Minutes from Parish Meeting -- 11/22/09 Attendance– See attached sign-in sheets Meeting called to order. This meeting is aspecial meeting called for the purpose of bringing the following resolution before the Parish for a vote. The resolution was read aloud to the Parish. Shall the members of the Parish authorize the Vestry to take those actions reasonably necessary to offer for sale, and to sell, the Rectory, located at 41 Summer St., Montpelier, VT, on such terms and conditions as will net the Parish an amount, after payment of mortgage and customary expenses of sale, of not less than $75,000; and, Further, authorize the Senior Warden to execute and deliver the documents necessary to sell the Rectory, consistent with the terms of this resolution? There followed a discussion and explanation of the process by which the decision was made to proceed with the sale of the Rectory, expanding on the findings presented at the 9/13/09 Parish Meeting, regarding the current condition of the property and the estimated repairs needed to bring it up to code. The property is being sold as-is with no improvements, with the financial breakdown presented to the Parish as follows: | Estimated market value* | $210,000 | | | | | Repairs required | ($60,000) | | | | | Sale proceeds (est.) | $150,000 | | | | | Commission (5%) | ($7,500) | | | | | Net proceeds | $142,500 | | | | | Existing mortgage | ($55,000) | | | | | Est. Net Cash | $87,000 | | | | | Lowest acceptable net | $75,000 | After all questions were answered, the motion was re-read to the group, formally brought to the floor and seconded, no discussion or amendments were raised, and the vote was taken. The Resolution was adopted with 50 votes in favor, 0 votes opposed, and 0 abstentions. David Blythe then presented on the current status of the Interim process. It was announced that the next Vestry meeting is set for 11/30, and all are welcome to participate. The date of the annual meeting was set for January 24th, and the Parish was asked to consider potentialVestry members and representatives to Convention and Deanery. Meeting Adjourned VestrySecretary Signature Date |
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Tuesday, 15 September 2009 06:57 |
The open meeting with the Vestry after church on Sunday, September 13th, was well-attended and spirited. Senior Warden David Blythe opened by thanking Jackie and Dot for their administrative steadiness, Diane for her work with liturgical and bulletin affairs, and Sr. Laurian for helping the first Sundays while we are organizing coverage. (He likely thanked others as well since many are pitching in.)
Quoting David Hall and the Diocesan staff, he said that “This is the time to keep attending and keep giving.”
David outlined the process up ahead in general terms saying that right now, we were in the Supply phase where different priests (Mary Mansfield, Jeanette McKnight, Laurian Seeber) will cover Sunday services. The next phase, the Interim phase, will start when we hire someone to help lead us through the transition period before the next priest is called. He stressed several times the excellent support and guidance the church was getting from the Diocese.
The rectory is a major issue for the Vestry and the church. Junior Warden Laura Buel discussed a building inspection done this spring which identified a number of major problems including heating system deficiencies, obsolete wiring, peeling paint and rotted clapboards, etc. No costs have been determined but the $50-$100K range is a possibility. Sarah Blair followed up by saying the the house is not habitable at this point.
This led to a lengthy discussion on options, pros and cons of rectories etc. Blythe is going through the building this week with local realtor Tim Heney to get a sense of what steps might be needed if we were to market the place and what the value might be. Ed Skea reminded us that this property, like the church, is not ours but the Diocese’s and we need their permission if we are to try to sell it. David elaborated on that procedure and said that he's already been communicating with Bishop Ely and staff.
The position of Interim Priest was actively discussed: both the classic long-term interim who can not apply for the rector position, and the newer priest-in-partnership model being used in parishes large and small in Vermont. The sense of the Vestry seemed to lean toward the traditional interim model. Ed Skea advised us to be patient -- that these transitions take a year or more. Ida Lange and others voiced their support of the leadership of the Vestry and there seemed to be a general feeling that the process was in good hands.
David Blythe promised that the process would be open, that there would be ongoing briefings/discussions, and welcomed input from all parishioners.
Note to attendees: Please feel free to use the comments section to add or correct -- I had a dog bugging me for exercise and may have missed some things. DM |
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A word from your Vestry... |
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Sunday, 23 August 2009 18:15 |
A word from your Vestry...
As we all prepare to enter a new season in Christ Church’s mission and ministry during the weeks and months to come, an overarching goal of the Vestry is to make sure that there are open and transparent lines of communication available to all, so that everyone can have input and be engaged with the process of transition if they are so called. All ideas and input are welcomed and encouraged as we go forward together, and we will use all means at our disposal to keep everyone abreast of the process.
On August 11th, members of the Vestry met with Bishop Ely and Canon Thad Bennett. It was a very positive and enlightening meeting, and we all came away feeling encouraged by the support offered by the Diocese, and excited about the programs and models that are available to congregations in transition.
At the subsequent Vestry meeting on the 170th, we discussed how the day to day operations of the Church will function starting in September, and began to flesh out the plan for transition in the short term. We have supply clergy in place to celebrate the Sunday services in the coming weeks, and are in the process of assembling information for the Diocese so that we may move towards inviting an Interim priest, who will be with us as we discern what the future of Christ Church's mission and ministry will look like.
No change comes without some degree of anxiety and we will share with each other our thoughts and ideas about the transition and the process going forward. The Vestry will be hosting a meeting in the Parish Hall after the 10:00 service, on Sunday, September 13th, to allow the congregation to pose questions, discuss ideas, and voice any concerns in a safe and open forum.
God is up to something at Christ Church, and it will take all of our hearts to discern it, all of our voices to speak it, and all of our bodies to walk it out!
David Blythe, Senior Warden
Sara Baker
Ruth Beard
Diane Holland
Ed Skea
Laura Buel, Junior Warden
Sarah Blair
Naomi Flanders
Angela Simpson
Bonnie Smoren
August 23, 2009
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