The Annual Meeting of Grace Episcopal Church in its 197th year was held on Sunday morning, February 4.
The highlights of the meeting included Amy Munn, our parish treasurer, sharing the parish’s strong financial health as well as Sonja McLendon’s Senior Warden report that focused on the parish’s Mission and Vision Statement. The revised Mission and Vision Statement for Grace is:
Our Mission
Grace Episcopal Church is a congregation in communion with all that is in God, seen and unseen. We are led by the example of Jesus Christ and are empowered by the Holy Spirit to support each other through prayer, formation, worship, and service.
Our Vision
We will welcome all with kindness, acceptance, and love, with God’s help. We are Grace, grounded in faith and relentless in compassion.
Sonja also shared updates on the ongoing building renovation work with the Bicentennial Capital Campaign.
Fr. Stuart recognized outgoing vestry members; Barbara Batog, Daniel Grizzle, Vance Hollifield and Sonja McLendon before announcing that Sue Bowron, Kimberley Boyd, Steve Carlson, and Cheryl Kelley have been elected to begin three-year terms on the vestry.
Fr. Stuart thanked Kathie Futrell for her many years of service in chairing the Grace Church Outreach Committee, and we also recognized Murray and Daphne David and Johnny and Mary Lynn Coyle for their thirty-plus years of service as the Grace representatives with the Food Pantry.
Fr. Stuart also invited the parish to engage in a time of reflection and revision of our current Outreach ministries, inviting the community to form itself into key teams that will focus on needed areas of support. As well, we focused on changing demographics with attendance and other indicators of vitality and energy, paying close attention to needed conversation that integrates age groups and honors our hybrid approach to worship and prayer.