FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2024
Contact:
Stephanie Martin Taylor
Canon for Communications
Episcopal Diocese of California
[email protected]
415-869-7821
The Rev. Cn. J. Sierra Reyes
At the invitation of the Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios, the Rev. J. Sierra Reyes has accepted a new call as Canon to the Ordinary for the Episcopal Diocese of California, beginning September 10, 2024.
“I am grateful to Bishop Austin Rios for inviting me to proclaim the Good News of Christ through word and example as the Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of California. I am excited to support our clergy, lay leaders, and congregations in nurturing faith-filled communities that reflect the goodness, courage, and strength of our God. It brings me joy to join Bishop Rios and the Diocese of California in this sacred work,” said Rev. Reyes.
Rev. Reyes most recently served as Canon for Ministry in the Diocese of Chicago, where she managed pastoral transitions and coordinated clergy deployment, search processes, and new clergy support. In her new role as Canon to the Ordinary, Rev. Reyes will serve as the chief of diocesan staff and assist Bishop Rios in supporting clergy, lay leaders, and congregations throughout the Bay Area.
“Sierra comes to us from the Diocese of Chicago, and I could not be more thankful and excited to have her join us in this new chapter of our diocese’s life,” said Bishop Rios. “Besides having served as a rector and a canon on a diocesan staff, Sierra brings her rooted faith and joyful presence to this new appointment as our Canon to the Ordinary. My sincerest hope and prayer is that her skillset and deep love of Jesus and The Episcopal Church will allow her to resource our congregations, institutions, and ministries from her well of experience while serving as Chief of Staff for our DioHouse team. I have the utmost confidence that she will serve among us with grace, curiosity, and joy.”
Rev. Reyes graduated with high honors from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, and earned her Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School. Her formation for ministry included coursework at Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, and a year of study at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
Following her graduation from Harvard Divinity School, Rev. Reyes served as Associate Rector of Christ Church Episcopal in Savannah, Georgia; Rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Denver, Colorado; and Interim Associate of Ministries in the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago.
Rev. Reyes is married to Dr. Rudolph Reyes, an Assistant Professor of Christian Ethics and Latinx Studies at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. They, along with their daughter, will relocate to the Bay Area in late August.
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The Episcopal Diocese of California serves a diverse community of faith encompassing the greater San Francisco Bay Area. With approximately 18,000 baptized members, the diocese consists of 72 active congregations spread across six counties. More information about the Diocese of California can be found at diocal.org
