New Missioner for Agrarian Ministry – Brian Sellers-Petersen

We are pleased to announce that Brian Sellers-Petersen has been appointed by Bishop Rickel to the new position of Missioner for Agrarian Ministry for the diocese. While he will be working limited hours, he is available to work with churches on the development of their agricultural ministries. The prologue to his letter of agreement spells out the initial vision of this position.

The Missioner for Agrarian Ministry will develop and carry out a ministry of regular support and education, planning formation and guidance to congregations interested in beekeeping, vegetable and food gardening and other agrarian work related to the stewardship of all creation and care of the earth as congregations and the Diocese have need.

Brian Sellers-Petersen, co-founder of the Episcopal Food, Farming, and Faith Network, is an avid gardener at home and office (Saint Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle) and a consultant to Seattle Tilth Food and Faith Initiative. He is the author of Harvesting Abundance: Local Initiatives of Food and Faith (Church Publishing). He has worked with Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) for the past 15 years in a variety of capacities, including as the creator/developer of ERD’s Abundant Life Garden Project curriculum, a leader of pilgrimages to sustainable agriculture programs in Ghana and Central America, senior adviser to the president of ERD, former Director of Church Engagement, and former Western Regional Director. He is on the advisory council of the Beecken Center at Sewanee, and previously worked for World Vision and with Bread for World. In addition, he has worked with All Saints Pasadena; the Anglican Diocese of Port Elizabeth, South Africa; and the Student Christian Movement of South Africa. He is co-founder of Cultivate: Episcopal Food Movement and currently works part-time with the Vandersall Collective and the Society for the Increase of Ministry. He has also worked for World Vision; Bread for World; All Saints Episcopal Church, Pasadena; and the Anglican Diocese of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He currently serves as the Cathedral Apiarist at St. Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and Fuller Theological Seminary. He currently lives in Covington, Washington.