Abel Ernesto Lopez is a life-long Episcopalian born in Cuba. He received theological education and training at the Seminary in Matanzas, Cuba and at The Episcopal Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas. He graduated with a Master of Divinity Degree in 2000 and moved to Pasadena, California in 2001 to serve as Director of Peace and Justice Ministries at All Saints Church. As a Senior Associate Priest at All Saints his ministry expanded to several areas during 13 years. On December 12, 2012 after much prayer and discernment he accepted the call to serve as Rector at Church of the Messiah in Santa Ana, California.

Abel has served on the boards for both local and national organizations including Equality California (EQCA), Board of Trustees at the Bloy House School of Theology, and others.

Abel is married to May Ling Lopez and has a daughter, Jessica Lopez, and a son, Sebastian Lopez. He enjoys reading books on Psychology, leadership, and theology. He loves having dinner with friends and discussing controversial topics such as politics and religion. He enjoys design and making things look better. He has great suggestions for God on how to “polish” creation a bit more.

Norma Guerra is a life-long Episcopalian born in the city of Guatemala. Her father is the Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Guatemala. His ministry influenced and keeps influencing her life and especially her own call to the Ordained Ministry. Norma received a Diploma in Theology from Bloy House, The Episcopal Theological School at Claremont, where she received the Highest Academic Achievement Award and the Excellence in Preaching Award. She graduated with a Master of Divinity from the Episcopal Divinity School in Boston, where she received the Allison Cheek Prize in Feminist Liberation Theologies. Norma was ordained to the diaconate in June 2016.

Previous to working at Church of the Messiah, Norma worked at All Saints Church in Pasadena for eight years where she assisted many departments including the Spanish speaking congregation. Norma listened to her call and started her discernment process at All Saints Church and has served on different committees both in Guatemala as here in California.

Norma is a single mother and has a son, Nicholas. She enjoys spending time with him as well as with friends and family. Norma enjoys reading, going to the movies and watching sci-fi and action shows. She especially enjoys visiting her family in Guatemala or hosting them here in the US.

Jim Lee Born in South Korea, and raised along the U.S. East Coast, the Rev. Dr. Jim Lee currently resides in Irvine, California, and serves as an assisting priest at Church of the Messiah. Jim grew up in the Reformed tradition, but discerned in the late 1990s to join the Episcopal Church. He was ordained to the diaconate in June 2012 and the priesthood in January 2013. Jim received a Master of Divinity degree from the Claremont School of Theology, where he received the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence; in addition he completed coursework through the Episcopal Theological School at Claremont, where he was the recipient of the Excellence in the Study of Theology and Ethics Award, the Excellence in the Study of the First (Old) Testament Award, and the Highest Academic Achievement Award.

Jim is also Chair and Associate Professor of Asian American Studies at the University of California, Irvine. He received a Ph.D. in English and an M.A. in Asian American Studies from UCLA, and is an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in English. Jim is the author of several academic articles, as well as a book titled Urban Triage: Race and the Fictions of Multiculturalism, published by the University of Minnesota Press in 2004. He is currently working on a book project on memoir, race, and illness in the contemporary United States.

Jim is married to Julie Cho and has two daughters, Sona and Jihae. He enjoys reading, cooking, listening to podcasts, and running. He has run three marathons and several half marathons but refuses to disclose how glacially slow his run times are.