The Reverend Karen Johanns has been our priest and pastor since October 2008. Karen is a native of New Jersey, although she lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 20 years. She comes to All Saints' from Trinity Episcopal Church in Reno NV, where she served as Assistant Rector and co-coordinator of youth ministries for the Episcopal parishes of the Reno/Sparks area and as the interim Diocesan Youth Coordinator. She is also the former Episcopal campus minister at the University of Nevada - Reno. Karen received her undergraduate degree summa cum laude in religion and history from Mount Holyoke College and her Master of Divinity from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, CA. She has a wide array of church-related interests, including Christian spirituality, congregational development, youth ministry, and the history of doctrinal development in early Christianity. She is an Associate of St. Gregory's Abbey and is a member of the Society of Catholic Priests. Karen shares her life with her partner, Claire Dodds, and their four cats. For relaxation she reads, gardens, practices yoga, and goes fishing. Karen loves classical music but is known to crank up the rock 'n roll in the car when she thinks no one is around. Please don't tell her that we know about this.

What's a Rector?
In the Episcopal Church the Rector is "the ecclesiastical authority" of a congregation, meaning that he or she has responsibility and authority over its worship and spiritual life subject to the rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer, the canons (rules) and constitution of the Episcopal Church, and the pastoral direction of the Bishop. The Rector also works closely with the Vestry in guiding the direction of a congregation and in maintaining its financial health.