Oregon pastor will be dean at St. John’s

The Rev. William R. Ellis Jr., an Oregon native who is serving in Bend, Ore., has accepted a call to serve as dean of the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in the Diocese of Spokane.

Ellis will begin his work at the lower South Hill church on Sept. 17. He succeeds the Rev. John Smiley, who was the dean from 1998 to 2004. Smiley left to engage in a new ministry and now leads retreats and conferences.

Kristi Philip, who served at St. John’s for 12 years, is acting vicar. The church has about 400 families.

“He (Ellis) has solid experience and very, very good leadership skills and creativity,” said Philip, who was adviser to the candidate search committee.

Ellis was born in Portland in 1954 and has lived in Oregon most of his life. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon, and his Master of Divinity from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, Calif.

He began his ordained ministry as the curate at Emmanuel Church in Coos Bay, Ore., and the vicar of St. Mary’s in Gardiner, Ore. After two years there, he moved on to Forest Grove, Ore., where he was the vicar of St. Bede’s.

He became the rector of Trinity in Bend in July 1992.

During his time at Trinity, Ellis has concentrated on the development of a program of adult education at church each Sunday; the expansion of pastoral care; new member ministry; and increasing the opportunities for fellowship within the church.

Ellis serves on the Diocesan Commission on Ministry. He and his wife, Beth, have two children.