About Vestries

Our vestries owe much to the historical evolution of the Episcopal Church in Virginia. Of course, the Church of England was the established church during colonial times, but there was no attempt to help the colonies become self-sufficient. The bishop of the colonies was the Bishop of London, who never came to the New World, and there was no seminary established here, either. Furthermore, C of E clergy had to swear an oath of allegiance to the king. Thus, after America gained its freedom, there were no clergy immediately available. In this vacuum, lay leadership predominated. The church was the driving force behind maintenance of the social order, and the vestries were the driving force behind the church. The Anglicans who came to Virginia were not dissidents but businessmen seeking economic opportunity, and they ended up owning much of the property and means of production in the colony. They had a sense of themselves as caretakers of the community and responsible for its health. This is the root of the emphasis on lay ministry and the responsibility of the laity in Virginia.

The national canons establish that each church must have a vestry, but leave it up to each diocese to decide how it is are to be structured and chosen in accordance with diocesan canons and state law. In Virginia, vestries are elected annually by the congregation to a term not to exceed four years. A vestry consists of at least three members, but not more than 12, except for large churches, which may have up to 18. To stand for vestry, a person must be a confirmed adult communicant in good standing. Vestry members may not serve consecutive terms.

As soon as possible after election, the vestry is to meet to organize. In Virginia, this includes election of a Senior and Junior Warden, Register, and Treasurer. The wardens must be members of the vestry, the other two may be but do not have to be. This differs from some other diocese, where one or more of the wardens may be appointed by the Rector. If a vacancy occurs on a vestry, the remaining members may elect a qualified member of the congregation to serve out the remainder of the term. The vestry may declare a vacancy to exist if a member fails to qualify or perform as specified in Canon 11. The duties of a vestry, as outlined I Canon 12 "Duties of Vestries, Wardens, and Parish Officers" are:

- To elect a Rector, with the advice of the Bishop;

- To cooperate with the Rector in promoting the spiritual welfare of the congregation and assist the Rector in discharge of his/her duties;

- To support the programs of the church and encourage others to do so, and to give generously to those programs. Each vestry member shall give a hearty welcome to the newly baptized, confirmed, received, or transferred member. Note that this goes far beyond being the business committee of the church

- See that the Rector or Vicar is paid in full and regularly, and review annually the compensation in keeping with the published guidelines of the Diocese. Make provision for Church music with the advice and consent of the Rector, and subject to his or her control.

- Advise the Diocese by Nov 30 of the per cent of annual disposable income that will be given to the Diocese, and assure that sum is remitted in regular monthly installments. Jointly with the Rector, submit an annual parochial report by the date required.

- As constituted agents of the church, transact its temporal business, e.g.:

§ Appoint Trustees as required by the laws of the Commonwealth

§ Make and execute contracts for erecting, furnishing, and preserving church property

§ Regulate the use of any cemetery or columbarium

§ Establish a Finance Committee as required by Canon 25

§ Observe Canon 13, "Business Methods in Church Affairs"

In sum, vestries are full partners with Rectors in leadership of the church.

--Robert Thomas