The Council is made up of 9 Young Adults (persons between the ages of 18 and 30-something who are both lay and clergy) from diverse backgrounds and regional areas in the diocese. The Council Members will join together with the entire YA Community twice a year for the Bi-Annual YA Summits, provide insight and guidance on the present and future of the organization and membership, as well as vote on issues of importance within the Diocesan Young Adult Community.
Daniel Ledo + Teresa B Pasquale make up the first two positions in the YA Council. To see their bios head over HERE.
The Young Adult Council Members
Fr. Charles Browning
Council Area of Focus: Liturgy + Worship
A North Palm Beach Deanery Representative
BIO: The Rev. Charles A. Browning II is the associate rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in West Palm Beach, Florida. He has a bachelors in Biblical Studies from Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach and a Master in Divinity from the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia.
Raised a Southern Baptist in Orlando, Florida, Charles came to the Episcopal Church while in college. He has discerned a calling to ordained ministry since childhood and has been heavily involved in church life. Charles has been part of mission teams to Jamaica, Thailand and Honduras; he has ministered with the urban poor in Orlando, West Palm Beach, Chicago, Louisville, Birmingham, Houston, Atlanta, and Washington, DC. Right after high school, Charles began a ministry for skateboarders in Orlando and he has been involved in ministries for Florida surfers. While in Seminary, Charles focused his studies on theology, particularly in the fields of Radical Orthodoxy, post-modern theology, and paid special attention to Eastern Orthodox Christian theology. He wrote a creative-non-fiction thesis addressing the questions and theology surrounding the conversation of same-sexuality for the church.
In addition to the above, Charles is a writer, artist, and an avid surfer. He married his wife, Cainna, two days after graduating seminary and the two share a beautiful historic Florida home complete with a pink plastic flamingo, stray neighborhood cats, and the occasional possum or raccoon in the yard. He (infrequently) maintains a blog at zealandfury.tumblr.com.
Council Area of Focus: Ethnic and Hispanic/Latino Issues + Communities
A South Palm Beach Deanery Representative
BIO: On temporary hiatus from organizational participation (but open to join the community if/when she wishes to). She has extensive work in her ministry as sole priest for Holy Redeemer Church in Lake Worth where she has integrated a variety of creative programming for her congregants including a well-attended rotating house church experience. Her voice is a great one in the community of the Diocese.
Council Area of Focus: Out-of-State College Community
A Broward Deanery Representative
BIO: Michael is a founding member of this organization and was instrumental in helping bring awareness to the needs and issues specific to young adults in the Diocese. He is currently a student at University of the South in Tennessee and is able to provide a voice and a bridge for YA’s who grew up in the diocese and wish to be active in this Diocese YA community when in-state and connected when at a distance.
Council Area of Focus: Youth to Young Adult Transition
A South Dade Deanery Representative
BIO: Coming Soon.
Council Area of Focus: Women's Issues + Communications
A South Dade Deanery Representative
BIO: Coming Soon.
POSITION OPEN : Currently Seeking Candidate
Council Area of Focus: In-State College Community
A Broward OR South Dade Deanery Representative
BIO: When position is filled.
Council Area of Focus: Family Affairs
A Broward Deanery Representative
BIO: When position is filled.
The Advisory Board is made up of 9 persons/organizations (lay and clergy) from a diverse background and geographical area in the diocese who support the YA Council and provide insight and guidance on issues the YA Council and voting membership will discuss and vote on. Some work in YA ministry, some are interested in and passionate about YA ministry, and some provide representation for diocesan organizations with which the YA community has and will continue to collaborate. They are not voting members as they are OUTSIDE of the age demographic (being in the 40+ age range) but they help provide guidance with their own years of background living and working congregations and ministry.
The Young Adult Advisory Board Members
Area of Focus: Alternative + Emerging Worship
A South Palm Beach Deanery Representative
BIO: Rev. Wendy Tobias is a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary and the priest for "St. Joe's Unplugged" in Boynton Beach, FL--which is St. Joseph's young adult programming. She returned in October 2011 from Washington D.C. where she was a priest and Director of Worship at the Washington National Cathedral.
Prior to her call to the priesthood Wendy was a psychiatric nurse for 10 years and worked as a Montessori teacher, a children and youth minister, and a Chaplain and sacred studies teacher at St. Joseph's School. She has been married to her husband Scott for 22 years and has three full grown children. More information on St. Joe’s Unplugged can be found at www.stjoesunplugged.org.
Area of Focus: Family Affairs
A South Palm Beach Deanery Representative
BIO: Rev. Angela currently serves as Director of Youth Ministries at St. Gregory’s in Boca Raton. She was previously at All Saints in Ft. Lauderdale where she founded her young adult ministry programming “Theological Brew.” She continues to have interest in ministering to the YA community and is passionate about furthering this mission locally and diocesan-wide.
Area of Focus: Education + Academic Formation
A North Palm Beach Deanery Representative
BIO: Tom O’Brien received his B.A. from Notre Dame magna cum laude in 1964 and his law degree from Yale Law School in 1967. After practicing corporate law in New York City and Florida for more than 30 years, he completed an M.A. in Theology summa cum laude from St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach in 2003.
From 2003 through 2007, he taught Scripture Courses to candidates for ordination in The Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Southeast Florida, and he serves as an Examining Chaplain for Holy Scripture in the Diocese.
Tom teaches Theology and Scripture Courses at Bethesda-by-the-Sea and at other Episcopal Churches, led Interfaith Dialogues for the Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians and Jews for nine years, and has preached at a number of Episcopal churches, and at other churches and synagogues.
Since 2008, Tom has been an instructor at Florida Atlantic University’s Lifelong Learning Society in Jupiter and Boca Raton. He has taught courses on the Bible, the Origins of Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity, and (with Rabbi Howard Shapiro) Comparisons of Judaism and Christianity, Comparative Religion Courses and other courses on the Bible, Spirituality, and Religion.
He has served as Secretary of the Diocese, is a three-time Deputy to the Episcopal Church General Convention, and is Vice-Chair of the Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on Lifelong Christian Formation and Education. In 2010, he was named a Canon in the Episcopal Church.
Ernesto Delmar (from the Monastery)
Area of Focus: Ethnic + Hispanic Issues/Affairs
A North Dade Deanery Representative
BIO: Ernesto E. Delmar was born in Panama, Republic of Panama, where he attended high school and first years of college. As a high school student, he was very involved with student activities; he was elected by the Board for Student Coordination to represent the senior student body, responsible for the coordination of all senior student activities.
In 1980 he migrated to Chicago, Illinois, resided there for two years; and then relocated to Jefferson City, Missouri, where he completed a Bachelor Degree in Political Science at Lincoln University.
During his studies at Lincoln University he was elected President of the International Student body, his responsibilities were: to grow the International Student membership, coordinate all student activities, and share the International culture, food, and interest through education, with the rest of the student body. Due to his strong leadership capabilities he was awarded an internship, at the Missouri State Capitol where he assisted and worked with Senator Bass.
After graduation he worked with Chesebrough-Pond’s USA, Inc. as a production supervisor. He later moved to the state of Florida, and accepted employment with Florida Power and Light (FPL). He was elected President of Marbella Park HOA, from 2002 to 2006 - responsible to direct, increase resident participation, and to improve the community. Years later the community went into bankruptcy. He was elected in 2010 as part of the Board of Director, where the directors worked diligently toward getting Marbella Park out of Bankruptcy; it was accomplished in September of 2011. In 2013 he was chosen to head the Board of Directors as the President of Marbella Park HOA, he is responsible for a budget of $531.000, the improvement of the community grounds and affairs. In addition, he is responsible to coordinate all assessment collection, and the enforcement of rules & regulation.
Ernesto is a member of St. Bernard de Clairvaux Episcopal Church, also known as The Ancient Spanish Monastery. In October 2011 he was licensed by The Right Reverend Leopold Frade, D.D. Bishop as a Eucharistic Minister. One year, and a month later, in November 2012, He was licensed as a Lay Eucharistic Visitor & Pastoral Leader. He is heading the process of developing a youth program at St. Bernard de Clairvaux Episcopal Church, the goal is to increase the youth relationship with God, welcome, embrace, retain and involve them in the activity of the church.
Ernesto is married to his beautiful wife of 27 years, Maida Bacon-Delmar RN, JD and has a son James Alvarez.
Dr. Rev. Richard Effinger, MD
Area of Focus: YA Community-Building
BIO: Dr. Rev. Richard Effinger is both priest and medical doctor. He came to priesthood later in life and was a practicing physician as his primary vocation prior. He currently teaches courses at the Diocesan School in Fort Lauderdale every other Saturday. Until this past spring he was a part-time priest at Bethesda By the Sea in Palm Beach.
Full bio from Rev. Richard at our bi-annual meeting.
Episcopal Charities Co-Representatives:
Bonnie Weaver and Rev. Donna Dambrot
Bonnie Weaver and Rev. Donna Dambrot
Area of Focus: Outreach Ministries
All Deaneries Representatives
As an Episcopal priest she has served parishes in New York and Pennsylvania, with a focus on the operational and funding components of creating, implementing and growing human services outreach, including a life skills programs for women living in poverty, an arts program for homeless and street youth in downtown Manhattan, and a long-term weekly dinner for people with HIV/AIDS.
Prior to her ordination Donna practiced law in New York where she served poverty communities as a legal services attorney. At the diocesan level, Donna serves on the Commission on Ministry and is on the faculty of The Diocesan School for Christian Studies. She is adjunct clergy at All Saints Episcopal Church, Fort Lauderdale.
Today, she is delighted to be able to continue her grant work with Episcopal Charities where for the past two years she has served as Program, Grants and Resource Director, and is dedicated to its focus on the needy and disenfranchised in Southeast Florida. At the diocesan level, she has served as Deputy for the Diocese of Southeast Florida to the 2009 General Convention and as a member of the Diocesan Standing Committee and Executive Board.
She has also served her congregation, Holy Trinity Church, West Palm Beach in a variety of leadership positions, including senior and junior warden on several occasions. Bonnie was the first volunteer and then paid Lay Ministry Coordinator at Holy Trinity and now participates in the church's Newcomer/New Member Ministry as its co-chair.
Rev. Paul Rasmus and the Recovery Ministry Community
Area of Focus: Health+Wellness, Addiction Specialization
All Deaneries Representatives
BIO: The Episcopal Recovery Ministries supports and builds awareness about persons in addiction recovery in the diocese. This ministry is a Diocesan branch of a nationwide Ministry. In a time where addiction touches every life in some way (self, family, friend, spouse, co-worker, or otherwise) it is important to be aware and sensitive to the issues of this community, perhaps especially in the Young Adult Community where addiction is rampant, and in Southeast Florida where recovery + treatment centers are plentiful.
Full bio from org representative at our bi-annual meeting.
Rev. Mimi Howard: Pending
Area of Focus: Budgetary Issues
A North Palm Beach Deanery Representative
BIO: Pending
University of Miami Chapel Representative
Area of Focus: Campus Ministries
A South Dade Deanery Representative
BIO: Pending