Greetings beloved St. Georgians,
As previously announced in our bulletin and newsletter, our parish’s annual meeting will take place on Sunday, January 22 at 10 am. I am excited to invite your participation. This is a opportunity for us to come together and praise God, celebrate our ministry, dream ahead, and call new leaders.
After two years of virtual annual meetings, we are returning to an in-person annual meeting as part of a combined worship service at 10 am. which will be livestreamed. We will still hold the 7:45 am and 5:30 pm services that day but encourage as many members as possible to attend at 10. We are integrating our meeting with our worship so as to ground our “business” in God’s grace and love.
Note that we will have nursery care available for infants and younger children. After the Gospel, older children will have the option of leaving the service until the Communion for some supervised activities on the youth floor. Children are always welcome in the service.
Our only item of official business is the vestry election which must conform to the canons of The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia. Current canons do not provide guidance for a hybrid format which means that voting must be done in person for this meeting. At the end of the service, the official business meeting of the parish will be called to order, approximately 11:15 am. At that time, anyone who is eligible to vote who could not attend the service can join the meeting either in the nave or in the narthex. This section should last less than 10 minutes. After voting is complete, we will adjourn the meeting and proceed to fellowship in Sydnor Hall.
I realize the in-person format will make it difficult for some members of the parish to vote in the vestry election. There are difficulties with any format, and this was not an easy decision. If there is something we can do to make it easier for you to participate in person, please let me know.
In order to vote in the election, you must be a registered, baptized, adult (16+) member of St. George’s “in good standing.” “In good standing” is defined by the canons as members of the parish who have been faithful in corporate worship, unless for good cause prevented, and have been “faithful in working, praying and giving for the spread of the Kingdom of God.” We trust that only those who qualify will cast a ballot.
We have seven nominees for four positions. They are (in alphabetical order): Brian Davis, Brooke DiLauro, Michael Hodgkin, Pete Kelly, Joseph Lyttle, Peggy Matthias, and Peggy Verdine. More information about them is posted on our website. I am thankful to them for their willingness to be considered. They have all met the requirements of the canons and are devoted members of St. George’s.
The members of the vestry who are ending their terms are: Caroline Pritchard (senior warden), Jason Kunkler, Josue Rivera-Orellano, and Stuart Whitford. Please join me in thanking them for their service and for serving as vote counters at the meeting.
Whether you vote in this election or not, please pray. Prayer is powerful. Pray for our nominees and for guidance about whom God is calling to serve on our vestry. Pray that God would use our annual meeting to energize our church family for the season ahead. The Holy Spirit is at work! I look forward to being together on January 22.
Your rector and brother in Christ,
Joe+
