Meet the St. Thomas Team
Welcome to St. Thomas of Canterbury
Grace, peace, and a warm welcome to you.
St. Thomas of Canterbury is a loving, caring, and inclusive Episcopal community seeking to follow Jesus by Doing the Loving Thing. We are currently in a season of transition as we prayerfully seek our next priest, and we remain deeply grounded in worship, community, and shared leadership.
Whether you are new to faith, returning to church, or simply curious, you are welcome here just as you are—with your life experiences, questions, hopes, and longings to grow closer to God.
You matter to God. And you matter to us.
During this time, our congregation and Bishop’s Committee are working closely with the Diocese to ensure thoughtful leadership and care for our parish. We are also deeply grateful for our three dedicated Supply Priests, who support us wholeheartedly and help make our worship loving, meaningful, and spiritually grounding.
This is a church where relationships matter. We value listening to one another, sharing stories, and walking together in faith. We invite you to join us as we pray, worship, build friendships, serve our neighbors, and grow—individually and as a community.
Whoever you are, and wherever you are on your journey of faith, you are welcome here. We look forward to getting to know you and sharing this sacred life together.
The Saint Thomas of Canterbury Bishop’s Committee
Every member of our church is called by Christ to serve others through church ministries.
Our Bishop’s Committee (BC) represents the members of our congregation. The BC provides guidance and governance on church matters, including mission, ministries, finance, property, organization, and parish life.
Members are elected at the annual parish meeting, and every member of the church is eligible to serve on the BC. It is led by Vince Walton, our Bishop’s Warden
Please reach out to BC members with your ideas and support!
2025 Bishop’s Committee Members
Vince Walton, Bishop’s Warden
Amber Ames, Children / Youth Ministry
Danielle Beabout, Meeting Notes, LGBTQ+ ministries
Debbie Miller, People’s Warden (Building & Grounds)
Marva Ross, Community Outreach
Al Salmon, Faith Formation and Education
The Saint Thomas of Canterbury Finance Committee
Members:
Vince Walton, Bishop’s Warden
Peter Mandery
Cynthia McCormick
Allan O’Neill
Thomas Reid
Richard Ross
Takako Gibbs, Business & Accounting Manager
“It is my pleasure to work with the people of St. Thomas and the positive things happening here. I was born and raised in Okinawa, Japan, and graduated from university with a law degree. Later I decided to shift my career to accounting.
I have more than 20 years of experience in accounting in both Japan and the United States. Additionally I have worked in facility management. I joined the team at St. Thomas in January of 2022.
My husband recently retired from the Marine Corps, and throughout his military career we moved more than 10 times! We live in Temecula now, and we are grateful to have wonderful children and very happy dogs.
Hillary Ngo, Music Director
Hi, I'm Hillary Ngo, and I am the Music Director here at St. Thomas. I have taught choral and instrumental music at the K-12 level in Orange, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino Counties, and am currently an elementary vocal music teacher in the city of Orange. I currently also sing with VOX Femina Los Angeles, a treble choir that aims to give women a voice and create a world that affirms the worth of every person. I am an active member of the American Choral Director's Association and the National Association for Music Education.
I have been a staff singer at many different churches across Southern California in the past 8 years, and I truly believe that I have found something special when I found St. Thomas. I am blessed to have found my church "home" and have the privilege of worshipping here every week.