The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia

From Cris Blair, member of Bishop’s Task Force on Homelessness: Dear Diocese of Olympia, This week is the deadline for the following bills – they will die if not moved out of their House of origin by March 9. The eviction moratorium is quickly approaching – March 31. If a renter has ever been evicted, it is almost impossible to ever rent again. If these bills don’t stay alive, we risk adding to our already massive unhoused population in Washington.

It is a time of transition within our diocese, and we have a new clergy transition to announce. The Rev. Rachel Endicott has accepted a call as Interim Priest of St. Paul’s, Bellingham and will be leaving her position as Rector of Christ Church, Puyallup, effective April 19, 2021. Rachel was born in the U.K. to a priest father and musician/teacher mother. After receiving a BA in Psychology from Scripps College and an MBA from National University, Rachel worked doing

The Diocese of Olympia is pleased to announce that, effective March 1, 2021, Bishop Melissa Skelton will be joining diocesan staff as an Assisting Bishop after retiring as Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia and Yukon and Diocesan Bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster. Bishop Skelton will be serving on a per diem basis, meaning she will be remunerated on a case-by-case basis. Bishop Skelton will be available for visitations and will be assigned by Bishop Rickel,

February 13, 9:00am Join us for a day-long exploration of what it means to serve on a Vestry or Bishop’s Committee and gain important tools and insights that will help you fulfill your role as an elected lay leader in the congregation. Please note: The workshops and content of this conference will be tailored for senior and junior wardens, treasurers and bookkeepers, as well as any interested lay leaders considering elected lay leadership. Note: Registration has now closed. RESOURCES AND

In October of 2020, the Office of the Bishop in the Diocese of Olympia conducted a survey among our clergy who are actively serving congregations. The goal of this survey was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and all that followed on our clergy’s health and wellness, as well as to investigate how supported (or not) our clergy felt by their lay leadership. The primary purpose of the survey was to gather data to share with lay leadership

With the continued absence of our Diocesan Treasurer Barbara Fox as she continues to recover from her June 2020 medical difficulties, Bishop Rickel has appointed Jim Beckwith as the Acting Treasurer for the Diocese of Olympia. In this role Jim will provide links between our finance office and governing bodies, and he will bring items and issues to the notice of the appropriate governing body – Diocesan Council, Joint Finance Panel, Board of Directors – at the appropriate time for