The Rev. J. Edwin Bacon Jr. is the rector of All Saints Church in Pasadena, California, a 4,000-member, multiethnic, urban Episcopal parish with a reputation for energetic worship, a radically inclusive spirit and a progressive peace and justice agenda. The Rev. Ed's energies focus on leadership in anxious times, peacemaking, interfaith relations, articulating the Christian faith in nonbigoted ways and integrating family, faith and work systems. He is a passionate advocate for peace and justice in the community, the nation and the world, and All Saints Church is actively engaged in such peace and justice issues as resistance to war, ending the death penalty and supporting equal rights for gays and lesbians. The Rev. Ed has been honored several times for his peace and interfaith work: in 2005 by the Islamic Center of Southern California and in 2006 by the ACLU of Southern California, the Islamic Shura Council and Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. In 2007, he was honored by the Pasadena NAACP and the ACLU Pasadena-Foothill Chapter.

The Rev. Ed was born in 1948 and grew up in the Deep South, the son of a Baptist preacher. He graduated from Mercer University in 1969 and headed to Vanderbilt University Law School—but law wasn't his calling. Instead, the Rev. Ed left Vanderbilt and returned to Mercer University to work in campus ministry. It was there that he discovered his lifelong vocation to serve as a minister. Around this same time, he became a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War.

In 1971, the Rev. Ed was ordained as a Baptist minister. More than a decade later, he and his wife, Hope Hendricks-Bacon, were led to the Episcopal Church. He graduated from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, and before coming to All Saints, he served at churches in Mississippi and Georgia.

He and Hope have two adult children and two grandchildren.

Visit All Saints' website at AllSaints-Pas.org.