The term 'vestry' originated in colonial times. The name
comes from the only place in the church building where church leaders could
meet, the 'vesting room'. The role of the laity in the affairs of the
Church, reflected not only the American experience, where Christians were
crucial to the survival and health of the Church before Independence; it also
was important theologically, since, all baptized are responsible to God for
carrying out the mission of the Church and for stewardship of the resources God
has given the Church for this mission.
Today, our vestry's primary responsibilities are to take care of the temporal business of the church – parish finances and property; and to be a 'council of advice' to the Rector. Together, our vestry and our Rector form a 'Team Ministry'. In addition, our leadership is committed to prayer and Bible study before each vestry meeting and at each meeting there is a sincere desire to discern the direction of the Holy Spirit. In adherence to our Diocesan canons, our vestry is elected by the members of the parish at our annual meeting in January. They serve a three year term, and one third of the vestry is elected annually.
If you have questions for any of our vestry members, simply send the church an e-mail, call our church office at 817 386-3000 or see them on Sunday!.