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St. Bede's Church is a congregation of
the Episcopal Church located in the City and Diocese of Los
Angeles. It is the parish that serves the communities of Venice,
Playa Vista, Mar Vista, Ocean Park. We also have parishioners
from Marina del Rey, Playa del Rey, Westchester, Santa Monica,
Culver City & West Los Angeles.
St. Bede's is an inclusive Christian community,
and we welcome all visitors and newcomers to worship with
us at any of our services.
St. Bede's is comprised of about 135 households
with about 225 baptized members. The parish is comprised of
1/3 families (married or partnered), 1/3 singles (widowed,
divorced or never-married), and 1/3 "church singles"
(married or partnered, but the other person not involved in
the parish).
The Very Rev. Canon James Newman is the 3rd Rector of St.
Bede's and has served since 1990. He is the Dean of the West
Los Angeles Deanery and a member of the Los Angeles Diocese's
deputation to the General Convention. He was ordained to the
diaconate in 1978 and the priesthood in 1979 by Bishop Robert
Anderson, who at that time was Bishop of Minnesota. Newman
was named an honorary Canon of Los Angeles' Cathedral Center
of St. Paul in 2003 by Bishop J. Jon Bruno.
The name "Episcopal" comes from
the Greek word "episkopos," which means "bishop"
or "overseer." The leaders of our church are called
"bishops," and we are called "Episcopalians."
Episcopalians maintain three sources as
critical to understanding God and the world:
The Bible: We believe that God and God's
people speak to us through the Bible and that it contains
the wisdom needed for a good life. And most important of all,
the Bible proclaims to us the Good News of Jesus Christ. Scripture
is sacred and authoritative, but not infallible. We balance
what we learn from scripture with traditions and reason.
Our Traditions: This includes the prayer
and theological reflection by a multiplicity of voices throughout
Church history. We believe that God has continued speaking
through the generations and the traditions that have been
established through the life of the Church have authority
in our lives.
Reason: While reason is commonly
understood today to be an aloof, non-emotional consideration
of clear 'facts,' since the time of 16th Century theologian
Richard Hooker, Anglicans have used the term in a more holistic
way, entailing both the operations of the mind and the heart.
Anglican reason must include a combination of logic, and the
subjective, basic sense of 'rightness' which each of us posses.
Reason, which includes our own personal experience of God
and God's work in the world.
Fr. James Newman - Rector of St. Bede's
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