January 5 (download minutes) and January 13, 2025 (download minutes) – The vestry held two special meetings in early January regarding The Trees and St. Philip’s annual budget. During the second meeting on January 13, the vestry voted to approve St. Philip’s 2025 budget. After receiving The Trees proposal from the Harris Property Discernment Committee, vestry members voted to approve The Trees’ transition from a discernment phase into a development phase, with funding support in St. Philip’s 2025 budget.
January 27, 2025 (download minutes) – Aspiring Eagle Scout Clay Sprouse presented his plan lead a volunteer team to build and install bird and bat boxes at The Trees, and he asked permission to run fundraising announcements to support the Eagle Scout project. The vestry unanimously approved Sprouse’s request. The vestry voted on new senior warden and junior warden positions for 2025. Maryann formally recognized the efforts of outgoing vestry members, expressing warm thanks to Rebecca Hix, Wes Newman, Shamieka Rhinehart, and Liz Sappenfield. And Rebecca Hix led the vestry through plans and schedules for the February 2 annual meeting. Â
February 24, 2025 (download minutes) – Maryann and returning vestry members welcomed new vestry members. The group discussed major goals for 2025: focusing on member connection and the sacred space of our church. Senior Warden Marty Nelson led the group in organizing committees. Parishioners Mike Sistrom and Donna Hicks presented an update on Durham CAN and shared details about an upcoming fundraiser. Associate Rector Gabe Lamazares presented a draft of St. Philip’s 2024 Parochial Report (including statistical data on service attendance, membership, and finances, and written responses to measure the impact of our church on the community); the vestry approved the report and thanked Gabe for tracking and tabulating our church for all people.
March 24, 2025 (download minutes) – The vestry met on March 22 for a staff-vestry retreat, on March 24 for their regular monthly meeting. Saturday’s joint staff-vestry retreat at The Trees focused on 2025 goals, including member connection and sacred spaces, with vestry and staff brainstorming ways to better engage new and long-time members. The Sacred Spaces Committee also presented ideas for changes and accessibility improvements to the church interior. At Monday’s vestry meeting, Maryann presented an update on St. Philip’s joint grant application with The Beloved Community at The Trees. In collaboration with The Beloved Community, St. Philip’s is applying for a $70,000 Mission Proceeds Disbursement grant from the diocese. Funds from the grant would support both The Beloved Community’s ongoing work and our shared ministry at The Trees. The vestry approved a resolution in support, and Maryann will submit the application by the end of March. The vestry also discussed the 2026 budgeting timeline and broke into committees to plan for the year ahead, starting agendas for the Outreach, Member Connection, and By-laws committees.
April 28, 2025 (download minutes) – Stewardship co-chairs shared highlights from last year’s pledge campaign, noting pledges rose nearly 4%, with 59% of households increasing their pledge. The vestry thanked Laura for her years of dedicated leadership as she rotates off the stewardship committee. The vestry reviewed proposals to enhance St. Philip’s information technology, including hardware and services. Junior Warden Mike Uhl outlined changes that could improve routine maintenance quality, boost the speed and reliability of the church’s internet connection, and reduce costs. The vestry discussed our church’s security budget, policies, and personnel. Vestry members expressed satisfaction with the performance of our current team from the Sheriff’s department. They also discussed potential future developments for the block, considering the mutual benefits of collaborating with neighbors on security measures.
May 27, 2025 (download minutes) – The meeting began with news of departing staff and vestry members: Vestry member Richard Williams and parishioner Darrell Powell will be moving home to Pennsylvania, and Ryals Minister for Youth and Intergenerational Ministries Hannah Flack will be moving on to follow her bi-vocational call to ordained ministry and health care. The vestry held a productive conversation about how to strengthen St. Philip’s J2A program moving forward. Maryann shared updates on the J2A youth program, recapping the past academic year and recent pilgrimage activity. Sue Guptill led a discussion on St. Philip’s outreach programs, focusing on how to improve the process for allocating and communicating funding decisions. Vestry members discussed ways to clarify how funding amounts are determined and explored options for better capturing the broader community impact of our outreach.
June 2025 – No vestry meeting this month.
July 28, 2025 (download minutes) – Vestry members discussed budget priorities for 2026 through the lens of the St. Philip’s vision statement. They also approved a new formula for outreach contributions. The vestry unanimously appointed new vestry member Addis Crooks-Jones to fill the seat left vacant by Richard Williams’ recent move. Addis will serve the remainder of Richard’s term, which concludes in February. The vestry approved the new development committee for The Trees. Maryann presented and the vestry approved the new slate of delegates for future diocesan conventions.
August 25, 2025 (download minutes) – St. Philip’s successfully completed its 2024 financial statement audit; the vestry unanimously approved the audit for submission to the diocese. The vestry discussed potential bylaw changes regarding voting procedures and operating reserve requirements. Senior Warden Marty Nelson gave an update on member connection initiatives. Maryann reported on recent hiring developments, including two collaborative roles at The Trees and a new parish chef.
September 29, 2025 (download minutes) – The vestry welcomed Laura Kirby, the new director of The Trees. Maryann and the vestry discussed updates on St. Philip’s youth ministries and the need for sustainable leadership and volunteers. Emily Yeatts outlined possible bylaw changes to make vestry elections more inclusive. Junior Warden Mike Uhl shared options for expanding St. Philip’s solar panels.
October 27, 2025 (download minutes) – The vestry voted to add more solar panels to the parish house roof, taking advantage of federal incentives before they expire. Shamieka Rhinehart shared how the Outreach Committee will distribute funds in 2026, noting a strong mix of long-term partners and new recipients. The vestry discussed ways to promote these organizations and connect our community with their work. The vestry voted to approve a new parish auditor, the firm of Dean Dortan. The vestry began discussing an aspirational budget for 2026, referencing our vision statement while setting priorities.
November 24, 2025 (download minutes) – The vestry discussed ways we might renew our commitment to our downtown neighbor, Urban Ministries of Durham. The vestry discussed recruiting candidates for next year’s vestry class. Junior Warden Mike Uhl and Treasurer Marcus Southern guided the vestry through a range of fiscal scenarios regarding St. Philip’s 2026 budget for the remainder of the meeting.Â
December 8, 2025 (download minutes) – An ad hoc meeting convened via video conference (Zoom) to discuss several different budget scenarios for the coming year.
December 15, 2025 (download minutes) – The vestry convened at Maryann’s house for a festive December meeting. Members expressed gratitude to everyone who gave feedback about the proposed changes to our bylaws. The vestry discussed candidates for the next vestry election in February. The meeting largely focused on budget discussions for the upcoming year.