George F. Regas
George F. Regas | |
|---|---|
| Rector emeritus of All Saints Church, Pasadena | |
| Church | All Saints Episcopal Church, Pasadena, California, U.S. |
| Province | Episcopal Church in the United States |
| Diocese | Los Angeles |
| In office | 1967–1995 |
| Predecessor | John Harris Burt |
| Successor | J. Edwin Bacon, Jr. |
| Other post(s) | Priest-in-charge of the Episcopal Church of the Messiah, Pulaski, Tennessee (1957–60) Rector of Grace Church in Nyack, New York (1960–67) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 1, 1957 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | George Frank Regas October 1, 1930 Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Denomination | Episcopalian |
| Spouse | Mary McCaslin |
| Occupation | Retired |
| Profession | Priest |
George Frank Regas (born October 1, 1930) is a retired Episcopal priest. He served as rector of All Saints Episcopal Church, Pasadena, California from 1967 until his retirement in 1995.[1]
Regas was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. During his tenure he did much to establish All Saints as an influential parish within the liberal wing of the Episcopal Church, and as an important voice for mainline liberal Protestant Christianity nationally.[2] Under Regas's leadership, All Saints, Pasadena, became the largest Episcopal Church in the western United States, and established the largest service center for serving HIV and AIDS victims in the San Gabriel Valley.[3] It also started Union Station in Pasadena[4] for assisting the homeless.
He led All Saints in the foundation of the Young & Healthy program, which helps uninsured and under-insured children. He was the president of the Coalition for a Non-Violent City and co-founder of the Interfaith Center to Reverse the Arms Race.[5] As a long-time national leader of the Episcopal Church, he was nominated as a candidate for bishop of New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, but consistently declined to continue to build the All Saints Pasadena parish.[6]
Regas introduced the inclusive principle that has defined All Saints for many years, "Whoever you are, and wherever you find yourself on your journey of faith, you are welcome to come to this table." As a founder of the Interfaith Center to Reverse the Arms Race, he was a leader in efforts to unite Christians, Muslims, Jews and other faiths to promote peace in the Middle East and worldwide.[7]
Controversies
Regas has been a staunch critic of certain American foreign and domestic policies, reaching national attention in a 1971 sermon, "Mr. President, the Jury Is In", against the Vietnamese War,[8] responding to a press conference by President Nixon in which he appealed to the US public to stand behind him about the war "while the jury is still out".
References
- ^ ,Glenn H. Utter. Mainline Christians and U.S. public policy: a reference handbook, books.google.com; accessed July 17, 2014.
- ^ Rev. Dr. George F. Regas profile, Interfaith Communities United for Peace and Justice website; accessed July 17, 2014.
- ^ ASC History of the AIDS Service Center
- ^ Union Station Pasadena, history and impact, unionstationhs.org; accessed July 17, 2014.
- ^ Washington National Cathedral website; accessed July 17, 2014.
- ^ Regas profile, articles.latimes.com, July 2, 1988.
- ^ Interfaith Center, articles.latimes.coms, June 14, 1986.
- ^ Sermon: "Mr. President, the Jury Is In", March 21, 1971, ProQuest Historical Newspapers, Los Angeles Times; accessed July 17, 2014.