Vestry
Democratic structures are an important part of governance in the Episcopal Church--including vestries. A vestry is a group of lay people elected by the parish to work with the rector to oversee the temporal health of their congregation. A new group of vestry members is elected at each annual congregational meeting (in February), and all communicants of St. Stephen's are eligible to vote.
St. Stephen's is blessed with an active, working vestry made up of 18 dedicated parishioners who give generously of their time and talent. Our vestry includes people with a variety of skills and backgrounds, ages, and length of time as parishioners of St. Stephen's. Some are lifelong Episcopalians. Others are relatively new to the Episcopal Church.
The vestry of St. Stephen's Church meets at 5:00 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Each meeting contains presentations about and discussion of various areas of parish life, and is attended by staff and clergy. Visitors are always welcome to attend any meeting, excepting, of course, executive sessions of the vestry.
Current vestry members
Serving until 2/2025
Jeff Johnson, junior warden
Andy Luke
Brenda McDowell
Anne Pinion, senior warden
Whitney Van Der Hyde, register
Serving until 2/2026
Robert Birdsey
Kathy Brock
John Crowder
May Fox
Mary Ashburn Pearson
Chris Smith, treasurer
Serving until 2/2027
Bill Davis
Katherine Farley
Greta Kidd
Nan O'Connell
Gayle Royals
Randy Seibert
Contact the vestry
You may send an email to St. Stephen's vestry using this link.
Duties of the vestry
In cooperation with the rector, the vestry:
- Promotes the spiritual welfare of the parish
- Supports the programs of the church
- Manages parish property and its financial resources
- Reports to the bishop on the state of the parish
- Certifies candidates from the parish for ordination
The vestry elects
- The rector
- The wardens, register, and treasurer
- Lay delegates to diocesan convention {read more here about serving as a delegate}
- Trustees of church property
- Representatives to various related committees and boards
- Members of regular and special committees
The duties of the vestry, and their election, are discussed in the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia.