevehouse, St. Mark’s, Beaumont

The Rev. Aaron Zimmerman, St. Alban’s, Waco

Southwest:

The Rev. Travis Smith, Holy Comforter, Angleton

The Rev. Mike Stone, St. Thomas the Apostle (Nassau Bay), Houston

Neilson, St. Martin’s, Houston

A

The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle

A book is being written, by three authors: a futurist and business leader; a theologian; and a technology innovator. Its opening line stops you: “We are living in the middle of a massive loss of faith. Not just faith in religion, but faith in nearly everything.” Institutions we thought were bedrock are now shaking. Certainty isn’t holding. And the question that remains standing asks us not to despair, but to wonder: What comes after certainty? What lies on the other side?

The authors answer that question with a word that, through joy and heartache alike, has propelled this diocese forward for 200 years: Faith in the Future.

Faith disciplined and practiced. Generative faith. Faith not as a thing you have or don’t, but as something you do. Day after day. Together. With accountability. With repair in view. With a hope that can never be extinguished.

That is what we hold in our hands in Texas.

In this issue of The Texas Episcopalian, we are “Guided by Faith.” More than that, these pages are an act of testimony. Faith testified with abundance in a world too often faith-starved or faith-hostile. To read these pages is to receive evidence – evidence that faith is active; that faith is interruptive; and that faith is undeniably, unapologetically alive.

In food pantries and international partnerships. In campus chapels and missional communities. With our newest ordained deacons, and our newest church plants. In the quiet bravery of immigration advocates. In the joyful gathering of 286 Hispanic lay leaders at Camp Allen, united in a space filled with energy and the movement of the Spirit.

Faith in the Future in 2025

“

” Faith has many faces. On these pages you’ll meet just some of them.

Our faith especially resides in us and in our diocese during our deepest pain. It was evident in July of last year, in the midst and aftermath of the Camp Mystic tragedy. It is faith that continues to bring us through the sorrow felt by those in our diocese who continue to grieve unfathomable losses. The faith of our people was evident during every prayer vigil last summer. And it serves as a constant reminder that God was with us then, and he is with us now.

Faith has many faces. On these pages you’ll meet just some of them.

You’ll meet the bishop of Southern Malawi, visiting us in Waco not because it was easy, but because the body of Christ stretches across oceans and continents, because koinonia — our covenantal bond with one another — transcends distance, airline tickets, and language barriers. You’ll hear about a college being built from the ground up at Kajo-Keji Christian College in South Sudan. You’ll walk with pilgrims in the footsteps of Paul and learn how journeys into the ancient world can help shape us more fully for the present one. You’ll meet college students at our campus ministries who are not losing their faith (despite what the headlines would tell you) but finding it with a hunger and an earnestness that will remind you of what it means to follow Jesus with your whole heart. You’ll discover El Jardín, our newest church plant, whose name reminds us that gardening, landscaping, and church planting have something in common: They all imagine what a fruitful harvest could look like in the place where we exist.

Here, you’ll read the story of Fred Rouse — a forgotten chapter of our diocesan and Austin civic history that is past due for telling. Here, you’ll see our investment in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Because for us, racial justice is not a side issue or political talking point; it is woven into the very fabric of the Gospel. Here, you’ll read about interfaith work and collaboration that allows us to take Jesus at his word when he tells us the bounds of his love are wider than any one tradition’s ability to comprehend.

There are infographics, too. Stories you can see, as well as read. Like our Bold Strategic Vision, alive and well and being implemented in the places it was designed to serve. Highlights from our last year in your diocesan office: A new Chief Operating Officer. A new Canon. Streamlined pathways of discernment and ordination. Exciting new formation programs like Happening. Healing hurting communities through Episcopal Health Foundation. Amazing work at our food pantries, many of which have set record-breaking totals for pounds of food distributed through their doors.

Taken together, these initiatives are more than institutional rosters and program descriptions. They are, collectively, proof of what faithful Christian practice looks like when it is healthy and holy – disciplined, and practiced; corporately repeated; accountable; messy and particular; exactly as our best theological minds these days are clamoring for us to return to. Those authors of the forthcoming book I referenced earlier write that hope “cannot simply be possessed or proclaimed; it must be exercised and renewed through daily leadership choices, by individuals, teams, organizations, and communities.” We could not have described what the Diocese of Texas has been up to these last few years any better ourselves.

We live in an anxious time. There is real chaos. Real losses. The uncertainty of our political, ecological, economic, and cultural situation is not paranoia or exaggeration.

This magazine doesn’t pretend the world we live in is anything other than what it is. We don’t pretend that anxiety, fear, and poverty aren’t real. We see you. We love you. You are not alone.

But what we also know -- as witnesses to the Body of Christ in this place and time -- is that the world needs to see us refusing to accept that the future is winnable by fear. That there is another way to engage a frightening future than by trying to shove it back into the past. That certainty has never, actually, been the hallmark of the Christian life; it was, and always will be, faith. That the God who beckons us into a future we can’t quite see has been, and continues to be, faithful to generations of Christians before us. And that this Church, for all its faults and missteps, has been one of the greatest vehicles of hope that humanity has ever known because it knows how to show up; to show up locally, in the particular.

When our food pantry sees more pounds of food distributed this year than last, that is love made visible. When a young person at one of our campus ministries realizes that the questions and doubts they’ve been afraid to bring to Sunday mornings have been part of the faithful tradition’s interrogation of God all along, that is love made visible. When a congregation finds their name in partnership with the name of their sister parish in Malawi, and they begin to pray for each other by name across oceans and generations, that is love made visible. That is the kingdom with our faces on it.

And that, dear church, is what it looks like to be guided by faith. Read it. Rejoice in it. And be strengthened by it.

Faithfully yours,

C. Andrew Doyle IX Bishop of Texas

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Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

Mission at Work: AN UPdATE

AN UPDATE FROM BISHOP RYAN

The Rt. Rev. Kathryn M. Ryan

BISHOP SUFFRAGAN - WEST REGION

Looking back on 2025, I see an unusual year, shaped by a sabbatical provided by the diocese. Being away from mid-May to late August changed my typical annual calendar of visitations and events. Though the fall was busy and presented new challenges, I am refreshed and reflect on my time away with gratitude.

I hungered for many years to go on a long walk. That hunger was both satisfied and whetted by a central experience of the sabbatical: walking the West Highland Way in Scotland, a 96-mile multiday walk from the north side of Glasgow to Fort William. Beautiful, challenging, and instructive, Tim and I count that adventure as a signature blessing of 2025.

Putting one foot in front of the other, whether at a walking or running speed, helps me to live out my Rule of Life. Walking offers time for extended conversations with my husband, Tim. Movement resets my mood, helps me work out knotty problems in preaching and planning, and opens my mind and heart to God. I am happy to walk and run in Austin, at Camp Allen, and in other places to which I travel. To do so in nature, in the company of “plants and birds and rocks and things. Sand and hills and rings” powerfully reconnects me with self and God and the beauty, mystery, and power of God’s creation. (Horse with No Name, America, 1971; no one I consulted knows what sorts of rings the band imagined! Maybe a labyrinth?) In the time I was away from daily bishop-ing, I walked, hiked, and ran around 800 total miles in Texas, Tennessee, New Mexico, and Scotland. That gift has been carrying me through this fall and continues to bear fruit in my soul, relationships, and work.

While I gave myself to the business of my sabbatical, Haley Townsend Trujillo, Josh Ritter, Ana Gonzales, and Laura McAlister attended to the various matters for which my office bears responsibility. Of special mention within that effort was their work to recruit, inform, and support the survey (known as the CVA or Congregational Vitality Assessment) of leaders from about 30 congregations as part of a grant received by the Iona School for Ministry from the Iona Collaborative. I am grateful to them for that work and to them and other members of the staff, Canon Faulstich, and the other Bishops for carrying some of my work to allow me the time away from my regular duties.

FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR, I ATTENDED TO MY REGULAR DUTIES: 40 regularly scheduled visitations in 2025, with confirmations, receptions, and formal reaffirmations. Visits with the vestries and bishop committees of most of those churches. And opportunities to hear of the faith and witness of God’s people in the face of significant challenges in their lives, churches, and the society. Our congregations, lay leaders, priests and deacons continued to inspire me with their efforts to share the love of Christ, nurture discipleship, and build relationships with each other and with their neighbors.

Feast of All Saints to confirm and receive a group of young students at the Waco Canterbury House, All Saints’ Chapel at Baylor University

They, and our other priests and deacons, serve vibrant and diverse congregations helping God’s people come to know, love, and serve Christ, each other, and God’s people in the world.

I ALSO PARTICIPATED IN CONGREGATIONS’ AND INSTITUTIONS’ SPECIAL EVENTS:

• Dedication of the Stillwater Foundation Aquatic Center at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School

• Ribbon Cutting and Blessing of Highlander Hall, the new student union and sports complex at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, Austin

• Graduation at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School

• John Hines Day at Seminary of the Southwest

• Ordinations to the priesthood: Addison McMillan, Michael Farnell, Misael Pacheco, Hayden Paul, and Kelly Barnhill.

• Two installations:

- The Reverend Neal McGowan, Grace, Georgetown

- The Reverend Kurt Wiesner, Trinity, Marble Falls

In 2024, Bishop Doyle established a new structure for Formation in the diocese and assigned oversight to me. Canon for Formation, Dr. Josh Ritter, joined the staff August 2024. In 2025, he continued the good work supporting the Happening program. Ms. Bonnie Walton, Lay Coordinator, and the Rev. Jason Ingalls, Spiritual Director, have worked with Canon Ritter and the rest of the team to strengthen Happening and Lock-In, important diocesan programs for our high school youth. In addition, he worked with a team to introduce a new Spanish Language Lay Preaching Certificate program within the Iona School of Texas. The digital resource page (www.edotformation.org) serves congregations and disciples of all ages. Helped by the Formation Committee and clergy and laity from around the diocese, Canon Ritter continues to nurture effective formation through supportive relationships, gatherings, and digital resources.

At Bishop Doyle’s direction, I serve the diocese as the Executive for Ministry, with oversight of the ordination process, post-ordination formation, and the Iona School for Ministry. The Commission on Ministry (COM), led by Chair, the Rev. John Newton, and supported by the Secretary for the COM, Ana Gonzales, is central to this work, and I am grateful for the faithful discernment of the members. The Committee for the Diaconate (CFD), led by the Rev. Jan Halstead, and the Examining Chaplains, led by the Rev. Patrick Hall, also handle aspects of the diocese’s work in shepherding aspirants, postulants, and candidates through the ordination process.

I want to highlight a couple of aspects of the COM’s work.

For those discerning God’s call to ministry, whether lay or ordained, we offer the Discovery Weekend program. Participants come to Camp Allen for a weekend to learn and practice habits to identify God’s call, reflecting in small groups and alone, and consulting with a member of the faculty. All adult members of the diocese are welcome to attend a Discovery Weekend. In 2025, we held two weekends, with a total of 50 participants and 27 staff. Retreat leaders, table leaders, chaplains, and musicians supported the seekers in their discernment. For the second CONTINUED STORY

time, a Discovery Weekend specifically for youth and young adults was cancelled due to low enrollment. In March of 2026, a spring break retreat for young adults was offered. We continue to seek avenues to encourage young adults to consider their vocational future with an intent to serve God by living fully into the gifts God bestows upon them, whatever their professional and personal paths. Two Discovery Weekends are planned for 2026. Registration is accessible through the Camp Allen website.

In January 2025, we held our fourth in-person Vocations Conference at Camp Allen. The spirited event brings together the diocese’s students in the ordination process from seminaries and the Iona School with the bishops, COM, CFD, Examining Chaplains, and Standing Committee for formation, worship, relationship building, and interviews. 39 students, all preparing for ordination to the priesthood or the diaconate, participated in the gathering, with 33 committee and commission members and staff.

Once ordained, both stipendiary and bivocational priests take part in formation designed to help build collegial relationships, provide continuing education and support development of priestly identity, and offer mentoring by senior clergy. The Curate Cohorts for stipendiary clergy in the first and second year of curacies met at Camp Allen, as did Beginning Well for bivocational priests. Stipendiary priests new to the diocese gathered for a single-session Beginning Well focused on diocesan culture. Each cohort provided significant relationships and encouragement to the participating clergy. Mentorfacilitators this year were James Pevehouse, Andrew Ellison, Sam Smith, and Eileen O’Brien, Terry Pierce, and Chris Weis. Post-seminary formation is coordinated by my talented Executive Assistant, Haley Townsend Trujillo.

Continuing to help address the diocese’s need for more clergy and lay leaders, the Iona School for Ministry, our diocesan school of local formation, forms those studying for the diaconate and bivocational priesthood and offers programs for lay formation for ministry. The Rev. Francene Young (Dean of Administration) and the Rev. Dr. Andrew Benko (Dean of Formation) are in their fifth year of service. This fall, the enrollment of lay students has increased. A significant advance has been the introduction of the Spanish lay preaching track mentioned above. The deans are assisted by Chaplain, the Rev. Trawin Malone, the faculty and instructors, as well as Iona Administrator, Laura McAlister. Four of the bishops teach one or more courses at Iona School over the course of the year.

I serve as chair of the boards of three diocesan institutions, relying extensively on three dedicated and skillful executive chairs. Seminary of the Southwest is an outstanding seminary with three key programs: the MDiv program preparing students for ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church, Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: A CACREP-accredited program for licensed counseling, and the Iona Collaborative. This fall, 51 students matriculated into the residential programs, representing the largest entering class in recent memory. Josephine Hicks became Executive Chair when the incredible Clarke Heidrick completed his term. The board dismissed the Dean and President in September. Mr. Fred Clement, Vice President for Finance and Operations and the Rev. Dr. Ben King, Academic Dean, assisted me in seminary leadership for the remainder of the fall. The Rt. Rev. Diane Jardine Bruce began service as Interim Dean and President on January 2, 2026. CONTINUED STORY

Isaacson-Miller has been selected as the firm to assist the board in the search for the next dean and president. I am deeply grateful to Mr. Clement, Dr. King, and Josephine Hicks for sharing the support and guidance of the Seminary during this transition.

El Buen Samaritano, an outreach ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas serving the Latino community of Central Texas, is committed to recognizing the dignity of all by ensuring access to healthcare, education and essential needs that lead to healthy, productive, and secure lives. Gustavo Hernandez serves as Executive Chair. Dr. Rosamaria Murillo, the Executive Director, continued to build up the staff and lead the organization toward its next strategic campaign. The board has continued work on a new strategic plan that will be launched in the summer of 2026.

Jonathan Quander succeeded Jennifer Stayton as Executive Chair of the Board of St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, beginning his term in July 2025. Chris Gunnin serves as Headmaster. In 2025 the new Aquatic Center was completed and dedicated and the capital campaign reached its public launch. The expansion and climate-control of the beloved chapel is a key initiative of the campaign. The churches of the diocese have been invited to join in helping fund the chapel project; to date, more than 30 congregations have made contributions or pledges ranging from $300 to $25,000. I serve as the Honorary Chair of the Capital Campaign Committee and am working specifically on the fundraising for the chapel project.

For the Episcopal Church, I am a member of the Court of Review, which hears appeals of clergy discipline (Title IV) judgments and challenges to episcopal elections. The Court had a busy 2025 and has begun 2026 completing one matter with another following on its heels. My term ends with General Convention in 2027. I also serve on the Standing Commission on Structure, Governance, Constitution, and Canons. Outside, but related to the diocese, I continue service as a Regent for Sewanee.

What a privilege it is to serve with Bishops Doyle, Fisher, Monterroso, and Seage, and with the other members of the Executive Team and the diocesan staff, and the people and clergy of the diocese. Tim and I give thanks that God has called us to serve the Diocese of Texas!

AN UPDATE FROM BISHOP FISHER

The Rt. Rev. Jeff W. Fisher BISHOP SUFFRAGAN - EAST REGION

Sundays are my favorite day of the week, because that is when I I get to be with you, during my weekly visitations in congregations. Of course, I am with you during other times of the week, in meetings and Zoom conversations, as well as pastoral moments. Yet it is on Sunday that you and I get to worship together, grow together, and welcome new people into the Church through baptism, confirmation, and reception.

On Sundays, I am often asked about where I see hope in The Episcopal Church. And my answer is that, during 2025, I saw many young adults coming into our midst, in churches of all sizes. These young people completed their homework on us, checking us out on-line, through our websites and social media posts. When they come among us, they hope to find a church that is ancient in our worship and modern in our welcome of all people, with no exceptions. When I baptize and confirm these young adults, some of them have tears in their eyes, because they never thought that they would find and be welcomed into a church. They have yearned for The Episcopal Church, as a tried-and-true container in which to hold and grow their faith.

Young adults and people of all ages are joining us in worship, formation, and service to the wider community. In 2025, I have seen hope, in the welcoming of new people into Christ’s Body. I have seen the power of God, working in us, doing infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.

This year, in addition to presiding at baptisms, confirmations, and receptions, I was honored to ordain four priests: the Rev. Suzanne Hollifield, the Rev. Dana Jean, the Rev. Tony Kroll, and the Rev. Jonathan Maresca. I also presided at the installation of three new rectors: the Rev. David Butorac at Christ Church in Nacogdoches, the Rev. Catherine Cox at Christ the King in Atascocita (Humble), and the Rev. Rohani Weger at Holy Trinity in Port Neches.

Pastoral Ministries

Through my role as Executive for Pastoral Ministries, our diocese responds to a variety of pastoral needs, including in our large community of retired clergy and spouses.

As a part of this ministry of fellowship, care, and continued learning, the Retired Clergy and Spouses Conference is held each fall at Camp Allen. In 2025, our theme was “Leading a Full-Hearted Life.” The keynote speaker for our conference was the Rt. Rev. Jake Owensby, Bishop of the Diocese of Western Louisiana. In his address, Bishop Owensby used stories and examples from his book, which is also titled: “Leading a Full-Hearted Life.” At the conference, we explored leading a full-hearted life through art, music, fellowship, and the exercise and care of our bodies. I also made a presentation on the life and hope that I see in the wider Church. In addition to a practical workshop for retired clergy who serve as interim rectors or supply clergy, we also shared in worship and activities.

STORY

Retired Clergy and Spouses Conference

The next Retired Clergy and Spouses Conference is scheduled at Camp Allen for Monday evening through Wednesday noon, October 5-7, 2026.

Working with me and our retired clergy is an excellent team of Chaplains to the Retired Clergy. These faithful chaplains (with the convocations that they serve) are: The Rev. Janne Osborne (Austin, Northwest, Central convocations), Pam and the Rev. John Bentley (West Harris and East Harris convocations), Christine and the Rev. Jim Liberatore (Galveston and Southwest convocations), the Rev. Nancy and the Rev. Bill DeForest (San Jacinto and Southeast convocations), and the Rev. Bill Stanford (Fort Worth and Northeast convocations). Effective at the end of 2025, Pam and John Bentley, Nancy and Bill DeForest, and Janne Osborne have all stepped down from this ministry; we are grateful for their many years of service!

The Small Church Network

The Small Church Network is for laity and clergy in congregations with an average Sunday attendance of 50 or fewer, gathering twice a year at Camp Allen. In the spring of 2025, the theme of our gathering was: “Formation and the Art of Seed Casting,” which was led by Dr. Josh Ritter, who serves our diocese as Canon for Formation. In his presentations, Dr. Ritter opened our eyes to new ways in which to explore Christian formation, through theology and practical experiences. In the fall of 2025, Dr. Ann Barnes and a team from the Episcopal Health Foundation led our program, with engaging activities to promote healthy churches and communities. The goal of each Small Church Network gathering is to take home new ideas and best practices for our congregations. The next 2026 gathering at Camp Allen is scheduled Sunday evening through Monday noon, October 4-5 (One was recently held in April).

Episcopal Seniors Foundation

The purpose of the Episcopal Seniors Foundation is to make grants that will improve the quality of life for seniors, through health and well-being, faith formation, accurate information, and community life. I serve as chair of the board of the Episcopal Seniors Foundation; Pam Nolting serves as president. In October, we awarded 15 grants, in all different parts of the diocese, to ministries that share in our commitment to healthy living for our seniors.

From left to right: Bill Stanford; John and Pam Bentley; Nancy DeForest; Jim and Christine Liberatore

45 people joined Bishop Fisher last October for the Small Rural Church Network event at Camp Allen

Global Partnerships in Mission

The Rev. Meredith Crigler and I share leadership of the Diocese of Texas Global Partnerships in Mission, where we oversee a wide array of mission trips, ministry conferences, and grants, all around the world. We also foster friendship with our three companion dioceses: Costa Rica, North Dakota, and Southern Malawi. In February, I participated in an Exploratory Trip to Costa Rica. This trip was for adults planning to lead mission trips that summer. While in Costa Rica, I was able to meet several times with the bishop of that diocese, Bishop Orlando Gomez, as he shared his vision and plan for the Diocese of Costa Rica.

During the year, several congregations in our diocese welcomed Bishop Alinafe Kalemba of the Diocese of Southern Malawi. We also walked beside the Diocese of North Dakota as they elected the Very Rev. Shay Craig as their next bishop. Her consecration as the Bishop of North Dakota was in March of this year.

Daughters of the King

I serve as the bishop liaison for The Daughters of the King, which is an order for women, focused on evangelism, service, and prayer. They are led by Tory Arnold as their President. I presided and preached at the opening Eucharist for their Spring Assembly at St. Alban’s in Waco.

This year, the Daughters successfully expanded their Fall Assembly at Camp Allen, from one to two nights. At that Assembly, I presided and preached at the Choral Morning Prayer service on Saturday, and led an interactive teaching session on Saturday evening, where we learned to tell our stories, as a pathway for evangelism.

Altar Guild

The diocesan Altar Guild held their Annual Retreat in late May, where I presided and preached at the closing Eucharist on May 31, the Feast of the Visitation. In my sermon, I focused on how the altar guild, consisting of both men and women, works faithfully behind the scenes to prepare our churches for worship and visitation.

Vera Gang Scott Scholarship

The Vera Gang Scott Scholarship program awards scholarships to young women who are pursuing higher education. I serve as the chair of the committee; Ellen Cook, the Rev. Laura Gilmer, and Betsy Sullivan serve with me. In June, we awarded scholarships to four women in our diocese; it was inspiring to read the grant applications from so many women who make an impact in our world.

Liturgical Commission

I serve as the chair of our Diocesan Liturgical Commission, at the request of Bishop Doyle. Throughout the year, I receive liturgical questions from priests, and then provide appropriate guidance. In addition, members of the Commission, which consists of priests and lay persons (including church musicians), have provided feedback on trial use and other liturgies. This feedback is useful in providing guidance to our clergy.

All Saints Episcopal School Board of Trustees

The Tyler Diocesan Office is located on the campus of All Saints Episcopal School, where I serve on the Board of Trustees. At the school last year, I was honored to participate in the Ash Wednesday services, the all-school Easter chapel, and the Baccalaureate service for graduating seniors in the

spring. In the summer, a group of students and adults from the school went on a mission trip to Costa Rica, which I supported in concert with my work on Global Partnerships in Mission.

Joint Budget Committee

In service to the wider Episcopal Church, at the request of the Presiding Bishop, I serve on the Joint Budget Committee. Between General Conventions, we develop the annual church-wide budget, which is then approved by the Executive Council. In July, our committee gathered in Maryland for a retreat, to get to know the new Chief Financial Officer for The Episcopal Church, Christopher Lacovara, and to support him in his work to modernize and streamline the operations and budgeting process of the wider Church.

House of Bishops

The House of Bishops met twice during 2025: in March at Camp McDowell in the Diocese of Alabama, and in September in the Diocese of the Dominican Republic. At the September meeting, spouses were invited to accompany the bishops. It was a wonderful experience for Susan and me to engage in the culture of an Episcopal diocese outside of the United States.

Province VII of the Episcopal Church

I serve as Vice President of Province VII of The Episcopal Church, which is divided into nine provinces. In our Province VII, the Vice President is a bishop, and the President is a layperson. In November, Susan and I attended the Province VII Bishops and Spouses Retreat at Mustang Island Conference Center, hosted by the Diocese of West Texas. In Province VII, we are beginning to provide opportunities for on-line gatherings for support and fellowship, through monthly Zoom gatherings, for Small/Rural Churches, and for Campus Missioners.

With the other bishops who are also the leaders of the nine provinces, I serve on the Presiding Bishop’s Council of Advice. During the year, the Presiding Bishop called upon this advisory group on several occasions, to meet on-line with him and to discuss governance issues in the wider Church.

Brotherhood of St. Andrew

I serve as the National Chaplain of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, which is an order for men, devoted to prayer, the study of scripture, and service to others. I support the men on the board, including the National President and National Executive Director. In February, I presented a webinar to the whole Brotherhood, titled: “Learning How to Tell Your Story.”

It is my continued joy to serve Jesus Christ with you in this diocese. I see hope, as new people come into our midst. With Bishop Doyle, Bishop Ryan, Bishop Monterroso, and Bishop Seage, we work together as a team. Together, we see the power of God working in us, doing more than we could ask for or imagine.

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. - Ephesians 3:20

Deacons’ Ordination 2025

AN UPDATE FROM BISHOP MONTERROSO

The Rt. Rev. Héctor Monterroso

BISHOP ASSISTANT - SOUTH REGION

Visibility That Transforms

“The Church is most alive when the love of Christ becomes visible in the life of its communities.”

THE MISSION OF THE SOUTH REGION IN THE DIOCESE OF TEXAS

Across the South Region of the Diocese of Texas, the past year has offered many signs of that living witness. Through worship, service, and intentional invitation into discipleship, congregations continue discovering new ways to embody the Gospel in a time of profound social and cultural change.

Throughout 2025, pastoral visits took place in more than 48 congregations across the region, along with visits to campus ministries and other diocesan initiatives. These gatherings created opportunities for worship, confirmation, listening, and encouragement as communities discern how God is calling them to serve their neighborhoods today.

One insight has become increasingly clear: It is no longer enough for churches to be faithful and active. Their witness must also be visible, accessible, and intelligible to those searching for meaning, belonging, and hope.

Where worship, service, and invitation are intentionally connected, communities flourish—not only in numbers but also in spiritual depth, restored relationships, and renewed engagement with the world around them.

VISIBLE SERVICE IN A CHANGING LANDSCAPE

In a post-pandemic society marked by declining trust in institutions, acts of service have become one of the Church’s most credible forms of proclamation.

Across the South Region, congregations are responding through ministries of food distribution, pastoral care, accompaniment of migrants, community partnerships, and radical hospitality. For many people, these ministries have become the first doorway into a relationship with the Church.

Congregations showing vitality often share several characteristics: they communicate their mission clearly, cultivate a shared sense of purpose, and create relational pathways that help newcomers move from initial contact to deeper belonging.

2025 visitation at Holy Apostles, Katy

CONTINUED STORY

STORIES OF INVITATION

Sometimes the most meaningful invitations are the simplest.

During a community race in Houston, a runner received a brief pastoral blessing offered outside a church building. When he encountered that same welcoming presence again the following year, he decided to step inside the church he had passed many times before. Today, he is a confirmed member of The Episcopal Church.

In another instance, a cardiology researcher intentionally seeking a faith community, aligned with her values, discovered Trinity Midtown through an online search. There, she encountered prayer, theological depth, and genuine welcome. She was later confirmed and is now an active member of the congregation.

These stories remind us that many people are searching. Yet without visible signs of welcome and invitation, they may never cross the threshold.

MIGRATION WITH DIGNITY

Accompaniment of migrant communities has also been an important dimension of ministry in the South Region during a time of heightened fear and uncertainty related to immigration policies. Through the Commission on Hispanic–Latino Ministry, the Diocese established the Migration with Dignity Emergency Fund, which has already distributed more than $23,000 to families facing immigration-related hardship.

Know-your-rights training, legal guidance, emergency planning, and pastoral care have helped embody a Church committed to walking with vulnerable communities during moments of deep anxiety.

PRESENCE THAT TRANSFORMS COMMUNITIES

In Galveston County, St. Vincent’s House continues to offer a powerful example of incarnational ministry. Since 2019, the number of individuals served has increased by 170 percent, with particularly significant growth among Hispanic and Black/African American communities.

The ongoing work in the community of Sandpiper Cove in Galveston demonstrates how longterm collaboration, community listening, and trust-building can strengthen neighborhood resilience and deepen the Church’s credibility as a partner for the common good. We are grateful to St. Vincent's House for this contribution.

ORDINATIONS: SIGNS OF HOPE

Another hopeful sign in the life of the South Region has been the ordination of two new priests.

The Rev. Warren Robinson was ordained to the priesthood at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, and The Rev. William Parker at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. These celebrations gathered congregations, mentors, and diocesan leaders in thanksgiving for God’s continuing call to ordained ministry.

CONTINUED STORY

Ordinations remind the Church that God continues to raise up leaders who will preach the Gospel, celebrate the sacraments, and shepherd communities in a changing world.

These moments of ministry—in congregations, neighborhoods, and communities—reveal a Church learning again how to be present in the world God loves.

PILGRIMAGE TO PERU

Earlier this year, I joined a small group of clergy across the Diocese of Texas and we participated in a continuing education pilgrimage to the Peruvian Amazon, reflecting on El Cuidado de la Creación and the practice of what participants described as a “holy exchange.”

For ten days, nine of us representing all four regions of the diocese lived, prayed, and studied together in one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth—praying the Daily Office, celebrating the Eucharist, and learning from local communities whose lives are deeply connected to the rhythms of creation.

We also learned from local leaders and guides, many of them in their early twenties. These young adults are already leading conservation efforts and carrying forward ancestral wisdom, entrusted with real responsibility within their communities.

In the Amazon, intergenerational leadership is not theoretical—it is lived. Elders guide, youth lead, and wisdom moves in both directions. These encounters offered a powerful reminder that caring for creation is not only about protecting the earth, but about sustaining the relationships and traditions that allow communities to flourish.

When we slow down and practice gratitude, we begin to see that what already exists is more than enough. Creation itself is the great marvel of God.

The pilgrimage offered not only a deeper appreciation for the Amazon, but also a renewed commitment among participants to care for God’s creation in their congregations and communities across Texas.

Looking Ahead

The experience of this year affirms a simple but challenging truth: The Church is most credible when faith becomes visible in everyday life.

As communities continue facing challenges such as food insecurity, access to healthcare, disaster response, and human migration, congregations across the South Region are responding with creativity, collaboration, and evangelical courage.

Like John the Baptist, the Church does not seek attention for itself but points clearly toward Christ.

And in the South Region, that witness continues to grow.

Bishop Monterroso during the Hispanic Lay Leadership Conference

AN UPDATE FROM BISHOP SEAGE

The Rt. Rev. Brian R. Seage, ASSISTING BISHOP - NORTH REGION

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 15:13)

As I complete my first full year serving as Assisting Bishop for the North Region, I am filled with profound gratitude for the opportunity to be part of this remarkable family of faith. This year has been an incredible joy, and I am deeply thankful for the welcome, trust, and partnership I have experienced throughout the Diocese of Texas.

MINISTRY OF PRESENCE AND PASTORAL CARE

Throughout this past year, I have completed a full lap around the North Region, engaging with every congregation and ministry through formal visitations, special meetings, and pastoral connections. Beyond the North Region, my ministry has also included official visits to parishes in Austin, Houston, Tyler, and the other regions of the diocese.

These encounters have allowed me to witness firsthand the faithfulness and vitality of our congregations, to celebrate with them in their ministries, and to offer support and encouragement in their challenges. Throughout the North Region and diocese, I have witnessed incredible ministry. I have seen unique resiliency and determination that inspires hope for our shared future.

FAITH IN THE FUTURE: A Living Vision

The diocesan commitment to its Faith in the Future vision has proven remarkably apt as I have traveled throughout our region and diocese. My visitations consistently reveal a spirit of vibrancy and hope that animates our communities. This is not a commitment that merely lives on paper; it is embodied in the daily witness and ministry of our people.

NEW NAMES, NEW IDENTITIES

Several parishes in the North Region have embraced new identities this year, marking significant moments of transformation and renewed mission:

• St. Stephen’s, Hurst, will soon be known as Epiphany Episcopal Church.

• St. Brigid Episcopal Church is now the name of the Fort Worth church plant.

These changes represent more than new signs, they signal congregations claiming fresh vision for their ministry and place in God’s mission.

CONTINUED STORY

EMERGING MINISTRIES

New ministries have arisen throughout the North Region, demonstrating the entrepreneurial and responsive spirit of our congregations:

• El Jardín, an intentional church plant of the Diocese of Texas, bringing new expressions of faith to our region was launched in the fall. This ministry is led by the Rev. Javier Rivera.

• A new ministry sponsored by St. Luke’s in the Meadow, Fort Worth, that is intentionally reaching into the Latinx community in their neighborhood, responding to the call to welcome and serve our neighbors

Building for the Future

Multiple parishes have undertaken significant development and building projects, investing in facilities that will serve their ministries for years to come:

• All Saints’, Fort Worth

• 4Saints Food Pantry, Fort Worth

• St. Luke’s in the Meadow, Fort Worth

• St. Christopher, Fort Worth

• St. Mary’s, Hillsboro

• St. Stephen’s, Hurst (Epiphany)

• St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Keller

These projects represent substantial commitments of resources, vision, and faith—tangible signs of congregations building for God’s future in their communities.

Special Events and Diocesan Engagement

This year included several significant gatherings and initiatives:

• September - Episcopal Health Foundation event, We Are Better Together

• Finance Road Show - Supporting parishes in stewardship and fiscal health

• Diocesan Council 2025 - Held in Fort Worth, it was a blessing to host our siblings from around the diocese and to participate in the governance and strategic direction of our shared ministry.

• Executive Council, Executive Team, Clergy Conference and other ministries - Regular meetings of diocesan entities have sent me to Camp Allen on numerous occasions. I am grateful to participate in these important organizational gatherings.

A Celebration of Ministry

Throughout the year, the North Region office has hosted numerous gatherings that strengthen our fellowship and build up the body of Christ:

Bishop Seage shown with our bishops at his first Diocesan Council (2025)

• Retired Clergy and Clergy Spouse Luncheon - Honoring those who have served and continue to support the ministry of the church

• Regional Advent Party - Gathering of all clergy and spouses for celebration and connection during the season of preparation

• May Clericus Meeting - Featured the Rev. Leslie Stewart, Missioner for Church Plants, whose presence enriched our conversation about emerging ministries and mission

• Celebration of a New Ministry - During the Spring, the Rev. Paula Jefferson was installed as Rector at St. Christopher’s, Fort Worth.

• Ordination of the Rev. Karen Pettit - Barely 24 hours after arriving in January of 2025, I was blessed to visit Christ Church in Mexia for this ordination to the Sacred Order of Priests. It was a wonderful celebration.

• Installation of a New Head of School - In September, All Saints’ School installed Mr. Wally Worden as their Head of School during a liturgical celebration in the school chapel.

One of the highlights of the year was our Regional and Fellowship celebration, honoring Katie Sherrod’s ministry as Communication Coordinator for the North Region. This gathering was made especially memorable by the attendance of Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe, whose presence underscored the significance of Katie’s faithful service and the value of effective communication in building up the body of Christ.

Wider Church Involvement

My service to the diocese has been enriched by participation in ministry beyond our diocesan boundaries. I currently serve on the boards of:

• Siempre Unidos - Working toward greater unity and inclusion in our church

• Recovery Ministry of the Episcopal Church - Supporting congregations and individuals in healing and wholeness

• Center for the Restoration of Impaired Clergy - Advocating for clergy health and restoration

These involvements connect our diocesan life to the broader work of The Episcopal Church and allow me to bring insights and relationships back to the North Region.

Community Involvement

The Fort Worth area and surrounding region are vibrant and full of life. I appreciate being invited to participate in, or observe several local projects and committees. These include:

• The Fred Rouse Memorial Dedication - Local, city and state leaders from the sacred and secular gathered to remember and launch the creation of a memorial for Fred Rouse, Sr. whose life was tragically cut short by a brutal lynching in 1922

• Brite Divinity School, Board of Visitors - Joined with other leaders from the faith community and beyond to learn more about this Theological School affiliated with TCU

• Near Southside - Supported this organization of business leaders in the downtown and Near Southside areas of Fort Worth. Involvement included outreach to the displaced families and individuals of a tragic fire at a local apartment complex. The Diocese of Texas was further made known to the surrounding community thanks to our ongoing participation in local events like Mardi Gras Southside that kicked off the Epiphany Season for our neighbors with King cake, beignets, and displays regarding the liturgical context of the season. CONTINUED STORY

North Region Office

The effectiveness of any episcopal ministry depends greatly on the support and systems that sustain it. I am deeply grateful for my executive assistant, Joseph Roberts, whose steady efforts keep the office running smoothly and my schedule flowing. Joseph’s faithful attention to detail, warm hospitality, and organizational skills make possible the breadth of pastoral engagement and administrative work that this role requires. The North Region office is strengthened immeasurably by his dedication and competence. Including myself, there are five diocesan employees working from this office. A spirit of collegiality is being deepened by regular fellowship surrounding lunch and community celebrations.

Looking Ahead: Goals for the Coming Year

As I look toward the year ahead, several priorities emerge, including:

• Continuing Fellowship - Building on the momentum of our gatherings to deepen relationships and mutual support among clergy and congregations

• 4Saints Food Pantry - This ministry, inaugurated more than ten years ago, has become a focal point for outreach in Fort Worth and beyond. Relationships between the parishes and parishioners are fostered in this place. Approximately 5000 people are fed through this miraculous ministry every month.

The Resiliency of the North Region

What has struck me most profoundly this year is the unique resiliency demonstrated by the people, clergy, and parishes of the North Region. These communities have weathered significant challenges, yet they have not merely survived, they have emerged with joyful and enterprising hearts.

The North Region is pushing forward with determination and joy, discovering new expressions of our ancient faith for a new day. From new names to new ministries, from building projects to innovative outreach, I see evidence everywhere of congregations leaning into God’s future with confidence and creativity.

As I complete this first full year, I do so with great anticipation for what lies ahead. The foundation of relationships built, the insights gained through pastoral engagement, and the evidence of the Spirit’s work throughout our region fill me with confidence and hope. I am honored to walk alongside the faithful people of the North Region and the wider diocese as we continue to live into our calling as the Body of Christ in this time and place.

I remain deeply grateful to Bishop Doyle, my fellow bishops, the diocesan staff, and all members of Diocesan Council for your support, wisdom, and partnership in ministry.

For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.

iN mEmOriAm— ALL TEXAS hiLL COUNTry viCTimS

Strengthen the weary and comfort the grieving. Surround with your peace those who have lost loved ones.

In our midst, may we trust in your never-failing love. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Inspired by prayers from the Diocese of West Texas.

THE DIOCESE OF TEXAS

IS AWAKE AND MOVING

176TH ANNUAL COUNCIL

Joy, gratitude, and a clear sense of purpose marked the 176th Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, held at the Fort Worth Convention Center on February 7–8, 2025. In his annual address, Bishop Doyle proclaimed, “The Church is alive and well.” A truth reflected in every story, statistic, and ministry.

Highlights from the 176th Annual Council

Scan the QR code to explore more photos from the 176th Annual Council.

PILGRIMAGE TO GREECE: FOLLOWING PAUL’S STEPS

For eight years, the Rev. Mike Stone of St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church in Nassau Bay, with the support of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, has led pilgrimages to sacred sites that deepen faith and build spiritual community.

These tours are designed to travel as seekers, not merely as tourists. The first pilgrimage launched in 2017 brought 43 people to Israel. Groups have since journeyed to Jordan in 2019 and South Africa in 2023.

In 2025, 31 pilgrims across the diocese traveled to Greece, following the footsteps of St. Paul.

Reflections from Pilgrims

“It was amazing to walk the streets of Ephesus where Paul once walked — to stand in his footsteps, witnessing the setting of his ministry.”

“I was able to lay down some things I had been carrying for far too long...”

Photo Credits: The Rev. Mike Stone and pilgrims from St. Thomas the Apostle, Nassau Bay

A Time to Enjoy and Be Together as a Family

The Grande Family Reunion took place for its second year at Camp Allen in May of 2025. A weekend full of fellowship, play, live music, and worship.

More than 60 people gathered at Camp Allen, a beloved home away from home, to share time as a family and enjoy moments of rest and connection.

Enjoy some of the best moments here.

SCAN QR CODE FOR MORE

Photo Credits: Bill Rinhart

286 HISPANIC LAY LEADERS

Gather at Camp Allen for the 2025 Hispanic Lay Leadership Conference

FAITH IN ACTION: 2025 HISPANIC LAY LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

286 HISPANIC LAY LEADERS GATHER AT CAMP ALLEN

In the largest gathering to date, 286 lay leaders across the Episcopal Diocese of Texas came together at Camp Allen for the 2025 Hispanic Lay Leadership Conference. Held last June, more than workshops, it felt like a family reunion, filled with prayer, purpose, and the call to live the Gospel in a world of change.

Since its 2012 restart with just 69 attendees, this vibrant conference has grown into a vital space for equipping leaders. Under the guidance of Bishop Héctor Monterroso, participants engaged in plenaries, hands-on workshops, worship, and deep listening.

“El futuro es ahora.” (The future is now). A call to live out an active, courageous faith, grounded in love and ready for action.

IN A WARM VIDEO MESSAGE, BISHOP DOYLE REMINDED LEADERS

“We must stop thinking of church as something that only happens inside a building on Sundays…The church of the future needs leaders who are adaptable, innovative, and grounded in faith.”

WATCH THE MESSAGE

Scan QR Code

Keynote speaker the Rev. Lorenzo Lebrija shared this invitation:

“At the moment we are baptized, we become ministers… We prepare the environment and trust that God’s garden will grow.”

His talks and workshop reimagined the Church as a movement shaped by homes, prayer, hospitality, and everyday acts of love.

Workshops led by Mariely Gutiérrez, Estela López and team, and the Rev. Kattia Corella Cubillo offered tools for spiritual resilience, evangelism, and healing. Youth voices added energy and vision, calling the Church to grow with them.

The weekend closed with a Healing Eucharist and celebration of longtime leaders - whose faithful witness continues to plant seeds for the future.

Scan QR code for PHOTOS.

Secretary General of the Anglican Communion Visits the Diocese of Texas in June

In a week marked by deep listening, dialogue, and hope, the Rt. Rev. Anthony Poggo, Secretary-General of the Anglican Communion, visited the Episcopal Diocese of Texas to witness firsthand the church’s commitment to inclusive ministry, multicultural outreach, and gospel-centered community transformation.

As Bishop Poggo noted, the diocese lives by the values of being “Multicultural. Reaching out to serve. Meeting human needs.”

Hosted by Bishop Doyle, Bishop Poggo met with clergy, church planters, and lay leaders across the diocese’s vast 70,000-square-mile region, home to 175 congregations and over 77,000 parishioners.

One of the diocese’s highest priorities is to create welcoming and inclusive churches where immigrant communities feel a true sense of belonging. On June 10, accompanied by the Rt. Rev. Héctor Monterroso, Bishop Poggo visited St. Paul’s Episcopal Church/Iglesia Episcopal San Pablo and St. Peter’s/San Pedro Episcopal Church, both with vibrant ministries serving Houston’s diverse Anglo and Hispanic populations through bilingual worship and outreach.

Reflecting on his visit, Bishop Poggo said, “It’s encouraging to see how the local church is caring for people in need and embracing its mission with creativity and compassion.”

The Rt. Rev. Anthony Poggo (right) with the Rt. Rev. HŽctor Monterroso and the Rev. Pedro L—pez (left)

The Rt. Rev. Anthony Poggo with the Rt. Rev. HŽctor Monterroso and the Rev. Misael Pacheco (right)

CLERGY CONFERENCE 2025

Evangelism and Growth | “Go into the world and preach the Gospel.”

In October, clergy across the Diocese of Texas gathered for three days of worship, formation, and reflection.

Through plenaries, seminars, and fellowship, participants explored new pathways for evangelism, growth, and faithful leadership in today’s world.

Scan QR code for more photos

Former Archbishop of Canterbury, the Rt. Rev. Rowan Williams, Visits St. Alban’s, Waco

Credits: St. Alban’s Church Podcast and Justin Hamel

On October 29, former Archbishop of Canterbury, the Rt. Rev. Rowan Williams, visited St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Waco to preach during a Choral Evensong celebrating the Feast of James Hannington, Bishop, and His Companions, Martyrs.

With characteristic depth and grace, former Archbishop of Canterbury reflected on the profound question: What is the real good news of the martyrs?

He invited listeners to see in the martyrs’ witness “lives of such generosity and such vision that they become good news…even for their killers, even for the enemy.”

Scan QR Code

For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.

Matthew 18:20

In Recognition

Congratulations to Bishop Doyle!

RECIPIENT OF THE 2025 SPIRIT OF RESPECT AWARD –IM HOUSTON

Bishop Doyle received the 2025 Spirit of Respect Award from Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston (IM Houston), an organization dedicated to building bridges across faith traditions and strengthening community through service. The award was presented during the 2025 Tapestry Gala, held Saturday, November 1, at the Hilton Americas, Houston.

Tamara Clothier Honored with 2025 Stephen Award for Exceptional Diaconal Ministry

At the Triennial Meeting of the Association of Episcopal Deacons held in San Antonio earlier this June, Tamara Clothier was awarded the prestigious 2025 Stephen Award for Province VII. This award recognizes outstanding service in diaconal ministry, and Tamara’s impact is truly remarkable.

She was honored for her leadership with Feed My Sheep, addressing food insecurity, and her faithful support of Tuesday Solace, a ministry for families affected by Alzheimer’s. As Fieldwork Supervisor at the Iona School for Ministry, she helps form future deacons for service in both church and community. Her commitment extends to civic engagement through voter outreach and fostering connection among deacons by helping organize the annual diocesan deacon retreat.

Rev. Agook Kuol Honored with Delta Epsilon Chi Recognition

The Rev. Agook Kuol has been named an honorary member of the Delta Epsilon Chi Honor Society, a distinction awarded by the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) to exceptional alumni.

This recognition places the Rev. Kuol among a select group of leaders whose ministries and lives embody ABHE’s mission: Advancing Biblical Higher Education for Kingdom Impact.

In his letter announcing the award, Dr. Joseph Parle, Provost and Dean at the College of Biblical Studies, noted that the Rev. Kuol was selected for his remarkable achievements, leadership ability, and strong Christian character. The honor was celebrated publicly on Saturday, August 9, at Houston First Baptist Church.

Earlier this year, Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe appointed the Rev. Kuol, from the Diocese of Texas, to serve on the Task Force on the South Sudanese-American Anglican Diaspora.

“Recognition like this reflects a life shaped by service, deep faith, and commitment to strengthening communities through education and ministry.”

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

Faith in the Future

The Episcopal Diocese of Texas Announces Bold Strategic Vision for Congregational

and Mission Vitality

Last year, the Episcopal Diocese of Texas finalized its Faith in the Future blueprint and released its bold strategic vision designed to strengthen congregational and mission vitality, expand outreach, and ensure the long-term financial sustainability of ministries across the diocese. It is the result of our work with leaders throughout the diocese, diocesan staff, and two consulting firms, McKinsey & Company and the Institute for the Future, producing exciting insights for future mission. As a result, the diocese is forwardlooking to 2030 and beyond.

We are mobilizing our people and refining our structures to support the vision which includes three strategic priorities:

· Strengthening Congregational and Mission Vitality

· Leadership Development for a Changing Church

· Ensuring Financial Sustainability for Mission

Faith in the Future equips clergy, lay leaders, and congregations to thrive in an everchanging landscape, aligning congregational development, strategic leadership, and financial sustainability. It also comprised lay and clergy volunteers in varying stages to address areas of strategic importance: The Ethical use of AI in Ministry; School Engagement and Growth; Sustainable Church and Creation Care; and Land Stewardship.

A Chief Operating Officer and a Canon for Congregations are now in place to drive mission execution and foster clarity and alignment among staff and throughout the diocese.

“We are not merely maintaining the Church—we are multiplying it,” said Bishop C. Andrew Doyle in his 2025 Diocesan Council Address. “This next phase of our work ensures that every congregation, every leader, and every mission effort is positioned for longterm impact. We are pressing forward with faith, innovation, and a deep commitment to serving our communities.”

“We have faith in the future because we believe God is at work among us,” Bishop Doyle concluded. “This is our moment to step forward—not to look back. And we are ready.”

Learn more in our Faith in the Future Foundational Documents by visiting the corresponding QR codes below.

Consistent with the Faith in the Future Roadmap, the Episcopal Diocese of Texas Welcomes Chief Operating Officer and Canon for Congregational Mission and Vitality

Shawn Schulze Appointed Chief Operating Officer

In alignment with the diocese’s Faith in the Future work and centered around its Bold Strategic Vision, Shawn Schulze joined the diocese in January of this year as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. Prior to coming to the diocese, Schulze served as Regional Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Texas Gulf Coast Region of the American Red Cross.

Schulze brings decades of leadership experience across humanitarian organizations, government agencies, and the private sector. During his eight years with the American Red Cross, he held senior roles including Chief Executive Officer for the state of Louisiana and Regional COO for the Colorado and Wyoming Region, as well as multiple interim leadership assignments. He previously served as Deputy Director for the Southwest Region of AmeriCorps NCCC and as Deputy Operations Manager at U.S. Northern Command. He retired from the U.S. Army after 23 years of distinguished service, with assignments spanning Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.

Schulze brings decades of leadership experience across humanitarian organizations, government agencies, and the private sector.

As COO, Schulze oversees diocesan operations and supports the executive staff, ensuring strategic priorities are translated into measurable goals and effective implementation across the diocese. His work includes leadership in organizational culture, technology including the ethical use of artificial intelligence, and sustainability initiatives that support long term resiliency and mission alignment.

With a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from the University of Texas and a master’s degree in finance from Webster University in St. Louis, Schulze is known for cultivating partnerships that foster collaboration and trust among community leaders and stakeholders, guided by his principles of kindness and accountability. Married for more than 34 years, he and his wife are proud parents of three adult children and grandparents to two grandchildren.

The Rev. Perry Mullins Joins Diocese as Canon for Congregational and Mission Vitality

Last September, the Rev. Perry Mullins began his role as Canon for Congregational and Mission Vitality.

In this role, the Rev. Mullins leads the team that partners with congregations across the diocese in the work of church planting, campus missions, missional communities, area mission, multi-ethnic ministry, and congregational vitality.

The Rev. Mullins came to the diocese from McKinney, Texas, where he served as rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church beginning in 2017. He grew up in the Dallas area and holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. The Rev. Mullins earned his M.Div. from Seminary of the Southwest in Austin and was ordained in 2014.

He and his wife, Sarah, have two children, Lucas and Maggie.

Celebrating the Eucharist During Clergy Conference

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

Luke 10:27

ROUNDING THE GLOBE IN MISSION

2025 Global Partnerships Retreat at Camp Allen

In early September of last year, members of the Global Partnerships in Mission Committee gathered at Camp Allen for their annual retreat.

They shared updates on ministry with our companion dioceses in Costa Rica, Southern Malawi, and North Dakota; reflected on Bishop Alinafe’s summer visit to Waco and Austin; discussed a committee trip to North Dakota to strengthen relationships; and began planning to welcome students from Costa Rica to an upcoming gathering at Camp Allen in the coming year.

As stewards of the diocese’s funds for world mission and sustainable development, the committee also reviewed grant applications and awarded funds to support initiatives that bring abundant life to communities around the world, renewing their commitment to global mission and collaboration.

Photo Credits: Global Mission team

Ten Days in Costa Rica: A Journey with Intention

Guided by faith and rooted in love, each moment shaped their hearts, broadened their perspectives, and strengthened their sense of community.

“With hearts full of hope, we go. One Hope, One Body. Led by our youth, connected by faith, and moved by love.” | Minister for Youth, Marcia Quintanilla.

Each day of the mission was documented by a different youth participant whose personal reflections and insights invite others to walk alongside them to feel, grow, and discover through their experiences.

“Mud-soaked shoes and language barriers couldn’t stop the faith and friendships that grew on this trip.” —Thomas W.

“Helpfulness and joy—where every act of kindness reveals Christ among us.”

—Aaliyah G.

“Jesus is showing up in every corner of Costa Rica: in sanding walls, teamwork, laughter, and even playing hacky sack.” — Logan F. (aka Luxurious Locks.)

To read more reflections about the journey, check out the full blog here.

Scan QR Code to Read more

St. Cuthbert’s and St. Thomas in Houston Join Together for Their First Mission Trip to Guatemala

During the summer of 2025, youth from St. Cuthbert’s and St. Thomas (both in Houston) participated in their first international mission trip, spending a week near Guatemala City serving alongside Praying Pelican Missions. Their work included supporting a women’s ministry, food distribution, and providing basic supplies for families in need.

Beyond the service projects, the trip shaped the youth themselves. As they navigated new cultures and language barriers, they discovered the power of faith, ending the week by greeting new friends with a confident “Dios los bendiga.”

Photo Credits: St. Cuthbert’s and St. Thomas youth teams

BISHOP OF SOUTHERN MALAWI VISITS WACO TO STRENGTHEN MINISTRY PARTNERSHIPS

On Thursday, July 31, the Rt. Rev. Alinafe Kalemba, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Southern Malawi, gathered with clergy and leaders of the Northwest Convocation in Waco for an evening of fellowship and shared reflection.

During the gathering, Bishop Kalemba spoke about his ministry in Malawi and highlighted a historic milestone for the church: In 2025, the Diocese of Southern Malawi became the first Anglican diocese in Central Africa to approve the ordination of women. He also reflected on the common realities faced by churches in Malawi and Texas, including the impact of devastating floods on local communities.

The visit was part of a multi-day trip to the United States hosted by St. Alban’s (Waco) and its rector, the Rev. Aaron M. G. Zimmerman, and focused on strengthening relationships between dioceses and exploring future collaboration. For more than two decades, St. Alban’s has maintained a close partnership with All Saints, Nambiti, in Malawi, marked by shared prayer, mutual visits, and collaborative community projects.

Bishop Kalemba’s journey continued to other dioceses and institutions across the United States, furthering a ministry rooted in relationship, mutual learning, and the shared mission of the Anglican Communion.

Photo Credits: The Rev. Aaron Zimmerman and Ashley Allison

Building Hope at Kajo-Keji Christian College

Throughout 2025, Kajo-Keji Christian College, located in South Sudan, experienced meaningful growth made possible through faithful prayer and generous support.

A key milestone of the year was the completion of the new female dormitory, celebrated with a key-handing gathering in mid-November. This new space expanded safe housing for women students and strengthened the college’s ability to serve a growing academic community.

As the year ended, students returned home to celebrate Christmas with their families, marking the end of a successful year of formation and learning. Looking ahead to 2026, the college did so with gratitude, renewed vision, and a continued commitment to serving South Sudan through faith-based education.

Photo Credits: Kajo-Keji Christian College

WhEN WOmEN LEAd, GirLS STAy iN SChOOL

How faith, female leadership, and diocesan partnership transformed girls’ education in Malawi

In 2025, girls’ dropout rates in Anglican schools in southern Malawi fell from nearly 40% to almost zero. This transformation began with two women speaking truth.

Malawi is a landlocked country in southeastern Africa and a male-dominated society where poverty made puberty a barrier to learning. Families could not afford sanitary supplies, schools lacked running water, and girls had no safe spaces to manage their hygiene. Students missed class, fell behind, and eventually stopped attending altogether. Without school, many were pushed into domestic labor or married early. Education did not fail them. Circumstances did.

TWO WOMEN SPEAK UP

The turning point came during a partnership pilgrimage — an official exchange visit organized between members of the Anglican Diocese of Southern Malawi and lay leaders of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. Constance Mhone and Agnes Salaka, both members of the Malawi’s Partnerships Committee, traveled to Texas as part of that delegation. During an all-women meeting, they named what was happening back home: Girls were dropping out of school between their 5th and 8th grades, worn down by a combination of poverty, cultural pressure, and the absence of basic facilities. They proposed a solution. And for the first time, the right people were listening.

Constance Mhone Agnes Salaka

“It was women’s leadership that changed the situation. Malawians are proud of that.”

— Constance Mhone, Anglican Diocese of Southern Malawi Partnerships Committee

THE PARTNERSHIP TAKES SHAPE

What followed was two years of negotiation and planning, guided throughout by Malawian women and the Diocese of Texas partners. The result was a two-pillar program:

1. Wash and change rooms that offered private, hygienic spaces built in diocesan schools 2. Scholarships for orphaned and vulnerable girls (known in development contexts as OVC — Orphaned and Vulnerable Children) offered direct financial support to keep girls enrolled in school.

“When girls have a safe, private space and the financial support to stay, everything changes. We knew what our girls needed. We just needed partners willing to listen.”

— Agnes Salaka, Anglican Diocese of Southern Malawi Partnerships Committee

UNDERSTANDING THE PARTNERSHIP

The program brought together different organizations and ministries, each playing a distinct role:

• Global Partnerships in Mission (GPIM) of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas helped fund two wash and change rooms.

• Warm Heart International (WHI), a nonprofit affiliated with St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin and recognized by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, led and funded the construction of the wash and change rooms and supported scholarships for orphaned and vulnerable girls in primary and secondary schools, through its Girls Education in Malawi (GEM) committee.

• The Anglican Diocese of Southern Malawi provided leadership and implementation on the ground.

By 2025, the initiative had reached full implementation. Together, these organizations built eight wash and change rooms: six in primary schools across the communities of Bakasala, Nasulu, Nambiro, Chiweni, Nantcheu, and Mlambe, and two at Trinity Anglican Secondary School.

““With the help of our friends from Texas through Warm Heart International and Global Partnerships in Mission (GPIM), a total of eight washrooms have been built.”

— Tawanda S. Madovi, Chairman of the Anglican Diocese of Southern Malawi Partnerships Committee

MORE THAN BUILDINGS

As construction progressed, 15 scholarships were awarded to vulnerable girls across 7 Anglican schools. Those schools are now known in their communities as “scholarship schools” — a designation that carries real meaning locally, signaling that a school has earned the trust and investment of outside partners, and that girls there are valued and supported.

The Anglican Diocese of Southern Malawi covers seven districts and is now among the pioneers addressing what remains a nationwide challenge. The Phalombe District Education Office formally recognized the program’s impact, describing the scholarships as “a sigh of relief” for families and noting the washroom at Nantcheu Primary School as essential to keeping girls enrolled.

The physical infrastructure alone would not have been enough. Central to the program’s success were the mother groups: community women who volunteered to mentor girls, educate families, and challenge the cultural norms that once made dropout feel inevitable.

““This was never just about buildings. Without facilities, financial support, and people walking with the girls and their families, the problem would remain.”

— Member of the Mother Group

The program has also shifted attitudes among men and boys. Where girls were once mocked for stained clothing, boys now recognize that they are becoming young women. There is a growing sense of understanding and respect. Boys are now happy to have their sisters and friends in school with them as they progress.

Canon Charles Masina described the initiative as a pastoral act, a demonstration that culture should never block God’s love but can instead become the place where dignity is restored. The Rt. Rev. Alinafe Kalemba affirmed: “We are restoring dignity that was always intended by God.”

That dignity was always there. It took women — Constance Mhone, Agnes Salaka, and the mothers who followed them — to demand it be seen.

Thomas Gebhard, board member of Warm Heart International, and Mother Hope with some beneficiaries

“So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come” Psalm 71:18

CARING FOR OUR SENIORS

Caring for Our Seniors in 2025

During 2025, the Episcopal Seniors Foundation awarded 16 grants across the Diocese of Texas, a remarkable growth from just one grant in 2019. In total, ESF distributed $167,500 to strengthen senior ministries throughout the diocese.

These grants expanded access to essential resources while creating spaces of community and spiritual care. With grants and support from ESF, older adults were not only served but actively involved in leading, planning, and shaping these ministries.

At Iglesia Episcopal San Mateo in Houston, ESF grants supported a senior ministry that includes monthly gatherings designed with and for older adults. In November, the community hosted a Christmas celebration filled with music, dancing, prayer, and a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Seniors received bags with essential items such as beans, rice, cooking oil, pasta, sugar, and hand soap. The event reflected both the leadership and joy of the seniors who help organize these gatherings.

At Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Houston, the Jubilee Seniors Ministry hosted a Game Day and Lotería Night in 2025. Organized by seniors for seniors and members of the wider community, these gatherings foster connection while affirming that older adults remain active leaders in the life of the Church.

Camp Allen’s Abundant Living Conference, the only diocesan-wide senior event and the first ministry ever supported by an ESF grant, continues to receive annual funding. These grants help keep participation costs accessible so more seniors can attend for fellowship, learning, and renewal. Many participants return year after year, strengthening the continuity of this beloved gathering.

At Grace Episcopal Church in Alvin, volunteers set up a biweekly food pantry at Memorial Gardens, a HUD apartment complex, where residents select the foods they need. The ministry also includes deliveries to homebound seniors, along with prayer and Eucharist. One woman shared, “It’s not just about the food. You all feed my body but also my soul by your visits. I know someone is going to check on us at least every week.”

In San Pedro, Pasadena, Seniors gather every Friday at noon for a shared meal along with a time of learning or entertainment. Each week, between 60 and 80 seniors come together, forming a vibrant community built on friendship and faith.

For more information about ESF, please visit: www.epicenter.org/esf CONTINUED STORY

From food assistance to fellowship, from respite care to spiritual formation, these ministries reflect ESF’s mission to promote the health and wellbeing of seniors, especially those least served, and to foster faith, education, and community wherever they live.

“Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.”

1 Peter 4: 10

PLANTING FOR THE FUTURE

PLANTING COMMUNITIES ACROSS TEXAS

The Diocese of Texas is home to 19 vibrant church plants, and its vision for the coming year is to welcome three more. From every corner of the diocese, the team is committed to expanding communities, nurturing connections, and building the kingdom of God.

“Church planting in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas is a uniquely ambitious movement unlike anything happening elsewhere in the church. No other diocese is launching new communities at the scale and pace we are, fueled not only by strong resources but by extraordinary talent. Our church planters take on the hardest and holiest work building communities where none existed before. We are profoundly blessed by their innovative leadership, which continues to reshape what is possible for the Episcopal Church.”

• St. Julian of Norwich, Cedar Park

• St. Mary Magdalene, Manor

• Church of the Cross, Austin

• Resurrection, South Austin

• San Romero, Houston

• St. Philip the Evangelist, Houston

• Good Shepherd Indian, Stafford

• Holy Family, Houston

• Mosaic, Pearland

• San Esteban, Cleveland

• St. Clare’s, Tyler

• St. Cecilia’s, Round Top

• St. Cornelius, Belton

• Jubilee, north Austin

• Esp’ritu Santo, Bryan

• St. Brigid, Fort Worth

• Esperanza, Houston

• El Jard’n, Fort Worth

THE REV. DR. LESLIE A. STEWART, Missioner for Congregational & Mission Vitality, Church Planting & Innovation

Find a Church Near You

• Kiswahili Congregation, St. Stephen's, Huntsville.

Scan to explore every church in the Diocese

Church Planting Growth Across Our Diocese

Strengthening South Asian Ministries

Good Shepherd Indian Church in Stafford continues to reflect the growing vitality of South Asian ministries across the Diocese of Texas. Led by the Rev. Roy Varghese, this newly planted Indian Church and rapidly growing congregation celebrated a significant milestone when Bishop Ryan confirmed four young women, marking an important moment in the life of the parish and its emerging leadership.

Earlier in the year, the Episcopal Asiamerican Ministries South Asian Convocation gathered at Camp Allen, bringing clergy and lay leaders together for prayer, reflection, and collaboration. Keynote addresses from Bishop C. Andrew Doyle and Bishop Jos Tharakan encouraged creative and resilient leadership in multicultural and interfaith contexts. Guided by Dr. Jo Ann Lagman, participants engaged in theological reflection, missional conversation, and discernment, strengthening relationships and renewing networks across the church.

An Artistic Sanctuary in the Heart of Near Southside, Fort Worth: St. Brigid Episcopal Church

Photo Credits: Laura McAlister

St. Brigid has become a creative and community-rooted Episcopal presence in Fort Worth’s Near Southside community. Under the leadership of Vicar Joel McAlister, the congregation connects with neighbors through gallery nights, meditative art workshops, and collaborations with more than 45 local artists. With nearly 30 people attending

CONTINUED STORY

Sunday worship and around 60 community members regularly involved, St. Brigid is becoming a trusted community anchor grounded in hospitality, creativity, and care.

In April of 2025, the congregation participated in the Open Streets event, hosting a table where hay bales were set up to teach roping. The event created opportunities to meet new people while offering a fun and welcoming experience for the wider community. Through participation in local events like this, St. Brigid continues to build strong connections and remain closely engaged with its surrounding neighborhood.

St. Clare’s, the Epicenter of Just As I Am: A Community of Belonging, Healing, and Transformation

St. Clare’s, Tyler, stands at the heart of the Just As I Am movement, serving as a center of welcome, healing, and belonging.

St. Clare’s, Tyler, stands at the heart of the Just As I Am movement, serving as a center of welcome, healing, and belonging. Just As I Am began in 2017 with 12 people gathered in a living room and has since grown into communities in Beaumont, Spring, and Cypress. From that movement emerged St. Clare’s, where the Rev. Rob Jerger serves as Vicar, offering a spiritual home for LGBTQ+ people and others seeking grace and affirmation as they are.

Much of this ministry grew from Rob Jerger’s own journey back to faith, shaped by the words of Psalm 139: “You are fearfully and wonderfully made.” That truth became the foundation of a community committed to responding to pain with love rather than exclusion.

Today, St. Clare’s reflects that calling through worship and pastoral care, walking alongside those who have been harmed or pushed away by the church. Many members, absent for decades or attending church for the first time, found St. Clare’s to be a place to breathe, heal, and belong.

Photo Credits: The Rev. Rob Jerger

Care for the whole person is central to this community. Through licensed counseling, Mental Health Matters Wednesdays, and the Religious Trauma Recovery Collective, the church addresses both spiritual and mental health needs, embodying a faith where no one walks alone and God’s love is made visible through compassion and care.

Planting in Faith: The Journey of San Esteban Church

San Esteban Episcopal Church in Cleveland gathered on June 22 to pray over the land where their future building will stand. Led by the Rev. William Llana and supported by the Rev. Dr. Leslie Stewart and the diocesan church planting team, the congregation has grown to an average Sunday attendance of 78 and nearly 100 active members. “Having a church home of our own means so much to us. It is a dream coming true,” said Mario Jiménez, San Esteban’s member.

The Church was also awarded funding by the Area Mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas on August 11, 2025, for a soccer program serving children and youth. Health and wellness activities for parents were also included as part of the initiative. As of September 2, 2025, a total of 104 children and youth were participating in the program. The program will continue through the spring and will be evaluated on July 31, 2026.

Esperanza: A New Episcopal Community in Houston

What began as home gatherings in 2024 has become a vibrant Episcopal community now known as Esperanza at Hope Episcopal Church (Houston). In May, they officially joined Hope, and in September Bishop HŽctor Monterroso celebrated confirmations, receptions, and Hispanic Heritage Month with them, marking a joyful step in their unfolding journey.

Esp’ritu Santo, Bryan

Espíritu Santo, Bryan, welcomed Bishop Ryan for a pastoral visitation marked by faith, celebration, and a strong sense of community. The church plant, under the leadership of the Rev. Benjamin Sanchez (Padre Ben), witnessed meaningful moments of worship and renewal as 18 candidates took important steps in their spiritual journeys: Three were confirmed, and 15 were received into the Episcopal Church.

Jubilee, Austin: A Safe Harbor for the Community

Jubilee, Austin, experienced deep and wide growth in 2025, celebrating the highest number of baptisms, confirmations, and weddings in a single year since its founding in 2022. The congregation, under the leadership of the Rev. Lizzie McManus-Dail, continued to strengthen its presence in the community as a safe harbor for people of all identities, immigration statuses, and backgrounds. Each Sunday, the joyful sounds of children ringing Sanctus bells filled the space, reflecting a vibrant and intergenerational worship life.

The parish also celebrated the artistic gifts shared among its members, including original music by Music Minister Carly Green Bartlett; vestments created by parishioner Julie Le Cours; and creative contributions from Helen Gulliford and the VBS community, who crafted a new Christmas altar frontal. During the fall, the congregation also welcomed Lay Preacher Erik Evenson, enriching the community’s worship and shared ministry. CONTINUED STORY

In addition, Jubilee marked the publication of a new book by its Vicar, the Rev. Lizzie, God Didn’t Make Us to Hate Us (Tarcher, Penguin Random House, 2025). The Rev. Hayden, Curate, guided many new Episcopalians in the tradition of swinging a thurible. Together, these moments reflected a community marked by creativity, welcome, and hopeful growth.

Mosaic:

A Growing Episcopal Home for the Community in Pearland

Mosaic, Pearland, continues to grow as an inclusive and community-centered congregation. Nearly 70 people gather each Sunday, including longtime Episcopalians, people returning to church after many years, and others experiencing Episcopal worship for the first time. Under the leadership of the Rev. Joseph Yoo, Mosaic has become a place where people from different backgrounds and stories find belonging, purpose, and a gentle, grace-filled path toward God.

Through its ministry, Mosaic continues to express generosity in tangible and everyday ways. During Christmas Eve services, the parish’s Impact Offering dedicated 100 % of the collected gifts to a local need, raising $5,000 to support Mary Marek Elementary School, a Title I school, and Alvin ISD in reducing school lunch debt.

In 2025, Mosaic also launched its first Young Adults gathering through a hands-on cooking class, where participants learned to prepare a meal with a local chef, followed by conversation and guided discussion around the table. The community packed more than 100 lunch bags for the Pearland Neighborhood Center and received a grant to support wellness initiatives. As a result, Mosaic now offers free yoga sessions every second Saturday of the month, led by Jenn, a certified instructor, creating another welcoming space for connection, care, and renewal. CONTINUED STORY

Photo Credits: Dustin Konrad

It all begins with an idea… An Interview with the Rev. Javier Rivera, Vicar at El Jardín, Fort Worth

“Find Hope in Community” - That’s the heart of El Jardín, a new network of small discussion groups across the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. These groups are gathering in living rooms, parish halls, and community spaces throughout Fort Worth to explore big questions about faith, life, and belonging.

At the center of this effort is the Rev. Javier Rivera, a bilingual priest now based at Trinity Episcopal Church, Fort Worth, serving as the official vicar for El Jard’n in the region. With a warm smile and a heart rooted in community,

in an interview shared here, Padre Javier describes El Jardín as “a movement where faith takes root through friendship”.

Padre Javier, what is El Jard’n and why is it important for this moment?

The Rev. Javier Rivera: El Jardín is more than a program. It’s a space for people to reconnect with God and with one another. Many of our Hispanic families are asking deep questions about faith, hope, and purpose. El Jardín offers small groups where those conversations can happen in trust and community, because we are not alone.

How will these discussion groups work?

The Rev. Javier Rivera: Groups are forming across Fort Worth and nearby areas. Each group has free materials that are easy to follow, and open to everyone. No prior experience or membership is required. People can join or even host a group with friends, family, or neighbors. Local Episcopal congregations will help connect participants to the nearest group.

What makes El Jard’n special to you personally?

The Rev. Javier Rivera: I was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and ordained as a Claretian Missionary in 1993. My calling has always been to bring the gospel where it’s most needed. For more than 25 years I served in the Dominican Republic and another 15 in Puerto Rico, working with communities of faith, education, and ecology. Now, serving in Texas, I see how much people long for authentic connection. That’s what El Jardín offers. It’s a living garden of faith that grows through care, presence, and the spirit.

How can someone get involved?

The Rev. Javier Rivera: There are three simple ways:

Host a Group – Open your space and welcome others. We’ll guide you step by step. Join a Group – Find the one that fits your time and location. Share the Invitation – Spread the word so more people can experience this hope.

El Jard’n. Find Hope in Community | www.eljardinedot.com

Scan the QR Code for more

“He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Luke 10:2

BUILDING MISSION THROUGH COMMUNITIES

With God in the Story Communities Build Together

A New Concept for Missional Communities

Missional communities are spiritual and relational gatherings that foster authentic, transformational relationships between the church and its neighbors.

Missional communities create spaces for the fabric of our lives – our passions, identities, hurts, and hopes – to be knitted together with our neighbors.

What this tends to look like in practice is a regularly occurring gathering that…

• Includes church members and community members

• Builds authentic relationships around a common purpose or passion

• Nurtures courage, compassion, and connection

Belonging:

Missional communities invite us to explore together how the sacred longings of our hearts, through conversation, meals, spiritual practices, physical wellness, play, creativity, and justice can be met and nurtured in our local context.

These communities - planted in the rich soil of

work of bearing witness and being witnessed in communities of belonging and bridging

If you’re interested in learning more, please contact Kelley McRae, Missioner for Congregational Vitality: kmcrae@epicenter org | 646 335 2118

These communities – planted in the rich soil of mutual transformation – allow us to do the awkward, holy work of bearing witness and being witnessed in communities of belonging and bridging.

Building community around a shared identity or passion.

Bridging:

Gathering people from different social and economic realities in order to build transformational relationships and transformed communities.

Combating Isolation:

Creating connections for people who are isolated by the circumstances of their lives.

Transformational Conversation:

Building community through the practice of courageous conversation or storytelling.

If you’re interested in learning more, please contact Kelley McRae, Missioner for Congregational Vitality - kmcrae@epicenter.org

leaders involved in the league have built meaningful relationships with participating families, walking together through the joys and sorrows of life

Telling the Stories of Connection

er a decade of deep relational work by the San Pedro reaching out to their neighbors, building authentic ns and hopes these families have in both creative and

By Kelley McRae - Missioner for Congregational Vitality - Northwest

Love Notes Chorus - St. Matthew’s, Austin

th izing ng from r and

Love Notes Chorus is a choir made up of people living with memory loss, their caregivers, and volunteers. Recognizing the powerful effect of music on people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, Edie Elkjer and Susie Higley launched this missional community in September 2019.

nd two h s note refuge.’

“nse of belonging to a community that often experiences ong, they experience the transformational power of music,

The chorus rehearses weekly in the fall and spring and offers two concerts a year. Volunteers teach songs, provide snacks and water, and ensure what they call “genuine fun.” Caregivers describe the community as a place of camaraderie and refuge. With over 100 singers, Love Notes Chorus offers belonging to a community that often feels isolated, and each week they experience the transforming power of music, understanding, and love.

This is about offering something beautiful to the community.

In May 2025, the Angleton Community Choir performed Requiem by Michael Trotta with a live orchestra. Guest artists joined from Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ebony Opera Guild, Opera in the Heights, Texas Southern University, and the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music.

“This is about offering something beautiful to the community,” Brown said. “Not just for the people in the audience, but for those of us singing it, too. This is something we build together.”

Love Notes Chorus of St. Matthew’s, Austin

Angleton Community Choir of Holy Comforter, Angleton

Angleton Community Choir – Holy Comforter, Angleton

Born to Live in Community: The Healing Power of Missional Communities

Humans are made to live in community. But in our fast-paced, always-online world, belonging can feel distant, sometimes even impossible. According to The World Health Organization (WHO), one in six people worldwide struggles with loneliness. In the United States, nearly half of adults report that no one really knows them well.

Loneliness has become so common that it is now described as a new epidemic, affecting people of every age and culture. Because of this landscape of disconnection, missional communities are emerging as sanctuaries of belonging. In the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, more than 120 missional community groups have taken shape. Each of them is born from someone’s desire to connect with others and share a common purpose.

In Katy, Texas, the Neighborhood Garden Project is more than a garden. It’s a place where people grow. At St. Paul’s, Katy, there are no fences or gates, just open soil and open hearts. Fulltime garden stewards like Kayla walk alongside visitors, listening, guiding, and building relationships. “The best part of my day is seeing the people who step into the garden. You can feel their relief the moment they arrive,” she shares.

Watch the Story

Scan to watch the video about missional communities.

The Neighborhood Garden Project

CONTINUED STORY

Josh Singleton, Founder of the Neighborhood Garden Project

Here, families plant not only vegetables but also life rhythms. Children learn to harvest and cook, neighbors become friends, and cultural diversity flourishes: like a family from India sharing bitter gourd from their homeland.

Josh, the founder of the Garden, explains: “I’ve been growing food for a long time; now it’s time to cultivate people. We don’t separate fruit from formation. They have to go together.”

Cultivating Humanity

Health is more than physical or mental. It is also social. Social health is the strength of our relationships, our sense of belonging, and the feeling of being valued and loved.

As Sue Stuart-Smith writes in The WellGardened Mind: “Tending a garden isn’t just about growth above the soil. It’s about what happens within us.” The same is true of missional communities.

They cultivate not only food or programs but the very essence of what can possibly be God’s purpose for people.

For Julie, a participant in the Neighborhood Garden Project, the experience is life-changing: “Being here, working with others, I finally feel like I’m part of something bigger than myself. It’s not just gardening; it’s learning how to care for life and for each other.”

Scan QR Code

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!”

Isaiah 6:8

DISCERNING AND LEANING INTO THE CALL TO MINISTRY

2025 RECAP

DISCOVERY WEEKEND

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive.”

— HOWARD THURMAN

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

—HOWARD THURMAN

WHAT IS DISCOVERY WEEKEND?

Discovery Weekend offers space to discern purpose, name gifts, and ask real questions. Whether you’re curious about ordination or lay leadership, you’ll find room to reflect, explore belonging, and listen for God’s voice alongside others from across the diocese. Discernment is a moment to pause, listen, and dream. It helps connect our deepest hopes with God’s hopes for our lives, honoring the many ways people in the Body of Christ hear their call. No matter what your question or your calling, you belong here at a Discovery Weekend.

IN 2025...

IN 2025...

The diocese hosted two Discovery Weekends at Camp Allen on May 2-4 and September 12-14.

The Diocese hosted two Discovery Weekends at Camp Allen on May 2nd –4th and September 12th –14th.

A total of 50 people participated and discerned God's call and vocation for their lives.

A total of 50 people participated and discerned God’s call and vocation for their lives.

IN 2026...

IN 2026...

If you are looking for a place to explore discernment in your own life, consider registering for a 2026 Discovery Weekend on September 18-20.

If you are looking for a place to explore discernment in your own life, consider registering for a 2026 Discovery Weekend on May 1st –3rd or September 18th –20th.

Undergraduates, graduate students, and young professionals are also invited to join us or a Vocation Pilgrimage, March 9-12, a time of discernment, reflection, and renewal. Register today with the QR code above!

Undergraduates, graduate students, and young professionals are also invited to join us for a Vocation Pilgrimage, March 9th-12th, a time of discernment, reflection, and renewal. Register today with the QR code above!

Together, we are cultivating connection and belonging in Christ for the future of the church

.

Answering the Call: Iona School for Ministry Celebrates 2025 Graduates

The Episcopal Diocese of Texas honored the eight graduates from the Iona School for Ministry’s Class of 2025 in a joyful, spirit-filled service on Sunday, June 8, at Camp Allen.

The graduates: Kim Kibby, Joey McGee, Tommy Moreland, Richard T. O’Dell, Ryan Presley, Warren Robinson, Michael Thompson, and Sheila Thrash, marked the culmination of years of discernment, prayer, study, and dedication to ministry.

Sheila Thrash, one of the graduates, reflected: “I grew up hearing that girls couldn’t do this, that women couldn’t lead. But now I’ve graduated, and I’m on my way to becoming a deacon. It’s taken decades to get here—and I’m so happy I can hardly express it. Finally, women can.”

Michael Thompson, also among this year’s graduates, began the Iona journey in 2019 and shared: “It’s been a long and amazing journey. The deans, the teachers, and my classmates have all become lifelong friends. This graduation doesn’t mark an end—it’s the beginning of a whole new chapter.”

Congratulations, Class of 2025!

2025 Deacons’ Ordination

15 new deacons were joyfully ordained in a celebration filled with prayer, community, and heartfelt welcome.

Ordinations

The Rt. Rev. Jeff W. Fisher

The Rev. Dana Jean

The Rev. Tony Kroll

The Rev. Jonathan Maresca

The Rev. Suzanne Hollifield

The Rt. Rev. HŽctor F. Monterroso

The Rev. Victoria Gilliland

The Rev. Mar’a Teresa

Bautista-Berr’os

The Rev. Gregory Cross

The Rev. Sutton Lowe

The Rt. Rev. Kathryn M. Ryan

The Rev. Addison McMillan

The Rev. Michael Farnell

Trinity, Marshall

Holy Comforter, Spring

St. Stephen's, Huntsville

All Saints', Crockett

Holy Family, Houston

Trinity, Houston

St. Martin's, Houston

St. John the Divine, Houston

St. James', Austin

St. Peter's, Brenham

The Rev. Hayden Paul Jubilee, Austin

The Rev. Misael Pacheco

The Rev. Kelly Barnhill

The Rt. Rev. Brian R. Seage

The Rev. Karen Pettit

Installations

The Rt. Rev. Jeff W. Fisher

The Rev. Rohani Weger

The Rev. Catherine Cox

The Rev. David Butorac

The Rt. Rev. HŽctor Monterroso

The Rev. Ryan Hawthorne

The Rev. Michael Briggs

The Rev. Mar’a Victoria Uma–a

The Rt. Rev. Kathryn M. Ryan

The Rev. Neal McGowan

The Rev. Kurt Wiesner

The Rt. Rev. Bishop Seage

The Rev. Paula Jefferson

Wally Worden

San Pablo, Houston

St. James', Taylor

Christ Church, Mexia

Holy Trinity, Port Neches

Christ the King (Atascocita), Humble

Rector, Christ Episcopal Church, Nacogdoches

Rector, Grace, Houston

Rector, Grace, Galveston

Rector, Christ the King Episcopal Church, Houston

Rector, Grace, Georgetown

Rector, Trinity, Marble Falls

Vicar, St. Christopher’s, Fort Worth

Head of School at All Saints’, Fort Worth

A Look BackSilver Charms for the Junior Altar Guild: A Milestone in Peggy Fleissner’s Legacy to the Diocese of Texas

Motivated by her love for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and her desire to inspire young women in faith, Peggy Fleissner, a founding member of St. Paul’s in Houston, launched the Junior Altar Guild many years ago. Working with the Rev. George Perrigin and Texas jeweler James Avery, she envisioned a charm bracelet that would grow with each girl’s spiritual journey.

In the mid to late 1970s, Peggy traveled to Avery’s small Kerrville workshop to design sterling silver charms representing the seven sacraments, along with a crown symbolizing Christ’s presence. “She believed young people deserved something beautiful and sacred to mark their milestones,” recalls her daughter, Catherine Rinhart. Peggy wanted each charm to remind the girls that God walks with us every step of the way.

The Junior Altar Guild grew out of Peggy’s own formation. She never forgot how, as a child, she accompanied her mother during Altar Guild duties and the moment she realized there was no program for girls. So later, in her subsequent spiritual walk, Peggy decided to create a rewarding opportunity for young ladies. It would welcome them to care for a small altar used for children’s worship, serve on rotating schedules, and meet weekly for study. Each year, the girls - in junior high and high school - who completed their duties, would earn a new charm, eventually graduating with a full bracelet.

The group also embroidered purificators for churches overseas, extending their ministry beyond Houston. The charms, created exclusively for St. Paul’s, are now cherished heirlooms passed through generations. One former member reflects, “Each charm marked a sacred step. It reminded me of God’s love and the community that shaped me.”

Peggy’s creativity and faith left a lasting legacy. Her work lives on not only in silver, but in the lives of the young women she formed, a testament to the beauty that emerges when imagination and ministry meet.

“Each charm marked a sacred step. It reminded me of God’s love and the community that shaped me.”

Credits: James Avery, Our Story; Fleissner–Rinhart family memories.

“Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.”

Jeremiah 33:6

HEALING COMMUNITIES

Listening That Leads to Change: EHF’s 2025 Impact

In 2025, Episcopal Health Foundation (EHF) built its work on one clear foundation: the deep listening carried out across Texas in 2024. Insights from mothers, community leaders, local growers, congregations, clinics, and health organizations shaped every direction for the year.

From Listening to Action

Focusing its efforts on both communities and congregations, EHF’s roadmap moves from listening to action —changing systems and removing barriers to improve health, not just health care, for all Texans.

EHF works with partners to shift how Texans think about health by addressing the non-medical drivers that shape daily well-being.

EHF’s work is anchored in three interconnected Action Areas:

• Health & Health Care Services

• Healthy Communities

• Health Policies

These areas are supported by EHF’s Impact Drivers that will guide every part of their work — from grants and congregational partnerships to research and policy. They are the core ways EHF strives to drive change: strengthening comprehensive care, accelerating innovative health financing, activating community voices, maximizing connections to health coverage and benefits, supporting community health workers, and promoting multi-sector collaboration.

www.episcopalhealth.org

Holy Currencies in Action: 4Saints & Friends Food

Supported by five Episcopal congregations, 4Saints & Friends Food Pantry is a nonprofit in the Fort Worth area that serves more than 4,500 neighbors every month. In 2025, the ministry reached a major milestone: 65,250 pounds of food distributed in just five weeks, thanks to volunteers, donors, and coordinated parish support.

“We have the peanutbutter church, the canned-tomato church, and so on. When SNAP is disrupted, we see an immediate rise in families needing support.”

—

Ashley Blain, M.Sc., CHES®, 4Saints & Friends Food

WATCH NOW to see more about 4Saints’ amazing efforts and how EHF is helping them get even stronger as the need increases in Fort Worth.

Holy Currencies Impact

After completing EHF’s Holy Currencies program, 4Saints:

Improved operational and financial systems; expanded partnerships with schools and health organizations; increased volunteer engagement; and strengthened long-term sustainability.

Volunteers and School Partnership:

Health-Focused Expansion

Through a partnership with Texas Health Resources, 4Saints launched the Food as Integrated Treatment (F.I.T.) program, providing foods aligned with the American Heart Association’s DASH diet. This allows the pantry to support not just nutrition—but long-term health.

Teachers from All Saints Episcopal School helped organize shelves and streamline inventory, while the faithful Wednesday crew ensured every family was served with dignity and care.

SCAN TO WATCH

SCAN TO LEARN MORE

Christian Formation Opportunity

Rooted in the Episcopal tradition, this learning journey aims to inspire, educate, and motivate congregations to engage in ministry and outreach activities that build healthier communities.

This group-based program is designed to t within a three-month period and to provide a structured framework that will:

• Deepen your understanding of how the Baptismal Covenant connects to the health and wellness of your neighbors.

• Identify the strengths and needs within both your congregation and your surrounding community.

• Position congregations to explore next steps for impactful, neighbor-focused ministry.

What’s Included:

• Guidebook with six chapters of content

• Learning Modules, including videos to support in-person group meetings

• Interactive activities, both within your congregation and in your surrounding community

To learn more and nd out how to get your congregation involved, contact Episcopal Health Foundation’s Congregational Engagement team: congregations@episcopalhealth.org

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

Genesis 1:27

ENSURING RACIAL JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION

Episcopal Diocese of Texas Racial Justice Committee Update

Annual Report, Calendar Year 2025

The Racial Justice Committee (RJC) was created in August 2020, following Bishop Doyle's commitment to grant $13 million to address racial justice and reconciliation in the Diocese of Texas. The funds were divided equally among three funds overseen by the Racial Justice Committee and the Seminary of the Southwest. This report covers the work of the Racial Justice Committee.

In 2025, the RJC consisted of 12 members, including Bishop Doyle. The Committee members are parishioners from the historically Black churches in the diocese. The RJC meets four times per year to review and approve grant applications.

The RJC conducts its work through three funds: The Henrietta Wells Scholarship Fund provides scholarships to Black students who are active in the Episcopal Church and attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).

The John and Joseph Talbot Fund provides funds for projects in the Diocese that tell the history of slavery and other racial injustices in the Diocese for the purpose of promoting racial healing and reconciliation within our churches and communities, as well as projects that uplift the community by highlighting the achievements of African Americans in the diocese.

The Thomas Cain Fund provides grants to help address deferred maintenance in the historically Black churches in the Diocese.

In addition, the RJC works with the Episcopal Health Foundation (EHF) to leverage its outreach to all 80 counties in the Diocese. The work with EHF includes, but is not limited to, looking at health issues and racial disparities and helping parishes have the necessary conversations to understand the impacts of these inequities. The monies available from all three funds are based on annual earnings from investments to ensure the longevity of the funds.

Since its inception, the RJC has disbursed funds as follows: The John and Joseph Talbot Fund $ 343,453 The Thomas Cain Fund $1,414,075

The Rev. Francene Young’s term ended at the end of 2025. The Rev. Rhonda Rogers is the new Racial Justice Initiative Chairperson.

HENRIETTA B. WELLS FUND FACTS AS OF END OF 2025:

$367,000

TOTAL AMOUNT SPENT since inception of fund

150 SCHOLARSHIPS IN TOTAL awarded since inception of fund

20 AWARDED IN 2025 FOR 2026 Spring semester

The Rev. Francene Young Immediate Past Chair, Racial Justice Initiative

St. Thomas in Nassau Bay: Racial Justice project in progress honoring Black Americans who have contributed to NASA in exceptional ways

MORE THAN MONEY

A gift rooted in memory, justice, and healing

SEPTEMBER 15, 1963

A bomb beneath the steps of Sixteenth St. Baptist Church killed four young girls and shook a nation.

More than 60 years later, the work of healing continues.

Bishop Quin Foundation and the Episcopal Diocese of Texas Give to a Church

That Lost So Much More Than Money Can Buy

Now a historic landmark attracting countless visitors each year, the church is home to where terror and tragedy struck on September 15, 1963. On what was expected to be an ordinary Sunday at the church, it would prove to be far from it. A bomb, planted beneath the steps of the church by the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) exploded, killing four young girls who were attending Sunday School in the church’s basement, and injuring more than 20 other members of the congregation. The time was 10:22 a.m. This unfathomable act of violence left people the world over utterly devastated.

TERROR IN BIRMINGHAM

What may be forgotten, however, is later that day in Birmingham, a black youth was also killed by police, while another was murdered by a mob of white men. Sixteenth Street Baptist Church had witnessed an indescribable and unimaginable terror. Meanwhile, Birmingham was at the zenith of a flashpoint, the country was divided, and the world was shaken.

SIXTEENTH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH, “EVERYBODY’S CHURCH”…63 YEARS LATER

Yet, over six decades later, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church has become a beacon of light in a self-proclaimed community, “where Jesus Christ is the main attraction!”

The Episcopal Diocese of Texas and Bishop Quin Foundation brought to fruition its fierce commitment towards racial healing and reconciliation to Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL.

They are a community of believers; however, because of the decades-old tragedy, people around the globe visit this historic landmark annually, and the years of wear and tear from foot traffic from the hundreds of thousands has rendered the church in need of extensive repairs.

ITS RICH HISTORY MANIFESTS ITSELF IN THE EPITOME OF RESILIENCE

Over the years, while the church has evolved, it has also remained steadfast and faithful.

Since being organized in 1873 as the First Colored Baptist Church of Birmingham, the church served as a pivotal force in the African American community. With noted speakers such as W.E.B. DuBois, Mary McLeod Bethune, and others, along with movements designed to advance civil rights, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church organically became known as “everybody’s church”. It continues to serve in this capacity.

IX BISHOP OF TEXAS VISITS PASTOR ARTHUR PRICE, JR., LEAVES MOVED TO SUPPORT THE CHURCH

The bishop diocesan visited the monumental church in the fall of 2024 at the invitation of retired diocesan clergy, the Rev. Russ Levenson, who has relocated to Birmingham and established a friendship with Pastor Price. The bishop returned from Sixteenth Street Baptist Church with a vehement spirit – moved to sew into the work and ministry of the church by contributing to its building campaign. He approached the Bishop Quin Foundation board, sharing both his experience and fervent desire to assist this spiritual landmark that has become an institution, and one that has endured unspeakable pain and glorious victories. His ask was to help restore the church through a donation to assist with necessary repairs of the church’s structure.

Pastor Arthur Price, Jr., Bishop C. Andrew Doyle, and the retired Rev. Russ Levenson during 2024 visit to historic church

“When Bishop Doyle approached us with this grant proposal, I replied rather emotionally— telling Andy of my vivid memory of that terrible Sunday, and the profound effect it had on me, an impressionable young boy at the time. Even so, I underestimated the impact of our pilgrimage to that sacred place. Linda and I stood in the exact spot where the terrorists hid the dynamite. We walked the floor where the young girls were standing—getting ready for Church—when the explosion took their lives and injured many others. We spent some quiet time in the magnificent and historic sanctuary, an emblem of hope and light. It was a deeply moving experience, accompanied by a sense of gratitude that the Bishop Quin Foundation could contribute to the ongoing work there.”

- The Rev. William “Bill” Fowler, President –Bishop Quin Foundation.

Diocese of Texas Chief Financial Officer/ Treasurer Linda Riley Mitchell, CPA, and the Rev. William “Bill” Fowler with Pastor Arthur Price, Jr.

CONTINUED STORY

After his visit to the church in fall of 2024, the Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, IX Bishop of Texas, returned and requested that Bishop Quin Foundation donate a gift in support of the historic church’s building fund. The foundation supported his request, and the Rev. William “Bill” Fowler, President of Bishop Quin Foundation, and Linda Riley Mitchell, CPA, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Diocese of Texas, traveled to Sixteenth Street Baptist Church to deliver the generous gift to the church’s pastor, Rev. Arthur Price, Jr., on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.

BISHOP QUIN FOUNDATION APPROVES DONATION

The Bishop Quin Foundation board, also recognizing and applauding the contributions of this mighty church, its historic importance, and understanding of the necessity of the improvements, agreed and approved a gift in the amount of $100,000.

QUIN FOUNDATION PRESIDENT AND CFO/TREASURER OF DIOCESE VISIT, DELIVER GIFT

Understanding the church’s journey can never be fully understood, the Rev. William “Bill” Fowler and Linda Riley Mitchell, CPA, visited with Pastor Price on July 30 of last year, and delivered the check in the amount of $100,000. It is the hope of both the foundation and the diocese that the gift underscores their collective commitment to racial justice, healing, and reconciliation.

“A

VERY POWERFUL EXPERIENCE…OVERWHELMING”

In a brief exchange with a diocesan representative after the meeting with Pastor Price, the Rev. William “Bill” Fowler noted that he found the visit to be a profoundly powerful and overwhelming one. He wholly understood the sheer gravity, heaviness, and history of the place he visited that continues to carry an unfathomable burden, and while transformed into a place that has opened the eyes to so many the globe over, can never undo the tragedy that occurred on that sad day in 1963.

The significance of the involvement of Bishop Quin Foundation and the Episcopal Diocese of Texas through this donation to the church’s campaign is more than just a gift. It is a deep commitment to heal and reconcile just one of the wrongs of our past that can never be undone.

Pastor Arthur Price, Jr. stands in front of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church

Remembering Mr. Fred Rouse: A Public Witness for Repair and Racial Justice in Fort Worth

“The work of racial justice is about repair. About telling the truth and walking with those who have been harmed.”

— The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle

On Saturday, December 13, 2025, the Diocese of Texas gathered in Fort Worth to honor the life of Mr. Fred Rouse in a memorial grounded in remembrance and public witness. The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, the Rt. Rev. Brian Seage, and the Rev. Sandra Michaels, MDiv, STM, joined descendants, community leaders, and partners at the site where Mr. Rouse was lynched in 1921, affirming a shared commitment to truth, repair, and reconciliation.

Bishop Doyle and Bishop Seage attend memorial honoring Mr. Fred Rouse

The Diocese of Texas was the first organization to offer financial support for the memorial, making an early gift that helped advance the project. This underscored the diocese’s commitment to try to repair hurts stemming from the church’s role in past racial violence.

As part of the memorial, participants helped create a community mural. The Rt. Rev. Brian Seage joined community members in adding a brushstroke, reflecting his conviction that presence itself is a form of witness and that repair begins when the Church chooses to stand visibly and humbly in places marked by harm. The mural names what happened on this land and offers a preview of the permanent artwork commissioned to artist Lakeem Ali Wilson.

The gathering included descendants of Mr. Rouse, clergy, community partners, and the presence of Opal Lee, the longtime civil rights leader known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” underscoring the ongoing call to remembrance, accountability, and justice.

Led by the Tarrant County Coalition for Peace and Justice, the Fred Rouse Memorial has secured major funding, including support from the Mellon Foundation and the City of Fort Worth, as the site continues its transformation.

About Fred Rouse

Mr. Rouse was a Black man attacked after leaving work at the Fort Worth stockyards in December 1921. After being taken to the county hospital, he was kidnapped and lynched five days later. Remembering his life by name remains an act of truth, accountability, and hope.

Descendants of Mr. Rouse along with clergy and community partners gather at lynching site now marked as a place of remembrance

South Loop Ventures Successfully Closes Debut Fund to Boost Founders from Underrepresented Groups in 2025

Less than 3% of venture capital reaches underrepresented founders of color— that’s not just an injustice, it’s a billiondollar blind spot.

South Loop Ventures, a Houston-based venture capital firm, announced the closing of its debut fund, backed by anchor investors Rice Management Company and Chevron Technology Ventures, with participation from The Great Commission Foundation of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, Texas Capital Bank, and others.

The fund has raised more than $21 million to invest in teams with at least one underrepresented founder of color working to develop innovations with the potential to transform energy, health, space, sports and fintech.

The firm’s investment thesis is straightforward: extraordinary ideas can come from anywhere—but Venture funding rarely reflects that. According to recent studies released by Crunchbase, less than 1% of VC funding currently goes to Black founders, approximately 1.5% to Latino-led startups, and only around 2% to companies founded by women.

Founder and General Partner Zach Ellis, Jr. sees the imbalance in venture funding as a market inefficiency with real upside. Since August 2023, South Loop has invested in 13 companies and plans to continue supporting founders whose ideas can reshape industries and create long term value.

Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.

Psalm 25:4-5

CAMPUS MINISTRY: EXhIBITING fAITh

The Rev. Alex Montes-Vela Missioner for Campus Missions

“Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’”

— John 8:12

Campus ministry in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas continues to grow as a vibrant mosaic of stand-alone Episcopal Student Centers, congregation-based ministries, and communities sustained by full-time missioners, curates, lay leaders, and dedicated volunteers. This year, we saw that diversity shines as a strength.

In January, 50 students and missioners gathered at Camp Allen for our first College Retreat in four years. Because the retreat concluded on Candlemas, we celebrated Christ the Light who guides our path. Students crafted candles as reminders that they, too, carry God’s light into their daily lives and campuses. Faith was renewed, friendships formed, and students discovered a wider Episcopal family across Texas.

Later, at our Campus Missioners’ Retreat at Cedarbrake in Belton, leaders reflected on the practices that sustain this work: prayer and sabbath, empowered student leadership, parish partnerships, continuing education, and shared support. We are deeply grateful for the Great Commission Foundation whose faithful generosity makes campus ministry possible across the diocese. We also give thanks for the congregations and individuals who offer financial support, hospitality, mentorship, and prayer, walking alongside students and missioners with generosity and care.

If your congregation is near a college or university and feels drawn to this ministry, we invite you to discuss and discern. There is room for every community to participate in this lifegiving work.

Across all our ministries, one truth endures: Christ, the Light, is at work, forming young adults who are thoughtful, courageous, and rooted in the Gospel. The stories that follow reveal a Church being renewed through the faith, leadership, and witness of its students.

Our Campus Missions and Campus Missioners

Across the Diocese of Texas

TEXAS CANTERBURY, AUSTIN

Campus: University of Texas

Missioner: The Rev. Noah Stansbury

CANTERBURY EPISCOPAL STUDENT CENTER, COLLEGE STATION

Campuses: Texas A&M University and Blinn College

Missioner: The Rev. Karl Griswold-Kuhn

EPISCOPAL STUDENT CENTER, HUNTSVILLE

Campus: Sam Houston State University

Campus Missioner: The Rev. Jonathan Maresca

EPISCOPAL STUDENT CENTER, WACO

Campuses: Baylor University, McLennan Community College and Texas State Technical College

Missioner: Stephanie Drum

EPISCOPAL STUDENT CENTER, GALVESTON

Campuses: UTMB, Texas A&M University-Galveston, and Galveston College

Missioner: The Rev. Chase Bradley, Trinity, Galveston

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY

CANTERBURY

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH AT RICE

Campus: Rice University

Missioner: The Rev. Beth Anne Nelson

HOUSTON CANTERBURY

Campus: University of Houston (Central and Downtown), Texas Southern University, and St. Luke the Evangelist

Missioners: The Rev. Alex Montes-Vela (University of Houston-Downtown) and Joseph Barley (Texas Southern University)

AUSTIN CANTERBURY

Campus: Huston-Tillotson University

Missioner: The Rev. Addison McMillan, St. James’, Austin

ST. LUKE’S EPISCOPAL CAMPUS MINISTRY

Campus: Tarleton State University

Missioner: Mackenzie Campbell-Furtick (Spring 2025) and the Rev. Mark Witte (Fall 2025), St. Luke’s, Stephenville

Campus: Prairie View A&M University

Missioner: The Rev. Enrique McCartney

SOUTH AUSTIN CANTERBURY

Campus: Austin Community College

Missioner: Lisa Perez, St. Alban’s, Austin

GRACE MEALS FOR SU - CHINNER

Campus: Southwestern University

Missioner: The Rev. Anne Matthews, Grace, Georgetown

CONTINUED STORY

FORT WORTH

Campus: Texas Christian University

Missioner: The Rev. Dr. Annelies Moeser, Trinity, Fort Worth

CANTERBURY JACKS

Campus: Stephen F. Austin State University

Missioner: Terry DeRise (Spring 2025) and the Rev. David Butorac (Fall 2025), Christ Church, Nacogdoches

CANTERBURY LAMAR

Campus: Lamar University

Missioner: The Rev. Christopher Hilton, St. Mark’s, Beaumont

2025 CAMPUS MISSIONS HIGHLIGHTS

Baylor University, Waco

Campus Missioner: The Rev. Stephanie Drum

In partnership with: Waco area Episcopal churches, St. Paul’s, St. Alban’s, and Holy Spirit. Featured Quote: “I have found belonging here.” — Student

At the Episcopal Student Center (ESC) in Waco, students shape the direction of the ministry. Most initiatives begin with their ideas and their sense of what is relevant and needed. This is why ESC’s impact stretches across the city, from Keep Waco Beautiful to Shepherd’s Heart Food Pantry to a partnership with the Animal Birth Control Clinic that supports pets and feral cats near the Canterbury House.

Belonging forms through gathering for meals, prayer, Bible study, and in one-on-one conversations. This is furthered with students preparing for confirmation and those seeking deeper engagement in the life of the Church. As a recognized student organization, ESC offers chapel credit at Baylor, but students stay because the community is grounded, sincere, and welcoming. LGBTQ+ students consistently describe it as a trusted and affirming space.

Prairie View A&M University Canterbury, Prairie View

Campus Missioner: The Rev. Enrique A. McCartney

In partnership with: St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church, Prairie View

Featured Quote: “Through the Canterbury ministry, I have grown to see faith not just as Sunday worship but as a call to serve, include, and uplift others.” — Doctoral Student in Engineering

At Prairie View A&M University, the Canterbury ministry is a student-led spiritual home where faith is lived through worship, fellowship, service, and mutual responsibility. More than 30 students gather each week in a community shaped by listening, presence, and care.

That commitment takes shape most visibly through the Thursday Public Prayer Table, a steady space for prayer and conversation on campus. From there, the ministry extends into student-led gatherings, Bible study, service with the Houston Food Bank, grocery support for students, responses to homelessness, and local outreach. Last year, in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, the ministry was also at work offering relief for international students from Jamaica.

The Canterbury community serves as an international umbrella, bringing together students from Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica, Ethiopia, India, Equatorial Guinea, and the United States. Together, students discover a faith that grows through service, relationship, and belonging.

Sam

Houston

State University, Huntsville Campus

Missioner: The Rev. Jonathan Maresca

In partnership with: St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Huntsville Featured Quote: “The ESC at Sam Houston saved my life. I found a spiritual home here. I was even baptized here.” – Matthew, Student

The Episcopal Student Center at Sam Houston first became a refuge for a student looking for a quiet place to breathe. What they found was a community where students recognize one another’s gifts and help them take shape. The Junior Warden uses her interior design training to make the ESC feel like home. The Senior Warden revived the food pantry for students experiencing food insecurity. The Treasurer shares the good news of the ministry openly across campus. Together, they lead with gratitude and initiative.

Every Wednesday, students restock the pantry and the patio fridge with support from St. Stephen’s in Huntsville, offering consistent care that meets real needs. The ESC is also one of the only LGBTQ+ affirming ministries on campus and partners with the Lavender Union of Kats so students can ask honest questions about faith, identity, and belonging without fear.

Through Bible study, prayer, pastoral conversations, and milestones such as baptism, students find not only a safe place, but also a community that restores trust, deepens faith, and helps them discover their purpose.

CONTINUED STORY

Tarleton State University, Stephenville Campus Missioner: The Rev. Mark Witte

In partnership with: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Stephenville Featured Quote: “I’m rolling with you guys now.” — a student, smiling when asked if he was Episcopalian

Since 1940, St. Luke’s, Stephenville, and Tarleton State University have grown together. On a campus where more than half are first generation college students and food insecurity is a daily reality, the ministry has become a lifeline. For 15 years, St. Luke’s has hosted Red Door Lunches that now serve up to 200 students each week, as well as student-led Pop-Up Pantries during Thanksgiving and Spring Break when many first-generation students remain on campus alone.

Students are woven into every part of parish life, serving as vestry members, volunteers, and leaders, and finding a church that walks alongside them during a formative season of life. St. Luke’s is also one of only three campus ministries that openly support LGBTQ+ students, offering a consistent and affirming presence at a time when such spaces are increasingly rare.

The impact is steady and deeply personal. Students find consistency, care, and adults who show up. Eighty-five years later, the mission remains the same: Show up, care well, and let the students tell the story.

University of Texas at Austin Campus Missioner: The Rev. Noah Stansbury

The University of Texas Canterbury in Austin now has a new brand. Now known as Texas Canterbury, it has a new logo to share.

For 125 years, Episcopalians at UT have grown in faith and friendship. The spirit of community continues to flourish.

“Alabar

Ž al Se–or porque Él es justo; cantarŽ himnos al nombre del Se–or, al nombre del Altísimo.”

Salmos 7:17

EMBRACING OUR HISPANIC CONGREGATIONS

hISPANIC mINISTry -

40+ yEArS Of fAITh, CULTUrE, ANd

COmmUNITy

For more than four decades, the Hispanic Ministry within the Episcopal Diocese of Texas has reflected faith, culture, and community in everyday life. Shaped by prayer, leadership, and long-standing relationships, the ministry is defined by belonging, culture, and mission.

18 Active Spanish congregations

2,200+ Average Sunday attendance

40+ Years of ministry

• Formation of lay and clergy leaders

• Pastoral support for bilingual and multicultural congregations

• Contextual discipleship and evangelism

• Missional Communities focused on health, education, sports, culture, food access, among others

• Active collaboration across the diocese

Aqu’ hay un lugar para ti. El amor de Dios no conoce fronteras. There is a place for you here. The love of God has no boundaries.

Mariely Gutierrez and Wilkin Lara enjoying the Hispanic Lay Leadership Conference

2025 HIGHLIGHTS

Couples’ Annual Retreat and Regional Couples’ Reunions

This initiative began with strong participation and a warm response from lay couples across several Latino congregations in the Houston area. Rooted in the proven model of the Caminando con Cristo Spiritual Retreat, the movement is led by lay leaders, supported by clergy, and sustained through collaboration among congregations that share both human and financial resources. More than 40 couples regularly take part in these gatherings, which have renewed spiritual commitment and encouraged deeper engagement in discipleship, evangelism, and service within their local communities.

Brœjula de Vida (Living Compass): Holistic Formation in Spanish for the Hispanic Community

The Hispanic Ministry of the Diocese of Texas continues to strengthen its commitment to the integral formation of leaders through Living Compass, a wellness model now fully available in Spanish. With the support of the Formation team, the Congregational and Missional Vitality Team, the investment of the Diocese of Texas, and the partnership of the Episcopal Health Foundation (EHF), more than 100 lay leaders have been formed as facilitators of wellness circles that foster mission, service, and evangelism within their communities.

Today, in addition to the training cohorts, Spanish language materials are available to lead Faith and Wellness Circles. Brújula de Vida is the Spanish version of Living Compass, giving our communities access to content specifically designed to equip lay leaders to foster holistic community health.

Living Compass, also known as Brújula de Vida, guides leaders through four dimensions of life: heart, soul, mind, and strength. These areas are deeply interconnected because we are not fragmented beings.

The model also includes eight interrelated areas of well being: emotional awareness, healthy relationships, vocation, organization, physical care, resilience in times of stress, rest and recreation, and spirituality.

Online trainings are offered in Spanish each spring and fall to prepare facilitators who lead Faith and Wellness Circles across the diocese.

Follow Brœjula de Vida on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MiBrujuladeVida

For more information, contact Estela L—pez at elopez@epicenter.org

The Rev. Mar’a Victoria Uma–a Installed as Ninth Vicar of Christ the King Episcopal Church, Alief

One of the greatest gifts of Hispanic heritage, as the Rev. María Victoria Umaña says, is unity. For Latinos and Hispanics, family unity is essential, and that same spirit of togetherness extends into faith. She believes that unity in Christ’s love among communities is stronger than any difference of tradition or language. Her life and ministry embody this truth.

A proud Latina from El Salvador, the Rev. Umaña was installed as the ninth vicar of Christ the King Episcopal Church in Alief. She now joins the representation of elevated Hispanic women within the church.

The Rev. Umaña loves to dance and listen to music, so if you see her dancing, don’t be surprised. For her, joy is a way of celebrating the life and gifts God has given, a reflection of the vibrant culture she carries.

Family, Joy, and Hope: Gifts of Latino Faith

During Hispanic Heritage Month, the Rev. Simón Bautista-Berríos and his daughter, the Rev. María Teresa Bautista Berríos, reflect on the enduring gifts of Latino culture: the importance of family, a spirit of joy, compassion, and a deep love for people that sustains hope regardless of circumstance. These values continue to shape their faith and ministry, offering a witness of resilience, generosity, and life within the Church.

As he enters retirement, the Episcopal Diocese of Texas gives thanks for the faithful witness of the Rev. Simón Bautista-Berríos and offers deep gratitude for a lifetime of ministry marked by steadfast service to God’s people. The legacy he leaves is an invaluable gift in the Kingdom of God.

Learn more through this fraternal conversation by scanning the QR code.

Discernment Committee Manual for Holy Orders Now Available in Spanish!

The discernment process in The Episcopal Church helps individuals listen more deeply to God’s call, recognize their gifts, and explore how they might faithfully serve their communities and the world. This handbook, now available in Spanish, offers prayers, tools, and practical guidance to support those who feel called to reflect on their spiritual vocation.

If you are interested in learning more, please speak with your priest.

“In my life journey, I give thanks to God for the gift and the vision to follow God’s path. Each day we live is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth, which allows us to discern what we truly desire in the depths of our hearts. Serving God and life has allowed me to be a disciple who carries humility and respect for others. Preparing for life means seeing the world from different perspectives, where equality of opportunity and faith in one almighty God go beyond boundaries of belief, helping us discover our gifts and guiding us toward a true passion for service in the Church and for living out the essence of God’s love.”

— María Teresa, San Romero Episcopal Church, Houston

Follow us via our Spanish communication channels:

“O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.”

1 Chronicles 16:34

FAITH IN EDUCATION AND INSTITUTIONS

El Buen Samaritano is Enhancing Bilingual Mental Health Support in Out of School Time

Mental health support is crossing language barriers at El Buen Samaritano. Known as a trusted resource for Spanish speaking families in Travis County, El Buen expands access to healthcare, education, nutrition, and essential services with dignity and care. In 2025, the organization was recognized by the Texas Partnership for Out of School Time (OST) as one of the few fully bilingual and culturally responsive Out of School Time programs in Central Texas.

As leaders listened to the realities facing their youth, including the challenges of learning English and limited access to healthcare, they saw how stress and anxiety were shaping daily life. In response, El Buen made mental health a clear priority within its afterschool and summer programs.

Through its participation in the OST CARES initiative, El Buen introduced structured tools and practices that make conversations about emotional wellbeing part of everyday programming. Youth and families now have access to bilingual resources that help them name emotions, seek support, and advocate for themselves.

Staff members have strengthened their approach with trauma informed strategies and daily check-ins that create safe, culturally responsive spaces. Family engagement has increased, youth are asking for help earlier, and trust continues to grow across the community.

“I learned that holding on to my anger was only making me sadder.”–Teen participant in a youth leadership development session.

Photo credit: El Buen Samaritano Website

St. Vincent’s House Changing Lives in Galveston

For more than 70 years, St. Vincent’s House has served as an outreach ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, rooted in the community and offering hope, compassion, and practical support to historically underserved neighbors facing times of crisis.

In 2025, St. Vincent’s House made a significant impact, serving 104,516 individuals through its Integrative Care Services Model. By bringing multiple services together under one roof, St. Vincent’s House provides a unique and effective safety net for families navigating difficult circumstances.

Their approach includes creative housing solutions, rental and utility assistance, supportive case management, food and hygiene supplies, transportation, and other essential resources.

Through strong community partnerships, they are also able to connect families with immigration legal services, dental care, mental health support, and medical services.

SSW 2025 Commencement Honorary Degree Recipients:

The Honorable Linnet Deily, Former US Ambassador to the World Trade Organization and Bryan Stevenson, Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI)

Commencement was held as a service of morning prayer at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd.

Linnet Deily, Former U.S. Ambassador to the World Trade Organization

The Honorable Linnet Deily, former US Ambassador to the World Trade Organization, was awarded an honorary doctorate at SSW’s 2025 Commencement Exercises. She is also the former executive board chair of the Episcopal Health Foundation. The very accomplished Deily is a graduate of the University of Texas. She is a generous philanthropist and has served in numerous impressive professional capacities, including having served our country as an ambassador. She has also served on various corporate boards.

Bryan Stevenson, Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative

The renowned Bryan Stevenson was speaker for the 2025 Commencement Exercises at Seminary of the Southwest. Stevenson, a lawyer, author, the founder, and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) delivered a sermon during the ceremony and was also awarded an honorary doctorate.

Upon announcement of this year’s speaker, SSW dean said, “Bryan Stevenson’s work with the Equal Justice Initiative has been transformative for challenging racial and economic injustice.”

Spartans Celebrate 75 Years of Legacy, Growth, and Vision

On December 26, 1949, the Rt. Rev. John E. Hines and the Rev. William Brewster, co-founders of the school, officially broke ground on the St. Stephen's Hill Country property.

St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Austin marked its 75th anniversary with a celebration that honored both its history and vision for the future. Central to this milestone was the dedication of the new $17 million St. Stephen’s Aquatic Center (made possible through a generous gift from the Still Water Foundation), and the unveiling of the Spartan Loop. These projects are part of the school’s comprehensive campaign, launched during the fall, designed to strengthen every aspect of campus life from facilities and academic programs to faculty support, financial aid, and scholarships.

Through the school's comprehensive campaign, the St. Stephen’s community has committed more than $57 million to advance student access, expand programs, and invest in the people who bring the school’s mission to life. The impact goes beyond buildings and infrastructure.

The anniversary year also included meaningful visits from bishops of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, underscoring St. Stephen’s deep Episcopal identity and long-standing mission.

Bishop Ryan with members of the St. Stephen’s community during the Aquatic Center dedication. Photo credit: St. Stephen’s Campus Photographer Chris Caselli ’82

CONTINUED STORY

Bishop Ryan spent time on campus with students, faculty, and chaplains, followed by a visit from Bishop Doyle, who returned to The Hill reflecting on the school’s growth and purpose.

Bishop Ryan with students on campus

Photo credit: St. Stephen’s Campus

Photographer Chris Caselli ’82

“What I love about St. Stephen’s is that in the midst of sports, activities and academics, you also have this brilliant thinking that’s going on amongst the students. It’s important to raise up people who are academically well suited and prepared for the world in which they’re going to serve, whatever their vocation or ministry,” said Doyle. “I think one of the gifts that Episcopal schools in the Diocese of Texas — and in particular St. Stephen’s — offer is attention not just to the full human being, mind, body and spirit, but we are also raising up future philosophers, thinkers and ethicists. We see that as just as important a challenge as forming athletes and team leaders.”

To learn more about St. Stephen’s 75-year history, scan the QR code:

Bishop Doyle speaking at chapel

Photo credit: St. Stephen’s Campus, Photographer Chris Caselli ’82

A Sacred Meeting at the Heart of Episcopal High School

At the start of the second semester of the 2025–2026 school year, Episcopal High School began holding daily chapel services in the Alkek Gymnasium. Planning for this transition began the previous school year. The move was led by the Dean of Religion, the Rev. Art Callaham, and Chaplain Precentor, The Rev. Tori Gilliland, along with other chapel leaders and students.

“We’ve transformed this area of our campus into a sacred gathering space where we will worship together over the next couple of years. We are proud of our student body and the EHS community for adapting and embracing this change in our daily life together,” EHS leaders shared.

As the community moves forward with planned construction of the new Benitez Chapel, the EHS community continues to gather faithfully each day, remembering that chapel remains central to the life of Episcopal High School.

CAMP ALLEN — 2025 YEAR IN REVIEW

In 2025, more than 60,000 guests arrived at Camp Allen.

Renewing Sacred Spaces

This year brought meaningful renewal. The new Quiet House opened as a peaceful space for prayer and rest. The Bishop Quin Wing, that opened in January 2026, replaces the original 1970s hotel wings with warm, modern lodging that honors Camp Allen’s legacy. It bears the name of Bishop Clinton S. Quin, whose 1928 words still light our way: Camp Allen is “a light to lighten our path, the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.”

Discovery Program

More than 7,500 students experienced the wonder of God’s creation through the Discovery Program, including children from over 25 Title I schools. With 22 % receiving scholarship assistance, many children enjoyed first-time encounters with nature that inspired confidence, curiosity, and joy.

Honoring Gloria Clepper

Camp Allen celebrated the retirement of Gloria Clepper, whose more than 40 years of service helped shape the camp’s heart and spirit.

Summer Camp 2025: Ripples Across the Diocese

More than 2,000 campers filled Camp Allen’s cabins last summer, continuing its role as the largest Episcopal summer camp in the United States. Through generous support, 23% of campers received scholarships, ensuring access across the diocese.

Summer Camp also forms leaders, with teens, college students, and more than 400 volunteers serving as counselors and staff, extending Camp Allen’s ministry far beyond the summer months.

A Year of Welcome

Throughout the year, Camp Allen hosted more than 800 retreats, welcoming parishes, schools, nonprofits, and clergy groups seeking renewal, connection, and community.

“…learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.”

Isaiah 1:17

FAITH IN THE COMMUNITY

Doing Good

Throughout our diocese, congregations continue to live out their faith. Food pantries, accessibility projects, youth initiatives, and international mission trips all reflect a commitment to loving God and serving neighbors in meaningful ways.

Christ Episcopal Church, Waco

Deacon Becky Sparks joined Honduras Good Works to provide healthcare, education, and spiritual care in rural communities, extending the Church’s mission beyond borders.

Saint Aidan’s, Cypress

Volunteers served breakfast at Lord of the Streets, providing meals to nearly 200 members of the street community and offering hospitality and care to neighbors in need.

All Saints, Crockett

Last August, the congregation was recognized for a community garden in partnership with the local ISD and Methodist church. Garden beds were assembled by agriculture students, with soil donated by the local HEB. The newspaper, The Grapeland Messenger, ran an article that led to committee members being approached by the community to help.

Calvary, Richmond, Supports the Jenna Burgess Trust

The church joined efforts to support the Jenna Burgess Trust, providing care and financial assistance to children and families facing critical illness. Through prayer, generosity, and community outreach, parish members continue to embody faith in action.

St. Mark’s, Beaumont

Funds raised through parish events supported Nutrition and Services for Seniors, ensuring safe and fresh meal deliveries to older adults.

Holy Comforter, Spring

In September, the parish held a supply drive for the Houston SPCA Wildlife Center of Texas. The donations were delivered and gratefully received, thanks to the generosity of parishioners.

Jubilee Weekend at St. Christopher, League City

Clergy and community gathered at St. Christopher, League City, to celebrate faith, fellowship, and joyful ministry.

St. Timothy’s, Lake Jackson Parishioners met with the Rev. Andrew Terry to reflect on stories and ministries that shape their faith.

The Church of St. John the Divine Helps International Voices Find Their Footing in English

On Monday and Wednesday mornings, the upstairs classrooms at St. John the Divine fill with conversation, laughter, and concentration. Students arrive from the world over carrying notebooks, coffee, and the quiet determination that comes with learning a new language in a new place. This year marks eight years since the parish’s ESL program began, a ministry that has grown steadily into one of the church’s most visible expressions of welcome.

The program began in 2018, when parishioner Barbara Foxhall, after volunteering at a Cursillo weekend at Camp Allen, sensed a nudge to do something new. She had been teaching English through a refugee resettlement agency but felt called to begin something within the life of the parish. With encouragement from Deacon Mary Reddick and the now Vice Rectorthe Rev. Reagan Cocke, Barbara asked for permission to use a classroom for three students.

The first class was scheduled for Easter Monday.

St. John the Divine ESL volunteers and students

The church was locked. Staff were on holiday. The class began the following week and students kept coming.

By the end of 2018, 20 students were enrolled. Flyers posted at the local library attracted more students. Barbara prayed for 50 students, and 60 arrived. Space became the only limitation.

Today, students from various linguistic backgrounds come for many reasons. Some are learning English to improve job opportunities, including employees referred by local businesses in the Houston area. Others are spouses of diplomats and international professionals working in Houston, navigating life far from home. What draws them to St. John the Divine is the combination of accessible instruction, genuine hospitality, and connection to a wider community.

Eight years later, many of the ESL students become involved in parish life, joining ministries like Sunday School, the Guild Shop, pickleball, knitting ministry, and those geared towards young adults. Several former students are now employees of the church. While the program does not proselytize, five students have chosen baptism since the program's inception.

In 2025, the ESL program served 343 students, including 276 unique learners, representing 37 countries in a single year. Since its founding, nearly 1,000 students from 62 countries have participated. This spring alone, students spoke more than 32 languages. Each semester, close to 170 students enroll across six levels, supported by nearly 30 volunteers and a part-time program director.

One student from Turkey, raised Muslim, shared, “When I came to St. John the Divine, I began to see that God is love.” Another student shared that the parish was the only place she found peace.

Volunteers speak of being changed as well. Longtime volunteer Sarah McParland reflects, “We become part of a greater humanity. It’s a chance to understand other cultures and perspectives.” Teacher Bill Donovan, now 81, adds, “I never planned to teach. Seven semesters later, I fell in love with it. I feel like I’ve traveled the world every time I walk into the classroom.”

For the Rev. Trent Pettit, the ESL program offers a clear picture of the Kingdom of God taking shape in the community. “You see people from many cultures coming together,” he says. “Through this program, ESL becomes a light, and it leads us to live more fully into our call to be A Light for the City” (Matthew 5:14).

“ Looking back, Barbara remains grounded. “Eight years ago, I just wanted to teach English,” she

says.

“Now there are six levels, dozens of volunteers, and people from all over the world. God made it happen.”

The Rev. Reagan Cocke sees that call reflected in the life of the parish itself. “The city is coming to us,” he says. “This ministry has helped shape who we are and how we understand our vocation as a church.”

Until 2025, the program operated with minimal paid staff. As it grew, the parish hired Shanon Hicks as ESL Program Director to help sustain and guide the ministry.

Program volunteers help with practical matters like finding work, going to the doctor, and navigating daily life. Most importantly, they help people move from isolation into community.

This vibrant ministry at The Church of St. John the Divine is indeed a beacon of light in Houston and a program that changes lives forever.

Scan to watch A Light for the City: From Conversation to Community

“Let us work together as servants of God.” 2 Corinthians 6:1 empowering our work through partnerships and collaborations

51+ Faith Communities United to Support the Diocese’s Multifaith Call to Feed the People Today

In November of 2025, more than 51 faith communities united behind The Episcopal Diocese of Texas’ multifaith call to Feed the People Today, responding to the growing impact of the SNAP-Gap faced by millions of Texans. Churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, nonprofits, and community leaders joined together with one purpose: to ensure that hunger would not be ignored and to affirm that faith transcends political divisions, calling all traditions to protect human dignity.

The commitment took shape through a full-page newspaper campaign across Houston, Austin, Waco, Fort Worth, East Texas, and Galveston. Each ad pointed readers to a dedicated page featuring food banks, ministries, shelters, and multi-faith and Episcopal-affiliated nonprofits. These resource organizations expand access to nourishment and mobilize communities to help their neighbors.

The collective message was simple and unwavering: Food is dignity. Compassion is action. And every faith tradition rooted in justice is called to care for the hungry.

fEEdThEPEOPLETOdAy.OrG

Food is dignity. Compassion is action. And every faith tradition rooted in justice is called to care for the hungry.

feedthepeopletoday.org

CALL TO fEEd ThE hUNGry

Organized in partnership with feedthepeopletoday.org

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.” - Matthew 25:35

In a nonpartisan effort to help feed our neighbors, we ask you to join us in our call to decision-makers. We urge our decision-makers to help feed hungry Texans by fully funding food assistance programs across our state.

We must have SNAP and other programs that ensure no Texan faces hunger. This is especially important for every child in our state. To stay informed and to join us in our future feedthepeopletoday.org efforts, please complete the form below. (Your information will not be sold to or shared with any third-party entity.)

“Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”

James 5:11

MILESTONES

The Rev. Addison McMillan Becomes First African American Ordained in the Church’s 83-Year History

In a moment of profound significance, the Rev. Addison Tarrell McMillan was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests on January 6 of last year, becoming the first African American ordained in the 83-year history of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Austin.

“The ordination of Addison is a powerful testament to the legacy of leadership cultivated at St. James’,” said the Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle.

This moment represents more than a milestone, it reflects a living legacy of inclusion, intentionality, and faithful leadership. St. James’, Austin, continues to serve as a beacon of diverse ministry within the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.

“This is not just a celebration of one ordination,” said Bishop Doyle. “It’s a celebration of what God is building through this church, and the leaders being raised for generations to come.”

San Romero in Houston Feeds

More Than 400 People Each Week

In 2025, the ministry distributed more than 149,874 pounds of food, providing 124,895 meals to the community and sharing an estimated $260,781 in food value.

San Romero, Houston, became an official partner, designated as a top medium site by the Houston Food Bank and began distributing food in August 2024. In the heart of Houston, Iglesia San Romero has transformed faith into action. Through its Feed My People ministry, the church now nourishes more than 400 individuals each week. What began as a dream and a step of faith has grown into a beacon of solidarity, especially for the Hispanic community seeking support in the city. San Romero makes an outstanding impact on the community it serves.

Trinity Episcopal Church, Baytown: Renewed for the Next Century

Trinity Episcopal Church in Baytown completed a major renovation - bringing new life to a campus that has served generations of faithful Episcopalians. The renovation emphasized accessibility, hospitality, and spiritual formation. The redesigned sanctuary welcomed worshippers just in time for Christmas 2024, and Bishop Hector Monterroso blessed the renewed space during a joyful Shrove Tuesday celebration in March 2025. This milestone occurred under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Meredith Crigler and project lead Camille Willson.

St. Mary’s, Hillsboro, Celebrates First Service at New Location

On June 22, 2025, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Hillsboro joyfully held its first service at its new home located at 1323 Park Drive in Hillsboro. Bishop Andy Doyle joined the celebration, calling it “a brilliant day!” and sending his love and blessings to the congregation.

St. Mary’s is grateful for the continued prayers and support as it grows into this exciting new space of worship and community.

Author’s Luncheon Reaches 25Year Milestone at St. James’, Houston

The St. James’ Episcopal Church Women (ECW) gathered over lunch for the 25th Annual ECW Author’s Luncheon and Holiday Market on Saturday, December 6, 2025. Parishioners and friends enjoyed a conversation over lunch with author Nicole Ellis discussing her book, We Go High: How 30 Women of Color Achieved Greatness. Before and after the luncheon was a bustling holiday market, part of this event’s tradition in the life of the church. The market features the ECW Sweet Shoppe as well as local vendors showcasing unique and seasonal offerings, all bringing members of the greater community into the festive fold.

The 2025 author is a Houston-based award-winning journalist whose book, both empowering and informative, was ideal for the milestone event celebrating 25 years of bringing visibility to talented artists and their amazing bodies of work.

St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Keller, Honored with Gold Award for Best and Favorite Church

St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church has been recognized with the Gold Award for Best Church and named DFW’s Favorite Church by readers of the Fort Worth Star Telegram in June 2025.

“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28

CELEBRATING FAITH ACROSS GENERATIONS

Celebrating Faith Across Generations

St. Mary’s, Lampasas | 150 Years of Faith and Service

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Lampasas began in 1873, when the Rt. Rev. Alexander Gregg, first Bishop of Texas, licensed Dr. Thomas S. Denny as a lay reader for a small group of Episcopalians. St. Mary’s was formally organized as a mission of the Diocese of Texas in 1875. From these modest beginnings, the parish has grown into a vibrant faith community of 110 baptized members.

Photo by: Abby Rainwater Photography

St. Mark’s, Bay City | 130 Years of Local Impact

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Bay City celebrated 130 years of faith and service, tracing its journey from a courthouse gathering to a beloved landmark. Known for its red brick building and stained-glass windows, the parish continues to impact the community through outreach programs, youth initiatives, and missions.

Photo by: Chris Vanduberg

All Saints’, Austin | 125 Years of Faith and Service

In 2025, All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Austin celebrated 125 years of faith, service, and community with a year-long series of events. From its historic beginnings near The University of Texas to its present role as a welcoming parish committed to justice and outreach, All Saints’ honored its legacy while renewing its vision for the future. Highlights included a summer 1250 hours of service in the Austin community, a digital archival exhibit, an Evening with Bishop Curry, and a joyful All Saints’ Sunday service with Bishop Doyle.

Photo by: Scott Jarrett

CONTINUED STORY

St. Alban’s, Houston | 80 Years of Multicultural Love

St. Alban’s in Houston marked its 80th anniversary with a vibrant celebration. The day featured a multicultural feast highlighting the congregation’s diversity and the dedication of Ruth’s Rose Garden—a lasting tribute to beloved member Ruth Ann Grantham and the spirit of hospitality that defines St. Alban’s.

Photo by: St. Alban’s community

St. John’s, Carthage | 75th Anniversary

St. John’s Episcopal Church in Carthage joyfully celebrated its 75th anniversary on September 21 with a special service and community festival. Bishop Doyle, joined the congregation for worship and offered a blessing. The celebration brought together parishioners, neighbors, and local leaders in gratitude for 75 years of faith and service.

Photo by: St. John’s community

The

Legacy

of St. Thomas’ Episcopal School, Houston

On June 29, St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church hosted a joyful reunion for former students, teachers, and friends of St. Thomas’ Episcopal School. From 1962 to 2003, the school served Wharton’s diverse community with academic excellence rooted in Christian faith. The day featured worship, fellowship, and heartfelt tributes, celebrating the school’s legacy and the lifelong bonds it inspired.

Photo and article by:

Heather Harrell, photographer and vestry member at St.Thomas’

“…learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.”

Isaiah 1:17

FORMATION FOR ALL

Micro-Grants Making a Difference

Small grants are creating powerful moments of growth across the diocese.

At St. Alban’s, Waco, young adults are exploring vocation and purpose through a new Discernment Cohort.

At San Pedro, Pasadena, committed lay leaders are shaping a regional ministry for couples, helping marriages grow in faith and community.

Continuing Education Grantees to Celebrate

The Rev. Lizzie McManus-Dail is participating in The Leader’s Way at Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, joining global church leaders in advanced study and preaching formation.

Roger Hutchinson is part of the Kanuga Fellows Program; a leadership pathway centered in spiritual wisdom and connection with God.

Lorena Luna and Josephine Nœ–ez are pursuing the Certificate in Lifelong Christian Formation through FORMA and Virginia Theological Seminary, strengthening their work in formation across all ages.

These ministries and leaders remind us that small seeds can grow into hope, renewal, and a more compassionate Church.

When we invest in people and ministries, we cultivate a Church that grows in faith, love, and purpose.

Formation Rooted in Relationship and Belonging

In the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, formation continues to grow as a practice of presence, trust, and transformation.

At the heart of it is a rooted belief: Belonging is not something earned. It is the vision and reality of the dream of God. Belonging is where formation within a beloved community begins.

Over the past year, formation leaders across the diocese have been trained and empowered to facilitate healing discipleship and peacemaking work in classrooms, retreats, and on digital platforms. This work is centered around deliberative discipleship where conversations are treated as a spiritual practice and forming communities are shaped by the teachings of Jesus. Initiatives like Formation First Forums, Formation Micro-Grants, and Being With training have strengthened this model of bridgebuilding within the Church and the wider community.

To further support leaders and laypeople, a new podcast, We Belong to Each Other, was launched. It joins a growing catalog of video-based formation micro-courses, which offer short, practical resources for deliberate discipleship, especially useful in small and emerging communities.

Weekly leader calls, monthly formation forums, and a new Spanish language preaching track continue to strengthen connections across the diocese. Grants for local projects and expanded continuing education resources support leaders in a variety of roles.

“Formation is not about mastering content, it’s about being formed into the image of Christ in community,” says Canon Dr. Josh R. Ritter, Canon for Formation. “It happens through conversation, through practice, and through being present with one another. At its core, it’s about helping people know they are not alone in this work.”

Canon Dr. Josh R. Ritter

Equipping Lay Preachers to Find Their Voice: The First Hispanic Lay Preaching Formation Course at Iona School

In collaboration with the Office of Formation in the Diocese of Texas, the West Coast Collaborative, the Iona Collaborative, and the Iona School for Ministry launched the first Hispanic Lay Preaching Track, forming a historic initiative.

What makes this track unique is its vision. It is not simply a translation of the English Lay Preaching program, but a course that stands on its own, rooted in the traditions of Hispanic and Latino preaching. With instructors such as the Rev. Ed Gómez and the Rev. Canon Simón Bautista, and mentors including the Rev. Pedro López and the Rev. Margarita Arroyo, the program is designed to empower Hispanic lay preachers to discover and strengthen their spiritual voice.

For lay leaders, finding their voice is about more than language. As the Rev. Margarita Arroyo said, “It is about responding to God’s call, and the call of the Church to proclaim God’s bigger vision. Hispanic lay preachers have a unique opportunity to empower their communities with the gospel.”

Canon Dr. Josh R. Ritter, Canon for Formation, affirmed that vision: “We often say we are moving toward a church that is lay-led and clergy-supported. This program is a major step in making that vision a reality. We are creating pathways to equip more lay leaders to preach, and clergy will walk alongside them as partners and supporters. Enhancing the programs at the Iona School and planting these seeds is about putting our words into action. It’s about trusting in our hope for the future harvest of the Church.”

“This first cohort of nine students is a great beginning.” The Rev. Francene Young, Dean of Administration of the Iona School for Ministry, reflected on the larger purpose: “The goal of Iona has always been to form leaders who can bring God’s Word to all people across the Diocese. This track ensures that Spanish-speaking lay preachers are equipped to serve, preach within their cultural context, and inspire others in their communities to come forward as we continue to raise up lay leaders in the Church.”

Camp San Mateo, Houston: Memories from a Joyful Vacation Bible School (VBS)

San Mateo Episcopal Church came alive this past summer with the laughter and excitement of its 2025 Vacation Bible School (VBS). Supported by a Formation Micro-Grant from the Diocese of Texas, the church was transformed into a vibrant “camp adventure”.

“We are filled with immense gratitude for the generous grant that made our 2025 VBS possible,” shared Program Director Marcia Omar. “It was a joy-filled week that united children, families, and volunteers while sharing Christ’s love with our neighborhood.”

The grant allowed the church to welcome 42 children, more than half from nearby communities, and partner with Nativity Academy, providing transportation so every child could take part. Volunteers of all ages worked side by side to lead lessons, games, and worship, creating a powerful sense of belonging and service.

Photo and article Credits: Marcia Omar and Syed Omar

“This Weekend at Happening, I Felt…”

“Overwhelmed in a good way.” | “Heard.” | “Fulfilled.” | “Happy and at peace.” | “Loved.”

Happening is a meaningful retreat weekend of faith and connection. In 2025, participants shared that what they enjoyed most was growing closer to the Lord, being in nature, experiencing music, and forming new friendships.

For one camper, 2025 marked a return to Happening after attending Happening #81 as a youth. His return took place during Happening #183. For others, it was their first time participating as adults and walking alongside high school students.

“Being present as young people opened their hearts, deepened their faith, and their rediscovered joy was a powerful reminder of why this ministry matters and of the beautiful work God is doing in this generation,” said Josie Núñez, Administrative Assistant for New Communities, EDOT.

What is Happening?

Happening is a retreat at Camp Allen where participants dive into big life questions in small group settings, and, as the weekend surprises unfold, gain a new understanding of what it means to be loved unconditionally, how faith is relevant in everyday life, and how to support each other in community.

Learn more: www.epicenter.org/happening

Photo Credits: San Romero’s church and Happening team

“In God’s Kingdom, there is every color. In God’s Kingdom, there are no nationalities, because you are made a citizen of God’s Kingdom.”

— The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle

MIGRATION WITH DIGNITY

And God did.

The faith that held me on my way, even when the road changed in ways I never saw coming…

A letter from a resilient immigrant woman

Sometimes life leads us into decisions we never expected. Moments where our plans shift, our path changes, and the future feels uncertain. In those moments, the only thing that has carried me is faith.

Faith reminds me that even when life takes a turn I did not anticipate, God is still present, still guiding, still opening a way where I cannot see one. When circumstances feel heavy or confusing, I hold on to this truth: God never abandons us, even when the journey looks different from what we imagined.

Pray often and never lose your faith. That is what I would tell anyone experiencing a painful reality. Faith is what has carried me through every storm. No matter what I’ve faced, good or bad, I have always believed that everything is possible in God’s eyes.

Many people tremble in their faith or question God’s actions, but I don’t. I have seen God’s hand at work throughout my life, especially during my journey. By praying and surrendering my worries to Him, He guided me in ways I never expected.

On my journey, I once approached an immigration officer for help. Those traveling with me warned me not to speak, but my faith was stronger than my fear. That officer helped me and gave me what I needed to continue. From that moment, I learned that God can use strangers, those who may seem like enemies, or even those we least expect, to bless us.

During difficult times, I turn to prayer and to the Psalms. I am grateful for those who prayed with me when I needed it most. Through their prayers, I felt God’s presence and perfect timing.

Faith has always been my foundation. In moments of hardship, the easiest thing to lose is faith, but for me, it was the only thing I had left.

“ My prayer has always been simple: If it is Your will, Lord, make a way. Place the right people in my path.

God's faithfulness

turns

uncertainty into purpose, and struggles into stories that can inspire others.

Vigils for Migration with Dignity

Across Austin and Houston, Episcopal congregations gathered in prayer to stand in solidarity with migrants and affirm their dignity. Led by members of local churches, these vigils centered on prayer, and public witness.

In Austin, candles, music, and prayer filled downtown during an October vigil calling for migrant justice. Speaking to Fox News, the Rev. Hope Benko, Associate Rector at St. David’s Episcopal Church, said, “It could be so easy to say, ‘It doesn’t matter to me because none of my family members are personally affected.’ We need to stand alongside them and protect them in any way we can.”

On Wednesdays in December, some Diocese of Texas parishioners and clergy in Houston joined area interfaith clergy as part of the diocese’s prayer vigils at the Federal Detention Center. This underscores the diocese’s ongoing vision to help ensure that migrants live with dignity.

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us and prosper for us the work of our hands—O prosper the work of our hands!

Psalm 90:17 New on the team

New on the Team in 2025

Fresh energy. New perspectives. Shared purpose.

We're excited to welcome these talented leaders to the diocesan team! Together, they will help us build vibrant congregations, strengthen our mission, and share God's love with the world.

Aycan Ebe

Assistant to the Canon for Congregational and Mission Vitality

Sagar Jethva

General Accounting Manager

The Rev. Perry Mullins

Canon for Congregational and Mission Vitality

Walter Rivera

Social Media Curator

Let's build what's next, together.

Albina Velasco

Bilingual Communications Specialist

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