Fr. Michael Plekon • March 3, 2025

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church Celebrates 50 Years in Borrego Springs

Saturday, February 22, 2025, the people of St. Barnabas celebrated 50 years of their presence in Borrego.

Over 75 friends and members gathered at the church parish hall and patio for the party. Andy Macuga of Carlee's supplied the food, Steve Hunter, hours of wonderful jazz and popular songs on the keyboard. The Venerable Archdeacon of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, the Rev. Cindy Campos represented diocesan Bishop Susan Brown Snook, bringing greetings from her and the executive council and standing committee.

The Rector, the Rev. Dr. David Madsen, introduced guests and blessed the celebration and meal. Four BS High School students helped with food service as part of their service requirements. The church was open for prayer and visiting. Jan Naragon, Jeanne Plekon and Jane Lilley provided decorations for the anniversary and a box for messages to people at St. Barnabas 50 years from now.

In 1966, the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles established a Preaching Station in Borrego Springs called St. Barnabas. It was reestablished by the San Diego Diocese in 1974 when retired "desert priest, the Rev. Robert E. Lenhard, took up residence in Borrego Springs. By 1975 services were held in private homes of the small congregation. On June 11, St. Barnabas day, the first Eucharist was celebrated at the Community Methodist Church.

In 1976 St. Barnabas became a Mission in the Diocese of San Diego and St. Richard’s Catholic Church invited the congregation to have Sunday services in their church. In the following years by-laws were adopted, outreach programs were started and plans began for a church on property donated by the Methodist Church and DiGiorgio-Burnand-Kuhrts holdings. 1984 saw a groundbreaking ceremony. The Vestry and an architect in the congregation began drawing up plans, with construction started and completed in June 1986. The church office was added at a later date. The first service held in the new church was in September 1986 and the consecration on January 4, 1987.

The first full-time rector was the Rev. Alex Nagy who began in 2001. The Rev. Laura Brecht followed as rector from 2010-2021, with the Rev. David Madsen following in 2022. Retired priests Frs George Keith and Michael Plekon have assisted in the last decade. St. Barnabas members are leaders and important figures in many local organizations, from Rotary and the Water Board to the Film Festival, Art Guild, Community Resource Center and the Borrego Ministers Association, among other groups. St. B's often is the site of community Christmas Cantatas, blessings of animals, Thanksgiving Eve services.

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Learn More About Borrego Springs

Following Francis (of Assisi)

By Fr Michael Plekon • September 12, 2025

Celebrate St. Francis on his feast day, October 4, 2025 at the Blessing of Animals, at the Christmas Circle at 10am. Bring your pets!

Borrego Ministers Association Update

September 12, 2025

BMA Late Summer/Early Fall Newsletter Father Michael Plekon, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, president, BMA Since the work of the Borrego Ministers Association (BMA) never takes a vacation, it’s time to tell what we’ve been up to lately. And it’s time as well to ask your help as we always do. You know doing good is never out of season. Just to remind us all, the BMA is the work of all God’s people—Methodist, Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Baptist, LDS, Jewish, Muslim, doubting, whatever faith you are or aren’t. All of us are “ministers,” not just Pastor Mateo Mamea, Fathers David Madsen, Michael Plekon or Tony Stanonik and other local pastors. Those who regularly meet on Zoom on Tuesdays are a cross section of the Borrego community, from Martha Deichler of the Community Resources Center (CRC) to Diane Johnson and Tammy Baker on the Water Board, Linda Stanley from Soroptimists, and Dale Jones of the American Legion, along with the pastors just named and other members like Pam and Mike McEvoy, George and Carole Thompson, Tery Neal, the Rev. Dr. George Abrams, Shirley Vialpando, and Joyce Merrick, our secretary and interim treasurer. Andrea McKenna is our gifted communications person. We check in with each other every Tuesday, pray for our sisters and brothers in need, go through the pastoral needs submitted since the last meeting, and review our upcoming events and services. Every month the Borrego Ministers Association provides about $4,000 in food coupons for The Desert Pantry and The Center Market. These coupons are distributed on Wednesdays at the Community Resource Center by Diana Fox. Each week, neighbors receive support through the “Let’s Go Borrego” program, operated by the CRC, to help offset medical transportation expenses. Donations also provide modest grants that help ease the burden of staggering utility bills and rent. This year, in coordination with a grant from the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, the BMA is administering a program providing temporary emergency AC units to families whose AC unit has broken down. These are “loaner” units, to be returned when home units are repaired or replaced, all this with the help of the HVAC business in Borrego. Those sisters and brothers who come to us are put in touch with County social workers to explore programs from which they might benefit. Likewise, people asking for help are connected with the food banks that operate every week at the CRC and St. Barnabas Church once a month. Connections to periodic dental and medical screening opportunities are made for our neighbors. The ways in which the BMA tries to assist neighbors is much larger. It can include connection with legal aid when a lawyer’s help is needed. Or consultation with a retired medical professional residing in Borrego. Connection with trained caregivers, with the English classes at the CRC and English as a Second Language (ESL) tutors in town. BMA members have linked neighbors up with special assistance available through The American Legion for vets and Soroptimists for women heading households. It may get tiring, reading all these works of love that the BMA tries to do. But what you cannot see in this newsletter are the smiles, the faces that break into joy when we are able to help with overwhelming costs. Summer is a very tough time for Borregans. The 100+ temperatures are matched by increased utility rates. This comes on top of so many residents being laid off from the hospitality and related businesses till the winter/spring “season” of snowbirds and tourists returns in October. Despite setting aside a reserve fund for summer needs of our neighbors, we at the BMA see our funds depleting as we help sisters and brothers in need. The BMA has no paid employees, minimal operational costs, so virtually all contributions go directly to neighbors in need. Please consider renewing your contribution or making one if you have not. Doing so makes, as the prophet Isaiah says, “the desert burst forth in flowers.” ~Father Michael Plekon, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, president, BMA >> Please consider donating to the BMA

MOVED FOR SUMMER - Monthly Food Bank at St Barnabas

May 19, 2025

Every third Monday of the month, the Food Bank at St. Barnabas comes to life as volunteers set up tables and prepare for the truck’s arrival.

Holy Week and Easter in Borrego

By Michael Plekon • April 17, 2025

Every spring, the calendar of the Christian churches comes round to the Forty Days of Lent, a time of self examination and reflection, very much like the season of Ramadan in Islam. These weeks culminate in Holy Weeks, the time from Palm Sunday, this year April 13, till Easter Sunday, April 20. Easter, coming from an Old English word for spring, is the celebration of Jesus being raised from death. But the Resurrection is preceded by several other special days. Called Maundy Thursday from the Latin mandatum or commandment, Thursday in Holy Week commemorates the last supper Jesus had with his disciples. At this meal he gave them bread and wine to share, this becoming the central sacrament of the church, holy communion or the Eucharist. Thursday also recalls Jesus' washing the feet of his friends as an act of love, a commandment he urged them to continue--their love for each other and all the world. Good Friday seems wrongly named for it is the day of Jesus' death on the cross. Yet this self giving is for Christians the ultimate sign of God's love for all humankind and the world. On the next day, Holy Saturday, towards evening, a vigil service of readings, the proclamation of the resurrection and holy communion begin the Easter celebration. Finally on Easter Sunday services of song, prayer, readings and communion feast the rising of the Lord from death, a promise to all of new life with God and each other forever.