Episcopal Church of the Redeemer

Worshiping God, living in community, reaching out to the world.

Category: The Diocese of Olympia

Lent: A Message from Bishop LaBelle
Bishop LaBelle shares his reflections for Lent this year and encourages us to join him in fasting this Lenten season.

Hello, dear friends in the Diocese of Olympia.

We’re about to embark on the holy season of Lent, and on Ash Wednesday, clergy will invite us to the observance of a holy Lent in the name of the church, calling us to self-examination and repentance, prayer, fasting, and self-denial, then by reading and meditating on God’s holy word.

One of the things that’s always been interesting to me is how people talk about fasting. We often give up something like chocolate or maybe meat, and yet when I started going deeper into interreligious relationships with Muslim and Jewish neighbors, I’ve realized that we were the only of the Abrahamic faiths that didn’t really engage in a fast during our holy season like they did. This year, Ramadan will begin actually on Ash Wednesday, and our Muslim neighbors will be fasting from sunrise to sunset each day throughout that season, that 28 days, including giving up water.

I often wonder why it is that we don’t fast as much together as Christians, and so this year I’m especially calling us to do that fast. Not because it’s an opportunity for us to say how great we are, but rather to engage in this practice that was seen throughout holy scripture, especially at times of political turmoil, for needing to make lament and for prayer. Jesus himself reminds us again and again that we are to fast, especially during those times that are difficult.

So this year for Lent, I’m gonna be giving up a lunch every day through those 40 days, and then when instead of gathering together for that meal, I’m gonna be going and taking some time to pray the Jesus prayer, using this prayer bracelet, just going through and praying again and again, “Jesus, son of God have mercy on me, a sinner.” Because we all know that that’s where we begin, right? That it’s the self-reflection and our need to make amends with God and with each other. Well, that’s the work of Lent in order that we might be prepared for Easter.

I encourage you to join me in this fast of engaging in that work together. There are some carve-outs, of course, those who might be needing to eat because of medical reasons or they’re elderly or maybe a past experience with an eating disorder, and so fasting in this way is not helpful. But together we can engage in this spiritual practice. We can do it in a way that brings us and draws us closer to God.

So I hope you’ll join me on the Lenten fast, that whatever you choose to do, it will be reflective of your desire to draw closer to God so that when we do get to Easter, we may celebrate with one another of Christ’s overcoming of the grave.

The Rt. Rev. Philip LaBelle

Bishop Philip LaBelle

The Rt. Rev. Philip N. LaBelle is the Ninth Bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. The Diocese elected Bishop LaBelle on May 18, 2024. His Consecration and Ordination as bishop was on September 14, 2024.

Bishop LaBelle previously served as rector of St. Mark’s Church in Southborough, Massachusetts. During his time in the Diocese of Massachusetts, Bishop LaBelle did the following:
- Co-led the Mission Strategy Committee.
- Served on Executive Committee and Diocesan Council
- Directed the Fresh Start program.
He co-founded Southborough Neighbors for Peace with Dr. Safdar Medina in their small town. The organization did the following:
- Hosted peace vigils.
- Began a community-wide Iftar dinner during Ramadan.
- Established an interfaith Thanksgiving service.
- Sponsored other bridge-building events.
Additionally, Bishop LaBelle served on the core team of Central Mass. Connections in Faith, an organization centered on fostering relationships and learning about other religious faiths through quarterly gatherings.

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.
February 18, 2026
The Rt. Rev. Cabell “Cabby” Tennis
Dear Friends,

I have recently learned of the death of The Rt. Rev. Cabell “Cabby” Tennis, Esq. A service for +Cabby will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at Saint Mark’s Cathedral. Clergy are invited to vest, process, and take part in the Commendation. If you plan to vest, please be ready no later than 10:10 am that morning. Please find +Cabby’s obituary below.

Cabell “Cabby” Tennis was born on October 24, 1932, in Hampton, VA. His parents were Calvin and Sylvia Tennis. His family was active in the Episcopal Church and attended St. John Church in Hampton, Virginia. Cabby attended the College of William & Mary, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1954 and with a Juris Doctor in 1956. After graduation, he worked as a night watchman in a housing project and as an usher at Constitution Hall. In 1954, he married Hyde Southall Jones, and they have four children. He was admitted to the Virginia Bar on June 11, 1956, and worked in tax and litigation for the Judge Advocate General. While practicing law, he “came to appreciate the deeper realities that go on in people’s lives.” Cabby felt the call and attended the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, where he graduated with an MDiv in 1964.

He was ordained as a deacon on June 1, 1964, and to the priesthood on December 19, 1964, by Bishop George P. Gunn, the bishop of Southern Virginia. Cabby was called to serve as a curate at St. John’s Church in Portsmouth, Virginia, where he served from 1965 to 1969. Cabby was then called to serve as rector at Trinity Church in Buffalo, New York, from 1969 to 1972. As rector, he worked with other clergy on civil rights, remedial programs for the poor, open housing, a high-rise for the elderly, and transitional services for the mentally ill. He participated in a three-hour Good Friday service at Trinity Church with the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. In addition, he served on the Executive Council of the Diocese of Western New York.

In 1972, Cabby was called to serve as dean and rector of St. Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle from 1972 to 1986. During his time as dean, he added counseling services and a variety of social services and spoke out on the issue of nuclear war. He expanded St. Mark’s community outreach by offering Bloedel Hall for meetings, seminars, workshops, and celebrations. In addition, he served on the Board of Directors for the Diocese of Olympia and as a deputy to the 1982 General Convention. Cabby also traveled and served as a consultant to the Diocese of Sierra Leone and the Diocese of Zambia. He traveled to South Africa and the Soviet Union, in part, because he saw “the church as a global reality. The diocese is part of a global human family, a family that transcends cultures and national identities.”

Cabby was elected as the ninth Bishop for the Diocese of Delaware on June 14, 1986, at Grace Church in Brandywine Hundred, and was consecrated on November 8, 1986, at St. Helena’s Catholic Church in Wilmington, Delaware. As a bishop, he served the Episcopal Church as a member of the Committee on Sexual Exploitation, the Joint Commission on Program Budget and Finance, and the House of Bishops. He was a member of multiple bar associations, the Academy of Family Mediators, and the Association for Conflict Resolution. He was also active in social justice programs. Cabby was one of the bishops involved in the heresy trial instigated against Bishop Walter C. Righter after ordaining a gay person as a deacon. Cabby retired as bishop on December 31, 1997.

After retiring, he and Hyde moved back to Western Washington, where he served as an assisting bishop in the Diocese of Olympia for twenty years. During retirement, he was active with Bishop’s United Against Gun Violence, a member of the Washington Medical Quality Assurance Commission, the Committee on Public Legal Education, and a mediator with the Dispute Resolution Center of King County. Bishop Tennis presided from time to time at worship and provided pastoral care at the request of the St. Mark’s Dean. Cabby remained active in justice programs at Saint Mark’s and in the greater Seattle community. In 2018, Cabby was part of an Amicus Curiae Brief with other Episcopal Bishops when Hawaii sued the President over banning people from various countries.

He is survived by his four children, Anne, Cabby III, Whiting, and Molly, his son-in-law, Olivier Seguin, daughter-in-law, Madeleine Hewitt, and the seven grandchildren who adored their Nana to the moon and back: Liza, Whiting, and Clay Tennis, and Henri, Samuel, Theodore, and Nicolas Seguin.

Please join me in prayer for +Cabby and all those who loved and cared for him. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

Blessings,

The Rt. Rev. Philip LaBelle

Bishop Philip LaBelle

The Rt. Rev. Philip N. LaBelle is the Ninth Bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. The Diocese elected Bishop LaBelle on May 18, 2024. His Consecration and Ordination as bishop was on September 14, 2024.

Bishop LaBelle previously served as rector of St. Mark’s Church in Southborough, Massachusetts. During his time in the Diocese of Massachusetts, Bishop LaBelle did the following:
- Co-led the Mission Strategy Committee.
- Served on Executive Committee and Diocesan Council
- Directed the Fresh Start program.
He co-founded Southborough Neighbors for Peace with Dr. Safdar Medina in their small town. The organization did the following:
- Hosted peace vigils.
- Began a community-wide Iftar dinner during Ramadan.
- Established an interfaith Thanksgiving service.
- Sponsored other bridge-building events.
Additionally, Bishop LaBelle served on the core team of Central Mass. Connections in Faith, an organization centered on fostering relationships and learning about other religious faiths through quarterly gatherings.

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.
February 13, 2026
Need to turn around

Dear Beloved Friends in Christ,

No matter how you slice it, things in our country are pretty dire. News headlines focus on the revelations of men in power who were connected with a known pedophile, on American citizens being killed on the streets by federal agents, on the continued rise of costs for basic necessities, on the arrests of people with brown skin—citizens, immigrants, or refugees—by agents wearing masks and refusing to identify themselves. It’s a lot. But it’s not the first time in history when similar events have taken place. Sadly, we humans have a tendency to repeat the past unable to learn the painful lessons when those in power do anything they can to feed their insatiable desire for more.

During one such time, Dietrich Bonhoeffer expressed in a letter to Mahatma Gandhi that the issues of the day were neither political nor economic, they were spiritual. And he lamented that churches as a whole were not responding in a spiritual way. He wanted to find a community living into the values found in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and he didn’t see that in Christian communities in Europe or the US. He believed that the best community living it was the one Gandhi had established in India, and Bonhoeffer wanted to see it in real life.

Friends, the issues of our day is neither political nor economic but spiritual. And spiritual matters need spiritual responses.

In less than two weeks, we’ll begin the holy season of Lent. On that day, our clergy will call us to a season of penitence and fasting. A time of reflection, repentance, prayer, and abstaining from food in order to be prepared for the Great 50 Days of Easter.

It seems that fasting has become disconnected from the call for contrition, almsgiving, and prayer. We give up things like chocolate or alcohol or pizza or meat—all well intentioned—but don’t connect it to spending more time with God or meeting the needs of the poor or in lament. The point of fasting isn’t to show our willpower or how spiritual we are. Rather, we fast to respond to God’s cry for justice and to grieve the ways in which we—and our country—have ignored the ills of our day which are spiritual.

I therefore invite each of us to observe with great devotion a time of fasting this Lent. Of giving up food or a meal daily throughout this holy season. There are caveats, of course, best described by our Muslim friends who fast throughout their holy month of Ramadan. Those who are pregnant or who have medical issues—including a history of eating disorders—or the elderly or young are all discouraged from this fast. We are not to do harm to ourselves in this. It is to draw us closer to God.

Additionally, I want to note that we are the only Abrahamic faith who does not practice their fast in community. Our Jewish neighbors gather with each other for a 25-hour fast from all food on Yom Kippur, and a traditional greeting is “May your fast be easy.” Muslims during Ramadan when they go without food or water during daylight hours will often gather each night with family and friends for an Iftar meal to break the fast together, including inviting non-Muslims to join with them. I wonder what that might look like in our congregations, of perhaps gathering for a simple supper and reflection each week so our fast is done in connection with others.

For those who wish to join with me, I will be forgoing lunch and snacks between a simple breakfast and dinner each of the 40 days. (And a reminder, Sundays are always feast days and aren’t included in the count for Lent.) During the noon hour, I’ll be praying the Jesus prayer—“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”—using a simple knotted prayer bracelet to focus my attention. Conversion always begins in our own lives.

Because the truth is that both we and our nation need to repent, to turn around. To experience deep transformation through the love and grace of Jesus Christ. For the issues of our day are not political or economic. They are most certainly spiritual.

Faithfully,

The Rt. Rev. Phillip LaBelle
Bishop of Olympia

The Rt. Rev. Phillip LaBelle

The Rt. Rev. Philip N. LaBelle is the Ninth Bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. The Diocese elected Bishop LaBelle on May 18, 2024, and he was Consecrated and Ordained on September 14, 2024.

Bishop LaBelle previously served as rector of St. Mark’s Church in Southborough, Massachusetts. During his time in the Diocese of Massachusetts, Bishop LaBelle co-led the Mission Strategy Committee, served on Executive Committee and Diocesan Council, and directed the Fresh Start program. He co-founded Southborough Neighbors for Peace with Dr. Safdar Medina in their small town. The organization hosted peace vigils, began a community-wide Iftar dinner during Ramadan, established an interfaith Thanksgiving service, and sponsored other bridge-building events. Additionally, Bishop LaBelle served on the core team of Central Mass. Connections in Faith, an organization centered on fostering relationships and learning about other religious faiths through quarterly gatherings.

In June of 2024, Bishop LaBelle received his Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Seminary focused on Christian Spirituality. His thesis work explored the theology and practice of zimzum and how to make space in our overly busy lives for God, others, and the natural world. He received his MDiv from Yale University in 2004, along with a diploma in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. He holds a Master’s degree in composition and rhetoric from Northeastern University and a Bachelor’s degree in English with an additional concentration in theological studies from Gordon College. He has also received certificates in congregational development and religious fundraising.

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.

February 5, 2026
Update on Flood Relief Efforts
Floods began impacting western Washington in the second week of December 2025. Episcopal Relief & Development quickly engaged staff at Diocesan House to ask “How can we help?”

Raising aid

Within the first 48 hours, diocesan staff members Canon Cristi Chapman and Michael Seewer worked up a plan with Race Hodges of Episcopal Relief and Development. By the following Monday, the Diocese of Olympia received a $20,000 grant to support relief efforts in western Washington. The diocese made this money available to anyone in Western Washington affected by the floods, whether Episcopalian or not.

As people communicated impact from the floods to the Diocese, other donations came pouring in. Current total is just under $14,000, making the total amount of relief money to just under $34,000. Additional money is still being received.

In working with Episcopal Relief, diocesan staff identified a strategy. To get the money into the hands of those who need it quickly, a Flood Impact Form was created.

In the days that followed, the impacts of the flood continued to change on a daily and sometimes hourly basis. Michael Seewer began working with clergy in the regions affected. The diocese shared contact information of those who had requested support with the local clergy. Those clergy assembled quickly to begin contacting affected families and issuing gift cards.

Where people need help

The damage and need for relief communicated to the diocese has been widespread. It ranges along the I-5 corridor from as far south as Lewis County to as far north as Whatcom County.

Lewis County

“In the eastern part of Lewis County, [we are aware of] 11 families impacted by the flooding who are in the Red Cross Program, plus at least 10 more families who are living in their flooded RVs,” said the Rev. Kay Flores, rector of St. Timothy, Chehalis.

Whatcom County

In Whatcom County, the Rev. Dr. Jane Maynard, priest in charge of Christ Church, Blaine, has been working with the Whatcom Long Term Recovery Group to get assistance to as many of the 800 families on their list as possible.

Skagit and Snohomish Counties

We have received reports of some of the areas of greatest need are along the Skagit and Snohomish Rivers. Flooding affected communities from Mt. Vernon to Hamilton along the Skagit River. Communities affected along the Snohomish River are from Snohomish and Monroe.

In Mt. Vernon, the Rev. Dennis Taylor, deacon at St. Paul’s, Mt. Vernon, has been assisted by a team of volunteers from the parish. They assist in getting relief money in the hands of dozens of families along the Skagit River. When reaching out to the people who contacted the Diocese for assistance, those families often shared information about other families they knew who also could use assistance.

Along the Snohomish River, Chinook Farms was hit particularly hard. The food bank at Holy Cross, Redmond, is in a partnership with Chinook Farms. Most of the farm was destroyed. The need here is particularly great. Working with the Rev. Jim Eichner, associate rector at Holy Cross, we have been able to provide financial support to approximately 30 families. In addition, we provided access to power washers for clean up and money to assist in rebuilding two greenhouses.

Help for Holden Village, outside of western Washington

We have even been able to provide support to those on the other side of the Cascades in the Diocese of Spokane. In particular, we provided help to those evacuated to Chelan from Holden Village. We have been working with the Rev. Paul Palumbo, Pastor of Lake Chelan Lutheran Church, to provide assistance to approximately 18 families impacted in that community.

The future

We continue to learn of more families who could use assistance in the recovery after the flood. Diocesan staff continues to engage with clergy across the diocese to follow up with those with destroyed homes, and whose communities have suffered.

Thanks to the generosity of dozens of people across the Diocese who helped raise the additional $14,000. With this money, we have been able to provide financial assistance to over 130 families. This number will likely continue to increase.

If you’d like to make a donation to additional relief money, on the Diocesan Give page:
1. From Giving Options, select Other Donations.
2. In Designation Specification, type this: Flood Relief
Feel free to reach out to Michael Seewer if you have any questions.

Episcopal Relief & Development: Working together for lasting change

Episcopal Relief & Development

Since 1940, Episcopal Relief & Development has been helping facilitate transformative, lasting change worldwide. When working alongside communities and our network of partners, Gifts for Life have the power to make a tangible difference. These symbolic gifts are based on the three key priorities of community development that have proven to be most effective in our 80+ years of faith-based work.

Diocese of Olympia Seal

Diocese of Olympia

The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia traces its history to the establishment of the Missionary Jurisdiction of the Oregon and Washington Territories in 1853. General Convention admitted the diocese in 1910.

The Diocese of Olympia has more than 26,000 Episcopalians in more than 100 worshiping communities through Western Washington. Our geographic area stretches south from Canada to Oregon and west from the foothills of the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.
January 15, 2026
Zimzum discipleship
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus’ final call is to go and make disciples:
- To become those who follow his life and teaching.
- To become those who fish for people.
- To live faithfully as those committed to his way.
Yet living as disciples is often hard in our day and age. We too often lead frenetic lives. Jesus invites us to slow down and to make space and to intentionally choose a different path.

He invites us to embrace zimzum and to be his disciples.

You may be asking what zimzum is, and what does it have to do with discipleship. You can learn more by joining me on our new three-year discipleship series on zimzum discipleship, of intentionally making space to live as a faithful apprentice of Jesus. Visit the new home for our zimzum discipleship series where you can find resources, community, and more at the link below!

I hope you and others in your congregation will engage in this invitation to live as followers of Jesus in this day and age.

The Right Reverend Phillip LaBelle
Bishop of the Diocese of Olympia

Read more about Zimzum Discipleship and find other resources

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The Rt. Rev. Phillip N. LaBelle

The Rt. Rev. Philip N. LaBelle is the Ninth Bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. The Diocese elected Bishop LaBelle on May 18, 2024, and he was Consecrated and Ordained on September 14, 2024.

Bishop LaBelle previously served as rector of St. Mark’s Church in Southborough, Massachusetts. During his time in the Diocese of Massachusetts, Bishop LaBelle did the following:
- Co-led the Mission Strategy Committee.
- Served on Executive Committee and Diocesan Council.
- Directed the Fresh Start program.
Additionally, Bishop LaBelle served in the Diocese of Colorado—where he was on the Commission on Ministry—and in the Diocese of Connecticut. Over his nearly 20 years of ordained ministry, he co-led more than a dozen mission trips for youth and adults. Before seminary, he worked in marketing communications and web development at multiple internet startups.

Education

In June of 2024, Bishop LaBelle received his Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Seminary focused on Christian Spirituality. His thesis work explored the theology and practice of zimzum and how to make space in our overly busy lives for God, others, and the natural world. He received his Master of Divinity from Yale University in 2004, along with a diploma in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. Bishop LaBelle holds a Master’s degree in composition and rhetoric from Northeastern University, and a Bachelor’s degree in English with an additional concentration in theological studies from Gordon College. He has also received certificates in congregational development and religious fundraising.

Family Life

Bishop LaBelle is married to Dr. Melissa Tobey LaBelle, an Assistant Professor of Secondary Education at Bridgewater State University, focused on language and literacy development. Together, they have two young adult children:
- Noah, a recent high school graduate currently on a bridge year program in Senegal.
- Olivia, a high school senior who has been recruited to run track at college.
Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.
April 2, 2025
Christmas 2024: A Message from Bishop LaBelle

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Greetings, Diocese of Olympia.

I’m here in what will become our chapel space in Diocesan House. It’s the old library here in the mansion and something that has been under construction. When I first imagined doing a Christmas video for you, I was hoping to have a nice tree set up nearby and looking all perfect in this space and yet here we are, under construction.

Often we hear from our culture about how perfect Christmases can be. We get this in ads and in magazines and watching commercials. There’s those folks who are given Lexuses with car bows all wrapped up, and it feels as if everything has to be perfect. And yet, at least my own experience has been that Christmas sometimes is less than perfect.

Like the one from my childhood, which included the Milky, the Marvelous Milking Cow incident, or the time when I had bought a train table for my son Noah when he was little, and I hadn’t even set it up prior to Christmas Eve services and was wondering if I would get it all done. There was the Christmas that we ended up moving two days after Christmas on the 27th and thinking that we would have Chinese food for Christmas dinner, taking a page out of “A Christmas Story,” only to find that all of the Chinese restaurants near us were closed because they were Christian. And then there was one, even just two years ago, when I got COVID on the 22nd, as did two other members of my family, and I sat there on Christmas Eve in the study of the rectory watching people walk by going to services.

Christmas is often imperfect. But for me, that’s the real truth of this season because Jesus comes into the places of our lives which are unfinished. Jesus enters in not to a palace, but that stable. Coming to Bethlehem and lying there among the sheep and the cows and the donkey and being placed in a manger. Far too often, we think about the coming of Christmas as all the stuff that is perfect. And yet, Jesus meets us right where we are. And friends, that is the good news.

So as we celebrate these 12 days and as we gather with friends and loved ones, I hope that you remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect, that you don’t have to be perfect, but rather to allow Christ to enter into you again in a new way, in all of the messiness of life, so that you might truly experience hope and peace.

Wishing you and all those that you love, a very Merry Christmas. May God bless you during this time.

The Rt. Rev. Philip N. LaBelle

The Rt. Rev. Philip N. LaBelle is the Ninth Bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. The Diocese elected Bishop LaBelle on May 18, 2024, and he was Consecrated and Ordained on September 14, 2024.

Bishop LaBelle previously served as rector of St. Mark’s Church in Southborough, Massachusetts. During his time in the Diocese of Massachusetts, Bishop LaBelle co-led the Mission Strategy Committee, served on Executive Committee and Diocesan Council, and directed the Fresh Start program. He co-founded Southborough Neighbors for Peace with Dr. Safdar Medina in their small town. The organization hosted peace vigils, began a community-wide Iftar dinner during Ramadan, established an interfaith Thanksgiving service, and sponsored other bridge-building events. Additionally, Bishop LaBelle served on the core team of Central Mass. Connections in Faith, an organization centered on fostering relationships and learning about other religious faiths through quarterly gatherings.

Read more about Bishop LaBelle.

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.

December 24, 2024
This Is Happiness: A Farewell Message from Bishop Provisional Melissa Skelton

This was happiness because even in the turbulence of transition, in all the comings and goings, all the wrong and right turns, it was wonderful to be able to do these things with all of you in this part of the world, with all of you in this part of the Episcopal Church.

The Most Rev. Melissa Skelton shares her final message as Bishop Provisional and reflects on her time with the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia.

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The Most Rev. Melissa Skelton

The Most Reverend Melissa Skelton is the Bishop Provisional in the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. The diocese voted to place itself under the authority of Bishop Skelton at the Diocese of Olympia’s 2022 Diocesan Convention.

Bishop Skelton has deep ties to the Diocese of Olympia, previously serving as the rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Seattle and as the Canon for Congregational Development and Leadership for the Diocese of Olympia. During this time, she developed and launched the College for Congregational Development, which continues to this day and is currently hosted by eight dioceses across the Episcopal Church. In 2013, Bishop Skelton was elected 9th Bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster [Vancouver, BC] of the Anglican Church of Canada. In 2018, she was elected Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia and Yukon, making her the first woman in the Anglican Church of Canada to hold the position of Archbishop.

Before her time in the Diocese of Olympia, Bishop Skelton served as rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Castine, Maine, while also serving as the Executive Director of a land trust. Prior to this, she was Vice President for Consumer Products and Community Engagement at Tom’s of Maine, Vice President for Administration at The General Theological Seminary, and Brand Manager at The Proctor & Gamble Company. While at General Seminary, she served as the Director of the College for Bishops.

Bishop Skelton holds an MA in English from the University of South Carolina, an MBA from the University of Chicago, and an M.Div. from Virginia Theological Seminary. Additionally, she completed a certificate in Organization Development at the NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Science. After retiring from the Anglican Church of Canada, Bishop Skelton returned to the Diocese of Olympia to serve as Assisting Bishop. She is married to the Rev. Eric Stroo, a mental health counselor and a deacon in the Episcopal Church. Between them they have three children and five grandchildren.

Her time ends as Bishop Provisional with ordination and consecration of the Rev. Dr. Philip N. LaBelle as 9th Bishop of the Diocese of Olympia on September 14, 2024.

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.

September 4, 2024
Diocese of Olympia notified of successful canonical consent process for next bishop
(The Episcopal Church) The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia has received notification from the Presiding Bishop’s Office that Bishop-elect Philip N. LaBelle has received the required majority of consents in the canonical consent process detailed in Canon III.11.3. The consents received have been certified by the Rev. Canon Michael Barlowe, registrar of the General Convention.

In giving consent to his ordination and consecration, standing committees and bishops exercising jurisdiction in The Episcopal Church attest to knowing of “no impediment on account of which” Bishop-elect LaBelle ought not to be ordained as bishop, and that his election was conducted in accordance with the canons.

LaBelle was elected bishop diocesan on May 18, 2024. His consecration and ordination service is scheduled for September 14, 2024.

Philip N. LaBelle elected ninth bishop of Olympia

The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia elected the Rev. Philip N. LaBelle as its next bishop during a May 18 special electing convention at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle, Washington.

LaBelle currently serves as rector of St. Mark’s Church in Southborough, Massachusetts. While in the Diocese of Massachusetts, he has co-led the Mission Strategy Committee, served on the Executive Committee and Diocesan Council, and directed the Fresh Start program.

“The very first thing that struck me about the Diocese of Olympia was hearing about your deep love for Jesus,” LaBelle said upon learning of his election. “Further, the desire to share that love in a predominately secular culture became all the more apparent throughout the search process, especially with the connection made between the gospel message and the intention to become the Beloved Community and to protect and heal our natural world. I am deeply honored to be called to be your bishop, to be a faithful pastor among you, and to help care for and equip the people of the Episcopal Church in Western Washington in your mission to share Jesus’ love.”

LaBelle will be consecrated and installed as the ninth bishop of Olympia on September 14. He will succeed Bishop Greg Rickel, who resigned on December 31, 2022. The Most Rev. Melissa Skelton, bishop provisional, serves the diocese in the interim.

Skelton presided over the electing convention. “I’m deeply gratified that the lay and clergy delegates of the diocese have spoken,” she said.

LaBelle was elected on the fourth ballot with 91 clergy votes and 119 lay votes; 76 clergy votes and 113 lay votes were needed. Clergy and lay delegates representing the nearly 100 worshiping communities across the Diocese of Olympia, which stretches south from Canada to Oregon and west from the foothills of the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.

The bishop-elect was chosen from a slate of four nominees. The other nominees were the following:
- The Rev. Hillary D. Raining, rector of St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, Gladwyne, Pennsylvania
- The Ven. Jordan Haynie Ware, archdeacon for justice, Anglican Diocese of Edmonton, Canada, and rector of Good Shepherd Anglican Church, Edmonton
- The Rev. Kate E. Wesch, rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Essex, Connecticut.
Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.
July 3, 2024
Ordination to the sacred order of priests
God willing and the people consenting, the ordination of the Rev. Theresa Newell, our deacon, to the sacred order of priests happens on Saturday, June 15, 2024, at 10:30 am at St. Mark’s Cathedral, 1245 10th Ave. East in Seattle.

All are invited to attend. Archbishop Skelton will ordain six people that morning, so parking is likely to be tight. We recommend carpooling or public transit.

For those unable to attend, your prayers are requested. You may watch the service live-streamed on the St. Mark’s website.

St. Mark’s Cathedral live-stream site

Ordination

Ordination is a sacramental rite of the church by which God gives authority and the grace of the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by bishops to those being made bishops, priests, and deacons (Book of Common Prayer, pp. 860-861). The three distinct orders of bishops, priests, and deacons have been characteristic of Christ’s holy catholic church.
- Bishops carry on the apostolic work of leading, supervising, and uniting the church.
- Presbyters (often known as priests) are associated with bishops in the ministry of church governance, along with the church’s ministry of missionary and pastoral work, in preaching of the Word of God, and in the administration of the sacraments.
- Deacons assist bishops and priests in all of this work, and have special responsibility to minister in Christ’s name to the poor, the sick, the suffering, and the helpless (Book of Common Prayer, p. 510).
Ordination rites

The Book of Common Prayer provides rites for the ordination of bishops (p. 512), priests (p. 525), and deacons (p. 537).

The earliest known text of ordination rites is in the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus (c. 215).

The 1549 BCP did not include ordination rites. The Church of England published “The Form and Manner of Making and Consecrating of Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons” in 1550. Many subsequent revisions of the Prayer Book included rites for ordination.

The Preface to the Ordination Rites of the Prayer Book notes that the church intends to maintain and continue the three orders of bishops, priests, and deacons. Therefore, the church appoints ordination services . Unless ordained, no person is to exercise the office of bishop, priest, or deacon. The manner of ordination in the Episcopal Church has been generally recognized by Christian people as suitable for conferring the sacred orders of bishop, priest, and deacon.

Ordination services

The services of ordination include the following:
1. A presentation of the ordinand to the ordaining bishop or bishops.
2. The ordinand’s Declaration of Consent that states their belief in the scriptures and conformity to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Episcopal Church.
3. The people’s consent to the ordination and their promise to uphold the ordinand in the new ministry.
4. The Litany for Ordinations (BCP, pp. 548-551).
5. Lessons and sermon.
6. The examination of the candidate or candidates.
7. The singing of the hymn “Veni Creator Spiritus” or “Veni Sancte Spiritus.”
8. A period of silent prayer.
9. The prayer of consecration and laying on of hands by the ordaining bishop or bishops.
10. Vesting of the newly ordained person according to their new order of ministry.
11. Participation in the eucharist by the newly ordained person in ways that are appropriate to their order of ministry.
At the ordination of a bishop, the Presiding Bishop (or designee) and at least two other bishops lay their hands on the ordinand’s head. At the ordination of a priest, priests join the bishop in the laying on of hands. Only the bishop lays hands on the head of the ordinand at the ordination of a deacon.

The bishop-elect leads the Nicene Creed at the ordination of a bishop after the Examination. The Creed precedes the Examination at the ordination of a priest or a deacon.

The newly ordained bishop is the chief celebrant at the eucharist. A newly ordained priest joins in the celebration of the eucharist with the bishop and other presbyters. A newly ordained deacon may prepare the Lord’s table and dismiss the people at the eucharist.

A life-long vocation

Normally, the Episcopal Church sees ordained ministry as a life-long vocation. The canons require careful selection, discernment, and preparation before ordination takes place, calling for the following:
- Theological instruction in the Holy Scriptures; church history, including the ecumenical movement.
- Christian theology.
- Christian ethics and moral theology.
- Studies in contemporary society, including racial and minority groups.
- Liturgics and church music.
- Theory and practice of ministry.
The diocese and bishop may modify the requirements and standards of learning may in the ordination of local priests and deacons.

The Book of Occasional Services provides a form for the “Reaffirmation of Ordination Vows.”

[This information comes from Ordination.]

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.
May 22, 2024
Habemos episcopam, the Rev. Philip N. LaBelle of Massachusetts
The convention of the Diocese of Olympia met to elect the 9th Bishop Diocesan on May 18, 2024. On the fourth ballot the Convention has elected the Rev. Philip N. LaBelle of Massachusetts. He has agreed to the election.

Assuming the necessary consents (approvals) are received from around the Episcopal Church, the consecration of the 9th Bishop of Olympia is scheduled for September 14, 2024. More details will follow as the become available.

The Reverend Phil LaBelle

The Reverend Phil LaBelle

The Rev. Philip N. LaBelle (he/him) serves as rector of St. Mark’s Church in Southborough, Massachusetts, arriving there in January 2011.

In the Diocese of Massachusetts, Phil has done the following:
- Co-led the Mission Strategy Committee
- Served on Executive Committee and Diocesan Council
- Directed the Fresh Start program
He co-founded Southborough Neighbors for Peace with Dr. Safdar Medina in their small town. The organization has hosted these activites:
- Hosted peace vigils
- Began a community-wide Iftar dinner during Ramadan
- Established an interfaith Thanksgiving service
- Sponsored other bridge-building events
Additionally, Phil served on the core team of Central Mass. Connections in Faith, an organization centered on fostering relationships and learning about other religious faiths through quarterly gatherings.

Education

In June, Phil will receive his Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Seminary focused on Christian Spirituality. His thesis work explores the theology and practice of zimzum and how to make space in our overly busy lives for God, others, and the natural world.

Phil received his MDiv from Yale University in 2004, along with a diploma in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. He holds a Master’s degree in composition and rhetoric from Northeastern University and a Bachelor’s degree in English with an additional concentration in theological studies from Gordon College. In addition, Phil has also received certificates in congregational development and religious fundraising.

Previous activities

Phil has served in the Diocese of Colorado—where he was on the Commission on Ministry—and in the Diocese of Connecticut. Over his nearly 20 years of ordained ministry, he has co-led more than a dozen mission trips for youth and adults. Before seminary, he worked in marketing communications and web development at multiple internet startups.

With St. Mark’s, Phil received a Clergy Renewal Grant from the Lily Endowment in 2017. He explored wilderness spirituality, the beauty of the natural world, and the need for climate justice. Additionally, he and his family walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and he and Noah have summited Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.
May 18, 2024

Maundy Thursday, April 2, 2026. Services at 12:00 noon and 7:00 pm. Gethsemane Watch Vigil from about 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

Good Friday, April 3, 2026: Services at 12:00 noon and 7:00 pm.

Holy Saturday worship at 9:30 am.

The Great Vigil of Easter, Saturday, April 4, 2025. Service at 8:00 pm. This is the night....

The 3rd Sunday of Easter (Year A), April 19, 2026. Services at 8:00 am (no music) and 10:30 (music). Education classes for adults (9:15 am) and children (9:30 am).