The Vestry is a body in an Episcopal parish composed of the Rector and a group of elected parishioners who administer the temporal and spiritual affairs of the parish. Two members of the Vestry at Immanuel are elected each year to serve as Senior Warden and Junior Warden. These lay officers work especially with the Rector and other clergy, and the Vestry as a whole, in coordinating the life and ministry of the parish. One member of the Vestry acts as Register. The vestry meets monthly. The elections for the Vestry are held at the annual meeting in January.
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Amy Thomas
Senior Warden Caroline Bergmark Junior Warden Buildings, Grounds, and Creation Care Peter Kent Junior Warden, Administration Sophie Johnson, Sydney Onley, David Lloyd, and Isabelle Young-Smith Youth Representatives (nonvoting) |
Mark Fearer Matt Haskin Rich Hobson Taylor Houck Dave John Doug Onley Mary Ann Ring Brian Rush Kristin Whitman |
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Vestry Areas of Responsibility
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Administration
Adult Formation and Discipleship Buildings and Grounds, Creation Care Committee Children, Youth, and Family Ministry Communications Evangelism and Newcomers Fellowship Outreach Pastoral Care Senior Ministry Social Justice Stewardship and Planned Giving Worship |
Peter Kent
Taylor Houck Caroline Bergmark Mary Ann Ring Kristin Whitman Kristin Whitman Dave John Rich Hobson Brian Rush Brian Rush Mark Fearer Doug Onley Matt Haskin |
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee is convened on a periodic basis to review the parish finances and to advise the Vestry on significant financial decisions, in particular regarding investment and management of assets and debt. The Finance Committee also provides advice to the parish Treasurer.
Stewardship Committee
The Stewardship Committee is dedicated to making stewardship a year-round initiative underscoring the importance of good stewardship through the giving of time and talent, and pledging. The Stewardship Committee comprises members from each of Immanuel's regular Sunday services and directs the annual fall stewardship campaign.
Resources Committee
This committee is charged with identifying facilities-related issues and advising the Vestry on long-term planning needed to address major maintenance, capital improvements and enhancements to our physical plant and grounds. We are seeking parishioners with technical skills, strategic and planning capabilities, and finance-related expertise.
Delegates to Diocesan Council
Immanuel appoints delegates and alternates to the Annual Council of the Diocese of Virginia. Annual Council is held in January to discuss the affairs, activities, and policies of the Diocese, and vote on the annual budget of the Diocese. More information is available on www.thediocese.net and through the Virginia Episcopalian newsletter.
Delegate to Region IV
Region IV of the Diocese of Virginia consists of the eight Episcopal churches in Alexandria. The Regional Council meets on a quarterly basis to discuss individual parish events and collaborative efforts. In particular, the Regional Council serves as a vehicle for communication and feedback to the Diocese.
Bylaws
The parish bylaws were approved by the Vestry on August 14, 2018.
Click here to read and/or download the parish bylaws.
The need to adopt parish by-laws arose when Immanuel attempted to get circuit court approval to replace the trustees for parish property. The court would not approve new trustees without a copy of the parish by-laws. The Vestry created a by-laws committee ably led by Sara Fein. The members included the Rev. Randy Alexander, Candy Levin, Ken McDonald, Doug Onley, and Jim Snow. The committee identified canonical and diocesan requirements for member parishes, reviewed by-laws of other parishes, drafted proposed by-laws, and edited the draft for consistency and clarity. The by-laws are designed to be useful governing guidance to the Parish, the Vestry and executive committee. They can be amended by a super-majority vote of the Vestry.
Click here to read and/or download the parish bylaws.
The need to adopt parish by-laws arose when Immanuel attempted to get circuit court approval to replace the trustees for parish property. The court would not approve new trustees without a copy of the parish by-laws. The Vestry created a by-laws committee ably led by Sara Fein. The members included the Rev. Randy Alexander, Candy Levin, Ken McDonald, Doug Onley, and Jim Snow. The committee identified canonical and diocesan requirements for member parishes, reviewed by-laws of other parishes, drafted proposed by-laws, and edited the draft for consistency and clarity. The by-laws are designed to be useful governing guidance to the Parish, the Vestry and executive committee. They can be amended by a super-majority vote of the Vestry.
Immanuel is a Certified Living Wage Congregation
A living wage is what one full-time worker must earn on an hourly basis to cover the cost of his or her family’s minimum basic needs – in the place where he or she lives. As opposed to a minimum wage, which is a politically-determined, one-size-fits-all figure, the living wage is a market-based approach that draws upon geographically-specific expenditure data related to a family’s likely minimum costs for food, child care, health insurance, housing, transportation, and other basic necessities.
The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, which Immanuel has long supported, has adopted a voluntary approach of encouraging employers across Virginia to certify themselves as paying a living wage for their locality. They are looking for faith communities to lead this charge by example. The Vestry responded to the call and were recently certified as a “Tier 2” living wage congregation. (Tier 2 is a true living wage, and is $24.52/hr in the City of Alexandria. Tier 1 congregations pay their employees at least an “entry wage level” ($18.00/hr in Alexandria) and make a commitment to moving to Tier 2.)
The national Episcopal Church has supported the idea of a living wage, and advocated for its adoption, since 2003. The General Convention reaffirmed, most recently in 2015, that “it is the policy of The Episcopal Church and its dioceses and congregations to provide employees with a living wage;” and that the church will “continue to support living wage campaigns in the cities and counties of every diocese. . . .”
We are proud of our certification, and will encourage other places of worship to follow our example and serve as beacons for other employers. In doing so, we are guided by the Book of Common Prayer, which asks God’s guidance of “the people of this land so to use our public and private wealth that all may find suitable and fulfilling employment, and receive just payment for their labor."
The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, which Immanuel has long supported, has adopted a voluntary approach of encouraging employers across Virginia to certify themselves as paying a living wage for their locality. They are looking for faith communities to lead this charge by example. The Vestry responded to the call and were recently certified as a “Tier 2” living wage congregation. (Tier 2 is a true living wage, and is $24.52/hr in the City of Alexandria. Tier 1 congregations pay their employees at least an “entry wage level” ($18.00/hr in Alexandria) and make a commitment to moving to Tier 2.)
The national Episcopal Church has supported the idea of a living wage, and advocated for its adoption, since 2003. The General Convention reaffirmed, most recently in 2015, that “it is the policy of The Episcopal Church and its dioceses and congregations to provide employees with a living wage;” and that the church will “continue to support living wage campaigns in the cities and counties of every diocese. . . .”
We are proud of our certification, and will encourage other places of worship to follow our example and serve as beacons for other employers. In doing so, we are guided by the Book of Common Prayer, which asks God’s guidance of “the people of this land so to use our public and private wealth that all may find suitable and fulfilling employment, and receive just payment for their labor."
