Clergy & Staff

We can't wait to meet you!

Rector

The Rev. Dr. Mauricio J. Wilson

Fr. Wilson, who also answers to Fr. Mauricio, became rector at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in October 2009.  Since arriving in the Bay Area to serve at St. Paul’s he has also been active in ministries around Oakland and the Diocese of California.  As the rector of St. Paul’s, he holds ex-officio seats on the Board of Clausen House in Oakland and St Paul’s Episcopal School.  He is a member of the Governing Board of the National Association of Episcopal Schools and former member of the Board of Trustees of the CDSP. In addition he is the Western Regional Director of the Union of Black Episcopalians.
He served on the Executive Council of the Diocese, the Program and Budget Committee and chaired the Assessment Relief Committee, as well as the Diocesan Committee on Nominations. Fr. Wilson was a Mayoral appointee to the City of Oakland’s Citizens Police Review Board and served as a Commissioner for 2016 and 2017.
A lifelong Episcopalian, he is the child of deeply committed church leaders, his mother serves as a multidimensional lay leader of her parish and his father (R.I.P.) was Bishop of Costa Rica.  Fr. Mauricio started preaching at age 17, and was Youth Director of the Diocese of Costa Rica for 15 years. A business and accounting major at the University of Costa Rica, he was a registered CPA in his home country, eventually working as an auditor for Coopers Lybrand Accounting, the Coca Cola Co. and for a private bank. “My first calling was always to the priesthood,” said Fr. Wilson, who is bilingual in English and Spanish. “Accounting was my backup plan.” 
He attained the Doctor of Ministry degree in Ministry Development from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2013, as well as Master's degrees in Divinity and Sacred Theology (Liturgy) from General Theological Seminary in 2000 and 2001 respectively.
His wife Karla is a Doctor of Mechanical Engineering, and they have two daughters. His hobbies include cooking (his daughters love his Thanksgiving lasagna), collecting wines and driving different kinds of vehicles. He’s looking forward to learning to drive an 18-wheeler and a race car someday. His favorite book is Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons and he figures he’s seen his favorite movie, The Matrix, 150 times.

Archdeacon
Dir. Sr. Resources

The Venerable Carol Bolton

The Venerable Carol Bolton is Archdeacon Emeritus of the Diocese of California and brings a long history of ministry to those in need that predates her ordination in 2005. She's been a social services coordinator at the Oak Center Towers affordable senior housing complex; worked for the Boys & Girls Club of Oakland for more than 20 years, and was the Day Labor Coordinator and Diamond Youth Shelter Coordinator at the Larkin Street Youth Center.

She says she's glad that her day job in the Senior Resources program, where she started in 2009, overlaps so well with her dioconal ministry. Her work helps seniors with basic emergency needs, food from the weekly produce market in St. Paul’s Parish Hall, and housing assistance.  She's a board member on St. Mary’s Center and Secretary, Aging Service of California, Season of Sharing Alameda County, Summit Health Ministry, and Area Agency on Aging Round Table.

Archdeacon Bolton, was born and raised a Baptist in Oakland, and joined the Episcopal Church when she married her husband, Howard, in 1980. She has three adult children and three grandchildren.

Assisting Priest

The Rev. Anne Jensen

A recently retired priest, the Rev. Anne Jensen returned to St. Paul’s as an assisting priest in 2015.  She served as Interim Rector at St. Paul’s from 2006-2008 and then served two other interim periods before retiring.

Anne grew up in central Washington, a beautiful and rich agricultural area. She earned a BA in history and an MA in counseling at Stanford. While living in Minneapolis, Anne became the director of Christian Education for the Cathedral of St. Mark. During this time she realized a call to ordained ministry.  She was eventually able to transfer to Yale Divinity School, from which she graduated in 1988.  She was ordained priest the following year and served a variety of churches there—urban, suburban, and country.

Anne’s ministry in California has focused on helping churches in time of transition as they prepare to call a new rector. 

Anne is also an experienced spiritual director and has worked with seminarians both at Yale and at Church Divinity School of the Pacific. In addition to assisting in worship and preaching, she serves in the areas of adult faith formation, incorporation of new members and pastoral care. 

She lives in Oakland with her husband Doug.

Assisting Priest

The Rev. Christian Harding

Rev. Christian Harding had a long career in the ministry in his native Liberia, surviving the African nation’s civil war, before retiring to California and joining St. Paul’s as assisting clergy in 2004.

He is often the celebrant at the 8 a.m. Sunday service. Ordained in Liberia in 1981, Father Christian served in a number of capacities, at one time supervising 125 congregations and 110 priests. He was rector at St. Paul’s church in Liberia and served as a curate at Trinity Cathedral in Monrovia.  He was a teacher and principal at an Episcopal school for 21 years before his ordination. During the war, which started in 1998, his wife and six children left the country in search of safety.

Born on Christmas Day in 1933, he was one of 12 children in what he describes as a strict family. He allows that he’s had to make adjustments to the American church. "When I was preaching, I’d preach for 40 to 45 minutes. Here, you sometimes have to quell the spirit, and not go over 15 minutes.”

Now a widower, his hobbies include reading, listening to classical music and playing piano to amuse himself. He has many grandchildren, mostly on the East Coast, and one great-grandchild in Sacramento.

”I like quietness,” he says. ”I run from rowdy people.”

Music Director Organist

Mr. Christopher Kula

Dir. of Children's
& Youth Ministries

Mr. Daniel Pinella

Bio coming soon!

José Daniel Pinell Mendieta was born in Managua, Nicaragua. Before migrating to the United States at the age of 17, he became passionate about his Christian faith and found a deeper commitment to it. Daniel was involved in children’s and youth ministry soon after arriving in the States. He helped oversee the formation of a new youth group in a Latino local parish in Concord, CA. He became passionate for youth ministry as the youth group flourished over the years. While helping with the development of the youth group he also volunteered to teach chatechism for children preparing for first communion. He also became involved with an ecumenical missionary order called InnerCHANGE, where he ministered to youth at risk at Juvenile Hall and gang members in San Francisco. Intending to become a Catholic priest, Daniel entered as a candidate for the pre-novitiate with the Augustinian religious order and studied philosophy for almost 2 years. He left after discerning a call to the married life.

He married a few years after leaving the Augustinian community, meeting his wife while doing ministry with InnerCHANGE. Daniel worked as a community organizer for immigrant’s rights in Oakland, CA, helping organize clergy and churches to fight for the rights of immigrants and refugees. After years of discernment, Daniel and his wife Nettie joined The Episcopal Church on Easter of 2018.

Daniel is currently discerning a call to the Priesthood in The Episcopal Church. They have two young children, Lucas (2 years old) and Nicolas (3 months old) and are learning the chaotic, joyful and rewarding life of new parents. He graduated with a Masters of Divinity from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in the Spring of 2019. Daniel enjoys reading books on theology and the life of the Saints, among other biographies, traveling and enjoying a variety of cuisines, writing, cooking, and a good cup of coffee.