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Name: Denise Chouinard - Elected
Church affiliation: St. James' Episcopal Church, Paso Robles

1) What can I contribute?
I am truly honored to have been asked by our retiring Diocesan Secretary, Frank Snow, to run for the office of Secretary of the Diocese of El Camino Real. I bring to the role of secretary a varied, practical and hands on business background which includes my experience as controller of a winery, vineyard and nursery. I have worked as both a leader and member of many different committees and have an understanding of the responsibilities of both roles and their importance to the successful achievement of a common objective. I will do my best to be both the recording officer and an active participant in Diocesan Council and Corporation.


2) Church activities
I am fortunate to serve at our Lord's Table as a Lay Eucharistic Minister. As a LEM II it is truly a blessing to be able to carry the Sacraments, as well as the fellowship of our community of faith, to those who cannot attend church. Other areas of service have been as an usher, lay reader, vestry member, both a member and chair of the Parish worship commission. I have been the service participant scheduler (and encourager!) for many years and I am currently serving as Junior Warden for the parishioners St. James in Paso Robles. At the Diocesan level I was part of the San Luis Obispo Deanery organizational team for the 2004 Convention and have been active as both a deanery delegate and alternate.

Clear communication is of great importance in any organization. In a primarily volunteer organization such as a Parish Church or Diocesan group that importance is magnified. Throughout my tenure as a coeditor of our parish newsletter our focus was to inform, educate and minister to the members of our parish, and those beyond, through our regularly published newsletter. Those same goals of clear and timely communication will be my focus in the Diocesan secretary role.
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3) What major issues face the church today?
If I may be allowed to limit the discussion to the Church within the Diocese of ECR, I feel that we face a challenge to, through the Holy Spirit, hear and discern our call as a Diocese as we seek to be Christ's presence in the World. By continuing the good and difficult work that has been begun; that of defining roles and responsibilities, processes and procedures while making sure that checks and balances are in place, we will be able evolve to a point where we can complete the necessary administrative tasks and still have energy and focus remaining to seek Christ's broader direction in our individual and collective journeys. We ARE Christ's hands and feet and we are called to action on His behalf. Though some of that action needs to be administrative in nature, some also needs to be active outreach and the spreading of Christ's Gospel.