The Right  Reverend Sean Rowe elected Presiding Bishop

          The Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe, bishop of Northwest Pennsylvania and bishop provisional of Western New York, was elected and confirmed June 26 at the 81st General Convention to serve as the 28th presiding bishop. His nine-year term as presiding bishop, the face and voice of The Episcopal Church and its chief pastor, begins Nov. 1.
          Rowe, 49, has led the Erie-based Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania since 2007, and also serves as bishop provisional of the Diocese of Western New York through a partnership the dioceses established in 2019. He previously served as bishop provisional of the Diocese of Bethlehem from 2014 to 2018. Originally from western Pennsylvania, Rowe is a Virginia Theological Seminary graduate and was ordained to the priesthood in 2000 in Northwestern Pennsylvania, where he served in congregational ministry until his election as bishop. He currently serves as parliamentarian of the House of Bishops and Executive Council.
          Rowe becomes the youngest bishop ever elected to serve as the church’s presiding bishop. He also was the youngest Episcopal priest in the U.S. when he was ordained, at age 24, and he was the youngest member of the House of Bishops when he was ordained and consecrated at age 32. Rowe is married to Carly Rowe, a Christian educator; they have a daughter named Lauren.

We don't want to change
you or convert you. 
We think you're fine just
​the way you are.
     We invite you to worship with us sometime soon. Whether you are a visitor, a newcomer, an inquirer or a member of another church or faith tradition, we want you to feel at home at Spirit of the Desert. Regardless of who you are or where you are on your journey of faith, you will be treated like family.
     We are NOT interested judging you or converting you to our faith. We think you are fine just the way you are. We are only interested in making you feel welcome and in sharing our love for Jesus with you.
     We are a reconciling, affirming, and inclusive Christian community striving through worship, love, and service to welcome ALL people just as God created them.  Whether you are single, married, divorced, separated, or partnered, our welcome knows no boundaries of age, race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, economic condition, physical or mental ability. 
     We practice Christ's unconditional love and radical hospitality and believe that God delights in the diversity of creation. Worship at Spirit is a celebration of God's love and grace. We welcome equally the faithful, the seeker, and the doubter. No matter where you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome at the Lord's table at Spirit.

Just who do we think we are at Spirit of the Desert?

We are inclusive.
We practice Christ's radical hospitality at Spirit. There are no strangers or boundaries at our church. Our inclusive community of worship welcomes the faithful, the seeker, and the doubter. Whoever you are and regardless of your faith background there is a place for you at Spirit of the Desert.
We are open minded.
We like to say that absolute faith is not a requirement in our church; an open heart and mind are. With us you belong before you believe and you will always be made to feel welcome and part of the group, no matter who you are or what you are. Please come worship and pray with us!
We are diverse.
Some of us grew up in the Episcopal Church; others never went to an Episcopal church - or any church - before coming to Spirit. And some of us are recovering from the ways in which we have been hurt by previous experiences with religion. Coming from such different backgrounds, we have many perspectives on liturgy, Biblical interpretation, and current issues in the church, our institutions, and in the world. As a community, we work hard to ensure that these differences become a strength rather than a weakness.  We prefer to emphasize what we have in common rather than those areas where we differ, so we don't use labels like "conservative" or "liberal." But we all have this in common: we love to come together to "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness."(Psalm 29:2 Book of Common Prayer).
​We are caring.
Above all, we are a congregation that cares for one another and for those beyond the walls of our sanctuary. That caring is reflected in our interactions with each other and through our ministries which address the needs of our community and the world.
We're a bit hard to find but worth the effort.
Spirit of the Desert is located in the Recreational Building at Unity Park in Ivins, Utah. From East St. George Blvd., turn left onto East Red Hills Parkway. Continue onto West Snow Canyon Pkwy. At the traffic circles, take the second exits to continue onto Ivins East Center Street. Turn left onto 200 West until you reach Ivins Unity Park. Turn right onto 400 South and park on the street. Signs directing you to our worship space are provided the sidewalk. Our service begins promptly at 3:00 p.m. every Sunday. We hope to see you soon.
A perfect end to a perfect day.
Sleep in on Sunday, play a round of golf or take a hike. Take your family out for lunch or see a movie. Then, at the close of a beautiful day, celebrate the joys of God's creation at our evening service. Worshiping with us is the perfect way to end a perfect day. You don't have to dress up to come to Spirit of the Desert. There's nothing "suit and tie" about our service. If you show up in hiking shorts or a tux with tails you'll feel right at home in our friendly, caring community. We really don't care what you wear. We care about you because God cares about you. We're not looking for perfect people.  Just come as you are.