Vestry Nominations

One of the privileges of being your rector is serving with an outstanding vestry. Every year, the parish nominates excellent candidates, any of whom would make a significant and positive contribution to our work. As is true for many of life’s most difficult decisions, you must choose from among all good options, but you can take heart in knowing that the outcome will be good regardless.

This year, because of the pandemic, the process for choosing our next vestry class will be different. Instead of offering in-person ballots on successive Sundays until four candidates have received a majority, we will offer one electronic ballot that will utilize a ranked-choice format, often called “instant runoff” voting. On Sunday, November 29, we will send that ballot out by email and make it available on our website, and everyone who is qualified to vote (see below) will be invited to rank all of the candidates according to their preference. After two weeks, we will tally those votes, including instant runoffs if necessary, and publish the result to the parish. If you cannot vote online or have trouble with the electronic ballot, you may come to the church office in person and complete a paper version of the same ballot.

According to our diocesan canons, in order to vote in the vestry election you must 1) be at least 16 years old, 2) be a baptized member of St. Paul’s, 3) be a member for at least the last 30 days, 4) come to church and take Communion at least three times a year, and 5) be part of a household that has made a financial commitment to St. Paul’s or that cannot afford to make a commitment. Most of us have been unable to receive Communion over the last eight months, so we understand that requirement to be fulfilled by those who have participated regularly in online worship.

Normally, with in-person voting, current members of the vestry can ask whether someone completing a ballot is eligible to vote and check their name off to prevent multiple voting, but once the ballot is placed in the box it becomes anonymous. This year, because of electronic voting, we cannot verify eligibility unless your name is attached to your ballot, which would undermine its anonymity. When given the choice between verifiability and anonymity, the vestry voted unanimously to rely on the honor system so that your votes can remain anonymous. Because of that, when you receive your electronic ballot, you will be asked to verify your eligibility, but we will not record your name with your submission.

Although the election process is important, it is even more important that we pray for all of these nominees as well as the vestry and the entire parish. These individuals are offering themselves—their time and talent, their knowledge and abilities, their hearts and prayers—to serve God and our church as members of the vestry. Whether elected or not, they have said yes to an invitation to this ministry. You, too, are invited—not only to choose our next vestry class but to give your own heart and mind and prayer to this process and to the ongoing work of our vestry. Those whom you select for this ministry will depend on your support, and whatever success we enjoy is the fruit of all of our efforts.

Yours Faithfully,

Evan