Nominations for Vestry members are underway and will end on December 29, 2018. Anyone i
nterested in serving on the Vestry should contact a member of the Nomination Committee (Meg Swant, Buzz Atkinson, or Les Woodward.) There are 3 vacancies that will need to be filled with terms beginning immediately following the Annual Meeting held in January 2019. Retiring members of the Vestry are Janeece Buckner, Ken Griechen and Jim Gilligan.
Roles and Responsibilities of Vestry and Vestry Members
The Vestry is the legal representative of the parish with regard to all matters pertaining to its corporate property. The number of vestry members and the term of office vary from parish to parish. Resurrection has nine members. Vestry members are usually elected at the annual parish meeting. The presiding officer of the Vestry is the Rector. There are usually two wardens. The Senior Warden leads the parish between rectors and is a support person for the Rector. The Junior Warden often has responsibility for church property and buildings. A treasurer and a secretary or clerk may be chosen. These officers may or may not be Vestry members. The basic responsibilities of the Vestry are to help define and articulate the mission of the congregation; to support the church's mission by word and deed, to select the Rector, to ensure effective organization and planning, and to manage resources and finances.
Role of the Vestry
The Vestry of an Episcopal church has three primary responsibilities. The first two are managerial: to take care of parish finances and the parish buildings. The third is to choose individuals to fill various positions of leadership and representation: the choice of a rector, the choice of delegates to the diocesan convention, and the selection of others as the diocesan canons may stipulate. The Vestry also serves as an advisory council to the rector who by church law is the parish's chief liturgical and pastoral officer.
Membership
The Vestry consists of lay members of the church elected by the congregation at the annual parish meeting. The Vestry of Resurrection has nine (9) elected members. Vestry members normally serve a three year term and must be enrolled, confirmed adult (16+) communicants in good standing of the parish.
Meetings
The Vestry of Resurrection church usually meets on the second Wednesday of each month from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm in the Undercroft. Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are open to members of the congregation. The annual parish meeting is usually held in January each year.
Frequently Asked Questions . . .
What does the Vestry do?
The Vestry meets each month to review and approve normal monthly operational expenses of the church, receive reports from various committees, plan and approve capital improvement projects, and attend to concerns within the parish.
Who are the officers of the Vestry?
The national and diocesan canons provide guidance as to parish and Vestry structures. The canons require us to have a Senior and Junior warden, for the rector to be the presiding officer, and for the senior warden to preside in the absence of the rector. The Clerk may or may not be a member of the Vestry and, like the wardens, is elected by the Vestry annually. Under Resurrection's By-Laws the Treasurer may or may not be a member of the vestry but is elected annually by the vestry.
How are Vestry members selected?
In our Diocese a vestry shall be composed of not fewer than three nor more than 15 members of the parish who are enrolled confirmed adult communicants in good standing of the Protestant Episcopal Church. Resurrection has nine Vestry members. Before the annual meeting, the Vestry forms a committee to nominate a slate of candidates to replace the three members whose terms are scheduled to expire. With approval of the Vestry, the nominations are presented to the congregation at the annual parish meeting. When the nominations are presented, the congregation is offered the opportunity to nominate candidates from the floor. When the slate is closed, the congregation votes for the candidates of their choice and the three candidates receiving a majority of the votes of those present and eligible to vote are elected to take the place of the three members whose terms are expiring at the end of December of that year. Vestry members are elected to serve on the Vestry for a period of three years. An enrolled confirmed adult communicant in good standing in this Church may vote when present at any meeting of the parish, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of this Diocese.
EDUCATION
