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The following parishioners have agreed to be nominated for election to the vestry for three-year terms. They were each asked to respond to several questions and their responses are listed below. Four vestry positions will be filled. The election will take place after each of the services on April 14; parish by-laws prohibit absentee voting.
Questions
1. When did you become a member of the Chapel of the Cross? What aspects of this parish made you want to be a part of it?
2. Why are you running for a vestry position?
3. Have you ever been on the vestry, either at this or any other parish? If yes, please note dates, parishes, and positions held.
4. What strengths do you think you would bring to the Chapel of the Cross vestry?
5. What are your current activities within the parish? Why do you participate in these activities?
6. In what activities have you been involved in the past at the Chapel of the Cross?
7. In what activities are you involved in the greater community outside the parish? Why do you participate in these activities?
+ Paul H. Carew
+ Joanna Hiller Doherty
+ Chris FitzSimons
+ Barbara Tolin Rowan
+ Dick Taylor
+ Hugh A. Tilson
+ Kevin Trapani
1. My wife Amelia and I joined the Chapel of the Cross in 1997. What impressed me initially were the creative worship services, great preaching, marvelous music, and most importantly, the visible pride the parish has for its mission in Chapel Hill and beyond. As time passed, I witnessed more and more the tremendous energy and infectious enthusiasm that motivates parish life.
2. I am running for the vestry because I feel that I can further share in the life of the parish and assist in carrying its traditions forward by contributing my skills where needed.
3. St. John's Church, Norwood Parish, Chevy Chase, Maryland. Vestry 1970-1973, Junior Warden 1973-1975, Senior Warden 1975-1978.
4. The strengths that I would bring to the vestry include organizational and managerial skills as well as considerable experience in organizational development, planning, budgeting, and program evaluation.
5. My current activities within the parish include (1) Chairman, Every Member Canvass; (2) Member, Adult Education Committee; (3) Member, Stewardship Committee; (4) Co-chair, Books Department, ABC Sale. I participate in these activities because of the challenge, and it affords an opportunity to work with truly dedicated and talented people who share common goals and objectives.
6. My past parish activities include (1) Co-chair, 2001 Every Member Canvass; (2) Designed, analyzed, and presented the 2001 Every Member Canvass Questionnaire; (3) Alternate Delegate, 2001 Convention of the Diocese of North Carolina.
7. My activities involving the greater community outside the parish include (1) Regional Co-chair, National Cathedral Association; (2) Member, 2001 Planning Team, United Way of Chatham County; (3) President, Chapel Hill Chapter, National Association of Retired Federal Employees; (4) Member, Board of Directors, American Diplomacy Publishers. It is a pleasure to be involved in these activities because I feel that it is giving time and effort back to the community when it is much needed.
1. (a) Spring 1990 (b) I wanted to be a part of this parish because it has much to offer that could strengthen and enrich me as a Christian. I loved the music, the many outreach opportunities, the sister parish connection, and the adult education program, especially.
2. I have experience in working on numerous committees and groups -- both religious and secular -- and feel I would bring that experience to the vestry.
3. n/a
4. Experience in working with people and groups, at the Chapel of the Cross and secularly. My years as a parishioner here have made me familiar with the parish and its history in the community.
5. Sister Parish Program Coordinator; Member of the Social Ministry Committee. I participate because it is rewarding to help others see their progress, but also because it enriches me and hopefully make me more aware of the diversity of life around me.
6. Sunday School Teacher; Co-chair, Social Ministry Committee; Helped in Hurricane Fran clean-up effort.
7. Girl Scouts, help in my daughter's troop; initiated work-related outreach (e.g. helping Hurricane Fran flood victims with Christmas gifts). I participate in these activities because I believe no man is an island -- we live in a community and to be part of that community one must in some way (great or small) contribute to it. Also, volunteering helps me know my community better and vice versa. I enjoy meeting people.
1. My family and I moved to Chapel Hill in late 1995 and became members of Chapel of the Cross in early 1996. Having relatives at the parish made it easy to feel at home. We also liked the emphasis on Sunday school and the music program.
2. I would like to serve the parish by using the 'talents' I received from serving on other vestries and as past-Treasurer of Chapel of the Cross.
3. I served terms on vestries at Calvary Episcopal Church in Louisville, Kentucky about 1980 and at St. Peter's on the Green in Monroe, Connecticut about 1991. I was the chairman of the budget and finance sub-committee at both parishes. I also served on the Department of Missions for the Diocese of Kentucky.
4. I have a good understanding of the role of the vestry in an Episcopal parish. I understand the financial situation and activities of the Chapel of the Cross.
5. I am a member of the Stewardship Committee. I have an interest in the financial stewardship issues of the parish.
6. I served on the Finance Committee of the Vestry from 1996 till 2001. I was the Treasurer from 1998 till 2001. As Treasurer, I also served on the Stewardship Committee.
7. I was an Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 39. My son, Kit, was a member of the troop. This was a good way to support him and to give back to scouting.
1. I first attended the Chapel of the Cross on Maundy Thursday 1993, and with my traditional Roman Catholic background, was deeply moved by the sights and sounds of a woman priest preaching and of liturgy done with solemn dignity. Little did I realize that the friend I was with would become my husband the next year. Since then I have learned much about Christianity from the many committed parishioners I have come to know.
2. I have behind-the-scenes perspective on maintenance of parish life as result of current and former activities and want to assist the parish, which I see as a living organism, to develop not only as a reaction to the past but as a means to guide growth.
3. I have never been on a vestry.
4. I would bring to the vestry strong listening and communication skills and an ability to design and organize systems and procedures. As a result of my observations while working among the "pots and pipkins" as housekeeper, hospitality coordinator, and supply chair for the altar guild, I suggested to the junior warden at the time that a facilities manager position be created, a preventative maintenance plan be initiated for major equipment, and a committee be formed to assist the work of the junior warden. For the most part, these systems have since been developed.
5. After designing the web site, I have updated it at least weekly for the past three years with the help of other volunteers. My careful reading of everything from the directory of ministries and the annual report to the weekly bulletin as I prepare them for the web site has enabled me to be aware of much going on within and through the parish and to appreciate the importance of accurate and timely communication as a form of evangelism and part of the ministry of hospitality.
6. I have known the rhythms of parishioners, staff and clergy doing God's work aided, and at times limited, by buildings open to many individuals and groups of the larger community; and I am aware that God's work in the world gets done through hours of work by many, sometimes unlikely, people. I have been a member of Loaves and Fishes, the facilities manager search committee and the ad hoc parking committee, a participant in the ABC Sale, an occasional participant in campus ministry activities; and I have done ad hoc projects often involving cooking or sewing, such as designing and sewing the cover for the big-screen television.
7. For the past five years I have worked part-time at Carolina's faculty/staff newspaper, pleasant work that allows me to enjoy the companionship of family and friends. I am contemplating returning to nursing practice, my 30-year vocation in which I spent 20 years as a nurse anesthetist. I am a member, though not active, of North Carolina Botanical Garden and the Triangle Land Conservancy because I value the contribution of natural spaces to our quality of life. When possible, I folkdance because it is fun and embodies the essence of life in community.
1. I became a member of the Chapel of the Cross in 1975 at the time of my first child's baptism. I am a life-long Episcopalian, and attended church here some while in college and law school at UNC. I was attracted to the familiar church environment of my upbringing as well as the university-based traditions of this parish.
2. I want to be a contributing member of organizations and communities of which I am a part. I have skills and experience in working with boards, committees, and legislative bodies that could be helpful to the vestry. I have served previously on the vestry, though not in a number of years, and know I can make a useful contribution.
3. Chapel of the Cross 1991-1994 (not sure about dates), Personnel Committee Chair, Finance Committee Chair
4. I have a lifetime commitment to the church. I am trained as a lawyer, licensed to practice in North Carolina, and have represented lawyer associations for years. I have 25 years experience as a non-profit CEO working with volunteer boards helping to set goals and priorities and move a group toward meeting its objectives. I have been involved in the social outreach, financial, personnel, worship, and education of the parish. I have two kids in the youth program. I was involved and effective before as a vestry person and think I would be again.
5. I am the Legal Counselor for the parish, invited by the rector and vestry to serve for a three year term. I am serving because I was asked and I am well suited to find the right lawyer to take on a job for us due to my professional background. I am a lay reader. I serve in this capacity because I want to play a role in worship at the Chapel of the Cross.
6. Chair of the Child Care Center Committee; Chair of the Social Ministries Committee; Education for Ministry; Vestry; Personnel Committee Chair; Finance Committee Chair; Diocesan Convention Delegate; Every Member Canvass; Search Committee for Priest Associate; Lay Eucharistic Minister; Lay Reader
7. Professionally, I am employed as the Chief Executive Officer of the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, an association of 4000 lawyers, legal assistants, and law students dedicated to Protecting Peoples Rights. The membership represents individuals in disputes with government or business -- injured persons, workers, those charged with crime, disabled persons, and consumers. I lobby the General Assembly on issues related to these groups. I am very actively involved in efforts to obtain a moratorium on the death penalty, to protect patients and workers rights, and to make government responsive to the needs of working people. I have been in this position for six years, before which I was a legal aid lawyer for 20 years directing a local and then state program to provide legal help to the poor. My work every day is meaningful because it has a purpose consistent with my notion of social justice, the gospel, and the promise of our religious tradition -- the promise that when we fall and fail, God offers us another chance, God offers us love.
1. I transferred to the Chapel of the Cross in 1992. I was initially attracted by the liturgy and music of the worship services. This parish is also fortunate to have a number of excellent preachers. Later, I came to appreciate how active the parish is in the community of Chapel Hill and the surrounding area. The parishioners of the Chapel of the Cross are committed to its mission and express a degree of enthusiasm that is infectious. The Chapel of the Cross is truly a 'resource parish' that provides a number of opportunities for spiritual growth and direction.
2. The Chapel of the Cross has sustained my spiritual life during the last 10 years and has afforded me a number of opportunities for personal growth and renewed commitment to Christ. Being a member of the vestry would allow me to give something back to the parish and, hopefully, provide additional opportunities to serve Christ and His Church.
3. I have never served on the vestry of this or any other parish.
4. Over the last 10 years, I have served on a number of committees and participated in a number of activities a the Chapel of the Cross (see below). These experiences have afforded me opportunities to observe how the parish and vestry function. In addition, my career as a scientist and administrator in the Federal government has provided considerable experience in working with people with divergent views to move toward consensus positions and policies. Finally, I am deeply committed to the mission of the Chapel of the Cross and the Episcopal Church and want to be involved in its future.
5. I am currently Chair of the Social Ministry Committee and serve on the Board of the Johnson Intern Program. I usher at the 11:15 a.m. services, participate as much as time allows in the Cross of Nails group, and serve on the parish Friday meals team at the Inter-Faith Council. I believe that social outreach is one of the primary callings of a Christian community and is based on Christ's commandment to "love our neighbors as ourselves." Serving on the Social Ministry Committee and working at the Inter-Faith Council is a personal response to that commandment. The Johnson Intern Program is important because it provides opportunities to train young people in our Church as to the importance of social outreach in their future careers. The Cross of Nails group is dedicated to reconciliation of people, which I believe is a unique characteristic of Christianity and based on the commandment to love our neighbors. Finally, ushering allows for a greater involvement in worship services that serve to bind us together as a religious community.
6. I have worked at many ABC Sales; chaired the Environmental Stewardship Committee; participated in parish fix-up days; and served as neighborhood captain, Vice-Chair, and Co-Chair of the annual parish fund raiser. I also completed the Education for Ministry course provided by the parish.
7. I serve as Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the Inter-Faith Council and chair their Finance Committee. I am also involved in a Spiritual Formation Group that meets on Sunday evenings. The Inter-Faith Council is a community response to the commandment to feed the hungry and clothe the poor. I feel fortunate to work with the Inter-Faith Council in Chapel Hill and Carrboro so that "the needy not be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor be taken away." The Spiritual Formation Group involves weekly meetings with others to discuss writings of religious leaders and the scriptures. These discussions provide continued opportunities for intellectual and spiritual growth leading to greater insights concerning the nature of religion and the life and teachings of Jesus.
1. We moved to Chapel Hill and joined the Chapel of the Cross in 1996. We chose the parish for many reasons, but the most compelling for us is the deep commitment to service that exists at the core of the mission "of those to whom much is given, much is expected." This teaching has been a central theme in my family as long as I can recall, so we're thrilled to be part of such a community-centered parish.
2. I'm blessed to have been able to be involved with some wonderful organizations, doing great work, in my life. I've worked hard to balance my commitments to my family, my community, and my business. On the other hand, I have not served my church well with my time since I left my childhood home in Connecticut. I'd like to do more, and feel I'm uniquely qualified to serve the church through the vestry.
3. 1970-1974, vestry member at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Orange, Connecticut
4. In my view, our vestry performs an important stewardship role in the financial and administrative matters of the church and holds important influence in the determination and assessment of the strategic direction of the parish. While I have a strong spiritual center, I also have well developed leadership skills, having functioned in both board-level and senior management roles in business and community service organizations.
5. I am a 5:15 service coordinator because I love the service and the chapel and my role makes the messages and the Lord's words more meaningful to me. I have served on the vestry's Space Use Study Committee for the past several months, and I participate in the Habitat for Humanity Partnership because I support the Habitat mission and I enjoy the work and fellowship.
6. See above
7. I have been active in the nonprofit and public service world as both a direct- and board member-volunteer. I was elected to the Board of Education in Cranford, New Jersey in 1986. I've been on the United Way Board in Cincinnati and helped to organize the first public Montessori High School in the US there in 1991. I am on the Board of Chicago commons, a 175 year old nonprofit organization in Chicago that supports the neediest people in that city with a range of programs from child care and job training to housing and gang prevention. I've been an active volunteer for many years with both YMCAs and Habitat for Humanity. Here in Chapel Hill I've been active on the Chancellor's Committee on Greek Affairs at UNC and for a time was the chapter advisor for the troubled Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Largely because of that exposure, I've been asked to speak on the principles of ethical leadership at numerous university retreats and meetings, for UNC and other multi-college gatherings.
© 2002: Chapel of the Cross
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