Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe has named the Rev. Lester V. Mackenzie – rector of St. Mary’s, Laguna Beach; chaplain to the House of Deputies and Executive Council; and an associate of the Order of the Holy Cross – to serve The Episcopal Church as its 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,” Rowe wrote in a Nov. 4 announcement from the Episcopal Church Center in New York. “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.”
Sharing news of the announcement, Los Angeles Bishop John Harvey Taylor expressed “congratulations and godspeed” to Mackenzie and his wife, Angela.
“I am truly blessed to walk this journey alongside our new Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe, and leaders from across our beloved church,” Mackenzie told The Episcopal News. “Together we are called to venture into new pathways, discovering fresh ways to collaborate and deepen our commitment to God’s mission.
“I pray that my ministry, rooted in gratitude and ubuntu may inspire a spirit of reconciliation and healing, as we gather in prayer, learn, and grow in love,” Mackenzie added. “May we find strength in our unity and courage to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a world in need. Yebo!”
A graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary in 2007 and 2023, Mackenzie 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, the late Bishop Edward Mackenzie, a suffragan of Cape Town who served in ministry with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Lester and Angela Mackenzie will continue to reside in Southern California with their three children. His new email address is lmackenzie@episcopalchurch.org