On Feb. 20, members of Gilroy’s St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
welcomed their new spiritual leader.
 The Rev. C.A. Terry Burley brings a wealth of experiences to
his new position as the church’s rector (senior pastor).
On Feb. 20, members of Gilroy’s St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church welcomed their new spiritual leader. The Rev. C.A. Terry Burley brings a wealth of experiences to his new position as the church’s rector (senior pastor).
Born in Evanston, Ill., Burley grew up in Menlo Park. After high school he studied political science at the University of Denver and Claremont Men’s College, taking many biology courses because he was considering both legal and medical careers. Settling on law, he then began postgraduate studies at the Claremont Graduate School and University of California, Santa Barbara.
As finances began to press, Burley returned to Menlo Park and worked as a commercial photographer to support himself before completing his doctorate. Then God intervened in his life.
In Menlo Park he helped with the youth group at his home parish, Holy Trinity. While chaperoning a ski trip, Burley had a conversation with the church’s rector on the ski lift at the end of the day which convinced him of something he had been feeling for some time: He should yield to God’s call to the ministry.
In 1977 Burley graduated from Berkeley’s Church Divinity School of the Pacific, was ordained at Grace Episcopal Cathedral in San Francisco, and began serving as a deacon at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Boise, Idaho. The following year he was ordained a priest and went on to serve a succession of parishes in Idaho and Wyoming.
God intervened again in 1982, leading Burley to a career in politics: aide to a U.S. Senator in Washington, D.C., political fundraiser, operative in the 1986 Idaho gubernatorial race.
Soon God began to lead Father Burley back to parish ministry, and after briefly serving churches in Idaho he accepted a call to St. Luke’s Church in Bakersfield, a ministry he continued for 12 years. Since then he has served as an interim priest and parish consultant for several churches while following other interests.
One of these is winemaking, something he learned about while a student at Berkeley. With some friends he founded IBP Fratellanza Cellars, a boutique winery in Arroyo Grande. They are currently arranging to become bonded while enlarging their production facility.
Another is music, hinted at by the two guitars leaning against the wall of his office at St. Stephen’s. He plays and composes music with the Living Water Band, often attending music festivals for the opportunity to “jam” with other musicians.
When asked about the current turmoil in the Episcopal Church concerning ordination of homosexuals and same-sex marriage, Father Burley suggests that 10 percent of Episcopalians feel strongly one way or the other on these issues: “the majority of the church wants to focus on the Gospel and witness to the Spirit in their lives.”
The new rector calls Gilroy “an amazing place,” one which reminds him of the San Francisco Peninsula when he was growing up. The city is full of “friendly, honest people,” and “it’s neat to still be able to see fields of mustard blooming in the springtime.” His new congregation is made up of “people of quiet strength, deeply committed to fulfilling the church’s mission of being faithful to God.”
South County residents are invited to visit the church to hear the Word of God preached and experience the joy of fellowship being created. The parish is already noted for serving the community through its Resource Center, involvement in St. Joseph’s Family Center, and participation in an ecumenical program of feeding the homeless at the National Guard Armory. Plans are being developed for further outreach activities like music concerts, a thrift shop, and a preschool.Â
