Worshipping Communities

  154 Central Avenue, Salinas, CA 93901  ·   (831) 394-4465  ·     Resources

Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real
  • About the Diocese
    • Welcome
    • Worshipping Communities
    • ECR History
    • Bishop's Page
    • Diocesan Staff
    • Deaneries
    • Donate
    • Grant Application
    • Contact Us
  • News & Events
    • News
    • Calendar
    • Form for Submissions
    • Real Episcopal Magazine
    • Real Episcopal e-Newsletter
  • Leadership
    • What is a Diocese
    • Board of Trustees
    • Standing Committee
    • Constitutions & Canons
    • Diocesan Convention
    • General Convention of the Episcopal Church
    • The Episcopal Church
    • The Anglican Communion
  • Diocesan Life
    • Creation Care Committee
    • Social Justice Committee
    • Ministerios Latinos
    • Missional Grants Committee
  • Formation
    • Commission on Ministry
    • The Common Cup
    • West Coast Collaborative
    • Saint Andrews Summer Camp
    • All Saints Day School
    • Saint Andrew's Episcopal School
    • York School
    • Campus Ministry: Canterbury Bridge
  • Resources
    • Storied Pilgrimage with Race
    • Safeguarding Our Church
    • Clergy Transitions
    • Lay Positions
    • Grant Application

About the Diocese

The Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real is a place of rich diversity and wonderful opportunity. Our identity is founded upon faithful pilgrimage, which means that we travel light, stay in balance, and have the courage to be lost. While this overall concept was designed pre-COVID, we have found that the pandemic blessed us with uncertainty and a call to live our pilgrimage faithfully in ways that are practical and real.

When you look at our diocesan branding, you will see that the scallop shell figures prominently. The scallop shell is a symbol of pilgrimage and a symbol of baptism. At baptism, the scallop shell is used to scoop water from the font and pour it over the head of the candidate for baptism. The scallop shell then represents our ongoing life journey as we live into our Baptismal Covenant.

Three lessons of pilgrimage are: travel light, stay in balance, and have the courage to be lost. “Travel light” is the opportunity to explore what we really need to “Be Church.” During COVID, this revealed itself to be a cell phone or a computer, as we gathered from our homes to engage in Bible Study, Education Series, Pastoral Care, and various liturgies. In fact, we need very little other than ourselves, because we ARE the church. We know that our structures (buildings and polity) exist to support the mission and ministry of the church that we are called to be.

“Stay in Balance” is the ongoing opportunity to balance tradition with innovation. In El Camino Real, we pride ourselves on our ability to move forward quickly, yet not at the expense of our valued Episcopal traditions. We worship in four languages and in many forms, yet our orders of service are clearly Episcopal. Additionally, our desire to move forward—whether it be program or use of our facilities—is accomplished well when we also consider our history. An offshoot of the Diocese of California, our “Little Brown Book” is the journey of our foundation as a Diocese and gives a lot of insight into our desire to balance our past with future possibility.

Being lost takes courage, and as faithful people we live into the uncertainty of what God has in mind for us. “Have the Courage to be Lost” acknowledges that living into our Baptismal Covenant is a daily way of being, and we meet that with confidence that God guides our every step. We know that plans go awry, yet that does not stop our movement forward. We trust that we have everything we need, and that God is in charge.

El Camino Real is our home, and it is the rich mission field that God has entrusted to us. We are blessed to be called to serve in this diocese, a place of innovation, tradition and deep faith.

Find an Episcopal church near you


Worshipping Communities

To find a church in your area, scroll through the listings below or use the Search box to enter a city, zip, street name, or church name.

Deaneries



ECR History

Founded in 1980, El Camino Real was originally part of the Diocese of California. We are named after the Spanish colonial road from Mexico City to Oregon.

Read More »

Bishop's Page

The Right Rev. Lucinda Beth Ashby was ordained and consecrated on January 11, 2020, at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Saratoga, California. She is the fourth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real, and the second woman bishop to succeed a woman bishop in the history of the Episcopal Church.

Meet Bishop Lucinda »

Diocesan Staff

Diocesan staff is here to help support you in your ministry.

Meet Our Staff »

Deaneries

Deaneries are regional groupings of parishes in the diocese established by the Diocesan Constitution and Canons. One of their key functions is to elect regional representatives to various diocesan bodies.

Read More »

Donate

Help the diocese continue its community ministries and realize our vision for the future.


Donate »

Mission Opportunity Grants

The Mission Opportunity Grant (MOG) is a program created by the Board of Trustees (BOT) and managed by the Mission Commission.

Managed by the Missional Grants Committee, this diocesan program is designed to assist congregations in expanding their missional efforts in the areas of church growth, diversification, and reinforcement.

Read More »

Contact Us

The Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real
B.V. Sargent House
154 Central Avenue
Salinas, CA 93901

Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Mailing Address
PO Box 689
Salinas, CA 93902

Phone: (831) 394-4465
Email: [email protected]

Send Us a Message

Staff Directory


Share this page: About the Diocese
About the Diocese Worshipping Communities ECR History Bishop's Page Diocesan Staff Deaneries Donate Mission Opportunity Grants Contact Us

Addresses

Office Address
The Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real
B.V. Sargent House
154 Central Avenue
Salinas, CA 93901

Monday – Friday
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Contact Us

Phone: (831) 394-4465
Email: [email protected]

Send Us a Message

Mailing Address
PO Box 689
Salinas, CA 93902

Privacy Policy · Powered by Membership Vision

Social Media

TEC white logo

  View Entire Post

Service Times

Location

Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real
154 Central Avenue
Salinas, CA 93901

Contact Us
(831) 394-4465

Newsletter Signup

The Diocese of El Camino Real is in the process of reviewing our administrative and financial resources, forms, and policies. If you are looking for a specific resource, please contact the Diocesan Office.

Resources

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Cras scelerisque fermentum vulputate. Aenean nunc magna, facilisis at nibh et, viverra ullamcorper ante. Ut fringilla luctus leo, id eleifend libero. Ut ac tortor in velit scelerisque sodales quis vitae leo. Maecenas et lorem tempor ante tempus posuere quis vel est.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Cras scelerisque fermentum vulputate. Aenean nunc magna, facilisis at nibh et, viverra ullamcorper ante. Ut fringilla luctus leo, id eleifend libero. Ut ac tortor in velit scelerisque sodales quis vitae leo. Maecenas et lorem tempor ante tempus posuere quis vel est.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Cras scelerisque fermentum vulputate. Aenean nunc magna, facilisis at nibh et, viverra ullamcorper ante. Ut fringilla luctus leo, id eleifend libero. Ut ac tortor in velit scelerisque sodales quis vitae leo. Maecenas et lorem tempor ante tempus posuere quis vel est.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Cras scelerisque fermentum vulputate. Aenean nunc magna, facilisis at nibh et, viverra ullamcorper ante. Ut fringilla luctus leo, id eleifend libero. Ut ac tortor in velit scelerisque sodales quis vitae leo. Maecenas et lorem tempor ante tempus posuere quis vel est.