Church Staff Reverend Jeanne Forte, Rector Perhaps the most important thing to know about me is the most obvious thing. I am Canadian. I was born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia. I spent the early years of my married life in Ontario and New Brunswick. The wild west of Southern Alberta had been home base for over thirty years. During that time I have lived in Germany and South-East Asia. I am formed by my country of origin and my experiences in other cultures. My most significant formation experiences are found in my commitment as a lay leader, serving various communities as Vestry member, choir member, organist, leader of the Boys‘ Choirs, Church School teacher and interim Superintendent, programs coordinator and leader of Women‘s ministries. While living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I experienced my call to ordained leadership. The deep mysticism of the east led me to a deeper engagement with my own faith. I entered seminary at Church Divinity of the Pacific in 1996. After graduation in 1999, I was ordained to the Transitional Diaconate and to the Priesthood that year. From 1999 till 2005 I served a cluster of churches in the Rockies‘ Foothills and on the Prairies of Alberta as Rector of The Highwood Parish. It was a rich and rewarding experience, ‘learning to walk‘ as a priest in that beautiful setting. The people were gracious, forgiving and willing to grow. I was called to St. Paul‘s, Benicia in 2005. I now make my home close to my roots, the Pacific Ocean. In a strange reversal, my grown sons worry about their mom, living the grand life in California while they (Andrew, 34 and Michael 32) toil away in Alberta, Canada. They are pleased however, to enjoy holidays in sunny California. I am richly blessed by the St. Paul‘s family and my four-legged family Abby, a Bernese Mountain Dog and her two cat buddies Zeke and Leo. Reverend John Bogart, Associate Priest Born in the Los Angeles area, I was ordained deacon in 1954 and priest in 1955 in the Diocese of Los Angeles. My first assignment was Curate at All Saints', San Diego. After serving there one year, the bishop placed me in Encinitas (north San Diego coast) at Vicar of St. Andrew's, where I stayed for three years. Then in 1958 Mary Lou and I made the big move to Northern California, where I served seven years as Rector of Grace Church, St. Helena and six years as Rector of Holy Trinity, Ukiah. Then in 1972 Bishop Haden asked me to come to Sacramento to be the Director of the Center for Continuing Education. I held this position for two years, after which I undertook the same work at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley. Finally in 1979 I returned to my first love - parish ministry, and became Vicar and later Rector of St. Patrick's, Kenwood. I retired at the end of 1990, and became associated with St. Paul's, Benicia, where Mary Lou and I are most happy to be. Reverend Linda Clader, Associate Priest I grew up in Winnetka, Illinois, and attended New Trier Township High School. I continued my studies receiving an A.B. degree from Carleton College in 1968, and a Ph.D. in Classical Philology from Harvard University in 1973. My dissertation was on the character of Helen of Troy in Homer‘s epics. From 1972-1990, I taught classical languages as a professor at Carleton College. Since 1991 I have taught homiletics at Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, and have served as CDSP‘s Dean of Academic Affairs since 2002. I published Voicing the Vision: Imagination and Prophetic Preaching (Harrisburg: Morehouse, 2003), and now I am working on a handbook for lay preachers. I was always active in the Episcopal Church, and when the church began ordaining women to the priesthood, I found I could not ignore a calling I had experienced since childhood. During a leave of absence from teaching at Carleton, I attended CDSP. I was ordained a deacon in 1988 and priest in 1989 in the Diocese of Minnesota. My husband, the Reverend Robert N. Ristad, Jr., who is Protestant Chaplain at Napa State Hospital, and I live in Vallejo. Reverend Shep Jenks, Deacon I was born in Berkeley, CA and moved to Washington D.C as a child, where I attended St. Alban's National Cathedral School for Boys. After attending the Naval Academy, I served in the U.S. Navy for 26 years, mostly in submarines. I commanded 2 nuclear submarines and a submarine repair ship before returning to the San Francisco Bay Area. Following retirement from the Navy I was employed by the Bechtel Corporation, and attended the Diocese of California School for Ministries in Berkeley. I was ordained Deacon in 1981 and served in parish ministry and ministry to the homeless in San Francisco and in Hawaii. I also served at St. John's Cathedral, Albuquerque, NM. After returning to California and establishing our home in Benicia I was installed as Deacon at St. Paul‘s Church by Bishop Lamb. My wife Nancy has 4 sons and 4 grandchildren. I have a daughter, a son and 3 grandchildren. Kathy Macek, Seminarian Kathy Macek is a “middler” at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP) and a postulant for ordination to the priesthood from the Diocese of Los Angeles. She lives in Berkeley with her husband, Thorman Hulse, and their cat, Drusilla. She has two children, three stepchildren, and six grandchildren, all living on the other coast. Prior to seminary, she was a Research Editor for the Bibliography of the History of Art, a project of the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles. After ordination, she hopes to serve in a parish in her home diocese. She and her husband like movies, reading, and visiting historic sites. JoAnn Souza, Parish Administrator JoAnn uses her varied administrative skills to help manage the day-to-day operations of St. Paul’s. In her previous secular work life, she held publicity and marketing support positions for non-profit science education and performing arts organizations. With a degree in print journalism and an early stint at a national magazine, never had she imagined herself working as a parish administrator for an Episcopal Church. Life is indeed full of pleasant surprises. A former long-time resident of the South Bay, JoAnn and her family have been enjoying small-town life in Benicia.