ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH 608 JEFFERSON STREET TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI 38804 MINUTES OF JUNE 20, 2016 VESTRY MEETING PRESENT: Tony Alford Fred Page Albert White, Sr. Warden Frank Anger Kamme Riddle George Booth Margaret Anne Robbins Beth Harris Martha Ann Staub Kay Trapp, Assistant Treasurer Britt Hester Darcy Strickland Tommie Moore, Clerk Ken Murphree Rufus Van Horn ABSENT: Rev. Paul Stephens, Pamela Cox, Mike Fitzpatrick OPEN: George Booth opened the meeting with a reading and meditation from Psalm 42 and 43 at 6:01 p.m. CHECK-IN: Fr. Paul is away attending the Bexley Seabury 2016 Leadership Institute at Northwestern s Kellogg School of Management in Chicago. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA: None VISIONING: Action items from the Vestry Retreat Albert opened the discussion by reviewing the action items identified at the Vestry Retreat and calling for progress reports. Review covenant in the Vestry Resource Guide book to possibly replace Standards of our Life Together. Review and discuss one point of the covenant at the beginning of each Vestry meeting. Margaret Anne Robbins advised that she had reviewed Standards of our Life Together and upon reflecting on the content of Standards of Our Life Together and the sample Vestry Covenant found in the Vestry Resource Guide, she found very little difference, noting that our current standards are more specific. Margaret Anne made the following recommendations: Change the name from Standards of our Life Together to Vestry Covenant Using the opening paragraph to the Vestry Covenant found on page 76 of the Vestry Resource Guide as a guide, create a Vestry pledge that will be included on monthly e-mail notices to Vestry and if at all possible incorporate this pledge in our opening meditation. This statement will also preface the Vestry Covenant: Recognizing that Holy Scripture will be our authority governing our behavior and relationships with one another and with the congregation, and acknowledging Saint Paul s directive to Timothy (I Timothy 4:12) concerning his role as church leader to be an example to the believers in speech, life, love, faith, and purity, we agree to uphold our Vestry Covenant, striving to love one another, treating
Page 2 each vestry member with respect, seeking God s will by striving for unity in all matters, and to be an example to the congregation. Post the Vestry Covenant in the Conference Room where the Vestry meetings are held and continue to give each new vestry person a copy of the Vestry Covenant during their orientation. MOTION: (Robbins/Hester) Approve recommendations as submitted. Plan team building exercises: Fr. Paul will have more on this topic at a later date. Send forth Lay Eucharistic Ministers on Sundays during the service: Kay Trapp suggested that a teaching article about Eucharistic visits might be helpful in educating the parish about this ministry. She volunteered to write a paragraph for an upcoming newsletter. Find ways to provide care for caregivers: Martha Ann Staub advised that she and Pamela met with Vicky Vance to get her input on how to begin to provide care for caregivers. It was understood that this ministry will need to be flexible as caregiver s needs sometimes change daily. Vicky suggested that they set up some type of guidelines about the expectations of this ministry and have some type of volunteer schedule in place. Martha Ann stated that more conversation is needed. Talk to congregation / Increase participation in fellowship opportunities: Albert asked the Vestry to continue to promote All Saints activities to our parishioners, encouraging folks to invite friends to events, services, etc. Organize small group studies: George Booth reported that he is looking at and discussing with Fr. Paul a study of the book of Ruth. Include Steward s Collect in newsletter: Tommie Moore reported that the Steward s Collect was added to the June edition of the Cross and Crown, and will run in future editions. Offer financial planning course to members: Ken Murphree reported that he has scheduled a facilitator for a financial planning workshop to be held at All Saints on August 19-20.
Page 3 Review demographic data/create greater diversity in committee membership: No report Implement online giving: Albert reported that he and Mike are working to develop the implementation of online giving. They have done research to set this up through Renasant Bank and/or ACS. Develop a year round stewardship plan / Invite Gates Elliott for a presentation: No report Evaluate the Advent Gift program: Rufus reported that he and Kamme have mapped out the timeline for this program. They will contact committee chairs mid-september for gift ideas. They will provide detailed descriptions of the gift ideas to the parish. They plan to have ads on Facebook and flyers to promote this avenue of giving by Advent I. CONSENT AGENDA: Bookkeeper s report including financial reports May 16, 2016 Vestry minutes June 13, 2016 Executive Committee minutes Christian Growth Commission report Christian Service/Christian Stewardship Commission report Rector s report MOTION: (Page/Hester) Approve items on Consent Agenda as submitted. BUSINESS: Treasurer s report Assistant Treasurer, Kay Trapp reported that we received approximately $10,000 over the budgeted amount in Pledge Offerings and approximately $5,000 more in Non-Pledge Offerings in May. As a follow-up of May s discussion regarding VPOD duties, Kay advised that Mike Fitzpatrick has offered to contact a professional that is an acquaintance of his, to have her review our internal procedures regarding the duties of the VPOD and make recommendations to the Vestry. Mike indicated to Kay that there would be no charge for this evaluation. Hearing no objections, Kay will let Mike know to proceed. MOTION: (Riddle/Robbins) Approve Treasurer s report as given. Update of special outreach funds
Page 4 Albert noted that the funds being held by All Saints in the Special Outreach line 8025 was money donated for educational expenses associated with the ACCESS program at Mississippi State University for Spencer Kirkpatrick. Albert advised that enough money has been raised to cover the first year of the program s tuition. Albert asked the Vestry to consider the designation of the money in line 8025 to the educational expenses of Spencer Kirkpatrick. MOTION: (Page/Booth) Designate both current and future funds in the Special Outreach line 8025 for use for educational expenses benefitting Spencer Kirkpatrick as long as he is enrolled in the Mississippi State University ACCESS program. Endorsement for Candidacy for Ordination Albert advised the Vestry that the Diocese requires them to sign a letter of Endorsement for Candidacy for the Ordination to the Diaconate for Mary Howard King, a postulant in the Diaconate program. All members present at the meeting signed the letter. Resolution of support Albert advised that a member of the Vestry had submitted a resolution in support of Bishop Seage s letter announcing new policies in regard to same sex marriages in our Diocese and Fr. Paul s letter in how All Saints will respond to the new diocesan policy. Albert read the resolution and called for discussion. Hearing no discussion, the following motion was made: MOTION: (Riddle/Staub) All Find a Welcome Joining with our Bishop and our Rector, the Vestry of All Saints Episcopal Church offers a welcome to all by: 1) affirming the action of our bishop and our rector to marry all couples legally entitled to marry in the state of Mississippi who also meet the requirements of the All Saints Wedding Customary (revised June 2016); and 2) inviting those who disagree with these actions to continue in conversation and communion at All Saints that we might all learn from and minister to each other. UNANIMOUSLY After the vote, it was suggested that the resolution be published in the newsletter along with a teaching article about the new policy. CHECK-OUT With no further business Albert adjourned the Vestry meeting at 7:07 p.m. Submitted by Tommie Moore, Clerk of the Vestry ATTACHMENTS TO MINUTES OF THE JUNE MEETING: General Fund and Capital Campaign Financial Reports 05/31/16
Christian Growth Commission report Christian Service/Stewardship Commission report Rector report Endorsement for Candidacy for Ordination Page 5