It should have been said at our annual meeting but wasn't. So as a priest at St. Barnabas, Borrego Springs, I want to lift up Fr. David and Naomi Madsen, celebrate their love and care for all of us, their relentless work in so many ways to nurture us as a community.
by Michael Plekon
A letter to our fellow Americans. We, the undersigned bishops of The Episcopal Church, write today out of grief, righteous anger, and steadfast hope. What happened a week ago in Minnesota and is happening in communities across the country runs counter to God’s vision of justice and peace. This crisis is about more than one city or state—it’s about who we are as a nation. The question before us is simple and urgent: Whose dignity matters? In the wake of the tragic deaths of two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, we join Minnesotans and people across the nation in mourning two precious lives lost to state-sanctioned violence. We grieve with their families, their friends, and everyone harmed by the government’s policies. When fear becomes policy, everyone suffers. We call on Americans to trust their moral compass—and to question rhetoric that trades in fear rather than the truth. As Episcopalians, our moral compass is rooted firmly in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is what we know. Women were shoved to the ground, children torn from their families, and citizens silenced and demeaned for exercising their constitutional rights. These actions sow fear, cast doubt, and wear us down with endless noise. We cannot presume to speak for everyone or prescribe only one way to respond. For our part, we can only do as Jesus’ teaching shows us. A Call for Action This is a moment for action. We call on people of faith to stand by your values and act as your conscience demands. We urge the immediate suspension of ICE and Border Patrol operations in Minnesota and in any community where enforcement has eroded public trust. Because the rule of law is weakened, not strengthened, when power is exercised without restraint. We also call for transparent, independent investigations of the people killed—investigations centered on truth, not politics. Justice cannot wait, and accountability is essential to healing. We call on the elected officials of our nation to remember the values that we share, including the rule of law. Rooted in our Constitution, it ensures that law—not the arbitrary will of individuals—governs us all, protecting individual rights, ensuring fairness, and maintaining stability. A Shared Commitment Every act of courage matters. We must keep showing up for one another. We are bound together because we are all made in the image of God. This begins with small, faithful steps. As bishops in the Episcopal Church, we promise to keep showing up—to pray, to speak, and to stand with every person working to make our communities just, safe, and whole. We are committed to making our communities safer and more compassionate: So children can walk to school without fear. So families can shop, work, and worship freely. So we recognize the dignity of every neighbor—immigrant communities, military families, law enforcement officers, nurses, teachers, and essential workers alike. You may feel powerless, angry, or heartbroken right now. Know that you’re not alone. Each of us has real power: community power, financial power, political power, and knowledge power. We can show up for our neighbors, support small businesses and food banks, contact elected officials and vote, and learn our rights so we can speak up peacefully without fear. Choosing Hope This crisis is about more than one city or state—it’s about who we are as a nation. The question before us is simple and urgent: Whose dignity matters? Our faith gives a clear answer: everyone’s. Safety built on fear is an illusion. True safety comes when we replace fear with compassion, violence with justice, and unchecked power with accountability. That’s the vision our faith calls us to live out—and the promise our country is meant to uphold. In the face of fear, we choose hope. By the grace of God, may this season of grief become a season of renewal. May courage rise from lament, and love take root in every heart. Faithfully, † The Rt. Rev. Kristin Uffelman White, Bishop of Southern Ohio † The Rt. Rev Gladstone B. Adams, III, X Bishop of Central New York (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens, Bishop Suffragan of Connecticut † The Rt. Rev. Diana D. Akiyama, Bishop of Oregon † The Rt. Rev. David A. Alvarez, VI Bishop of Puerto Rico (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Lucinda Beth Ashby, Bishop of El Camino Real † The Rt. Rev. David C. Bane, IX Bishop of Southern Virginia (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. J. Scott Barker, Bishop of Nebraska † The Rt. Rev. Cathleen Bascom, Bishop of Kansas † The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, Bishop of Indianapolis † The Rt. Rev. Nathan D. Baxter, Bishop of Central Pennsylvania (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Mark Beckwith, X Bishop of Newark (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Barry L. Beisner, Bishop Provisional Missionary Diocese of Navajoland † The Rt. Rev. Patrick W. Bell, Bishop of Eastern Oregon † The Rt. Rev. Scott Anson Benhase, OA, X Bishop of Georgia (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Mark Allen Bourlakas, Assistant Bishop of Virginia † The Rt. Rev. Thomas E. Breidenthal, IX Bishop of Southern Ohio (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Brooke-Davidson, Assistant Bishop of North Carolina † The Rt. Rev. C. Franklin Brookhart, Assisting Bishop of Los Angeles † The Rt. Rev. Kevin S. Brown, Bishop of Delaware † The Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Brown, Bishop of Maine † The Rt. Rev. Susan Brown Snook, Bishop of San Diego † The Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce, Bishop Suffragan of Los Angeles (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of Washington † The Rt. Rev. Elías García Cárdenas, Bishop of Colombia † The Rt. Rev. Paula E. Clark, Bishop of Chicago † The Rt. Rev. Angela Maria Cortiñas, Bishop Suffragan of West Texas † The Rt. Rev. Matthew Cowden, Bishop of West Virginia † The Rt. Rev. James E. Curry, Bishop Suffragan of Connecticut (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry, XXVII Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Joe Morris Doss, X Bishop of New Jersey (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas, Assisting Bishop of Massachusetts † The Rt. Rev. DeDe Duncan-Probe, Bishop of Central New York † The Rt. Rev. J. Zache Duracin, Bishop of Haiti (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Mark D.W. Edington, Bishop in charge of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe † The Rt. Rev. Dan Edwards, XII Bishop of Nevada (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. C. Christopher Epting, VIII Bishop of Iowa (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Douglas Fisher, Bishop of Western Massachusetts † The Rt. Rev. Jeff W. Fisher, Bishop Suffragan of Texas † The Rt. Rev. Robert L. Fitzpatrick, Bishop of Hawai’i † The Rt. Rev. James E. Folts, VIII Bishop of West Texas (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Jonathan H. Folts, Bishop of South Dakota † The Rt. Rev. R. William Franklin, Assisting Bishop of Long Island † The Rt. Rev. Sally French, Bishop of New Jersey † The Rt. Rev. J. Michael Garrison, X Bishop of Western New York (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, XVI Bishop of Massachusetts (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Wendell N. Gibbs, Assisting Bishop of Southern Ohio † The Rt. Rev. Mary D. Glasspool, Assisting Bishop of Massachusetts † The Rt. Rev. Susan E. Goff, Bishop Suffragan of Virginia (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. William O. Gregg, VI Bishop of Eastern Oregon (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Daniel G. P. Gutiérrez, Bishop of Pennsylvania † The Rt. Rev. Douglas Hahn, VII Bishop of Lexington (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Michael Hanley, X Bishop of Oregon (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. John T.W. Harmon, Bishop of Arkansas † The Rt. Rev. Gayle Elizabeth Harris, Assistant Bishop of Virginia † The Rt. Rev. Scott B. Hayashi, XI Bishop of Utah (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Susan B. Haynes, Bishop of Southern Virginia † The Rt. Rev. Matthew Heyd, Bishop of New York † The Rt. Rev. Rayford B. High, Jr., Bishop Suffragan of Texas (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr., XI Bishop of Ohio (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Barry R. Howe, VII Bishop of West Missouri (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Carlye J. Hughes, Bishop of Newark † The Rt. Rev. Michael B. Hunn, Bishop of the Rio Grande † The Rt. Rev. Robert W. Ihloff, XIII Bishop of Maryland (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. James I. Jelinek, VIII Bishop of Minnesota (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Don E. Johnson, III Bishop of West Tennessee (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Deon Johnson, Bishop of Missouri † The Rt. Rev. Anne B. Jolly, Bishop of Ohio † The Rt. Rev. Charles I. Jones, VII Bishop of Montana (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. David Colin Jones, Bishop Suffragan of Virginia (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. W. Michie Klusmeyer, VII Bishop of West Virginia (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. W. Nicholas Knisely, SOSc, Bishop of Rhode Island † The Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen, VIII Bishop of Maine (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. James E. Krotz, IX Bishop of Nebraska (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Philip N. LaBelle, Bishop of Olympia † The Rt. Rev. Stephen T. Lane, Bishop Provisional of Western New York, † The Rt. Rev. Mark Lattime, Bishop of Alaska, † The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey Lee, XII Bishop of Chicago (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Edward L. Lee, Jr., Bishop of the Great Lakes (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Frank S. Logue, Bishop of Georgia † The Rt. Rev. Craig Loya, Bishop of Minnesota † The Rt. Rev. Kym Lucas, Bishop of Colorado † The Rt. Rev. Shannon MacVean-Brown, Bishop of Vermont † The Rt. Rev. F. Clayton Matthews, Bishop Suffragan of Virginia (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. J. Scott Mayer, Bishop of Northwest Texas † The Rt. Rev. Dorsey McConnell, VIII Bishop of Pittsburgh (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Jack McKelvey, VII Bishop of Rochester (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey W. Mello, Bishop of Connecticut † The Rt. Rev. Juan Carlos Quiñonez Mera, Bishop of Central Ecuador † The Rt. Rev. Rodney Michel, Bishop Suffragan of Long Island (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Betsey Monnot, Bishop of Iowa † The Rt. Rev. Robert O’Neill, X Bishop of Colorado (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Todd Ousley, Bishop Provisional of Wyoming † The Rt. Rev. Jacob W. Owensby, Bishop of Western Louisiana † The Rt. Rev. George E. Packard, Bishop Suffragan of Armed Forces and Federal Ministries (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Bonnie A. Perry, Bishop of Michigan † The Rt. Rev. Kenneth L. Price, Jr., Assisting Bishop of Southern Ohio † The Rt. Rev. Brian N. Prior, X Bishop of Minnesota (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano, Bishop of Long Island † The Rt. Rev. John Rabb, Bishop Suffragan of Maryland (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Rayford J. Ray, Bishop of Northern Michigan † The Rt. Rev. David G. Read, Bishop of West Texas † The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Reddall, Bishop of Arizona † The Rt. Rev. Poulson Reed, Bishop of Oklahoma † The Rt. Rev. Gretchen Rehberg, Bishop of Spokane † The Rt. Rev. David Rice, Bishop of San Joaquin † The Rt. Rev. Austin K. Rios, Bishop of California † The Rt. Rev. Ann Ritonia, Bishop Suffragan of Armed Forces and Federal Ministries for the Episcopal Church † The Rt. Rev. Bavi (Nedi) Rivera, VII Bishop of Eastern Oregon (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Phoebe A. Roaf, Bishop of West Tennessee † The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, IX Bishop of New Hampshire (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Samuel S. Rodman, Bishop Diocesan of North Carolina † The Rt. Rev. Catherine S. Roskam, Bishop Suffragan of New York (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Kathryn M. Ryan, Bishop Suffragan of Texas † The Rt. Rev. Audrey C. Scanlan, Bishop Diocesan of the Susquehanna † The Rt. Rev. Alan Scarfe, IX Bishop of Iowa (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Carrie Schofield-Broadbent, Bishop of Maryland † The Rt. Rev. Gordon P. Scruton, VIII Bishop of Western Massachusetts, (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Brian Seage, Assisting Bishop of Texas † The Rt. Rev. James J. Shand, X Bishop of Easton (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Kara Wagner Sherer, Bishop of Rochester † The Rt. Rev. Allen Shin, Bishop Suffragan of New York † The Rt. Rev. Mark S. Sisk, XV Bishop of New York (Retired) † The Most Rev. Melissa M. Skelton, Bishop Provisional of Olympia (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Rob Skirving, Bishop of East Carolina † The Rt. Rev. John McKee Sloan, XI Bishop of Alabama (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. William E. Smalley, VIII Bishop of Kansas (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Andrew D. Smith, XIV Bishop of Connecticut (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. George Wayne Smith, X Bishop of Missouri (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Douglas E. Sparks, Bishop of Northern Indiana † The Rt. Rev. Phyllis Spiegel, Bishop of Utah † The Rt. Rev. Marty Stebbins, Bishop Diocesan of Montana † The Rt. Rev. E. Mark Stevenson, Bishop Diocesan of Virginia † The Rt. Rev. William H. Stokes, XII Bishop of New Jersey (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. George Sumner, XII Bishop of Dallas (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, Assisting Bishop of Washington † The Rt. Rev. G. Porter Taylor, VI Bishop of Western North Carolina (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor, Bishop of Los Angeles † The Rt. Rev. Jos Tharakan, Bishop of Idaho † The Rt. Rev. Brian Thom, Bishop of North Dakota † The Rt. Rev. Morris K. Thompson, Jr., XI Bishop of Louisiana (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. John S. Thornton, XI Bishop of Idaho (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Martin G.Townsend, IX Bishop of Easton, MD (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Megan Traquair, Bishop of Northern California † The Rt. Rev. Michael L. Vono, IX Bishop of the Rio Grande (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Pierre W. Whalon, IX Bishop in charge of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Keith B. Whitmore, V Bishop of Eau Claire (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Julia E. Whitworth, Bishop Diocesan of Massachusetts † The Rt. Rev. Arthur B. Williams, Jr., Bishop Suffragan of Ohio (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah D. Williamson, Bishop of Albany † The Rt. Rev. Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, Bishop of South Carolina † The Rt. Rev. Wayne P. Wright, X Bishop of Delaware (Retired) † The Rt. Rev. Rob Wright, Bishop of Atlanta † The Rt. Rev. George D. Young, III, III Bishop of East Tennessee (Retired)
St. Barnabas Episcopal Church & Borrego Ministers Association When desert temperatures soar in Borrego Springs, heat isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s dangerous. Recognizing this urgent need, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church , in cooperation with the Borrego Ministers Association , launched the Emergency Air-Conditioning Program to protect vulnerable residents from life-threatening heat.
By Fr Michael Plekon
Wendy Warren Quinn 1946–2026 Wendy Warren Quinn of Borrego Springs, California, passed away on January 12, 2026, at the age of 79. She had recently been diagnosed with stage IV cancer and shortly thereafter contracted COVID and pneumonia. Wendy was born in Saginaw, Michigan. She graduated from Glendale High School in California and attended Pomona College. Her first marriage was to Michael McFarland. In 1980, Wendy married James “Jim” Quinn, and they shared many years together until his passing in 2016. Her professional life reflected decades of dedication, precision, and service. Wendy spent much of her career as a legal and executive secretary, including long-term service with General Dynamics, Space Systems Division in San Diego, where she supported senior leadership and legal departments. Earlier in her career, she worked in municipal and corporate law offices throughout Southern California and served in roles requiring exceptional organizational skill and discretion. After Wendy’s retirement, she and Jim moved from San Diego to Borrego Springs, a place they came to love deeply. Wendy was an active and generous member of the community. She volunteered at the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center, supported American Legion Post 853, and faithfully took minutes for Borrego Water District meetings. She valued civic engagement and believed in quietly contributing where help was needed. Outside of her volunteer work, Wendy enjoyed traveling, camping, and spending time with friends. She especially loved her dog, Yoti, who was a constant companion. Wendy is survived by her sister, Betty Iversen, and her niece, Tracy Hasenkamp, along with extended family and many friends who will miss her steady presence and thoughtful kindness. A service to honor Wendy’s life is being planned, and more information will be shared soon. Wendy will be interred at St. Barnabas Church in Borrego Springs. Donations in her memory may be made to Animal Action League (Non-profit Spay & Neuter Clinic) ( animalactionleague.net ) and American Legion Post 853 ( ca853.org ).
Reclaiming evangelism as good news lived, not pressure applied. The word evangelism doesn’t need to be replaced. It needs to be reclaimed. A crossroad is an ordinary thing — two roads meeting. But spiritually, crossroads are where our values and our choices intersect. Some are dramatic. Most are quiet. Yet at every one of them, the cross of Christ stands with us. Not as guilt. Not as threat. As presence. A steady light. These crossroads show up every day: the grocery store conversation, the neighbor who needs acknowledgment, the family member who tests your patience. This is where faith becomes visible. This is where the gospel takes on flesh — in kindness, listening, courage, and truth-telling. When Jesus Challenged Rome’s Version of Virtue To understand evangelism, it helps to remember the setting of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus wasn’t speaking into a neutral world. He was speaking into the shadow of Rome — an empire that preached peace through dominance, hierarchy, and exclusion. Rome had its own moral vocabulary: strength, victory, control. Jesus offered a counter-vision. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the peacemakers. This wasn’t soft spirituality. It was a direct challenge to the empire’s definition of what a “good” person looks like. And it still challenges our assumptions today — especially our assumptions about evangelism. Evangelism isn’t a message we push. It’s a presence we offer. Reclaiming a Misused Word For many people, evangelism feels like pressure — a sales pitch, a recruitment strategy, a push to get people into church. But Jesus never pressured anyone into anything. He healed. He fed. He restored dignity. He listened. He stood with the exclusion. People experienced good news long before they understood it. This is why the word evangelism doesn’t need to be replaced. It needs to be reclaimed. Evangelism is meeting real human needs with the compassion and courage of Jesus — so people encounter good news, not pressure. Evangelism isn’t about getting people into church. Evangelism is about getting the church into the world. It’s how you treat the cashier having a rough day. It’s how you show up for a neighbor who feels invisible. It’s how your life quietly says, you matter. Evangelism happens wherever dignity is restored, wherever compassion interrupts indifference, wherever love gets the final word. Called Out, Sent Out The word ecclesia means “the called-out ones.” Called out of fear, apathy, and self-protection. Called into healing, feeding, listening, welcoming, and liberating. Jesus calls each of us differently, but always toward love — right where our lives already touch the world. If St. Barnabas Episcopal Church disappeared tomorrow, would Borrego Springs notice? I believe it would. Because the gospel you live isn’t confined to a sanctuary. It’s carried in your friendships, your compassion, your presence. Where the Gospel Takes Flesh Paul once wrote that the cross looks foolish to some. And in a world shaped by Roman values — ancient or modern — it still does. But to those being transformed, the cross reveals a different kind of power: not the power that dominates, but the power that heals and frees. This is the heart of the Sermon on the Mount: How shall we live when the values of Jesus collide with the values of empire? At every crossroad, Jesus calls us to reflect the light already working within us. When we respond, our lives become good news for someone else. ~ Father Dave Madsen Sidebar: A message from the guy that wrote this piece. I choose to view faith as lived more than spoken. I trust small acts of compassion and steady presence to carry the good news farther than any argument ever could.
On February 8 at 1:00 pm, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church will host a screening of Diminishing Returns, a 20-minute documentary followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Colin Whitman. The event is open to the community and will take place in the church sanctuary. Event Details Film: Diminishing Returns Date: February 8 Time: 1:00 PM Location: St. Barnabas Episcopal Church Program: Screening followed by a Q&A Afterward: Coffee and snacks available Why are we doing this? If you spend time in Borrego Springs, chances are that you like movies and that you may be in a book club. How often do you finish watching a movie and want to talk about it with someone else? We at St. Barnabas are providing you a chance to merge movies and discussion with a screening of a 20-minute documentary, Diminishing Returns, followed by a Q&A with the L.A.-based filmmaker, Colin Whitman. We pride ourselves in promoting justice and kindness in our local neighborhood. But where do the boundaries of our neighborhood end? How far can we go to aid people who are holding onto their way of life by their fingernails? Do we even know who they are? This film touches on the question “who is my neighbor?” as well as themes of living alone, navigating two cultures, family ties, and others. It’s gotten a lot of interest in other film venues as a parable for navigating the perceived distance between “us” and “them.” If you see Diminishing Returns at the film festival, you may get something new out of it the second time. The mark of a good film! Colin Whitman met Ernesto, the subject of the film, while he was walking his dog in his own neighborhood. He took the initiative to strike up a conversation and uncovered a surprisingly sweet and suspenseful story of a perfect stranger and his family overseas. Ernesto is not so different from us as we might assume. Come and see to find out more about Ernesto and the effect the Colin’s film had on his life. ~ Jan Naragon What to expect The film will be shown at St. Barnabas in the Sanctuary at 1 pm on February 8. Admission is free (donations accepted). Well-behaved dogs welcome. Enjoy this 20-minute ‘thinky’ documentary in a more intimate setting than the film festival, then mingle afterward with the filmmaker in a Question and Answer session. Follow that with coffee and cookies and more time to ask questions that you forgot earlier in the beautiful courtyard at St. Barnabas. Head home feeling inspired. Film Synopsis Diminishing Returns follows Ernesto, who collects recyclables in Los Angeles to help pay for his daughter’s chemotherapy treatment in the Philippines. The short documentary offers a direct look at caregiving, sacrifice, and resilience across borders. All are welcome to attend Whether you come for the film, the conversation, or the community, we hope you’ll join us for an afternoon of insight, connection, and inspiration.
