Our Vestry

As members of the St. Paul’s Vestry, we would like to welcome you. Thank you for joining the church! We are very excited to have you with us, and we look forward to walking together, side by side, as we worship, work and serve the world in the name of the Lord.

We are your vestry, and below is some further information about who we are and what we do. When we say that all are welcome here, we really mean it. We want everyone to receive a warm welcome and know that we’re glad they came to worship with us. Please look for us and say hello. You can identify us by our red nametags, and you can find one of us each Sunday standing beside the clergy, greeting the people as you leave the church.

Thanks again for choosing to join this church we love so much. We look forward to getting to know you better.

Yours in Christ,

The Vestry

What is a Vestry, and How does it Work?

Unlike some other religious denominations, our Episcopal churches are self-governed. We have a board of directors – it’s called a “vestry”, a traditional term reflective of our origins in the Church of England. Our vestry is elected by you to run the business of the church. The vestry is the legal representative of the parish with regard to all matters pertaining to the corporate property. We are tasked with helping define and articulating the mission of our congregation; supporting our congregation; ensuring effective organization and planning; and being careful and faithful stewards of the parish’s resources and finances.

Like you, we are members of the congregation. We are lay leaders, members of “the laity” – the people. The vestry is elected by you at our annual meeting (held each January) to run the business of the church under the leadership of our Rector, Rev. Susan. Members of our Vestry serve three-year terms. Four new members are voted in each year, as four members retire from service. We serve on your behalf.

Our vestry has officers. Rev. Susan serves as the “president” of the vestry and leads our meetings. We have two vice-presidents, which are called “wardens.” The “Senior” Warden (also called the “Rector’s Warden”) is the first Vice President and is tasked under Church guidelines as serving as a liaison between the Rector and the Congregation; he/she is appointed by the Rector. The “Junior Warden” (also called the “Peoples’ Warden”), is the second Vice President, and is elected by the Vestry from among its members. We also have a Vestry Clerk (a recording secretary) and a parish Treasurer.

Each Vestry member agrees to serve on various committees and/or as a liaison with church ministries. The two wardens typically serve on the Finance Committee. The Junior Warden traditionally also serves as a member of the Buildings and Grounds Committee (one of the most important committees in the smooth day-to-day operations of our large church campus). Our work as a vestry is guided by our St. Paul’s by-laws and corporate documents; Diocesan Constitution and Canons; Church-wide Constitution and Canons; and generally accepted parish customs. All of these documents – as well as minutes of our vestry meetings - are available to you, either by visiting the Church Office, or online.

Vestry members can be identified by a red name badge. Because we are your representatives, we encourage you to seek us out, in person, via phone or email, to share any concerns, hopes, or ideas you have for our parish. Our (nearly) monthly vestry meetings are open to every member of our congregation, and you are warmly encouraged to attend any vestry or committee meeting. The work of the parish belongs to all of us. These meetings are posted on the church calendar (website) and also included in the Sunday bulletin and weekly newsletter.

This year’s Vestry Members are:

The Rev. Susan Bek, Rector

Grace Dunlevy, Senior Warden

Jordan Daniels, Junior Warden

Lori Burke, Vestry Clerk (non-voting member)

Peter Anderson, Treasurer

Dan Campbell

Kathleen Crookston

Steve Jones

Sarah Lamola

Kathy Loest

Marcia Semple

Daniel Smithson

Wendy VanHorn

Bridget Wareham

We thank you for the opportunity to serve.