Father Justin received his Bachelor of Arts from Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana, and his Master of Divinity from Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley. He was ordained as a deacon by the Right Reverend Marc Handley Andrus, Bishop of California, on June 4, 2011 and served as deacon at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church, Berkeley. On December 3, 2011, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Andrus and from June 2012-January 2016 served his first priestly call at Saint Giles Episcopal Church, Moraga. He was then called to serve as Rector of All Saints and began his ministry here in January 2016.
Father Justin is the founder and director of Holy Hikes, an eco-ministry that is committed to rebuilding Communion between people and Creation. He is a published author, the editor of two books ― Sanctified: An Anthology of Poetry by LGBT Christians and Homosexuality in the Orthodox Church ― and was interviewed in the 2012 film The Right to Love: An American Family.
Before his first call to priestly ministry, Fr. Justin worked as Program Manager of Episcopal Charities, now named Episcopal Impact Fund. His efforts focused on the launch of Episcopal Charities’ Action Networks, which worked to address the root causes of poverty in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is an avid hiker and lover of the outdoors, and lives very near to the church with his husband Max.
Staff
The Rev. Justin R. Cannon
The Rev. Pam Jester
Deacon Pam received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Oregon, Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, Juris Doctor and MBA (Taxation) from Golden Gate University, and Bachelor of Diaconal Studies from the Episcopal School for Deacons. A long-time resident of the East Bay, she served in leadership positions for a variety of non-profit advocacy organizations, including California Women Lawyers, the Rape Crisis Center, the State Bar Women in the Law Committee, Alameda County Bar Association and the Voluntary Legal Services Corporation. She worked for more than 30 years for the UC sponsored program, Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB), serving as its Executive Director for the last 13 years of her career.
She was ordained a vocational deacon by the Right Reverend Marc Handley Andrus, Bishop of California on June 13, 2015.
A member of the Interfaith Domestic Violence Program of the Alameda County Family Justice Center, Deacon Pam remains committed to protecting the vulnerable from abuse, supporting survivors of domestic violence, and working towards racial reconciliation and justice.
Grace Maina
Grace comes to us with over a decade of experience in offering administrative support to various nonprofits and businesses. She has provided support for Bay Area Nonviolent Communication, a local nonprofit, as well as for What If? Foundation that feeds hungry children in Haiti. She also worked on press releases at the Office of Communication at the headquarters of the United Church of Christ. Grace is also an artist and regards spirituality as an important part of her life. She lives in Oakland, California. We are so glad to welcome her to our parish!
Shawn Anderson, p/BSG
Shawn’s military service is a significant part of his life. He served over twenty years in the United States Navy’s Submarine Force, retiring as a Chief Petty Officer. His career was marked by significant experiences, including serving on four submarines, being deployed four times, and visiting the North Pole twice. These experiences have shaped him and prepared him for his current endeavors. After retiring from the Navy in 2016, he received his Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and his teaching credential from San Francisco State University. He currently teaches high school mathematics in San Francisco.
In 2003, while Shawn was stationed in San Diego, CA, he became a member of the Episcopal Church at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, where he found his love of church and first felt God’s call to ministry. Shawn served as a Verger at the Cathedral for 15 years (when he wasn’t at sea), was also a member of the Altar Guild, served on the Chapter (a Cathedral’s version of a Vestry), and served as a Daily Office Officiant.
Shawn is currently discerning a call to the religious life as a postulant with the Brotherhood of St. Gregory, a Christian Community of The Episcopal Church. He was admitted to the postulancy on August 29, 2024, at the Brotherhood’s annual Summer Convocation. More information about the Brotherhood of St. Gregory can be found at https://gregorians.org/
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Shawn continues the ministry started by Brother Thomas Anthony LaFrance who served as All Saints’ first Lay Associate to the Rector from 2018-2023. A memorial page honoring Brother Thomas can be found at https://saintsalive.net/thomaslafrance/
