Members of congregations in the Diocese of California do not reflect the population of the Bay Area, according to several participants in a May 12 meeting with Bishop-elect Marc Andrus. The comment was not posed as criticism, but rather as an observation of the current situation.

Andrus had requested the meeting the day after his election, after reading comments in the San Francisco Chronicle from several members of the diocese who felt that the election was a missed opportunity to “move beyond the white Anglo male.”

The informal meeting at St. Augustine’s, Oakland, included thirty clergy and lay people from sixteen congregations throughout the diocese. Most of the participants were from ethnic congregations, or multi-cultural congregations. Two seminary faculty members also attended.

There was a general agreement that the whole diocese would benefit from anti-racism training. Several times people indicated that we are a diverse population without a single dominant segment, and that everybody has something to learn about respect for people of different backgrounds. Bishop Andrus said that the Diocese of Alabama has an active anti-racism program, and that he and others have attended such training more than once, in order to have an update, and to deepen their awareness of cultural, racial, and ethnic differences. Several participants of diverse backgrounds said that they had found such training to be useful.

Many issues were raised during the three-and-a-half hour meeting. Minority clergy and candidates for ordination experience difficult struggles. Many ethnic ministries feel marginalized. The leadership of the diocese includes few people of color. Most diocesan meetings happen when working people cannot participate and on San Francisco’s Nob Hill which is difficult to travel to. Change is difficult. There is a long history of decisions being made in the diocesan office without real consultation with the congregations affected. There are “white” congregations that want to help and be a part of change, but who don’t know how.

What might have been a time of criticism and complaint was one of hope and possibility. There was a general feeling that as the diocese welcomes a new bishop, we can increase the speed of reaching out to the many diverse people who live in the Bay Area. Andrus pledged to continue the conversation when he returns to the diocese to serve as bishop.