The regular meeting of the Vestry of St. John’s Church, Elizabeth City Parish, Hampton, Virginia, was held at the parish house on December 7, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. The Reverend Donna-Mae Siderius, Rector, presided. Vestry members present were William Andrews, Greg Brauer, Linda Curtis-Senior Warden, Nelson Durden, Frank Edgar, Sr.-Junior Warden, Bill Forinash, Bob Harper, Peggy Hayes, Vestal Lewis, Denine Miller, Kay Olson, Elizabeth Phillips, and Sandy Smith-Registrar. Absent were Bill Kirkland and Jim Shoemaker. Also present were Susan Copley-Assistant Rector, Connie Heath-Treasurer, Bill Boyer, Jr.-Financial Administrator, and guests Bill Terrill and Jim Tormey.
Donna-Mae Siderius opened the meeting with prayer at 7:10 p.m. Peggy Hayes provided devotions, reflecting on the “God Incidences” in her life.
Museum Presentation
Jim Tormey presented a proposal for the relocation of St. John’s Museum within the parish house and a proposal regarding the inclusion of the history of St. John’s in the Hampton History Museum. Beverly Gundry, who was scheduled to be part of the presentation, was unable to attend due to illness. Jim reported that he and Beverly had met with a small group prior to the development of the proposals. He provided the Vestry with two handouts regarding the proposals.
Regarding the relocation of St. John’s Museum, Jim reported that Beverly Gundry takes care of St. John’s artifacts. We need a place to display these away from sunlight. Jim proposed that the vestibule of the parish hall closest to Court Lane be used to display the artifacts. Even though this space is not large enough to contain everything, it will be adequate. Jim referred to the handout which included a diagram of the old museum and a diagram for the proposed site. In order to house the artifacts, we will need (1) three 3’x6′ cases ( originally we had six 3’x3′ cases) at an estimated cost of $4,100, including lights; (2) three outlets; (3) window film for the transom and tower window in that area at an estimated cost of $300; and (4) some professional help with the installation of the cases and the mounting of the artifacts, which will involve some cost. William Andrews asked about the security of the cases. Jim reported that there will be no incoming access to the museum exhibit from the door in that area. The cases will have tempered glass and will be locked. Linda Curtis asked where the money will come from to fund this endeavor. Donna-Mae Siderius felt that the cost might fall under the terms of the Edward L. and Mary B. Williams Foundation, as the Museum was displaced by the current renovations. Bill Terrill and Frank Edgar, Sr. will ask the Trustees. If this is not possible, Donna-Mae felt we could request funding from the Endowment Board.
Regarding the inclusion of the history of St. John’s in the Hampton History Museum, Jim reported that one of the reasons for the current location of the Museum is because of its proximity to St. John’s. Jim Holloman, director of the Museum, had asked what we would like to display. Jim Tormey referred to the handout for the proposed display. It is recommended that we display the following: (1) a photograph of our communion silver, to be displayed in the 17th Century Gallery; (2) a replica of Shirley Hogge’s painting of colonial St. John’s, to be displayed in the 18th Century Gallery; (3) a photograph of the burned Church after the Civil War, to be displayed in the Civil War Gallery; and (4) an enlarged image of the Sneden watercolor of the Church after the destruction in 1861, to be displayed in the upstairs gallery overlooking St. John’s. Jim reported that the Hampton History Museum believes this is doable and has the necessary funding.
Frank Edgar, Sr. made a motion that we accept both proposals as presented by Jim Tormey regarding the relocation of St. John’s Museum and the inclusion of the history of St. John’s in the Hampton History Museum. The motion was seconded by William Andrews. The motion was unanimously passed by the Vestry. The Vestry requested that a letter be sent to the Hampton History Museum, signed by the Registrar and the Senior Warden, regarding our decision. Jim Tormey will continue to work with the Museum to get the pictures and photographs properly displayed.
Action: St. John’s Museum will be relocated in the parish hall to the vestibule nearest to Court Lane. Frank Edgar, Sr. and Bill Terrill will ask the Trustees of the Foundation for funding for the cost of the relocation. Various photographs and paintings reflective of St. John’s history will be displayed throughout the Hampton History Museum. A letter will be sent to the Hampton History Museum from the Registrar and Senior Warden. Jim Tormey will work with the Museum to have the pictures and photographs displayed.
Treasurer’s Report
Connie Heath reviewed the Income/Expense Statement, Special Accounts Report and the Designated Offerings Report. Connie reported a checking account balance of $13,072.89, primarily due to the receipt of “catch-up” pledges for 2004 and several pre-paid pledges for 2005. She stated that the congregation has been keeping up their pledges. With 90% of the year complete, we have received 86.70% of the pledged income. The “non-pledged, but paid” income is at 69%. Bill Boyer, Jr. sent statements to parishioners in November regarding the status of 2004 pledges.
Connie reported that November income was $42,700.00 and November expenses were $37,566.02. The Thanksgiving offering was $1700. We have received $2175 for the refurbishing of the parish hall. “Refurbishing” has been added as a special account. The Memorial Fund paid $1704.16 toward the cost of our replacement telephone system. In order to pay the $1088.00 down payment due on the hotel for the Journey to Adulthood Pilgrimage, $163.86 was moved from the Christian Education budget to the J2A Pilgrimage designated offerings account. The $163.86 will be reimbursed in the future from the J2A account. Connie reminded the Vestry that the $10,000 we borrowed from the Hoffman House account must be repaid by December 31, 2004.
Connie reported that she had received a letter from the Diocese requesting the official amount of our 2005 diocesan pledge. The Diocese is in need of money and is especially interested in trying to fund a staff person for Christian Formation. The Diocese provided a handout of our historical giving, which was distributed to the Vestry. The Vestry had previously voted to include $40,000 for the Diocese in our 2005 operating budget. Kay Olson made a motion that St. John’s pledge $40,000 to the Diocese for 2005. Nelson Durden seconded the motion, which was passed unanimously by the Vestry. Connie will report our official giving to the Diocese.
Action: St. John’s will pledge $40,000 to the Diocese for 2005.
Minutes
The minutes from the November 2 Vestry meeting were approved as presented.
Senior Warden’s Report
Linda Curtis reported that she had received a letter from David Edmonson, a member of St. John’s, and the Senior Warden of the Canterbury Club at the College of William and Mary, requesting a $100 contribution to help fund a mission trip he is making to the Dominican Republic in January. Elizabeth Phillips, chairperson of the Outreach Commission, stated that the Outreach Commission would fund his request. Donna-Mae Siderius would like David to participate in an Adult Forum after his trip. Linda Curtis will respond to his funding request and ask about his willingness to participate in an Adult Forum.
Action: The Outreach Commission will fund a $100 request from David Edmonson for a mission trip he will be taking to the Dominican Republic in January. Linda Curtis will notify David and ask if he would be willing to report on his experience at an Adult Forum.
Junior Warden’s Report
Frank Edgar, Sr. and Bill Terrill reported on the status of the parish hall renovation. Frank distributed a handout regarding outstanding bills due to the W.M. Jordan Company. After factoring in the expenses for November and December and the previous reallocation of the line of credit to cover the cost of the renovations, we will still need $15,901 to pay Jordan. In addition, Frank reported that we will need an estimated additional $143,000 for bills due in January. All total, we need an estimated $158,901.00. Frank reminded the Vestry that we will receive $250,000 in early January from the Foundation. Frank made two suggestions: (1) we use the $250,000 to pay the $158,901 and the balance to pay on our line of credit or (2) we pay the $158,901 from the $250,000 and then hold back the remainder for unanticipated additional costs. There was a great deal of discussion regarding these two suggestions and the Vestry’s understanding of the terms of the repayment of our line of credit. Several Vestry members, including Treasurer Connie Heath, felt that the bank was expecting payment of $250,000 in January, to be applied to the principal of the loan, and that withholding this money to pay outstanding bills was not an option. The discussion then turned to requesting an increase of the existing line of credit from $600,000 to $800,000 to cover the increased expenses. The $250,000 would be applied to the principal of the loan and there would still be additional monies available for unanticipated expenses. This assumes that Jordan will wait for payment of the $15,901, which is due this month. There was also discussion about the work that will eventually be needed in the church building. There is water damage in the Sacristy and work is needed on a handicap bathroom. Frank Edgar, Sr. suggested that if we vote to increase the line of credit that we use the additional money to keep Jordan employed to begin work in the church. Several Vestry members did not feel this was the intent of the line of credit. Sandy Smith reminded the Vestry that we previously voted to use the entire line of credit for renovations to the parish house. Donna-Mae Siderius stated that we need to seriously consider a mini Capital Campaign for renovations to the church building. There was some concern that given our present status regarding our Stewardship Campaign that we may not be able to raise the needed funds in a Capital Campaign. The Vestry decided to discuss funding of repairs to the church building at another meeting.
After much discussion, it was decided that the easiest and cleanest way to deal with the current situation is to increase the line of credit by $200,000, use the $250,000 to be received from the Foundation in January to pay down the line of credit, and to pay the $15,901 due Jordan from the line of credit. If we keep paying down the line of credit, we will reduce the amount of interest we must pay, since the interest rate has now risen to five percent. Linda Curtis moved that we increase our line of credit by $200,000 to $800,000. The motion was seconded by Vestal Lewis and unanimously passed by the Vestry.
Action: The line of credit will be increased by $200,000 to $800,000.
Stewardship
Bob Harper and Bill Boyer, Jr. reported on the Stewardship Campaign. As of December 6, we have 120 pledges, of which eight are new, totaling about $310,000. Parishioners have responded by increasing their pledges about 15 percent. The average pledge is now $2400 per year versus $2100.00. However, we are still short of our goal. Bob asked for feedback from the calls Vestry members made to parishioners who had pledged in the past, but had not yet done so this year. Several members reported on their experience.
Sandy Smith asked Bill if we would meet our pledge goal if all the pledge units who had pledged in the past followed through with either their same pledge or an increase. Bill estimated we would reach $400,000, which is still $83,000 short of our goal. Bob reported that another letter will be sent to parishioners regarding where we are and what we are trying to fund. The good news is that parishioners are responding with increased pledges, but if we do not meet our goal, the Vestry will have to make some major decisions regarding a reduction in our operating budget for 2005. Donna-Mae Siderius reminded us that St. John’s is a “sleeping giant” and that she is trying to wake us up and move us forward in ministry.
Frank Edgar, Sr. reported that he will be selling the old refrigerator, oven, and freezer because the company in Richmond he had talked with did not want them. The Vestry was in agreement on this proposal and did not feel a need for a motion.
Action: A letter will be sent to parishioners regarding the status of our pledge goal. Frank Edgar, Sr. will sell the old refrigerator, oven, and freezer.
Rector’s Report
Donna-Mae Siderius presented a draft calendar for January 2005 through June 2005. Orientation for potential new Vestry members will be Wednesday, January 12. All Vestry members are asked to attend to share their perspective. The Annual Meeting will be January 16. There will be one service at 9:00 followed by a continental breakfast and the meeting. Elizabeth Phillips will be in charge of the breakfast. The meeting will focus on our vision for the future. Donna-Mae asked Vestry members to submit any agenda ideas for the annual meeting to her. The annual Oyster Roast was rescheduled to January 22. The kitchen may not be ready, so this date is still tentative. The Daughters of the King will have their Winter Oasis on January 21. Bishop Gallagher will be here for Confirmation on January 30 at 4:00 p.m. The annual Chili Cook-off will follow, depending on the status of the kitchen. Shrove Tuesday, with a pancake supper, is February 8. Ash Wednesday is February 9. A Lenten Program will be held on Wednesdays, beginning February 16. There will be a simple supper, followed by a program, “Jesus at the Movies”. Portions of several movies depicting the life of Jesus will be shown, ending with the showing of “The Passion of Christ” during Holy Week. Donna-Mae asked Greg Brauer to help with a Public Relations Campaign for the Lenten Program. The Vestry will discuss funding for advertising at the January meeting. The Vestry will have a Reflection Day sometime in March. Easter is March 27. There will be a spring clean-up on April 9. We will have a “Sunday in the Park” gathering on April 24. The Pentecost picnic will be May 15. The last day of Sunday School will be June 5. There will be a Mozart Mass on June 12. The summer schedule begins on June 19.
Bob Harper again suggested that we consider a joint service with St. Cyprian’s once our parish house renovations are complete. Donna-Mae Siderius stated their official anniversary celebration will be in July.
Vestry nominations are due by January 9. There will be five vacancies. Frank Edgar, Sr., Bill Kirkland, Denine Miller, Elizabeth Phillips and Jim Shoemaker’s terms expire. Denine Miller is eligible for re-election since she is serving an unexpired term. Most nominations come from existing Vestry members. It is important to look for persons who have been members for a while and who are leaders in the parish. Vestry members must confer with the nominee to get their consent prior to the nomination. A revised Vestry Nomination form was distributed. Vestry elections will be January 16, during the Annual Meeting. New Vestry members will begin their terms at the February Vestry meeting. This will also be the last meeting for Vestry members whose terms expire.
Donna-Mae distributed a list of newcomers to St. John’s. These parishioners will be incorporated into the Vestry Care Teams when the new Vestry convenes in February. Donna-Mae asked that we invite newcomers to attend committee meetings as a way of incorporating them into the life of the parish.
Donna-Mae and John will be leaving on a short vacation on December 26. They will return on Dec 30. Susan and David Copley will be leaving on a five day vacation when Donna-Mae and John return. Donna-Mae and John will also be on vacation from February 5-11. Donna-Mae will be officiating at the wedding of her niece in Mexico.
Report on Telephone System
Greg Brauer reported that a “gently used” replacement telephone system had been purchased for $500.00. The cost of this system, if new, would be about $8,000, so we got quite a bargain. The system has been installed and is working well, with room for expansion. The total cost of purchase and installation was under $2400.00.
Greg also reported that we will need to reinstall the public address system in the parish hall once the renovations are complete. Greg will contact the previous installer for cost estimates. Greg believes the cost will be nominal.
Other Business
Donna-Mae Siderius reported that the Endowment Board needs a new member. Nelson Durden nominated Ted Gray. Linda Curtis seconded the nomination. The motion was passed unanimously by the Vestry. Donna-Mae also reported that members of the Finance Committee will rotate off in May. Nominations for the Finance Committee were tabled to a later meeting.
Action: Ted Gray was appointed to the Endowment Board.
Donna-Mae Siderius reported that the Copley’s health insurance through the National Church will expire on June 30, 2005. However, they can come onto our diocesan health insurance plan now if St. John’s pays upfront. The diocesan plan is a better plan and will save money. The National Church will reimburse St. John’s at a later date. Frank Edgar, Sr. moved that St. John’s pay for the Copleys to join the Diocesan Health Insurance Plan, with reimbursement of the cost to be paid by the National Church. The motion was seconded by Vestal Lewis and unanimously passed by the Vestry.
Action: St. John’s will pay now to add the Copleys to the Diocesan Health Insurance Plan, with reimbursement of the cost to come from the National Church.
Linda Curtis reported that she had received a report from Charlie Edmonson, chairman of the Finance Committee, regarding electronic receipt of pledge payments. Linda distributed the report and asked the Vestry to review this document for discussion at the January Vestry meeting.
Good of the Order
Nelson Durden was asked about the status of funding for the trees for the cemetery. He stated that one of the local garden clubs has this on their meeting agenda.
Vestal Lewis suggested extending the service to include John Siderius’ postlude. It was suggested that instead of extending the service for everyone that an invitation for parishioners to remain for the postlude be included in the service leaflet.
Tacky Light Award
The most anticipated Tacky Light Award was passed, with great suspense, from William “Andy” Andrews to Frank Edgar, Sr., whom Andy said he had known for many years!
The meeting was closed by the Vestry reciting together the prayer “When the World was Dark”. The Vestry then presented Peggy Hayes with a birthday card and joined in singing Happy Birthday. Peggy’s birthday is December 8.
The next Vestry meeting will be Tuesday, January 4. Sandy Smith will provide devotions and snacks.
Registrar
Minutes: Approved with corrections