Staff - Episcopal Church of St. Martin (2024)

Rector

Staff - Episcopal Church of St. Martin (1)

The Reverend Dr. Pamela Dolanfelt that she was coming home when St. Martin’s called her as rector in 2017. Although she has lived in Hawaii, Seattle, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Missouri, she has a special love of northern California, where she was born and where five generations of her family have lived.

Pamela describes her path to ordained ministry as “a long story–in a good way!” She was spending her junior year abroad at the University of St. Andrew’s in Scotland when she first articulated a call to the priesthood; given that this occurred in the midst of a meeting of the Catholic student group, it came as a bit of a surprise. Upon graduating from UCBerkeley the next year, she applied to divinity schools in the hope of better understanding what God was asking of her. This led to a master’s degree in theology from Harvard and, nearly 15 years after that, to ordination.

In the years between Divinity School andordination, Pamela spent a lot of time in bookstores and libraries, worked on a doctorate (unfinished) in English at New York University, and was a regular contributor to the religion column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She also held professional positions in the areas of Communication and Christian Formation in parishes in California and St. Louis. More recently, she received her Doctorate in Ministry from the School of Theology at Sewanee, the University of the South.

Pamela and husband John have two young-adult daughters,a very friendly pit bull, and two adorable guinea pigs. One of the first things people always learn about her is her fondness for goats, as well her love of the outdoors, laughter, and her family. Pamela’s first book,Contemplative Gardening,was published by Morehouse in April of 2022.

Associate Priest

The Reverend Ernie Lewis, MD,felt called to ordained ministry after a rich and fulfilling career as a physician and medical educator.Ernie was sponsored by St. Martin’s for ordination to the diaconatein 2002, subsequently served at St. Martin’s, and was appointed Archdeacon of the Diocese of Northern California in 2005. He served in this capacity until called to the priesthood and ordained as a priest in 2011. He has continued to serve at St. Martin’s.

Ernie also volunteers on the boards of several philanthropic and cultural nonprofit organizations in the region. In his free time, he enjoys gardening, music, tending to the needs of the family cats, cooking, and spending time with wife Mary Ann and their grandkids.

“Maybe it was part of becoming more and more aware that there were a lot of people in the world that needed caring for, not just the sick that I had taken care of, but all kinds of people, and the desire to help motivate people in the church to go out and get involved in that kind of ministry.” —Ernie Lewis

Deacon

Staff - Episcopal Church of St. Martin (3)

The Venerable Margaret Graydenserves St. Martin as deacon. Margaret is passionate about helping people identify, claim, and use their God-given gifts to serve “the least, the last, and the lost” in this world. As the deacon at St. Martin’s, she preaches, proclaims the gospel, assists at the altar, and works closely with the Social Justice and Outreach Committee, Eucharist Ministers, Eucharistic Visitors, Healing Ministers, and Stephen Ministers.

Born in Iowa and raised in Kansas, Margaret earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in political science fromWellesleyCollege and Princeton University.She married a graduate school classmate, David Aladjem, and they moved to the Bay Area, where after a time of spiritual seeking she discovered the Episcopal Church and was baptized at the age of 28. After graduating from theUCDavis School of Law and passing the bar, she practiced in the private sector, but soon found herself called to a very different career in end-of-life care.

Margaret has attended St. Martin’s since 1990 and was sponsored for ordination by this parish. She and David delight in playing with their cats, taking walks on the greenbelt, and spending time with friends and family.

Musicians

Staff - Episcopal Church of St. Martin (4)

Jeffrey Jubenvilleserves as St. Martin’s Music Director. Jeffrey earned a Master of Music in Organ Performance from McGill University, and an Artists’ Diploma from the Boston Conservatory. He draws inspiration from the wealth of Anglican liturgical tradition as well ascontemporary mainline church music. In addition to his position at St. Martin’s, Jeffrey teaches organ and serves as organist at Pacific Union College.

Suzanne Jubenvilledirects the choir at St. Martin’s.

Staff - Episcopal Church of St. Martin (5)

Suzanne earned a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting from the Claremont Graduate University and a PhD in Musicology from UC Davis. Theological coursework at Andover Newton Theological School complements her years of experience with Anglican liturgy and training in musicology, and allows her tohelp create the sacred space in which inclusive communal worship can take place.

Suzanne also has had a successful career as a choral singer in ensembles that include the Theater of Voices and American Bach Soloists.

Staff - Episcopal Church of St. Martin (6)

Church Operations Director

Gabe Avilais the Church Operations Director, which encompasses church operations and administration, as well as his previous position of Communications Technology Coordinator. Gabe enjoys bringing our worship services to the public via Zoom and social media. Gabe received a BS in psychology from the University of California, Davis and is a Medal of Valor recipient. He started doing theater at age 6 and uses his experience with cameras, lighting, and sound to run our livestreams. When not working, Gabe is chasing after his two kids, elderly dog, and high energy puppy.

Administrative Assistant

Staff - Episcopal Church of St. Martin (7)

Janet Lane, serves as St. Martin’s Administrative Assistant. Janet primarily focuses on directing internal and external communications and preparing worship materials. She enjoys using her writing and organizational skills to keep the office running smoothly. Janet holds a B.A. in Spanish and an M.A. in Linguistics from UC Davis and has been an instructor at the university level for many years. In her free time, Janet loves being in the outdoors, tending to her 50 rose bushes, and watching the antics of her four cats.

Additional Staff

In addition to those listed above, several volunteer associate clergy contribute to our worship as preachers and celebrants, and enrich our common life. They, and additional staff, can be contacted through the church office at info@churchofstmartin.org or 530.756.0444.

All staff and volunteers who work with children and youth, licensed ministry volunteers, and people in leadership positions receive Safe Church training.

Staff - Episcopal Church of St. Martin (2024)

FAQs

Why is the Episcopal Church in decline? ›

But from that point forward, weekly attendance began dropping at a faster rate - typically a decline of about 3% per year. Then, COVID happened. It's clear as day in the data that it had a deleterious impact on the weekly attendance patterns of Episcopalians. Attendance dropped 11% from 2019 to 2020.

What is a female priest called in the Episcopal Church? ›

Female Episcopal or Anglican priests are referred to as “priests” just like male priests. If you mean how are they addressed, I prefer to be addressed as Rev. Denise rather than Mother Denise but this depends on local custom and varies even from church to church.

What church broke off from Episcopal Church? ›

The conventions of four dioceses of the Episcopal Church voted in 2007 and 2008 to leave that church and to join the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone of America. Twelve other jurisdictions, serving an estimated 100,000 persons at that time, formed the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) on December 3–4, 2008.

Is the Episcopal Church splitting? ›

April 16, 2009 - The conservative Episcopal congregations officially separate from the Episcopal church and form the Anglican Church of North America. It is now fully recognized as part of the global Anglican community.

What religion is Episcopal closest to? ›

The Episcopal Church, officially the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine provinces.

Are Episcopalians wealthy? ›

For most of American history, Episcopalians have occupied a prominent place in the nation's aristocracy. The denomination was long the country's wealthiest, best educated, and most ethnically homogenous.

What is the proper way to address an Episcopal priest? ›

In formal usage, he or she is known as “The Most Reverend,” usually abbreviated to “The Most Rev.” His or her first name (or preferred forename) is always used, together with an initial, if applicable (e.g., “The Most Rev. John A. Smith”, or “The Most Rev.

Are Episcopal priests celibate? ›

Abstinence from marriage and from marital or sexual relations, especially for religious reasons. A person may vow to refrain from marriage and live as a celibate. Celibacy is not a requirement for ordination in the Episcopal Church.

What do Episcopalians call their pastors? ›

Episcopal priests and bishops are typically called Father or Mother, even though one can simply call them Reverend. Anglican ministers will answer to either. Most Episcopalians call their pastor Father or Mother in my experience.

Why do Episcopalians have red doors on their churches? ›

Some call it tradition; others think it's just a snappy-looking color. But the deeper reason is the firm belief that our churches are places of refuge. As is the case with many churches, Episcopal parishes use red to let the world know what we're about. Red is the color of Christ's blood.

Are Episcopalians liberal? ›

There are liberal congregations of Episcopalians and there are conservative congregations. In our area, one of the larger congregations tried to leave the Episcopal Church when an openly gay bishop was ordained. Another congregation has an openly gay man in leadership.

What religion is closest to Catholicism? ›

The Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Oriental Orthodox Church, also considers themselves to be the original Christian church along with the Catholic church.

Can a divorced person remarry in the Episcopal Church? ›

The Episcopal canon on marriage, as liberalized in 1931, is still strict and specific: rectors may marry only those divorced persons who are 1) innocent parties in divorces for adultery; 2) innocent partners in marriages annulled for premarital cause.

What is the difference between Episcopal and Episcopalian? ›

Episcopal is an adjective. It originates from the Latin word episcopus, meaning bishop (or overseer, guardian or elder). You have Episcopal bishops and Episcopal churches, not Episcopalian bishops or the Episcopalian Church. Episcopalian is a noun, and it refers to belonging to the Episcopal Church.

What are the two sides of an Episcopal Church called? ›

Lesson Also the Epistle; any reading from the Bible except the Gospels or Psalms; usually read on the opposite side of the church from where the Gospel is read; in older practice the Lesson was read from the “Epistle Side”–the right side facing the altar, while the Gospel was read from the “Gospel Side”–the left side ...

What has happened to the Episcopal Church? ›

Nationally, the Episcopal Church's membership peaked at 3.44 million members in 1959. It has been declining since the 1960s. “As of 2019, it had about 1.8 million, the Episcopal News Service reported in 2020. “Membership is down 17.4% over the last 10 years.”

What is the future of the Episcopal Church? ›

Predictions are circulating that the Episcopal Church will be dead by 2050. This article examines how likely this is and how its deep decline might be slowed and even reversed.

What percent of America is Episcopalian? ›

But since the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1945, the only two Episcopalian presidents have been Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush. Roughly 1% of U.S. adults now identify as Episcopalians, according to Pew Research Center's 2014 Religious Landscape Study.

What denomination has decline in church attendance? ›

Among religious groups, Catholics show one of the larger drops in attendance, from 45% to 33%, while there are slightly smaller decreases among Orthodox (nine percentage points) and Hindu followers (eight points).

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