Every March, members of Redeemer elect new members to the Vestry—our parish's governing body. This year we are electing three new Vestry members: two for 3-year terms and one for a 1-year term. (Sarah Byrd, after serving us well for 2 years, has resigned from the Vestry for personal reasons.) Any member in good standing can be nominated to serve on the vestry. If you are a member of Redeemer, we encourage you to prayerfully consider whom you might nominate for these important roles.
Nominations are open through Sunday, February 25
Nominees will be presented on Wednesday, March 6.
Voting will be conducted online the week of Sunday, March 10 through Sunday, March 17.
Thank you for your thoughtful and prayerful consideration.
The Nominating Committee of the Vestry
Hallel Baehman
Robyn Burlew
Matt Morgan
Jim Reynolds
The Definition of a Vestry
What is a Vestry?
Our Vestry is an elected body of deeply committed, faithful lay members of the parish. The Vestry, under the leadership of the Rector, meets monthly to prayerfully steward the “temporalities” (i.e. material resources) of the church.
Demographics of a Healthy Vestry
It is desirable to have a well-balanced Vestry that accurately represents the demographics of the congregation. A healthy Vestry is composed of both men and women, young and old, single and married, parents and non-parents.
Characteristics of a Good candidate for Vestry
A good candidate for the Vestry is a deeply committed, faithful, prayerful follower of Jesus and a confirmed member of Redeemer. He or she does not need to be successful, influential, or impressive. He or she does not need to be an expert in the Anglican tradition. A good candidate wants to be on the Vestry in order to serve; he or she is humble, willing to hear others and to work well with others to reach decisions that benefit the Church.
Expected Time Commitment
Not everyone will have the time to serve on the Vestry in every season of life. In addition to one monthly meeting on a weekday evening for three years, Vestry members will be expected to serve 2-3 additional hours per week on Vestry-related tasks. Vestry members will also attend a one-night annual retreat.
Process for Submitting Nominations
Prayer: This is a process that needs to be saturated in prayer.
Please submit your nominations here.
The Purpose of Redeemer's Vestry
Safeguard the Vision
The Vestry’s primary role is to protect the stated vision of the parish. Each member of the Vestry should be able to articulate and to safeguard the overall goals and visionary direction of the congregation. For us, this includes our commitment to Gospel Formation for Missional Presence and to The 7 Essential Practices of the Church.
Ensure the Values
While the Vestry may know the vision and goals of the parish, the next question is this: How are we actually trying to live this out? What are the means and programs by which we are working toward our vision? Where do we focus our efforts? The Vestry works with the Rector to implement the vision through effective methods and programs.
Uphold Financial Integrity
The Vestry is also charged with protecting the financial integrity of the church. Through a designated Finance team, the Vestry scrutinizes the finances on a regular basis. The Vestry creates and approves a budget, provides for an annual audit of all funds, and ensures that there is an annual report to the congregation. The Vestry acts as guardians of the financial life of the parish to ensure that the church has a long-term future and is operating in a trustworthy way with all funds that have been given or borrowed.
Support the Rector
Supporting the Rector is the fourth key role of the Vestry. If the Rector is the main agent in accomplishing 1, 2, and 3 above, then the Vestry’s primary role is to help the Rector accomplish these things. Vestry leadership is never honorary: they are not rubber stamps for what the Rector decides is best. But neither are they to be ‘devil’s advocates’, the loyal opposition, or representatives of any special interest groups or programs in the parish. The Vestry has one job in a sense: help the Rector to lead the parish in 1, 2 and 3 (above) and support him however they can.
Model Sacrificial Giving
The final role of the Vestry is to model sacrificial, tithe-based giving to the parish. The Vestry should be among the most generous and financially committed members of the church. Why? Because members who give generously have often learned how to make faith-based decisions about money and thus can lead the parish well in this area. And because people who are sacrificial givers—tithers—have usually discovered in themselves a heart of generosity that will help create a parish-wide culture of generosity in the years to come.
* Language borrowed from The Rev. David Roseberry, The Rector, the Vestry and the Bishop: The Essential Guide for Anglican Leaders.
