Vestry Discernment

Nominations open from August 11 - August 3

Is there a call to serve?

The By-Laws of the Church of the Good Shepherd call for the Membership of the Parish to meet in the final quarter of each year to elect members of the Vestry and Deputies and Alternates to the annual Diocesan Convention.  Members qualified to vote at this meeting are all parishioners  (confirmed communicants in good standing) sixteen (16) years of age or over.

What is the Vestry?

The Vestry is charged with responsibility for the temporal affairs of the Parish including election of a rector when necessary, election of Vestry Officers, approval of the annual parish budget, promotion of the spiritual life of the Parish, and maintenance of the buildings and grounds. Vestry members must be confirmed communicants in good standing. Good Shepherd’s Vestry is made up of fifteen (15) members who serve three-year terms. Five (5) Vestry members are elected annually, unless additional vacancies exist.

What do I do if I'm interested in serving on the Vestry?

For this year the Vestry has determined to select new vestry members by a process of discernment.

From August 11-31, members of the Nominating Committee consisting of out-going vestry members and others chosen by the Vestry, will receive names of parishioners willing to be nominated to serve as members of the Vestry. Names of those confirmed communicants in good standing, with their consent, may be mailed to the church office or emailed to office@gslex.org.

What is the discernment process?

In the fall of 2024, the Nominating Committee and prospective members will engage in a discernment process designed to help the church and the nominees discover if God is calling them to serve on the Vestry at this time, or not at all, or at some time in the future.

At the conclusion of the discernment process the Nominating Committee will present to the Annual Meeting a slate of five (5) individuals qualified and called to serve God and the church as members of the Vestry. Nominations from the floor will not be permitted. Voting parishioners will accept the nominees by acclamation.

Good Shepherd also elect four (4) Deputies and up to four (4) Alternates to serve in place of Deputies who are unable to attend. Deputies attend Diocesan Convention at the expense of the Parish and participate in all the business of that meeting. Deputies elected at the 2024 Annual Meeting (December 1, 2024) of Good Shepherd will attend the 2025 Diocesan Convention.

What is the annual Convention of the Diocese of Lexington?

The annual Convention of the Diocese of Lexington is a gathering of representatives of all the parishes and missions in the diocese. Clergy and lay deputies elected by their respective parishes meet with the Bishop as the President of the Convention. The Bishop presents a general state of the church address to Diocesan Convention. Members of the Diocesan Executive Council, the Standing Committee, Trustees of the University of the South, and Deputies and Alternates to the triennial General Convention of The Episcopal Church are elected. The Diocesan Budget is approved. Resolutions and changes to the Canons are presented and voted upon.

What are next steps?

For several years now we have used a discernment process to select new Vestry members to serve the parish. If you would like to learn more about the process and/or if you’re interested in serving on the Vestry please feel most welcome to reach out to Fr. Harrison or any Vestry member for more information. Nomination forms are available by request from the church office and you can also nominate someone below.