Rev. Debra Low-Skinner

Rev. Debra L. Low-Skinner

“I am looking forward to coming to St. Bartholomew's, I have already gotten to know the Wardens and Vestry members and have found their energy and enthusiasm for St. Bartholomew's quite infectious!”

As our Interim Rector, Rev. Debbie will be providing pastoral care, sacramental leadership, faith formation, church growth advice, and parish administrative help during the transition period, while the search is conducted to find the next Rector of St. Bartholomew's.

The Rev. Debra Low-Skinner joined St. Bartholomew's on Nov 28th 2010, the First Sunday in Advent, as our Interim Rector. She brings a wealth of experience in parish ministry and transition ministry, having served over the past 13 years as rector or priest-in-charge of a variety of parishes in the Dioceses of El Camino Real, Massachusetts, and Long Island. Most recently, she completed a year as priest-in-residence of St. Mark the Evangelist Episcopal Church in North Bellmore, NY. Before that, she was Rector for six years of Christ Church in Garden City, NY.

Debbie was born and raised in San Francisco and is a third-generation Californian. She earned a B.S. in Mathematics (with minors in Physics and Music/Organ) from the (Jesuit) University of San Francisco and an M.S. in Engineering (with a minor in Engineering Management) from the (Jesuit) Santa Clara University. She worked as a communications systems engineer for 20 years at Lockheed Martin in Sunnyvale, CA, where she primarily supported the global Air Force Satellite Control Network.

After acceptance into the ordination process in the Diocese of El Camino Real, she attended the Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP) in Berkeley and earned an MDiv in 1997. For her field education during seminary, she served as chaplain's assistant at Stanford Canterbury at Stanford University, then as lay assistant at Trinity Cathedral in San Jose. She was ordained deacon and priest in 1997 in the Diocese of El Camino Real, where she served on the Diocesan Council and the Diocesan Commission on Culture & Technology.

Skinners with Dragon

Debbie and husband Don (with pet dragon) at the Blessing of the Animals ceremony in Garden City, NY

While in the Diocese of Massachusetts (2000-03), Debbie was Co-Convener of the Mt. Hope-Buzzards Bay Deanery and Deanery representative on Diocesan Council. While in the Diocese of Long Island (2003-10), she served on Diocesan Council for five years; as Clerk of the Cathedral Chapter for four years; as Co-Chair of the Bishop Search Committee in 2009-10; and as Secretary of the Episcopal Asiamerican Ministry Commission of Long Island since January 2010. In addition, she served for three years as President of the Garden City Clergy Fellowship and served for three years as CDSP Alumni Council member.

Her avocations include reading, doing crossword puzzles, watching TV cooking shows, and singing soprano in local choral societies. She also has interests in lighthouses, carousels, Celtic spirituality, and British history.

Debbie is married to Don Skinner. He is a retired urban planner and was active on Long Island as a volunteer for the League of Women Voters to advocate for affordable housing. His other interests include politics, photography, doing pen and ink drawings, and reading about creativity and spirituality. Debbie and Don share their townhome in Campbell, CA with three cats and lots and lots of books.