From the Bishop's Office: Vestry '101'

Announcement from the Bishop's Office

Formation Opportunity for Wardens, Clergy

& Vestry

February 28, 2023

5:00 - 6:00 PM

To: Sr. & Jr. Wardens, Parochial and Non-Parochial Clergy, Vestry

From: The Bishop's Office

Re: Formation Opportunity

Date: December 28, 2022

Dear Friends,

The next monthly formation opportunity is on Tuesday, February 28th. This is a one hour Zoom from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. This is not mandatory but is offered for information purposes, learnings and reminders. We look forward to you joining us.

Lainey

Lainey Hurlbut

Executive Assistant to the Bishop

lhurlbut@diocesewma.org

(413) 737-4786, ext. 123

February 28, 2023

Vestry '101'

Led by: Bishop Doug Fisher & Canon Rich Simpson

New to vestry? New at leading one? Join us as we explore what makes serving on vestry a critical ministry in our congregations. Bishop Fisher and Canon Rich Simpson will bring wisdom and experience to this important conversation. We encourage all new vestry members to attend, if possible. Video of this session will be added to the "wardens, clergy" playlist on our YouTube Channel.

Join Zoom Meeting

5:00 - 6:00 PM EST

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84718425265?pwd=UkwvQ0QwRFpibTR6MElrNkdMak92dz09

Meeting ID: 847 1842 5265

Passcode: Episcopal

This is a recurring link

Vestry

In England the annual election of churchwardens took place in Easter week. The parishioners gathered at the church to hear the outgoing wardens render their accounts and elect their successors. The parishioners assembled in the vestry, the room off the chancel where the clergy vested. The assembled parishioners came to be known as the vestry. These were open vestries in that all adult male parishioners could participate. It was like a modern annual congregational meeting. In Virginia the parishes were very large and it was difficult to get all the male parishioners together. So they would meet only once and elect twelve of their number to serve for life. This was known as a closed vestry. The transition to a closed vestry was completed by 1633 or 1634, when a Vestry Act was passed. It provided that “there be a vestrie held in each parish.” The current vestry evolved from this colonial pattern.

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 varies from parish to parish. 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.

from “An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians,” Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors.

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