Annual Meeting

FROM THE RECTOR

This Sunday we will gather as a parish for our Annual Meeting, an important expression of our life together as a congregation. This event is written into the fabric of our identity not only because we have a habit of doing it year after year but also because it is prescribed in the canons of the church. At its best, I believe that the Annual Meeting is not only an opportunity to gather together, officially elect a vestry, and hear reports about the finances and ministries of the church. It is also a chance for everyone at St. Paul’s to live into their role as a minister of the church.

You are a minister of the church, and you are an important part of how St. Paul’s pursues its mission. The Catechism in the back of the Book of Common Prayer reminds us that “the ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons” and that “the Church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members” (BCP p. 855). It is no accident that lay persons are listed first among the ministers of the church. Although ordained persons have a particular part to play in the ministries we share, as Bishop Benfield often said, our part is no more important or special than yours. Our church can only do the good and faithful work that we do because of your commitment to that work.

I believe that the Annual Meeting is designed to nurture that commitment. The canons of the church lay out a long list of detailed requirements for the Annual Meeting—when it can be held, how it should be announced, who constitutes a quorum, what reports should be made, and how the vestry should be elected. Those requirements are made in the interest of transparency and inclusion. At every turn, the Annual Meeting is designed to enable congregational participation.

At this Sunday’s meeting, we will officially elect our new vestry. You may remember that we had an electronic ballot several weeks ago. Technically, because the canons require that the election take place at the Annual Meeting, that previous ballot determined the slate of official nominees, which will be presented on Sunday for election. Unlike many non-profits with boards of directors that choose their own successors, our church relies on the congregation to select its leaders. The principal function of the Annual Meeting is to elect a vestry and to ensure that the election is an opportunity for everyone to take part.

At the Annual Meeting, you will also hear reports from David McMath, our Treasurer, and from me, our Rector. David will speak about the financial health of our congregation, and I will talk more generally about our spiritual health. We will show you how much money was given to St. Paul’s in 2023, how all that money was spent, and how we plan to use what is given to us in 2024. Except information about individuals’ confidential giving, no detail or question is off-limits. This is your church, and, by sharing with you a full picture of our finances, St. Paul’s is inviting you to participate in our common life not as a spectator but as a fully invested member.

In addition to those reports made at the meeting by the Treasurer and Rector, all the ministry leaders in the church are invited to submit written reports for you to see. The canons of the church even mention that “each organization and activity of the Parish shall also make its report to the meeting” (Canon 24.8). We collect those reports into a published document that you can read in order to get a sense of how much has been accomplished at St. Paul’s. Despite all that has been accomplished, that document is primarily an invitation for you to find new and deeper ways to become an active part of the life of our parish.

The Annual Meeting is also a turning point in the life of the church year. As soon as the meeting adjourns, the outgoing vestry class will be finished with their ministry, and the newly elected members will take their place. We say thank you to Jeremy Oxford, Myria Allen, Conner Eldridge, and Michael Hollomon, who have completed a three-year term, and to Jerry Rose, who after two years has decided to step away from this ministry. And we say thank you to and pledge our prayers on behalf of Karen Hodges, Mandy Kelly, Mac Mayfield, Jim Norys, and Justin Sneed, who begin this ministry.

We also recognize Jeremy Oxford for completing his term as one of our Wardens, and we thank Jeannie Whayne, our new Senior Warden, and Elizabeth Rosen, our new Junior Warden, who will begin to serve in that role. The Vestry has also elected Steve Zega to serve a five-year term on the Endowment Committee, replacing Loyd Swope who has served admirably and faithfully for five years. And they have elected Trent Palmer to serve alongside our Wardens and Suzi Freeman as one of our four Diocesan Convention Delegates.

At its core, the Annual Meeting is about shared ministry, shared leadership, and shared governance. This is how we live out our calling as a congregation in the Diocese of Arkansas and in The Episcopal Church. You can watch online, but it is probably better to take part in person. You could read the Annual Report on your own, but there is something important about showing up to hear the reports that are made and raise your hand if you have any questions.

Whether you can attend the meeting or not, I hope most of all that you feel the invitation to take your place in the leadership of our church. St. Paul’s is a wonderful, vibrant, faithful congregation, and that is only possible because the Holy Spirit empowers you to answer God’s call and serve. Without your willingness to take part in the ministries we share, we could not be the church that God has called us to be.

Yours Faithfully,

Evan D. Garner