St. Thomas’ Parish Launches Endowment to Honor Bishop Gene Robinson’s 50 Years of Priesthood, 20 as Bishop

• Bishop Gene Robinson Endowment for Community Outreach to support DC community, including LGBTQ+ refugees

St. Thomas’ Parish, a progressive congregation of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Washington, launched the Bishop Gene Robinson Endowment for Community Outreach to honor Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson’s fifty years of priesthood and twenty years as Bishop. The church, located in the DuPont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C., is seeking contributions to the endowment and plans to announce the total at a celebration and service for Bishop Robinson the weekend of October 7, 2023.

“I cannot think of a better way to celebrate Bishop Gene’s courageous and generous spirit than the Bishop Gene Robinson Endowment for Community Outreach,” said the Rev. Lisa Saunders Ahuja, rector of St. Thomas’ Parish. “The Bishop Gene Robinson Endowment for Community Outreach will continue to fulfill St. Thomas’ Parish’s commitment to active care for the oppressed and most vulnerable amongst our neighbors as we model courageous love, compassionate justice and self-giving sacrifice.”

St. Thomas’ Parish is the home church of Bishop Robinson, who serves as Bishop in Residence. The endowment will support the charity and justice work Bishop Robinson has long championed, including supportive housing for LGBTQ+ refugees in the Washington area. 

“Much has changed for the better over the last twenty years but there is still much work to be done,” said Bishop Gene Robinson. “Recent attacks on transgender youth and attempts to roll back hard-won LGBTQ+ rights tell us that our advocacy and pastoral care for victims of injustice must continue with a renewed urgency. This fund will make a difference.”

Bishop Robinson is famous internationally as a champion for human rights, and as the first priest in an openly gay relationship to be consecrated a bishop in a major Christian denomination. 

He was elected bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire on June 7, 2003, having served as Canon to the Ordinary (assistant to the bishop) for nearly 18 years. He was consecrated a bishop on All Saints Sunday, November 2, 2003, and was invested as the Ninth Bishop of New Hampshire on March 7, 2004.

Contributions to the endowment may be made online or via mobile device. Checks may be made out to St. Thomas’ Parish, with “Bishop Gene Robinson Endowment for Community Outreach” written in the memo, and mailed to the parish office at 1517 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20036. To make other arrangements or for more information, contact administrator@stthomasdc.org

For more information about St. Thomas’ Parish, visit the St. Thomas’ Parish website at stthomasdc.org.