The Rev. Carla Robinson is the Canon for Multicultural Ministries and Community Transformation in the Diocese of Olympia.
The Rev. Canon Carla Robinson graduated from Concordia Seminary in St Louis, Missouri. After serving as Lutheran pastor for 13 years, she came to the Episcopal Church in 2001. She was an active member of Saint Mark’s Cathedral for several years. As a lay person, she served as the Administrative Assistant for Multi-Cultural Ministry and the Secretary for Vocations in the Diocese of Olympia.
Since her ordination in 2009, Canon Robinson has served first as the following:
- The curate at the Church of the Resurrection in Bellevue.
- The vicar of All Saints in Seattle’s Rainier Valley neighborhood.
- She has served as associate priest at the following:
- Saint Mark’s Cathedral,
- The Church of the Ascension in Magnolia,
- St. James in Kent,
- Christ Church in the University District,
- St. Matthew-San Mateo in Auburn.
In 2022 she became the Canon for Multicultural Ministries and Community Transformation in the Diocese of Olympia. In this role she does the following:
- Engage the diocese in becoming a more inclusive community.
- Has responsibility for oversight, facilitation, and implementation of a diocesan strategy to increase diversity in lay and clerical positions, as well as in programming.
- Supports ethnic congregations, including the development of such congregations.
- Engages the larger communities on issues of racial justice and reconciliation.
- Has an active relationship with the Ethnic Ministries Circles of Color (EMCC) network and with the Office of the Bishop.
The challenge Canon Canon Robinson faces constantly is the one that Jesus spoke to when he said to his disciples, “the harvest is plentiful, but laborers are few.” There is so much work to be done. This is a moment in the life of the church in the United States when we can make hay. We can show our country that there is another way, the way of Jesus, the way of love, love that brings people who are very different together. The challenge is to step into that work, day after day, led by the Spirit of God.
Information for this comes from the Diocese of Olympia and TransEpiscopal.