Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe just sent this exciting news to his fellow bishops. Congratulations and Godspeed to the Rev. Lester V Mackenzie and Angela!
“Lester Mackenzie, whom you may know from his work as chaplain to Executive Council and the House of Deputies, joined our staff on Friday as chief of mission program. In this new role, he will support bishops and dioceses, diocesan networks, and church organizations by strategizing, coordinating and building capacity for ministries of racial reconciliation, creation care, formation and evangelism, and other key mission priorities. Lester will also use his gifts and experience at bridge building and reconciliation to support bishops and diocesan leaders in times of strategic change and conflict.
“Lester, a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary in 2007 and 2023, has been rector of St. Mary’s, Laguna Beach in the Diocese of Los Angeles since 2016 and has served in many diocesan leadership roles, including as president of the standing committee. He is a native of South Africa and a third-generation Anglican priest, and as he often says, he was nurtured in the womb of freedom, the South African Anglican Church, during the time of apartheid in Johannesburg and Cape Town. He was raised by his grandfather, Bishop Edward Mackenzie, a suffragan of Cape Town who served in ministry with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
“Lester and his wife, Angela, will continue to live in Los Angeles with their three children. You can reach him at lmackenzie@episcopalchurch.org.”