Each year, the Parish Council presents a slate of candidates to be elected by a simple majority of our voting members at the annual congregational meeting. After receiving several thoughtful nominations and completing our discernment and vetting process, we are pleased this year to present three nominees: Debbie Ellefson, Raquel Bolender, and Ruth Rogers Lewis, for election on November 15th.
Having taken time to pray and thoughtfully discern this call, Debbie, Raquel, and Ruth have humbly accepted the invitation to serve in this way. It is with great joy and confidence that we commend them to you as nominees for Parish Council.
Meet Debbie Ellefson
I am looking forward to this opportunity to serve Harbor as part of the Parish council. I was raised in the Yakima Valley and became a Christian at "Good New Club" when I was 9 or 10. God has been faithful in providing a place for my spiritual growth throughout my life.
After college at WSU (Go Cougs!) I was blessed to marry Mark and have walked with him through the past 43 years. We raised 5 children, mostly in the Tri-Cities, and moved back to Seattle after retirement in 2023. We were privileged to find Harbor in the fall of that year and have felt at home since then. Currently we keep busy enjoying our 4 granddaughters and with yard and home improvements.
Meet Raquel Bolender
My husband, Josh, and our girls, Skye and Agatha, and I first came to Harbor (at the time St. Ambrose) during the Advent season of 2021. Having come from the austere worship style of the Plymouth Brethren, Josh and I were immediately drawn to the smells of the incense, the rhythm of the liturgy, the beauty of the music, and the friendly faces of this Anglican community. It is for these reasons and many more, that I am excited to re-join our parish council this year.
In terms of my background, I was born in Nicaragua and came to the United States at the tender age of one. I grew up in southern California an avid Dodgers and Lakers fan but have come to embrace all Seattle teams. Literally all. Josh, the girls, and I are avid sports fans and do not understand how some people do not love sports like we do. Josh and I have been married for 22 years, and we try to find ways to appreciate all that life has to give us. We find ourselves now firmly planted in middle age, and in this stage of life, we love raising our two girls, watching Agatha play hockey against girls twice her size and watching Skye mature into a wonderful young woman who is getting ready to go to college. Mostly, though, Josh and I love sitting down and enjoying a cup of coffee together.
Feel free to contact me: Raquel.Bolender@gmail.com
Meet Ruth Rogers Lewis
My Christian journey began as a young girl at Ward Presbyterian Church in the Detroit metropolitan area, where I grew up. In 1989, I relocated to Seattle, where I met my husband, Andy Lewis. We are blessed with two children, Michael and Ellen.
I remained in the Presbyterian Church until 2022, when my local congregation transitioned to the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). Through attending Harbor Anglican, I discovered the beauty, structure, and rich rhythms of the Anglican tradition. Becoming a member of Harbor and later being confirmed here have deepened my faith and strengthened my openness and willingness to respond to God’s call to serve.
You can learn more about my life in Seattle and my vocation here: https://www.harboranglican.org/harbor-common-place/faith-amp-vocation-ruth-rogers-lewis
