Meet Our Vicar:

 

The Reverend Shelley Booth Denney is enthusiastic about her ordained ministry, the people of St. Richard’s Episcopal Church, and our mountain communities!  She is a “people person” and deeply believes in the importance and life-giving potential of each person’s relationship with God and with their community.  Shelley’s passion is meeting people where they are, connecting with them, and communicating the Good News with an energy that inspires and supports them.  Her strong pastoral ability, good common sense, and humor are hallmarks of her leadership.  She is committed to the ability of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to transform lives and the world.

 

Shelley brings a varied background to her ordained ministry, which began after she earned her Master of Divinity degree from Church Divinity School of the Pacific in 2008.  With a previous Master’s degree in counseling, she worked in both private practice and several California Community Colleges for 17 years.  Her second career was as owner/operator of a premium varietal winegrape vineyard and farm management company, also raising cattle and draft horses.

 

Shelley is married to The Reverend David Starr, Vicar of the yoked missions of St. John’s Episcopal Church and St. Francis Episcopal Church, both in San Bernardino.  She has three grown daughters: an Episcopal priest, an Episcopal missionary in Africa, an agricultural educator, and one beautiful grandson.