Pioneering Gay Bishop Gene Robinson To Speak At Pasadena Church During Pride Month

All Saints Church in Pasadena will welcome Bishop Gene Robinson on Sunday, June 15, as part of its Pride Month celebrations. Robinson, the ninth Bishop of New Hampshire and the first openly gay bishop in the worldwide Christian church, will speak at the All Saints Forum at 9 a.m. and preach at the 7:30 and 10 a.m. services.

“I’m so excited for Bishop Robinson’s visit!” said the Rev. Tim Rich, Priest-in-Charge at All Saints Church. “Besides being a long-time friend, as his assistant for many years, I have experienced first-hand the ways his witness can nurture people’s faith and his joy can lift the spirits of those around him.”

The festive 10 a.m. service will feature the West Coast premiere of “Our Wildest Imagining,” a choral anthem commissioned in Robinson’s honor. Award-winning Philadelphia composer Dominick DiOrio created the piece, drawing from Robinson’s sermons, stories, and sayings, as well as selections from Psalm 27, which held personal significance during challenging periods in the bishop’s life, to craft a sweeping and personal musical portrait.

All Saints’ Coventry and Canterbury choirs will perform the premiere. The composition celebrates both Robinson’s 50 years in ordained ministry and his message of radical welcome.

“In a month when we are celebrating the lives of our LGBTQ siblings, not to mention when so many in the greater Los Angeles area are living in fear,” Rev. Rich continued, “the premiere of this musical composition honoring his life will surely warm our hearts just as his presence amongst us will be a blessing for all.”

The Rev. Susan Russell, an assisting priest at All Saints and chair of the Episcopal Church’s National Task Force on LGBTQ inclusion, reflected on Robinson’s broader impact.

“Bishop Gene’s election was inarguably a game-changer for the Episcopal Church in our ongoing journey beyond inclusion to celebration of LGBTQ people,” Russell said.

Thomas Diaz, All Saints Director of Connection and Care and chair of the Diocese of Los Angeles’ LGBTQ Ministry, framed the visit within current contexts.

“At this moment in our history when the dignity of LGBTQ people is under direct attack and hard won rights are being rolled back, there is no better voice to turn to for hope and inspiration than Bishop Robinson,” Diaz said.

All Saints Church is located at 132 N. Euclid Avenue, Pasadena, 91101.