New Missioners for Peace & Justice in EDSD

We are excited to announce a new part-time Missioner position for the Diocese! The Rev. D Rebecca Dinovo and Deann Rios will jointly serve as our Missioners for Peace & Justice. Rev. Rebecca will continue to serve as Minister for Congregational Life at St. James La Jolla, while Deann will also continue with her work as Community Engagement & Volunteer Coordinator for Episcopal Community Services.

In their roles as Missioners for Peace & Justice, Rebecca and Deann will work together to support, expand, create, and implement peace and justice opportunities within our churches, Diocese, and communities. With a primary focus on advocacy, policy, personal transformation, and systemic change and as a means of better loving our neighbors, they will support and initiate activities that engage groups and individuals of all ages in spiritual, educational, and action-oriented efforts to increase shalom and justice in our communities. Initial issues of focus will include racial justice, creation care, civil discourse, border ministry and immigration, ecumenical and interfaith partnerships, gun violence prevention, food insecurity/feeding programs, and homelessness/housing.

Deann and Rebecca would love to hear from you if you are interested in engagement around any of these issues. They will also be reaching out to parishes to learn what is already happening at your churches and who is engaged in these issues, to explore opportunities for partnership, and to help us move forward around this important work.

To help streamline this work, we have designated a lead point person for each of the initial issues of focus within this peace and justice umbrella as follows:

*Rebecca Dinovo – racial justice, civil discourse, ecumenical & interfaith partnerships, gun violence prevention

*Deann Rios – creation care, border ministry/immigration, feeding programs/food insecurity, homelessness/housing

Rebecca can be reached at RDinovo@edsd.org or 858-459-3421 x105.
Deann can be reached at DRios@edsd.org or 858-260-0747.

We look forward to seeing increased engagement in the work of peace and justice in our churches and communities with the support and leadership of our new Co-Missioners. May we all continue to learn, stretch, and engage in ways that help us to become better neighbors and citizens of the Kingdom of God!