This year we will be able to submit nominations online here from November 5 to November 22nd. Nominations may also be emailed to a Nominating Committee member. Your nominations to Parish Leadership positions should be made not later than November 22nd.
A commitment to democracy is an important part of governance in the Episcopal Church and we need the members of St. Alban’s to be a part of this important process. This commitment is embodied as follows: The Episcopal Church is led by a triennial General Convention consisting of two houses: the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies. The House of Deputies consists of elected deputies, lay and clergy, from each diocese. The General Convention sets church standards, plans and budget. The Diocese of Maine is led by our elected Bishop and our annual Diocesan Convention with delegates elected from every Parish. The Convention elects Diocesan officers and committees and approves an annual budget.
Our St. Alban’s Parish is led by our Rector and our elected Wardens, Treasurer and Vestry. Our Vestry includes a group of nine lay people elected by the Parish to work with the Rector and the officers to oversee the temporal and spiritual health of our congregation and approve a budget.
At St. Alban’s, a new group of three Vestry members is elected at each Annual Parish Meeting in January to replace those whose three-year terms have expired. This rotation permits a continuing, yet annually refreshed group of leaders. St. Alban’s has been blessed with an active, working Vestry. This year a fourth vacancy for a one year term will occur due to a seat that was vacated earlier this year.
The Senior Warden, Junior Warden, and Treasurer are elected for one-year terms. According to the canons the Rector chairs the vestry meetings. The Senior Warden by tradition leads and guides the business of the Parish. The Junior Warden assists and takes on special projects. The Treasurer manages and reports upon all finances, including operating, reserve and endowment funds, and coordinates the bookkeeper’s work. We have been blessed with lay leaders and officers who work happily and closely with the Rector.
Delegates to the Diocese of Maine Convention are also elected at our Annual Meeting. These are active members of the Parish who prepare for and attend a weekend convention to discern diocesan policy, budget and plans. We were blessed with 5 individuals who did a wonderful job and attended the convention via Zoom this year. Our delegates this year were: Ruth Dodge, Randi Hogan, Ed Rea, Judy Sides, and Robert Stoddard.
All members of St. Alban’s are eligible to vote in the Parish leadership election. You are considered a member if you are regular in attendance and make a contribution to the life of the Parish of time, talent and treasure. In order to vote you must sign in and attend the 2021 Annual Meeting on January 31, 2021. The 2021 annual meeting will be conducted via Zoom at 11:00am. Details will follow as we get closer.
Our Vestry includes people with a variety of skills, backgrounds, ages, and length of membership at St. Alban’s. Some are lifelong Episcopalians. Others are relatively new to the Episcopal Church. Discerning whether someone is called to serve on the Vestry requires us all to prayerfully review their gifts and talents with an eye to the needs of the church. (See below for guidelines for nominations.)
The Vestry and clergy of St. Alban’s meet at 6:00 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month. Meetings are 2 hours and, for now, are via Zoom when weather does not permit an outdoor meeting. Each meeting contains presentations and discussions on various areas of Parish life. Vestry policy decisions guide our Parish life. The clergy are an important part of Vestry discussions and the treasurer makes a detailed monthly report. Visitors are always welcome to attend any meeting, excepting the occasional executive sessions of the Vestry. Vestry members also spend approximately 2 hours/month working on special projects.
Parish Leadership Nominations and Elections for 2021
In order to stimulate an open, fair, and well understood process for the election of Parish leadership, and pursuant to a Vestry resolution of June 10, 2014, the Transition Priest-in-Charge and Senior Warden of St. Alban’s Parish are pleased to announce the plans for the 2021 election of the Parish leadership.
St. Alban’s Vestry has established a Nominating Committee to review all nominations from the Parish and to recommend three Parishioners to stand for election as Vestry members with three-year terms, and one candidate each to serve one-year terms as Senior Warden, Junior Warden, and Treasurer. The Committee may also nominate persons to fill any vacancies existing on the Vestry at the time of the annual meeting from persons who have left before the end of their terms. The Committee will endeavor to recommend a blend of parishioners, considering age, gender, and experience with that of current Vestry members. Any member may make a nomination, including a self-nomination. The terms of service for the new Vestry members will begin immediately following the Annual Meeting on January 31st.
The committee will also recommend five parishioners to serve as Delegates to the 2021 Diocesan Convention. Our current practice is to ask last year’s delegates to serve for a second year, and we will do that this year.
The following schedule for Parish leadership nominations and elections
- November 5th – By parish email, announcement of the procedures and Nominating Committee membership.
- November 5th – November 22 Nominations open to all parish members
- First week of December Nominating Committee meets
- January 14th – Nominations announced with biographies and photos
- January 31 – Annual Parish Meeting and election
The Nominating Committee is chaired by Sara Merrill, co-chaired by Chris Pezzullo, and is composed of the outgoing Vestry members, the wardens, treasurer and clergy, as well as two at-large members, selected by the wardens.
The Members of the Nominating Committee
Chris Pezzullo, current Senior Warden, Co-chair
Maryann Sedlack, current Junior Warden
Doug Jones, current Treasurer
Sarah Choi, Sheila Zimmerman, Bill Bell, departing Vestry members
Sara Merrill, at-large member – Co-chair
Joan Hankinson, at-large member
The Rev. Lynn Carter-Edmands, Transition Priest-in-Charge
The Rev. Holly Hoffmann, Associate Rector
Current and continuing Vestry members not serving on the Nominating Committee
Tom Cooper, Sara Lennon, Maura McDonald, Mary Beth Nolt, Tom Sides
Current Diocese of Maine Convention Delegates for 2020
Ruth Dodge
Randi Hogan
Ed Rea
Judy Sides
Robert Stoddard
These Vestry members and Delegates are all available for questions if you would like to know more about serving.