The Rev. Ed Bacon

Ed Bacon is an Episcopal priest whose central passion is teaching that Jesus' life and teachings embodied a Love-based life as opposed to a fear-based ideology. Stemming from that taproot, Ed teaches the Oneness of all creation, leadership in anxious and divisive times, rethinking Christianity as non-bigoted, science-friendly, interfaith, and grace-based. Ed also promotes peace, justice, and inclusion for all regardless of race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation.

After his 2016 retirement from 35 years of being rector of Episcopal churches, Ed continues his priesthood as speaker, retreat leader, consultant, and writer. His longest tenure was leading All Saints Church in Pasadena, California for 21 years. From January 2019 until July 2021, he flunked retirement and was Interim Rector of St. Luke’s Church, downtown Atlanta, where Ed had been ordained in 1983. He earlier served as Mercer University Campus Minister and Dean of Students; he held these positions after his first ordination in 1971 in the Southern Baptist denomination. After he was made priest in the Episcopal Church, he was rector of St. Mark’s, Dalton Georgia, followed by being the Dean of the Cathedral of St. Andrew, Jackson Mississippi.

Author of 8 Habits of Love, Ed has been a guest host on Oprah Winfrey’s Soul Series (Oprah & Friends Radio) and a guest panelist in the Spirituality 101 segment of The Oprah Winfrey Show’s “Living Your Best Life” series. Ms. Winfrey named Ed Bacon a “Soul Teacher” on her “SuperSoul 100” list, a collection of “100 awakened leaders who are using their voices to elevate humanity.”

He serves on the board of Pando Populus, a creation care organization promoting the values and preservation of the largest organism on the planet, “Pando,” the one-tree 106-acre quaking aspen forest in Southern Utah. He works to help save the Pando forest which he considers symbolic of the interconnectedness of all creation. He also serves on the board of the Center for Cristogenesis, Sr. Ilia Delio’s organization for the articulation of Teilhard de Chardin’s thinking for the 21st century. He also serves on the Los Angeles-based Muslim Public Affairs Council Advisory Board.

He can be followed on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, and he posts a weekly Sunday afternoon reflection and prayer offering on Facebook and YouTube. The Oprah Winfrey Network has recently chosen his interviews with Ms. Winfrey for the SuperSoul Conversations by Oprah on Apple Podcasts. He and his wife Hope Hendricks-Bacon live in Birmingham near their grandchildren. His website is Edbacon.co.