The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles lives out God’s mission through some 70,000 Episcopalians in 147 neighborhood congregations, 40 schools and 20 specialized service institutions located in six Southern California counties. Los Angeles is one of the five most populous and culturally diverse of the Episcopal Church’s 110 dioceses overall. Formed in 1895, it stretches from Santa Maria east to Needles and south to San Clemente.

The Episcopal Church is the Province of the Anglican Communion in the United States–a province that also includes Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and the British Virgin Islands, along with parts of Europe. As of 2008, it is the fifteenth largest Christian denomination in the United States. In keeping with Anglican tradition and theology, the Episcopal Church considers itself both "protestant and catholic" and has a long history of both social action and liturgical tradition. Formed out the crucible of the American Revolution, the Episcopal Church is governed by a representative democratic process. Our bishops are elected by both clergy and laity–rather than being appointed–and decisions made for the whole church can only be made by our General Convention (which meets every three years) and includes laity, clergy and bishops.

The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England (which may be regarded as the mother church of the worldwide communion) and its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Each national or regional church has full autonomy while maintaining a single communion of churches bound together by what has been named as “bonds of affection.” The worldwide Anglican Communion comprises more than 80 million members in 44 regional and national member churches around the globe in more than 160 countries.

The Society of St. John the Evangelist is a monastic community of the Episcopal Church, located in Cambridge, MA, which aims to give their whole selves over to living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Rooted in the ancient monastic traditions of prayer and community life, and critically engaged with contemporary culture, SSJE seeks to know and share an authentic experience of God’s love and mercy. The brothers live a common life shaped by worship, prayer, and a Rule of Life.