Qualifications to Stand for Election for Vestry Service

Biblical expectations for leadership in the church are high.  At Church of the Holy Spirit, the following specific expectations for Vestry guide both leadership and people as our common understanding.  These expectations are to be used in selecting nominees to stand for election on the Vestry.  Persons who agree to stand for election must be prepared to meet the following expectations throughout their term.  Persons who serve on the Vestry:

1. Must be baptized Christians, who are confirmed or received in the Anglican Church, who are members of Church of the Holy Spirit and who regularly attend worship services at Church of the Holy Spirit. They should have been and continue to be active in some additional aspect of church life. Vestry members must be at least 25 years of age.

2. Must support and promote Church of the Holy Spirit’s current statements of Vision, Mission and Values, as may be amended.

3. Must support the Statement of Faith of the American Anglican Council , also known as “A Place To Stand.”

4. Must support this statement of the Authority and Power of the Bible found in the Lausanne Covenant (1974): “We affirm the divine inspiration, truthfulness and authority of both Old and New Testament Scriptures in their entirety as the only written word of God, without error in all that it affirms, and the only infallible rule of faith and practice. We also affirm the power of God’s word to accomplish his purpose of salvation. The message of the Bible is addressed to all men and women. For God’s revelation in Christ and in Scripture is unchangeable. Through it the Holy Spirit still speaks today. He illumines the minds of God’s people in every culture to perceive its truth freshly through their own eyes and thus discloses to the whole Church ever more of the many-colored wisdom of God. (II Tim. 3:16; II Pet. 1:21; John 10:35; Is. 55:11; 1 Cor. 1:21; Rom. 1:16, Matt. 5:17,18; Jude 3; Eph. 1:17,18; 3:10,18)”

5. Must make the following promises in regard to their integrity: “I commit myself to be worthy of the trust of God’s people, living by God’s standards in my own life. I will strive to be discerning in my conduct, not giving the appearance of immorality. I will not intentionally look at pornography or commit sexual immorality. I will strive to meet the biblical standards for deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 and Acts 6:3. I openly invite correction and disciplinary action from the Body of Christ if my life should vary from God’s standards of conduct for deacons. I understand that if my behavior or beliefs substantially depart from these commitments, as determined by the Vestry, I may be removed from the Vestry.”

6. Must have submitted, prior to the closing of Vestry nomination process, a written estimate of their own financial giving to the Business Administrator of CHS for the year during which they are nominated, and subsequently, for each year of their Vestry term.

7. Must Tithe (returning 10 percent of one’s gross income to the work of the Lord at Church of the Holy Spirit) or give proportionally (a stated percentage of one’s gross income) to CHS, with a goal and plan to Tithe.

8. Must be committed to their own personal Christian education and spiritual growth, including their own prayer and Bible reading. They are expected to ensure that their program involvement and leadership do not preclude participation in the worship, groups, and retreats necessary for the nurturing of their relationship with Jesus Christ.

9. Agrees that the Vestry is the primary spiritual leadership group within Church of the Holy Spirit. As CHS lives out God’s call to us to be a church that makes disciples who make disciples, agrees to be actively involved in personally making disciples who make disciples, through personal contact, Life Transformation Groups, and/or mentoring, etc.

10. Will work toward the internal, spiritual growth of the Vestry so that it lives out the principle of “speaking the truth in love.” The Vestry is committed to strengthening its own fellowship in Christ as a living example of Christian fellowship for the church at large.

11. Commits to be in regular prayer for Church of the Holy Spirit and her leaders.

12. Commits to participate in either a Home Group or some other small group, such as a Life Transformation Group, or another regularly meeting group.

13. Must regularly attend the following meetings: the monthly Vestry meeting on the Fourth Thursday (or other regularly scheduled) evening; occasional additional called Vestry meetings; annual Vestry retreat; major church events; and weekly worship service.

14. Must be willing to serve as assigned by the Rector and Wardens on a Vestry Committee. Must exercise responsibility for the committee to which you are assigned, to wit: ensure the scheduling of committee meetings and the staffing of the committee; and providing copies of committee reports or minutes where appropriate to the Vestry in a timely manner. Committees need not be chaired by a Vestry Member.

Vestry Positions

The Senior Warden is selected by the Rector from elected Vestry Members to be the lay head of the Vestry.  The Senior Warden is responsible to be an advisor, counselor, and supporter of the Rector.  The Junior Warden is elected by the Vestry (typically at the Vestry Retreat) after the Rector has selected the Rector’s Warden.  The activities of Junior Warden center on administration.  This includes matters dealing with leasing office and worship space, land and building acquisition, capital campaign, personnel, policies and procedures, and finance.