The 78th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, meeting in Salt Lake City, has elected the Rev. Jabriel Simmonds Ballentine, rector of St. John the Baptist 
Episcopal Church, Orlando, one of two clergy members to the Executive Council.
“Please pray for me…pray for the Church!” Fr. Ballentine posted to his Facebook page after the election on Monday, June 29.
The Executive Council carries out the programs and policies adopted by the General Convention. It has 38 members, 20 of whom (four bishops, four priests or deacons and 12 lay people) are elected by General Convention and 18 — one clergy and one layperson from each of the nine provincial synods — for six-year terms, plus the presiding bishop and the president of the House of Deputies.
The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church is an elected body representing the whole Church. In the course of the three years between convention, known as the “triennium,” the Executive Council will customarily meet once in each of the nine provinces of the Episcopal Church.
From Fr. Jabriel’s bio on the St. John the Baptist web page
Fr. Jabriel S. Ballentine was baptized and confirmed in the Anglican Cathedral Church of All Saints in St. Thomas Virgin Islands. Yet, experiences with other Christians caused him to leave the Church. Restored to the Bible by a friend who was Rasta, Fr. Ballentine spent seven years as a Rastafarian. This strengthened his Christian faith and led him to the Ethiopian/Eritrean Orthodox Church. He spent another seven years studying the theology of this 1700-plus year old African Christian tradition, under the direction of several monks, bishops and other clergy of the church.
Fr. Ballentine began his life of service by publishing a social justice monthly. The publication of that newsletter led to a position on former Georgia Democratic Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney’s D.C. staff, where he served as her Legislative Correspondent, Editor and Grassroots Liaison, ultimately serving as Special Assistant for Communications. In this post, he worked to connect community based organizations with Federal resources and managed the Congresswoman’s communications.
He left her office to found an Organizational Development consultancy, where he helped small nonprofits navigate the Federal system. He also served as Chair of the D.C. Black Republican Council and as an Alternate Delegate to the 2008 Republican National Convention.
Ultimately, frustrations with Left and Right politics led Fr. Ballentine to answer God’s call to ministry. In Seminary, he did extensive study in the Church’s role in criminal justice (and prison) reform. His honors thesis explored an alternative theology of Liberation, focused on redemption and racial reconciliation in America. Fr. Ballentine graduated from the Virginia Theological Seminary, in Alexandria. He was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests on December 21, 2012.
An active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Fr. Ballentine has served as the Chair of the Racial Justice and Public Policy committee for the Eastern Region and presently serves as a Member of the National Public Policy Committee.
Fr. Ballentine is a graduate of the All Saints Cathedral School in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands and holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration from the University of Maryland University College. Fr. Ballentine resides with his wife, Sonya, and his eldest son, Omari. He serves as Rector of The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist in Orlando, FL.
Please contact Fr. Ballentine at jabriel@jahbread.com