St. Philip's Members,
I want to first address a concern that has been voiced regarding our Annual Meeting scheduled for Monday, January 11th at 6 pm on Zoom (which may be accessed at bit.ly/StPhilipsAnnualMeeting, please feel free to test this in advance). Members without capable internet access will be able to and are invited to join us on audio by telephone. If that is you, do the following to join us prior to 6 pm on January 11th (feel free to try this in advance):
Dial 1 346 248 7799 (note this is considered a long distance call)
When asked for the Meeting ID, enter 894 5422 1634#
When asked for the Participant ID, enter #
When asked for the Meeting Password, enter 862108#
Now, you will have joined the Annual Meeting on audio only. You may press *9 to raise your hand if you'd like to speak or ask a question and *6 to mute or unmute yourself.
For Annual Meeting reports, that will be distributed electronically in advance and/or on the Zoom, you may instead pick up a packet on Monday from noon to 2 pm at the church office.
Second, the 2021 Nominating Committee is happy to announce the following slate of qualified candidates standing for election to St. Philip’s Vestry in 2021, of which four members will be elected and a fifth will serve as an alternate. Please prayerfully consider these candidates, keeping in mind the work of the Vestry as the governing body of St. Philip's and the desire to maintain a diverse group which represents well our beloved community of faith.
The nominees for the 2021 Vestry class are:
Melissa Cox
Allyson Mitchell
Alex Nemer
Scott Nicholson
Vincent Salaz
Joan Strominger (eligible to serve, having served as an alternate for the year prior)
Third, our first order of business will be to adopt our agenda, stating that the meeting is taking place online via Zoom, and that votes will be taken electronically (since it is a Virtual Annual Meeting). Once approval is received by 2/3 of the voting members in attendance, the meeting may continue according to the distributed and approved agenda.
Lastly, to address another voiced concern, by guidance of the bishop and in accordance with our Constitution and Canons in The Episcopal Diocese of Texas, absentee balloting is not permitted. However, those eligible members joining us at the Annual Meeting will each have a chance to vote in the Vestry election. Directions will be given prior to the vote for those on Zoom, and an option will be provided for those only able to join us by audio over the phone due to internet connectivity issues.
Image of electronic Vestry Election ballot.
All of this is to say, things are different, which I would pray is no shock to any of you in light of being in the midst of a historic pandemic. And, God's grace and mercy must always be a part of our lives together in Christ, including at an Annual Meeting. Also, the information above means that members of St. Philip's Episcopal Church need not be excluded from our Annual Meeting and Vestry Election. I look forward to being with you next Monday evening at 6 pm, either over an internet connection or the phone. This is your community of faith, this is your faithful family of Jesus followers--let's grow in grace together, when the world needs us now more than ever.
Faithfully yours in Christ,
Fr. Justin Briggle
Rector, St. Philip's Episcopal Church