An Open Invitation to Discuss...Vestry Elections are Coming.

The upcoming vestry vote, scheduled for Monday, September 10 (with some alternate times being discussed as I write this, I believe) will give us a unique opportunity, not afforded members of Grace Episcopal Church for the last 20 years, to vote for 3 new members of the vestry in an open election of volunteer participants with prior notification and biographical information available for each.

First things first:

...thanks to all of those volunteering for election. This is a trail-blazing opportunity and you are the trailblazers.

...thanks to the current vestry for sponsoring this event at this time in this manner. It is this activist approach to pursuing a new direction that will shape Grace Episcopal Church's future.

The events of the last 1, 5 10 and 20 years have been unprecedented in this church and some of these events have been so outrageous that sometimes it is difficult to put our current situation in perspective. Keep in mind that we are a sizable church:

540 members (or very close to that), including adults and children.

424 voting members, including legal adults, comparable in definition to the voting list assembled by Grace/Nigeria (I think that was 792 total, with 342/370 voting to leave, if you catch my drift...424).

In short, as a sizable church with designs on near-term reoccupation of our traditional digs, we have the ability to accumulate and manage significant financial resources, perhaps more fully realizable when we are home again, but significant, even in exile. Indeed, the diocese may be able to expect big things out of us with such a large count, so the ability to manage financial contributions and expectations will be paramount for the existing and new vestry members. In this context, it might be good to have a response from the prospective vestry members to the following questions:


1. For those who have had prior vestry experience at Grace, what are the necessary changes you are going make about your approach to being a vestry member this time around?

2. How does a vestry member best help promote the financial well-being of the church through promotion, cost-control, etc.?...what kind of vision applies here?

3. At what point do we start making our contribution to the diocese?

4. In what capacity and under what circumstances should the vestry engage other members of the parish in church business?...Is this desirable?

5. What is the vestry's role in getting the priest-in-charge matter settled and when?

6. What can the vestry do to better publicize what they are doing to manage the financial affairs of this church to avoid appearing secretive?...or inactive?

7. How is an activist vestry best achieved?...Is that even desirable?


Please post a response to any or all questions, or even something you would rather talk about at your earliest convenience. If you respond with your name and you are running for the vestry, your comment will be published. I will be reviewing this blog routinely to ensure timely update.