The Annual Meeting

February 23, 2025 | 10 a.m.

Like all Episcopal churches, St. Stephen’s holds an annual meeting to elect a new vestry class, receive reports on finances and other temporal matters of the church, and to reflect on and celebrate the year that has passed and all that we have been able to do as a community of faith to advance the Kingdom of God. While the canons (church laws) specify that only members may vote, the only vote taken at our annual meeting is to affirm the vestry slate, so most of the meeting will be interesting and useful to you even if you are not an official member of St. Stephen’s Church. Everyone is invited!

The 2025 annual meeting takes place Sunday, February 23, between the 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services, in the fellowship hall. We’ll begin about 10 a.m.

There will be no Sunday morning formation that day, but we do have plans for children and young people!

• The nursery will be open for its usual Sunday morning hours, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.
• Adult volunteers will supervise elementary age children in the undercroft and/or playground, depending on weather, during their usual formation time (beginning at 10 a.m. until the conclusion of the annual meeting).
• Youth (grades 6-12) are invited to attend the meeting and sit with their peers and youth ministry coordinator Caroline Harris.

Vestry election

You can read about the vestry election and the slate being brought by the vestry nominating committee here.

Evening presentation

For those who attend the Celtic service, the Sunday Community Supper, and/or Compline, a summary of the meeting will be presented at 7 p.m.

Livestream

The annual meeting will be livestreamed on the “This Sunday” page. We’ll upload a video recording of the meeting, as well as the new video to be presented at the beginning of the meeting, on this page by Wednesday, February 26.

Wrap up

Now that the meeting has concluded, here are some things you may find helpful.

Opening video

The video that followed immediately after John Rohrs’ opening prayer is available here.

Slide deck

Here are the slides presented during the meeting.

Written reports

Copies of the written reports provided at the meeting are available at Information Central, the large table outside the parish office. Here is a digital version.

The rector’s report

The Rev. John D. Rohrs delivered this report at the close of the meeting.

Vestry officers

On Sunday afternoon, vestry members (including those rotating on, those rotating off, and those continuing) gathered for lunch. Then the newly constituted vestry elected the following officers:

Robert Birdsey, senior warden
Kathy Brock, junior warden
Mary Ashburn Pearson, register
Chris Smith, treasurer
Randy Seibert, assistant treasurer

As the immediate past senior warden, Anne Pinion will continue to meet with the executive committee to provide continuity.

See the full vestry membership here.