At our annual meeting on the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6, 2024), we will select three new vestry members. In order for that to happen, we need your nominations!
As a reminder, the vestry is responsible, as the governing board of the church, for providing “oversight in the temporal activities, business, affairs, and property of the Church.” In Anglican church governance, the clergy, under the authority of the bishop, is responsible for the theological beliefs and mission of the church, and the laity, through its representatives (i.e., the vestry), governs the resources used to enact those beliefs and accomplish that mission.
The nomination process is simple: Any member of the church may nominate any confirmed or received member of the church. (Confirmation is not required for membership and it is not required to nominate someone for vestry, but it is required to serve on the vestry.) Simply send an email with the name of the person who would serve in this role well to our Senior Warden or Junior Warden.
The nomination period will run from November 1-21. After the nominations have been received, they will be vetted by the current vestry, according to the criteria listed below. Those approved by the current vestry will be announced in mid-December, and three names will be drawn by lot from this group on January 6 at the annual meeting.
The criteria to serve as a vestry member are as follows:
Be a mature Christian, and not one who has recently come to the faith;
Lead a life that is above reproach, according to the standards of the Bible;
Worship God regularly in the Church;
Lead an active devotional life, seeking to grow in prayer and knowledge of the Bible;
Faithfully give to Christian ministries, including this Church, in proportion to his or her income;
Have family relationships that reflect strong Christian commitment;
Be willing to devote time and energy to be able to serve effectively as a Vestry member;
Be a voting member of this local Church, as defined by these Bylaws; and
Be confirmed or received into the ACNA.
Paid staff members and their spouses are ineligible for nomination, and only one member of a family may serve on the vestry at a time. If you want more information about the vestry, send me an email! I am happy to talk with any of you about the governance of the church.
Please pray for wisdom and protection from God as new leaders are chosen during this season. If you are a member of the church, please pray about whether you should nominate someone for this role. We will send out a separate email to all members with a list of those eligible to be nominated.
In Christ,
Steven+