Build a Better Vestry Meeting

Nine out of ten Episcopalians claim they don’t know what the vestry of their church does. When only vestry members are surveyed, the percentage goes to ten out of ten.

The joke usually elicits a laugh out of vestry members. The task of overseeing the temporal affairs of a congregation is not easy and can be a thankless task. Being a good member of vestry means setting aside one’s personal agenda to seek what is best for the congregation as a whole. To assist in moving toward less time bogged down on details to provide more energy for thoughtful discussions about the life of a church, there is a different meeting format worthy of consideration. The Rev. Lonnie Lacy of St. Anne’s, Tifton, recommends the somewhat radical shift to a four part agenda of:

1. Formation
2. Information
3. Discussion
4. Decisions

This meeting format is discussed in some detail where Lonnie discovered it in The Rev. Canon Neal O. Michell’s book from Church Publishing, How to Hit the Ground Running: A Quick-Start Guide for Congregations with New Leadership (ISBN-13: 978-0898694758).
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The idea is to open with teaching for the vestry (formation), then make sure everyone is up to speed on the church calendar and knows what is coming up (information), Continue by engaging in conversation about the major concerns of the congregation with no vote on the night something is presented unless it is an emergency (discussion), and then act on things discussed at the previous meeting together with reports like minutes and the treasurer’s report (Decision).

I have field tested this meeting format with the vestry at King of Peace and agree to its advantages in moving away from the more common approach of approving minutes and financial report, followed by other reports and then old and new business. That typical meeting puts details up front, rather than time to discuss thoughtfully the larger issues. In moving a church from being about maintenance of the facilities and services, to engaging in the mission God has for your congregation, focusing the vestry meetings toward productive discussion is critical. While this vestry meeting format is not essential, working to keep from getting bogged down in minutiae is. I offer this four-part meeting agenda as a helpful alternative.

The Rev. Canon Frank Logue
Canon for Congregational Ministries

Above are pictured the interior of St. Anne’s, Tifton and the Rev. Liam Collins and the Rev. Dcn. Eddie Adkins with the members of the vestry of St. Luke’s, Rincon.

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