Vestry Members and Elected Leaders
The Vestry consists of the Priest-In-Charge, two Wardens, 7 to 9 members, and two non-voting members – the Treasurer and the Secretary of the Vestry. In addition, the Parish elects a Delegate and an Alternate to the annual Diocesan Convention to represent St. Mark’s to the Diocese. Current Members
Governing Documents
Vestry members should be familiar with the St. Mark’s Bylaws, including but not limited to specifics of vestry duties and operating parameters
- Article II – the Vestry. defines eligibility, membership, terms, how meetings are run and vestry committees
- Article III – Parish Officers and Diocesan Delegates, defines specifics of the Parish Officers and the Diocesan Delegates
The Constitution and Canons of the Diocese of Washington and of the Episcopal Church of the United States, as well as the Maryland Vestry Act, include provisions related to the Vestry that provide the context for the definitions in the St. Mark’s Bylaws.
Vestry Duties and Opportunities
Vestry members serve as leaders in the life of St. Mark’s. This includes being the vestry contact or “point person” to other St. Mark’s organizations and ministries. Specifics of these opportunities is available here.
The Diocese of Washington has a large assortment of resources available to vestry members that are useful in defining the role and expectations of vestry members. The Vestry 101 toolkit includes information on the national and diocesan mission, how St. Mark’s fits into the Diocese, How the Diocesan staff can help the vestry, roles and responsibilities and many other resources. Vestry members are encouraged to make extensive use of the tools and knowledge presented here. In addition, the Warden Toolbox provides a list of resources that, while specific to the wardens, should be helpful to all members of the vestry.
Vestry Meetings and Minutes
The vestry meets monthly. Special meetings may also be called to accommodate urgent business that should not wait until a monthly meeting. Reports from the vestry officers and from vestry liaisons are provided to vestry members a few days before the meeting, and discussion of those reports includes only questions or discussion items from those reports. Minutes of each meeting are kept and reviewed at the next meeting for approval.
| Meeting Date | Meeting Packet | Approved Minutes |
| March 30, 2021 Regular Vestry Meeting | March 30 Meeting Materials | |
| March 18, 2021 Special Vestry Meeting | March 18 Meeting Materials | March 19 Approved Minutes |
St. Mark’s Parochial Report
St. Mark’s submits a Parochial Report to the Diocese each year. The report contains general information on the health of the parish, including top-level financial information, congregation size, activities over the past year, and for 2020, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the church.
Annual Meetings
St. Mark’s Annual Meetings are open to all parishioners. At this meeting we update the congregation on the activities of the past year as well as plans going forward. An extensive Annual Report is available at these meetings that includes reports from all the committees and ministries of the church as well as a summary. The report presented at the January 24, 2021 annual meeting is available here.
In addition, St. Mark’s is represented at the annual Conventions of the Diocese of Washington. A report from our delegate to the 2021 Convention is available here.