Calvary Episcopal
Church
Vestry
Minutes
February 8, 2003
Calvary Vestry Retreat
Saturday,
February 8, 2003 – 9:00 AM
Presbyterian
Seminary – Law’s Hall
Participants
Present: Will Cary, Sandra Cherry, Art Dietz, Ginger
Grizzle, Elyse Hensley, Jerry Lyndrup, Sally Reisz, Gail Richardson, Ruth
Robins, Don Snow, Harvey Turner, Jeff Webb, Joan Wempe, Michele Wogaman Absent: Clyde Warner
After-Lunch Guests: Margaret Dickinson, Callie Hausman, The Rev.
Richard Humke
Prayer
The
vestry retreat was opened with prayer by Junior Warden Art Dietz.
Call to Order
The retreat was called to order at 9:17 AM by Senior Warden
Will Cary.
Approval of Minutes of January 21, 2002 and January 26, 2003 Vestry
Meetings
·
The minutes of the January 21,
2003 vestry meeting were approved as corrected and amended (corrected spelling
of Art Dietz’s last name; added Britt Shelton’s name as Calvary’s youth
representative to the diocesan convention).
Motion (passed) to accept minutes was made by Jerry Lyndrup, seconded by
Harvey Turner.
·
The minutes of the January 26,
2003 special vestry meeting were approved as corrected and amended (corrected
spelling of Art Dietz’s and Sally Reisz’s last names; added Michele Wogaman’s
name to the list of search committee members from the vestry, deleted Jeff’s
Webb’s duplicate listing; under Rector’s
Stance on Possible War with Iraq, per motion of Sally Reisz and second of
Ginger Grizzle, changed the phrase “After discussion, the vestry agreed” to
read “Several vestry members commented that” and added the following wording
submitted by Don Snow at the end of the section: “There was also a statement
calling on other vestry members to find ways to minister to Fr. Humke and honor
his integrity for genuinely held beliefs and his need to be true to those
beliefs while still ministering to the congregation as a whole." Motion (passed) to accept minutes was made
by Harvey Turner, seconded by Art Dietz.
Selection of Vestry Committee Assignments
Each vestry member selected
the vestry committee upon which he or she will serve for the year 2003. Each committee then met in separate session
to initiate plans and select chairs and recorders.
·
Personnel,
Planning and Volunteers – Sandra Cherry, Chair; Elyse Hensley,
Recorder; Art Dietz; Ginger Grizzle; Sally Reisz, Gail Richardson; Joan Wempe
·
Building and
Grounds – Jeff Webb, Chair; Jerry
Lyndrup, Recorder; Will Cary; Don Snow; Clyde Warner (appointed in absentia)
·
Budget and
Finance – Harvey Turner, Chair and
Recorder; Ruth Robins; Michele Wogaman
Selection of Six Non-Vestry Members of Rector Search Committee
The vestry reviewed all the candidates who had offered their
services for filling the six non-vestry positions on the rector search
committee. Motion (passed) was made by Michele Wogaman and seconded by Don Snow
that each of the six non-vestry candidates must receive at least seven (7)
votes in order to be selected. Chosen
were Jim Barnes, John Bugbee, Anne Marie deZeeuw, Downey Gray, Lynne Lyndrup
and Meg Scharre. Motion (passed) by
Sally Reisz, seconded by Michele Wogaman, that in the event an alternate is
needed for the search committee, the vestry will decide between Mary Redden and
John Cunningham, who tied for next
highest in numbers of votes.
Altar Flower Policy
The vestry discussed the pros and cons of developing a
policy regarding the giving of flowers for beautifying the altar, chancel and
font on Sundays. No action was taken
regarding the development of a policy.
It was agreed, however, that if questions arise in the future regarding
the appropriateness of for whom or for what flowers are given, the donor needs
to address the matter with the wardens.
Rector’s Stance on Possible U.S. War with Iraq and Vestry
Resolution
There was discussion among the
vestry members regarding the rector’s stance on a possible war with Iraq and
the vestry’s need to be sensitive to his feelings, as well as to the feelings
of all members of the congregation. The vestry then deliberated on the need,
given both the current state of our parish and the current state of the world
as a whole, to take the lead in formulating a statement expressing what Calvary
stands for. Motion (passed) was made by
Don Snow, seconded by Harvey Turner, that the following statement offered by
Michele Wogaman be adopted as a vestry resolution and communicated to the
congregation via the vestry minutes, the Calvary web site, the Calvary Connection and other means as
appropriate:
WHEREAS, we know that our Lord has commanded us
to honor our faith not only with our lips, but with our lives;
WHEREAS, we acknowledge that people of good
faith, in living out the same, experience that command in diverse ways;
WHEREAS, as we give thanks that where we gather
as the Body of Christ, our Lord will be also;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:
·
that Calvary Episcopal Church, now and ever, will be a home to
prayerful discernment and therefore an impetus to right action;
·
that people of good faith, speaking their truth in love, may join,
in their diversity, to seek God ; and,
·
that we may be ever mindful of, and guided by, our Lord’s Great
commandment: In loving God, may we be
led to see His face in all of His children, and in loving our neighbor, may be
brought ever closer to the perfection of God’s truth and love in our world.
Clergy and Staff Attendees at
Retreat
Fr. Richard Humke, Margaret Dickinson and Callie Patten joined the
vestry for lunch and for the afternoon session of the retreat.
Retreat to Count As February
Vestry Meeting
After lunch, Sally Reisz made a motion (passed), seconded by Jeff
Webb, that the retreat serve as the vestry’s monthly meeting for February.
Rector Search Process
The Rev. Mark Linder, from
Christ Episcopal Church in Bowling Green, Kentucky, who is serving as
consultant to Calvary’s search committee, joined the group and shared the Letter
of Agreement for Vacancy and Search Consultant which will guide his
interactions with the search committee. He then presented an informational
session regarding search process procedures and made a number of useful and
informative recommendations about how best to facilitate the search
process. The vestry then engaged in a
question and answer session with The Rev. Linder.
Review of Past Parish Goals
The remainder of the afternoon
was spent revisiting the parish goals established at the 1997 Vestry Overnight
and re-prioritizing those goals in light of today’s needs and
circumstances. Suggestions were made
for necessary action in the year ahead which will move Calvary forward,
strengthen parish life and reinforce our collective commitment to living our
faith on a daily basis. Major
highlights and updates pursuant to this review were as follows:
·
Building and Grounds – repair overhead plaster in chancel
·
Budget & Finance – develop repayment plan for loan from endowment fund, to include
specific schedule for payments
·
Planned Giving – develop materials for distribution to parishioners and a plan
for encouraging this form of stewardship (Jeff Webb agreed to continue chairing
this committee)
·
Stewardship – continue making stewardship a year-round priority, not just an
issue addressed during the Every Member Canvass in the fall
·
Volunteers – share lists of volunteers for various committees with vestry;
ask PP & V to establish Greeter Committee, with guidelines for duties (want
to encourage moving people from sanctuary back to parish hall for hospitality
hour); Lois O’Hara is now calling the church office each week to see if there
are new names in guest book and is writing notes of welcome to the visitors;
need to “spruce up” church (vestibule in particular) to make Calvary look more
hospitable
·
Outreach – explore ways of making outreach opportunities into social
opportunities as well (example: young
couples day with Habitat for Humanity project)
·
Education – explore methods for expanding the format of Sunday’s adult
Christian education opportunity (Adult Forum) to attract parents of youth who
attend Sunday School; look at what opportunities exit for people to take part
in tasks (educational and otherwise) that will help make them feel
included/that they belong
·
Congregational Overnight at
All Saints – explore this method of connecting
youth to other generations within the parish and of bonding the parish family
as a whole
·
Crisis Care – refocus attention on this vital in-reach effort (Jean Dietz is
now calling the church office on Wednesdays to get the names of parishioners in
the hospital or otherwise in need of Crisis Care)
·
Cultural Life – expand opportunities at Calvary for art exhibits and other such
events
·
Enhancing Parish Life in
General - bring parishioners together for
external social functions; NOTE: this effort will be essential when new rector
comes: suggestion to hold small informal gatherings or dinner groups for new
rector and parishioners
Fr. Humke’s Commitment to Calvary
At the end
of the day, the vestry was grateful to hear that Fr. Humke, current priest in
charge, planned to remain with Calvary through the end of August 2003. As he will be on vacation during the month
of July, it will be necessary for the vestry to arrange for others to fill in
four (4) Sundays that month. Fr. Humke
will also be off one Sunday every other month, so visiting priests for those
Sundays will be required as well.
The vestry
retreat was closed with a prayer by Fr. Humke and adjourned at 3:17 PM.
Respectfully
submitted,
Eleanor
Ruth Robins
Eleanor
Ruth Robins, Secretary
Calvary
Vestry
