ACTS Team
Bishop Eric Menees Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin
In 2011 by God’s grace Bishop Menees was elected the fifth bishop of San Joaquin succeeding Bishop John David Schofield. Bishop Menees serves as bishop for Caminemos Juntos the ACNA Spanish Language ministry support network, leads the Border Bishops’ Conference seeking to evangelize and plant churches in Mexico, is the ACNA representative to the Anglican Province of South America and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Bishop Menees is married to Florence Guadalupe and has two grown children, Milagro a registered nurse, and Sebastian a firefighter.
Canon Elizabeth Conkle Director of ACTS and Instructor
The Rev. Erin Giles ACTS Advisory Team and Instructor
The Rev. Anthony Velez Assistant Director of ACTS and Instructor
Elizabeth Conkle is a lay pastoral catechist and Canon for Catechetical Formation for the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin, where she serves as the director of the Anglican Catechist Training School (ACTS), a diocesan school that trains lay catechists and lay pastors. Her passion is to see people develop, grow and mature in order to become
Elizabeth Conkle is a lay pastoral catechist and Canon for Catechetical Formation for the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin, where she serves as the director of the Anglican Catechist Training School (ACTS), a diocesan school that trains lay catechists and lay pastors. Her passion is to see people develop, grow and mature in order to become all who God made them to be as well as discover His incredible love for them. Up until her retirement in 2019, she also taught middle school language development and science and was an English learner coach for Fresno Unified School District where she trained and coached secondary teachers to integrate language instruction into their content. She has a Bachelor of Arts in linguistics from Fresno State University, a Masters in applied linguistics from the University of Southern California and an M.Div. from the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary. She is an active member of Emmanuel Anglican Church in Fresno, California.
The Rev. Anthony Velez Assistant Director of ACTS and Instructor
The Rev. Erin Giles ACTS Advisory Team and Instructor
The Rev. Anthony Velez Assistant Director of ACTS and Instructor
Father Anthony Velez is a husband, a father of four, a grandfather of one, and a friend to many. He has been an educator throughout his adult life in various capacities and contexts, where he enjoyed helping people grow academically, personally, and spiritually. Currently, he is the associate priest for formation at Emmanuel Anglican Chur
Father Anthony Velez is a husband, a father of four, a grandfather of one, and a friend to many. He has been an educator throughout his adult life in various capacities and contexts, where he enjoyed helping people grow academically, personally, and spiritually. Currently, he is the associate priest for formation at Emmanuel Anglican Church, and he helps provide oversight and instruction for ACTS. His passion and purpose is getting people engaged in spiritual practices and educational endeavors that shape people's hearts, imaginations, and character with the reality of the Gospel.
The Rev. Erin Giles ACTS Advisory Team and Instructor
The Rev. Erin Giles ACTS Advisory Team and Instructor
The Rev. Erin Giles ACTS Advisory Team and Instructor
Deacon Erin Giles was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Princeton University in 1997 and served for one year with the Lutheran Volunteer Corp at the Howard Community Center in Chicago. She met her husband, now Fr. Howard Giles, on the first day of orientation at the Church Divinity School of the Pa
Deacon Erin Giles was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Princeton University in 1997 and served for one year with the Lutheran Volunteer Corp at the Howard Community Center in Chicago. She met her husband, now Fr. Howard Giles, on the first day of orientation at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP) in Berkeley, California. Deacon Erin graduated with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Christian Ethics. She was ordained to the Diaconate in 2003. In 2009, Fr. Howard and Deacon Erin were called to Henderson, NV to plant Jesus the Good Shepherd Anglican Church, where she serves as a Deacon for the parish. Since the fall of 2021 she has also served as an instructor for the Good Shepherd School Project Homeschool Atrium. Deacon Erin has been blessed to act as a mentor for the ACTS students from Jesus the Good Shepherd (4 students total in 4 years) and is also a member of the Board of Examining Chaplains for the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin in the area of Moral Theology & Ethics. Outside of the ADSJ, Deacon Erin is the Common Canonical Exam Coordinator for the ACNA West Board of Examining Chaplains, working to ensure that the future clergy of the 5 ACNA West dioceses are shepherds after the Lord's own heart, able to shepherd the people with knowledge (Jeremiah 3:15). Deacon Erin home-schools their six children, and is passionate about Spiritual Motherhood and Discipleship and fellowship with other clergy in the Diocese of San Joaquin.
Delmas Gault, ACTS Advisory Committee and ACTS Board of Directors
Delmas Gault, ACTS Advisory Committee and ACTS Board of Directors
Delmas Gault, ACTS Advisory Committee and ACTS Board of Directors
As a longtime member of St. John’s Anglican Church in Petaluma, Delmas has a desire to help fellow congregants learn the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. The ACTS program helped to formulate his own understanding at a deeper level and equipped him to instruct others in the Anglican Catechism. As a licensed Lay Reader and Catechist
As a longtime member of St. John’s Anglican Church in Petaluma, Delmas has a desire to help fellow congregants learn the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. The ACTS program helped to formulate his own understanding at a deeper level and equipped him to instruct others in the Anglican Catechism. As a licensed Lay Reader and Catechist in the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin, he officiates online Morning and Evening Prayer, teaches weekly catechism classes, co-facilitate Bible studies, and perform the duties of a Lay Reader when needed on Sundays. He has two grown sons and lives with my wife, Anne, in Sonoma County.
The Reverend Noah S. Lawson, ACTS Advisory Team and Instructor
Delmas Gault, ACTS Advisory Committee and ACTS Board of Directors
Delmas Gault, ACTS Advisory Committee and ACTS Board of Directors
Fr. Lawson is a native of Lemoore, California. He was ordained a deacon on August 6, 2013 and a priest on August 20, 2014 in the Anglican Church by the Right Reverend Eric V. Menees, Vth Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin. He has earned a Master of Divinity degree from Nashotah House Theological Seminary, a Teaching Credential in Seco
Fr. Lawson is a native of Lemoore, California. He was ordained a deacon on August 6, 2013 and a priest on August 20, 2014 in the Anglican Church by the Right Reverend Eric V. Menees, Vth Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin. He has earned a Master of Divinity degree from Nashotah House Theological Seminary, a Teaching Credential in Secondary Social Science from Fresno Pacific University, and a Bachelor of Social Science degree from Fresno Pacific University. Fr. Lawson is the rector of Emmanuel Anglican Church in Fresno, California. Previous to this assignment, he served concurrently as a rector to two parishes: St. Alban’s in Los Banos and St. Augustine’s in Hollister. Before returning to California in 2015, Fr. Noah served as the Director of Institutional Advancement for Nashotah House Theological Seminary and as an associate priest for Saint Michael’s Anglican Church in Nashotah, WI and Saints Simeon & Anna Anglican Church in Walworth, WI. Before entering the ordained ministry he worked in campaign and electoral politics. Fr. Lawson enjoys going to the movies, playing guitar, and making stained glass windows.
The Rev. Carlos Raines ACTS Pastor and Instructor
Delmas Gault, ACTS Advisory Committee and ACTS Board of Directors
The Rev. Carlos Raines ACTS Pastor and Instructor
Fr. Carlos was ordained to the priesthood almost 40 years ago. He is a graduate of Trinity College in Toronto, Canada with a Master of Divinity degree and a particular focus on Patrisitics (study of the Early Church Fathers). He has served first as Dean and then Rector of St. James for over 20 years until passing the torch to Fr. Noah La
Fr. Carlos was ordained to the priesthood almost 40 years ago. He is a graduate of Trinity College in Toronto, Canada with a Master of Divinity degree and a particular focus on Patrisitics (study of the Early Church Fathers). He has served first as Dean and then Rector of St. James for over 20 years until passing the torch to Fr. Noah Lawson in the early Summer of 2022. Together with Fr. Noah, he has helped the congregations of St. James and of Our Lady of Guadalupe to become one congregation with English and Spanish services and with a new name: Emmanuel Anglican Church, Fresno. Though retired, Fr. Carlos continues in active ministry especially in writing, counseling, inner healing prayer, deliverance and spiritual direction. He is now the Rector Emeritus at Emmanuel Church, Fresno. Fr. Carlos has been married to Carol Gregory Raines since 1983 and has three grown children, Nicholas, Christina and John who all live in California. Carol has her own ministry of leading worship and discipling young women in the church and community.
