This February, a group of young adult divers from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Lynnfield will travel to Bonaire, an island off the coast of Venezuela, on a “Creation Care” pilgrimage. Their goal is to study the current state of the oceans and commit to long-term service work to preserve marine ecosystems for future generations.
The group will be led by the Rev. Rob Bacon, rector of St. Paul’s and a former U.S. Navy diver with more than 1,000 hours of underwater experience. Rev. Bacon, now an avid recreational and technical diver, will be joined by Dr. Bob Sluka, lead scientist for A Rocha’s International Marine Conservation Program, and Avery Davis Lamb, executive director of Creation Justice Ministries in Washington, D.C.
“These young adults, all in their mid-20s, will witness God’s majestic handiwork beneath the surface of our oceans while discerning their specific call to become stewards of this vital part of creation,” said Rev. Bacon.
During his recent sabbatical, Rev. Bacon studied ocean conservation with experts across the country. Upon his return, he invited the church’s Young Adult Ministry group to become scuba-certified so he could share what he had learned firsthand.
The group completed their three-stage Open Water Diving training in the fall of 2024, which included online coursework, pool dive sessions, and instructed ocean dives. In November, they completed their first post-certification dive trip to Key Largo, Florida. The upcoming trip to Bonaire will be their second.
“The goal is for these young adults to become the next wave of leadership in the Church’s Creation Care ministries, taking on specific tasks with clear goals,” Rev. Bacon said.
This initiative has been made possible by a generous donation from an anonymous benefactor who is not a member of the church.
Founded in 1918, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Lynnfield is a growing parish of the Episcopal Church that connects with God and each other through worship, prayer, service, and study. For more information, visit www.stpaulslynnfield.org or call the church office at 781-334-4594.