St. Peter’s Episcopal Church is ‘family’ to new presiding bishop

With more than a year in as presiding bishop of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Samuel Azariah already considers his new Rialto parish “family.”

“They’ve been very supportive,” he said, “and I’ve been able to bring the world to the congregation from my international travels.”

Azariah, 67, is the first pakistani bishop to lead the congregation and does so on a part-time basis. However, he hopes to make the Rialto church his “base church” should his schedule afford him the opportunity to do so.

But, in addition to his new Rialto community, he travels to the Los Angeles area where he serves other churches in the area. He also finds himself in Pakistan often as a presiding bishop for the Church of Pakistan.

“It’s about sharing, learning and building from experience,” he said, adding he leads more than 55 churches total overseas. Azariah believes his role is much more than “leading” congregations across the globe. The position allows him to become more spiritual and involved in the communities he serves.

“As a priest, I hope to show my care and concern and love with the neighborhood so they know this is a place where they need to go in a time of need,” he said. “I’d like to share the message of hope and, as a person of color, my desire is to see that peace and justice and harmony is maintained and sustained.”

The goal, he continued, is to build a spirit of caring and trust in Rialto.

“I do not want to just sit and be a spectator. There is an opportunity for growth here,” he said.

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church is at 777 N. Acacia Ave.

To learn more, call 909-875-5689.