Reverend Virginia A. Barnes
Recently new to our Center, Virginia Barnes brings an impressive list of accomplishments to our spiritual home. She completed her ministerial training with Religious Science International in 1998 and went on to become the pastor of the San Diego Church of Religious Science.
After five years of continuous growth, Reverend Virginia accepted the call to become pastor of the Porterville Church of Religious Science, now known as the Porterville Spiritual Enrichment Center. Each community she has served in has flourished and grown strong in the idea of Science of Mind philosophy.
At both churches and their areas, she served also as a Chaplain.

Reverend Virginia is an accomplished speaker and workshop presenter. Prior to her commitment to ministry, she had a successful career as a school administrator and a management consultant. In these roles, she was widely acknowledged for her business expertise, her interpersonal skills and her ability to provide inspiring and challenging presentations. Currently she is adding to those skills by taking the Certified Coaches training from the Academy for Coaching Excellence.

Her service to Religious Science International, our parent organization, has been extensive. Currently she serves as the Co-Chair of the 2007 Asilomar International Conference. She is also Chair for the Sponsorship Program for over 200 ministers who are presently pursuing ordination with RSI.

Virginia is a very proud mother of three married daughters. She also boasts of having six grandchildren; Daniel and Derrick, who live in Yorba Linda, Ca. with parents Connie and Steve; Kelsey and David, who live in San Marcos, Ca. with parents Carrie and Marc; and Ethan and Jake, who live in Summerlin, Nv. with parents Cathy and Larry. “These grandchildren keep me young” she brags. “Daniel and Derrick play baseball, my favorite sport, Kelsey and David have gotten me back on skis, Ethan and Jake take me shopping for Lego construction projects - and then convince me as only a five year old and a three year old can - to build those toys for them!”

Virginia has done extensive postgraduate ministerial study and in so doing, has developed a sacred covenant for her ministry. She joyfully shares with you that her vision is “...to reveal wholeness by teaching Truth and practicing peace.” She intends that this manifest by “embodying and expressing God, living through me; by teaching Truth, peace and wholeness to those I serve; and by providing a loving, supportive environment in which spiritual awareness can grow and prosper.”