I give thanks to God for these eight individuals who have offered themselves as nominees for a three-year term on our Vestry: Christine Cook, James Freeman, Dwight Jackson, Linda Jones, Rob Lambert, Jana Mayfield, Ryan Sheets, and Katherine Tipton. Their willingness to serve in that capacity—as well as to subject themselves to an election by their peers—is an expression of humility and sacrifice. Our congregation depends upon good and faithful people who say yes when asked if they are willing to serve, and we should all be grateful.
You can see photographs of the nominees and read their biographies below, but, before you do, I would be surprised if you know all of them. St. Paul’s is a big church. We have four services on Sunday mornings and additional services on Wednesdays. Our congregation undertakes dozens of ministries every week. There is no way for all of us to know each other. Even the rector of a church our size cannot know everyone’s name! Some of us have been members of much smaller congregations, in which everyone knows everyone else and where leadership is exercised by a few privileged members. Our church is different, and our Vestry works best when it includes a diverse cross-section of the wider congregation. I am delighted that these nominees represent the fullness of our church.
In some congregations, the outgoing members of the Vestry present a slate of nominees for election. Although individuals may be able to recommend themselves or someone else for the ministry of serving on the Vestry, the responsibility for presenting the “right” names to the parish rests on a group that is already on the inside. Usually, those groups know the importance of recruiting a balanced slate—a solid bench of veteran parishioners with a sprinkling of newcomers who together reflect the age and ideology of the whole parish. That approach works in many parishes, but I am grateful we operate differently.
At St. Paul’s, all canonically qualified individuals who are nominated, whether by other parishioners or by themselves, appear on the ballot. The current Vestry members are responsible for encouraging people to be nominated, but they do not handpick a slate for your consideration. They simply encourage faithful people to consider offering themselves in that way, and the result is always positive. I believe that there is remarkable freedom and possibility in our approach, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside whomever you elect.
The Vestry election will be on Sunday, December 13. You must be physical present in church to vote. As in previous years, we will use an electronic, ranked-choice ballot, which allows us to use an “instant runoff” approach to avoid the need for subsequent ballots. Last year, we adopted a new ballot format, and it received positive reviews, so we plan to use it again. The four individuals whom you choose on December 13 will be presented to the Annual Meeting of the parish on January 24 so that the election can be officially ratified by the entire congregation. We will commission those new Vestry members at the 11:00 a.m. service that day.
Here are the canonically defined qualifications for those who are allowed to vote in the Vestry election: 1) be at least 16 years old, 2) be a baptized member of St. Paul’s, 3) be a member for at least the last 30 days, 4) come to church and take Communion at least 3 times a year, and 5) make a financial commitment to the church or be financially unable to do so. On December 13, if you meet those five qualifications, I hope you will come to church and vote in the Vestry election.
In the meantime, I ask you to do three things. First, please pray for these nominees by name every day. Through the election process, God will call four of them to serve on our Vestry, and we need to ask God to bless all of the nominees as they prepare for this ministry. Second, please pray for our entire Vestry, including those who are completing their third and final year of service. Our Vestry carries a weighty spiritual responsibility on our behalf, and we need to ask God to help them bear it. Finally, please pray that God will lead you to offer yourself in the service of God and our church. The Vestry cannot do this alone, and they need your help.
Gracious God, we thank you for raising up faithful servants who are willing to lead our congregation as members of our Vestry. Thank you for Christine, James, Dwight, Linda, Rob, Jana, Ryan, and Katherine. Fill them with your Holy Spirit and guide them as they prepare to serve you. Bless all the members of our Vestry, that together they may help our church be faithful to your love. Inspire all the people of St. Paul’s to listen for your calling, and give us grace that we may respond faithfully and courageously to you. All this we ask through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
Yours faithfully,
Evan D. Garner
