New vestry members elected, 2025 budget presented
The Rev. Ed Thornley lays out his vision for St. John’s at the 2025 Annual General Meeting Jan. 26, in Upper Weld Hall.
The Rev. Ed Thornley chaired his first Annual General Meeting Sunday as the parish gathered to elect new vestry members and receive the 2025 budget.
After thanking the vestry, staff, and numerous parishioners who have helped him begin his ministry at St. John’s, Fr. Ed presented his plans for the remainder of his first year. With the Lay Leadership, Fr. Ed intends to spend some time in a discernment exercise to help stabilize the St. John’s community, campus, finances, administration, and ministries, and then develop a vision focusing on ministry specialisms and holistic parish practices which will sustain the community for the years to come. These will help nurture the underlying spirituality of our parish, so to inform future ministry and stability. The initial discernment will revolve around the three theological virtues of St. John the Evangelist: holiness, wisdom, and charity.
Wardens Jody Jones Turner and Perrie O’Tierney-Ginn reviewed the numerous accomplishments of the parish over 2024, and the remarkable transformation that the past year has been for the parish. These were reflected in the annual slide show, prepared by Elise Fickes.
Brad Galko, chair of the Finance Committee, presented a balanced budget to the parish. Coming off a strong stewardship campaign and other successful fundraising efforts, the budget was able to absorb cost increases due to inflation and other factors, and still restore funding to youth programming and outreach, and reinvest in the physical spaces of the church, rectory, and Water St. properties.
The well-attended meeting elected the Nominating Committee’s entire slate of candidates without objection. Five new members were elected to vestry positions: Geoff Emerson, Nancy MacDonald, and Michael Pizziferri were elected for three-year terms as vestry members; Elsie Olin was chosen for a one-year term as a youth member of vestry; Al Bernatavicius was elected as Clerk, also a one-year term.
Jody Jones Turner and Perrie O’Tierney-Ginn were reelected for a second year as Senior and Junior Warden, respectively. Holly Carter and Nina Leek were also reelected as Delegates to the Diocesan Convention. Tom Pyles will head the nominating committee again in 2025.
Skip Hull, who joined vestry as Treasurer last August, was elected to a full-year term in that position.
Mike Holtschlag, Kenzie Blackwell, Judie Shapiro, Sara Dickison Taylor, Elise Fickes, and Jenn Blake are rolling off the vestry after completing their respective terms.
Photos and story by Matthew Ginn