About
About St. Alban’s
We welcome all to God’s table—believers, skeptics, and doubters. St. Alban’s is rooted in scripture and tradition, open to questions, and growing upward, inward, and outward together in God’s love.
Belonging before belief
Rooted in Episcopal tradition
Growing upward, inward, and outward
Our life together
A Thriving Intergenerational Parish Growing Together: Upward, Inward, Outward.
We are growing in faith, strengthening relationships across generations, and finding new ways to serve our community.
Our core values
-
Welcome Generously
-
Share God’s Goodness with All
-
Join Christ in His Work
Read more about our vision
These values have long been present at St. Alban’s. We’re now being called to make them more visible and to live them more fully.
Signs of Vitality Our collective attention turns to our Signs of Vitality, the visible signs of who we are becoming:
We are intentionally creating a Sacred Campus Space that helps restore the whole person: body, soul, and spirit.
We are deepening Meaningful Care & Connections, weaving stronger relationships with one another and across generations.
We are investing in Intergenerational Family Ministry & Growth. Have you noticed the joyful energy on Sundays? Something beautiful is already taking root!
We are breathing fresh energy into our Transformational Signature Ministries, including our thriving music program, our beloved Preschool, and our deep, Christ-centered contemplative experiences.
We are stretching our arms wider through Expanded Outreach, increasing our capacity to serve our community and the world around us.
This living plan for our future grew from a prayerful Parish Planning Process with more than 30 lay leaders, the Vestry, and Mother Lainie. Together, we look for the Holy Spirit’s guidance as we grow Upward, Inward, and Outward.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Our Episcopal faith
“Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” This Christian proclamation is at the heart of our faith. Scripture, tradition, and reason guide us together.
Questions about Episcopal Faith
The word “episcopal” refers to bishops, who are part of our church’s structure. Bishops are mentioned in scripture, and their office was among the Church’s earliest. This connects the Episcopal Church to the earliest traditions of the Christian community.
Yes, and no. The Episcopal Church is catholic in the sense that we maintain the ancient structure, as Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches do. But we are not part of the Roman Catholic Church. We are also Protestant, with roots in the 16th-century English Reformation.
You can be both. Anglicanism has long seen itself as a bridge, valuing the catholic tradition while affirming the authority of scripture, as Protestant churches do. Both belong to our faith.
Members of the Episcopal Church can hold passionate, differing views. We are encouraged to use reason and make thoughtful judgments. The church works through difficult questions with room for disagreement; belonging does not require agreement on every issue.
There is a place for spontaneous prayer in our church, but most worship services follow the Book of Common Prayer. It is the product of centuries of Christian thought. Rather than assuming newer is always better, we value the insights of those who came before us.
Written prayers mean we are not limited to the concerns or insights of one worship leader or community. We draw on the thoughts of countless believers, broadening both the scope of our prayers and our understanding of our faith.
Our approach to authority brings scripture, tradition, and reason together. We value inherited teaching and the authority of the Bible, while recognizing that interpretation requires thought and care. Christians have used scripture to defend slavery, for example. That history reminds us why we must keep examining our interpretations as we seek to understand and follow God’s word.
The Bible assumes a believing community. Moses, David, Mary, Paul—even Jesus—lived out their faith in community. We may feel we can and should “go it alone,” but we are meant to live, work, and worship together.
Jesus gave his disciples the commandment to love one another. In trying to do this, we discover more about God and ourselves than we could know alone. Church gives us a community in which to practice that love.
The Episcopal Church belongs to the Anglican Communion, a worldwide family of churches with roots in the Church of England. Anglican communities are found in Africa, Australia, Canada, and beyond. Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa was one well-known Anglican.
Our shared history is part of it, but Anglican churches have more in common. We worship with a prayer book in the language of the people and hold the historic Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds as sufficient statements of faith.
For Episcopalians, scripture contains all things necessary for salvation. We believe God is fully revealed in the words of the Bible. We cannot add doctrines or rules unsupported by scripture. This does not mean the Bible is inerrant—without error—or needs no translation or interpretation. God’s word speaks to each age with a different emphasis, not a different message.
We continue learning what that word means in our own time. All of us, using our reasoning powers to the best of our ability, share in the journey of discerning and doing God’s will.
Scripture
We look to the Bible for what is necessary for salvation, reading it with care, interpretation, and attention to our lives today.
Tradition
We draw on the prayers, creeds, sacraments, and wisdom of Christians across centuries.
Reason
We bring questions, understanding, and thoughtful interpretation to our faith.
Our shared life in Christ calls us to serve others, pursue justice, and care for creation.
Leadership
Meet our clergy & staff
We’re here to help you find your place in the life of St. Alban’s.
Clergy
Mother Lainie joined St. Alban’s in 2024 after serving as a rector and university chaplain in Oregon. An Arizona native ordained in the Diocese of Texas, she brings two decades of ministry and training in Spiritual Direction and Faith Formation.
Her work in hospice, hospital, and university chaplaincy shapes her love of contemplative practices and helping people discover God’s love. Away from parish life, she enjoys time with her family, hiking, biking, music, films, and books.
Father Bill grew up near Chicago and graduated from Church Divinity School of the Pacific in 1972. Ordained in 1973, he served parishes in Arizona, Wyoming, Minnesota, and Wisconsin before retiring in 2005. He enjoys playing folk music on guitar and spending time with his wife, Julia, and their family.
Mother Deby’s faith is rooted in the Order of Julian of Norwich and Celtic spirituality. She previously served parishes in Phoenix and near Atlanta. Alongside her priestly ministry, she works as a Tribal Liaison for Wireless Policy Group. She enjoys photography, knitting, baking, and time outdoors.
Deacons
The Rev. Glenda Empsall
Deacon
Ordained in 2014, Glenda serves at St. Luke’s in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and is licensed in Arizona. A geologist trained at the University of Arizona, she and her husband, John, divide their time between Idaho and Tucson. She cherishes her roles as Deacon and Nana.
Dan served for thirty years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a Colonel, followed by further civilian service with the Defense Department. Ordained in 2013, he chaired Virginia’s Episcopal Disaster Response Team and served at Goodwin House. He enjoys family life, reading, conversation, air shows, and aircraft art.
The Rev. David Powell
Deacon
David’s ministry is guided by his baptismal vows and Christ’s call to serve. Centered on the Eucharist, his pastoral care includes hospital and hospice visits, companionship, and healthcare advocacy. His ministry follows the parish’s pattern of growing upward in worship, inward in faith, and outward in service.
Ministry directors
Parish staff
Our vestry
Elected lay leaders work with the rector to guide the parish’s mission and care for its resources.
Back row (left to right): Tom Sarama, Jamie Fortin (Clerk), Tricia Owen, Lynn Brinckerhoff (Co-Treasurer), Brilly David.
Front row (left to right): Sonny Bertschinger (Co-Junior Warden), Maria Buccino, Dottie Lewis, Mother Lainie Allen, Katy Blohm, Jessica Field, Phillip Mowbray (Co-Junior Warden).
St. Alban’s is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona and The Episcopal Church, within the worldwide Anglican Communion.