Meet The Clergy
The late Dr. Dorsey Odell Blake, Presiding Minister
July 26, 1946 - March 2, 2025
Video of Memorial Service at Fellowship Church
March 22, 2025
vimeo.com/1068515611
Password: Dorsey19462025
The late Rev. Dr. Dorsey Blake was officially installed as Presiding Minister of The Church for The Fellowship of All Peoples in October, 1994. During Dr. Blake's installation service, Mrs. Sue Bailey (Howard) Thurman presented Dr.Thurman’s robe – which had not been worn since his death – to Dr. Blake as a symbol of her trust in his leading the congregation “so that there will be no past greater than our future.”
For Dr. Blake's full obituary, please see obituary link below.
Rev. Dr. Kathryn Benton, Presiding Minister
was ordained in May 2004 and at that time was named Co-Minister for the church. After the loss of Rev. Dr. Dorsey Blake in 2025, the Board of Trustees bestowed upon her the title of Presiding Minister. Her ordination followed several years of service at Fellowship Church as Church Secretary, Youth Minister, and Worship Leader.
Before coming to Fellowship Church, Kathryn worked for years in the Episcopal Church in youth ministry, worship design, pastoral care, and lay ministry. Kathryn earned her Master's and Doctor of Ministry Degree at the University of Creation Spirituality in Oakland. She also holds an MA in Counseling Psychology.
Kathryn worked for many years in a family literacy program and in homeless services in both the East Bay and in San Francisco and as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor at a Medication Assisted Treatment Program. With a PhD in Clinical Psychology, she now serves as a therapist for individual clients in addition to her role as Presiding Minister for Fellowship Church.
Rev. Martin Todd Allen, Associate Minister
is a Doctor of Ministry student at the Pacific School of Religion. His DMin project trains congregations to demand and demonstrate eco-socialist alternatives to global capitalism. Martin has been a prison, hospital and military Chaplain and currently works as a hospice chaplain in the South Bay. He has served as part of the team of Associate Ministers at Fellowship Church since 2017. He is the proud father of Graham Allen, a California tech developer, and Carson Allen who lives back home in Mississippi where he does psychological research. Martin Todd is a board member of "The Human Agenda" working for just and fair immigration policies.
Rev. Elizabeth Olson, M.Div, BCC,
Associate Minister-at-Large
was ordained by Fellowship Church in 2013. She served on the Board of Trustees from 2016-2020 and co-facilitated the inaugural Dorsey O. Blake Forum for Social Transformation. In 2014 Liz began the Second Sunday Social Justice Film Series for the Fellowship community. While living in Oregon, Liz served as the chaplain with an in-patient palliative care team through the COVID pandemic and was active with Southern Oregon Climate Action Now where she continues to serve on the Board. Known previously as Libby Zilber, she worked with San Francisco's Theatre of Yugen and as a member of the ceramics collective Kelly Avenue Potters in Half Moon Bay. She earned her Masters of Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry and her B.A in French and Theater from Lawrence University (WI).
Rev. Suzi Spangenberg, Associate Minister
was ordained at Fellowship Church in 2015. She received her Master of Arts in Social Change Degree and the Master of Divinity Degree from Starr King School for the Ministry. While at Starr King, she held positions of great trust, including that of student representative to the Starr King Board of Trustees. Prior to and during her journey with Starr King, she gave creative and committed leadership to the Standing on the Side of Love Campaign against the draconian SB1070 Anti‐immigrants Bill in Arizona and provided anti-racism trainings to white congregations nationally. She is a long time social justice activist and organizer and is recognized for her excellence as a photographer and videographer. She participated in and documented the Occupy Movement nationally, and after being targeted and violently assaulted by Oakland Police, was one of 12 plaintiffs in a Federal lawsuit which helped force Oakland Police to change their crowd control policies. As an associate minister at Fellowship Church, she focuses on chaplaincy, media, and social justice.
Rev. Elena Rose Vera, Associate Minister
was ordained at Fellowship in April 2016 and serves as a member of the Board of Trustees. Elena grew up in rural Oregon and has distinguished herself as a political and theological writer with a focus on the intersections between colonial history, race, gender, and queer liberation. She is a graduate of Starr King School for the Ministry. She travels the country as a preacher and poet, and has dedicated herself to the work of radical love, queer theology, and justice for those who live at the edges, and those whose backs are against the wall.
Dr. Carl Blake, Director of Music
holds three degrees in piano performance: Bachelor of Music (magna cum laude) from Boston University, Master of Arts from San Jose State University, and Doctor of Musical Arts from Cornell University. He is the first recipient of the Marian Anderson Young Artist Award (presented by Ms. Anderson herself) that led to a year of private study with Pierre Sancan of the Paris Conservatory of Music. Blake has performed in the United States, Russia, France, England, Central and South America, and the Caribbean Islands. To creditable acclaim, he performed several recitals at Carnegie Recital Hall and Wigmore Hall (London) and has toured with cellist Kim Cook to Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands under the auspices of the Artistic Ambassador Program of the United States Information Agency. Dr. Blake has received two Fulbright Senior Scholar Awards to lecture, teach, and perform at national music schools in Honduras, Central America.
Guest Musicians
William “Bill” Quist (Piano) • William Underwood III (Flute) • Hope Briggs (Vocals) • Dr. Karen Melander-Magoon (Piano, vocals)
Trustees
Bryan Caston, Board Chair • Michael Brown, Vice Chair, Membership and Facilities Committee Chairs • Courtney Brown, Tech Committee Chair • Steve Leeds, Treasurer • Brenda Reinertson, Secretary • Rev. Elena Rose Vera, Ministers' Advisory Committee Chair • Clara Allen • Carol Verburg