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About Us: Wardens & Vestry

Wardens & Vestry

Put your trust in the Lord and do good.  Psalm 37:3

Clergy and laity share in the responsibility of leading our parish. The vestry is the governing board of the Parish of Epiphany, working with the clergy and staff to carry out God's mission for our church. The vestry consists of the rector, two wardens, the treasurer and associate treasurer, the clerk, and 15 members of our parish elected by the church members at the Annual Meeting. The vestry is responsible for overseeing the church's activities and addressing general matters of parish policy and management. The wardens act as legal representatives of the parish, working closely with the rector in the daily operations of parish life.

How would you describe the job of a . . . 

VESTRY MEMBER (3-year term, unless completing a term underway)
The work of the vestry has two faces, leadership (both spiritual and temporal) and operational management. The rector and vestry in a collaborative and cooperative manner, engage in short and long range planning to determine the congregation’s vision & mission.  The vestry assists the treasurer and the associate treasurer in the creation and maintenance of the parish budget that supports the congregation’s vision & mission, programs, staff, and facilities.

The vestry strives to ensure adequate resources and effective stewardship to accomplish our mission. The vestry keeps the congregation informed about their work and encourages clear and direct communication. The vestry is also responsible for the congregation’s visible presence in the wider community. Vestry members are encouraged to see themselves as spiritual and evangelical beings and as co-creators of ministry with the rector and other staff members. Vestry members should be able to make the following time commitments: vestry meetings (generally the third Wednesday of each month), committee work, vestry retreat, annual meeting, weekly worship services, and congregational events (taking care to seek out old friends and new). Vestry members assist in the “furtherance of the Gospel and well-being of the parish.” 

Vestry members must generously give of their time, talent and treasure if they expect other members of the congregation to do so.

WARDEN
  (2-year term; up to 3 consecutive terms)
The wardens are elected members of the vestry and provide leadership to the vestry and to the congregation. In addition to presiding at vestry meetings and the vestry responsibilities noted above, the wardens meet regularly with the rector to review the life and work of the congregation, plan ahead, anticipate and resolve problems. Frequent emails are common. Wardens are available to discuss any and all concerns with the rector and with members of the congregation. The wardens sit on the executive committee, and work with the treasurers and clerk to plan and assist in financial forecasting for the parish. Wardens are expected to attend services and most church events. Wardens also support and assist the rector, doing whatever needs to be done, and they take special care for the personal well-being of the rector and his family. Wardens are accountable to both the rector and the parish. 


Nelia Newell
Warden


Susan Haskell
Clerk


Sarah McGonigle
2026


Dave Clark 
2027


Darwin Keith-Lucas
Warden


Rich Bartels
2025


Connie McGrane
2026


Jennifer Khudairi
2027


Bruce Glabe
Treasurer


Kathy Hodges
2025


James Wagner
2026


Eileen Marks
Associate Treasurer


Josh Reynolds
2025


Leslie Aitken
2027


NOMINATING COMMITTEE MEMBER
(one year term, no consecutive terms)
Each year, the Nominations Committee works to present a slate of candidates for all open volunteer positions. The bulk of this work generally takes place from September through December. This committee consists of 5 people: a warden, the rector, and three lay persons. The responsibilities of this committee include: announcing nominations are open, collecting nominations from the parish, informing all nominees of their nomination status (including providing them with proper information to aid in their decision to accept the role), and discerning a final slate for presentation at the Annual Meeting.

CONVENTION DELEGATE (1-year term)
The two convention delegates represent Parish of the Epiphany as voting members at the annual Diocesan Convention and the occasional special convention. Convention is held on a Friday-Saturday at the beginning of November, often in the Boston area, sometimes farther away. Prior to convention there are evening forums held in various locations at which delegates can learn about and discuss the elections and resolutions to be considered by the convention. If one of the convention delegates is unable to attend convention then a convention alternate will be asked to attend as a voting delegate. The two convention alternates may choose to attend convention as non-voting members.

DEANERY REPRESENTATIVE (1-year term, no more than 6 consecutive terms)
The Deanery Representative is expected to attend quarterly meetings of the Deanery.  The representative should be aware of the current state of our Parish and be willing to report within the Deanery during the Parish Check-In. The goal is to meet other active members of the Episcopal church, trade ideas, and learn from each other about what is and what is not working at each church. Any information that would be helpful to Epiphany should be communicated to the Rector or Wardens. 

Deanery Representative Background:
The Mystic Valley Deanery, of which Epiphany is a part, represents fourteen different parishes from Revere to Winchester to Wakefield. The goal of the Deanery is to provide an opportunity for the lay leadership and clergy to build community within the Deanery, to share ideas, to learn and to collaborate with each other. Our Deanery currently (2021) meets 3-4 times per year by Zoom and often the Northwest Regional Canon attends. The meeting consists of a call to order, a check-in during which each parish provides a 2–3-minute update which can be anything from an issue or challenge concerning the parish or highlight an achievement and ends with a program or discussion. The meeting typically lasts 1.5 hours. The Mystic Valley Deanery is a diverse mix of churches; here is a link to the other churches in the Deanery.


  

Location & Contact

70 Church Street
Winchester, MA 01890
Phone: 781.729.1922
office@3crowns.org

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