Bill Daniell

I have to admit that when my term on the vestry came to an end, I welcomed the return of a substantial portion of my free time. I suppose that every person who is elected to the vestry approaches their service with a fair amount of worry about the time commitment. And, in all honesty, that should be a consideration. But when all was said and done, I found that the time commitment was entirely manageable, and I also found that the rewards of having served on the vestry far outweighed the time that I devoted to that undertaking. When I agreed to be nominated for the vestry election, I did so with several general goals in mind. I wanted to help the church recover from the embezzlement, I wanted make to up in a small way for my many years as a parishioner when my involvement in the church had been largely limited to attending services, and, whether we like it or not, we parents are role models for our children, and I wanted to do a little better job as a role model when it came to community and church involvement. I think that in some measure I achieved all of those goals during my term on the vestry. However, the greatest rewards were the new friendships that I made and the old friendships that I built upon during my three years on the vestry. It was a privilege to work with the clergy and with many good, dedicated parishioners who were doing their best to live out their Christian beliefs. I left the vestry with the strong sense that the vestry members I served with had been good stewards who had represented the parish well. I would strongly encourage others to consider service on the vestry as a way of offering theirs skills and talents to the church.

Judy Watkins

I ran for vestry because someone whom I admired asked me to do so. When I was elected, at first I felt somewhat overwhelmed with a sense of responsibility and feeling that I had to know everything. Then I realized that there were 12 people with many and varying talents and that, as one of four new members, I had time to learn. I knew little about finances, but there were others who knew a great deal. I realized that the vestry was the heart that kept the church alive and it was great to be a part of it, with each member contributing in his or her own way.

It was rewarding to be a part of a group that prayed together, deliberated together, and planned for the current and future needs of the parish -- a group that heard reports from the clergy and the various committees about their activities and needs for the future to promote the health and growth of the parish.

During my tenure, an addition to the parish house was built and the old termite-ridden foundation and floor of the church were replaced. With all the differing points of view of parish members, it was challenging to keep communications open, to listen carefully, and to interpret vestry decisions to others.

Since being off the vestry I feel that I understand better how to have input as a parish member to vestry deliberations and I understand the problems and the opportunities that the vestry has. I have maintained a sense of connection which I did not have prior to the years I served.

Campbell W. McMillan

The privilege of serving on the vestry of the Chapel of the Cross from May 1982 to May 1985 was, without question for me, an exceptional blessing in my life. I am grateful to have this opportunity to reflect on those three years, beginning almost 20 years ago, and to tell you about selected highlights.

In general, we did what I presume all vestries try to do. Above all, we wrestled with God earnestly and continuously to obtain His blessings on us, our parish, and the rest of the world. We also wrestled earnestly and continuously with chronically sub-optimal income and space for our parish's programs, with the repair of eternal cracks and squeaks in our buildings along with plans for larger structural needs, and with eternal differences of opinion among parishioners on virtually every subject under the sun. More specifically, I have carried away from my vestry experience, poignant memories of three groups of magnificent friends in addition to a pair of enduring and palpable icons. The first group included my three vestry classmates: Syd Alexander, Miriam Mullikin, and Vivian Varner. Surely, no group of persons could have had a greater variety of differences than the four of us. Yet our differences were totally complementary in my opinion and we bonded to each other in no time. Also, I am very sure that the vestry was better off with the four of us on board at that time than it would have been without us!

The second group included the three priests who clearly defined the mid-1980s in our parish: the Rev. Peter James Lee, our rector from 1971 to 1984, who left us to become the Bishop of Virginia; the Rev. Stephen Elkins-Williams, our rector from July 1985 to the present; and the Rev. Dr. Richard W. Pfaff, who served as priest-in-charge from 1984 to 1985.

The third group included two persons: Joe Ferrell, our senior warden during 1984 and 1985, and Kim Sullivan, chair of the search committee for a new rector. Rest assured that the selection and installation of a rector to follow the likes of Peter Lee required not only the work of the Holy Spirit but also human wisdom and leadership skills of the highest order. The human dimensions of these requirements arose in different ways from the entire parish but, in my opinion, there were no greater forces in this very exciting and thoroughly successful transition than Joe Ferrell and Kim Sullivan.

Finally, let me tell you about my pair of icons. They are the handrails in our church which flank the steps between the nave and the chancel. At one of our vestry meetings (I don't remember exactly when) there was spirited discussion about including such handrails in the renovations that would take place in due course. Were they really needed? Would the expenditure be appropriate? Might they actually impede traffic flow? And so it went with no endpoint in sight. And then, at a natural hiatus in the debate, Libby Lindsay said softly but firmly, "I believe we should do it." Her simple statement was like a magic pebble flipped into a pond, creating little waves of agreement that rippled throughout the assembled vestry. Now mind you, not all vestry debate was concluded as decisively as that! But this particular episode really stands out in my mind, highlighted by the grace and power of Libby Lindsay.

Katherine Kopp

When I called my parents in 1994 to tell them I had been elected to the Chapel of the Cross vestry, my mother's response was, "Well, don't lose your religion over being on the vestry."

Her comment was rooted in the experiences of my father's numerous terms on the vestry of their parish in Greensboro. She had seen the challenges and the frustrations he had experienced during his terms -- at least one of which was as junior warden, a post known to be particularly demanding. So her cautionary remark to me was intended to encourage me to persevere and continue to be faithful during any difficulties that might lie ahead.

Perhaps her words were prophetic, as my vestry class ended up spending most of our term dealing with the discovery and the aftermath of the embezzlement of a large sum of money by a former parishioner and parish employee. Needless to say, there were countless meetings, many hours spent on the telephone and all kinds of unusual circumstances to be addressed; I don't think I can claim to have had the 'typical' vestry experience, if there is such a thing.

I can say that serving on the vestry is a unique opportunity to serve God through the work of the parish. Vestry members, as the financial stewards of the church, are the decision-makers for the parish at large. The vestry is presented with many opportunities to spread the Gospel through good works in the community, the nation, and the world; and often, hard decisions must be made about what is -- and is not -- funded.

Vestry members come to know the clergy, the staff, and one another intimately through their many close contacts. It is also a chance to become well-acquainted with many other parishioners and programs throughout our large and diverse parish. The friendships with fellow vestry members and clergy and staff that were forged during my term are among my most cherished relationships at the Chapel of the Cross.

Serving on the vestry is a major commitment of time and energy, one that can be rewarded by deepening relationships within the parish and a deepening of personal faith. I believe that, more than anything else, vestry service requires an open mind and an open heart. Though we'd sometimes like to believe that churches are filled with people who unfailingly embody every Christian virtue at all times, in fact parishes are made up of real people with human faults and frailties. Those who consider serving on the vestry must be prepared to deal with their own and others' imperfections.

For me, vestry service was an important part of my journey as a Christian and as an Episcopalian. I learned and grew from the experience as I tried my best to serve the parish. It was an invaluable experience for me, and I would commend it to others prepared to 'keep the faith' in the face of a commitment that will most certainly require many hours, considerable effort, and lots of prayers.