Annual Meeting and Vestry Election
Sunday, February 2, 2025
St. Philip’s annual meeting is Sunday, February 2. We’ll elect new vestry members, hear about the work of St. Philip’s over the past year, and look forward to things coming up in 2025. Join us!
Voting and annual meeting start at 9 a.m.
Confirmed members age 16 and older may vote.
Nursery and children’s activities available.
8:45 AM – Bagels, donuts and coffee – Parish Hall
9 AM – Annual meeting and voting begin – Parish Hall and Zoom*
10 AM – Eucharist with Choir – Church and Online (Facebook, YouTube | Bulletin)
11:30 AM – More voting (if needed), the vestry’s annual report, and lunch – Parish Hall and Zoom*
*You can join the meeting via Zoom at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., but you must be physically present to vote.
Questions? Ask Senior Warden Rebecca Hix or the Rev. Maryann D. Younger.
Meet the Vestry Nominees
Heather Beard (she/her)
What originally brought you to St. Philip’s? How has your experience since then reinforced your expectations – or surprised you? My wife and I followed our dear friends to St. Philips. Once there, we knew it was the right place for us. The warmth, sense of community, and focus on radical love felt authentic, grounded in the scripture, and resonated with me in a way I hadn’t experienced in other churches. I give Mina Hampton credit for making me feel welcome every Sunday. St. Philip’s is part of my identity. It is where support comes from when my family has had illness, it is where Melissa and I were married, and where my kids were baptized.
What gifts, skills, assets, and experience – personal or professional – would you bring to vestry service? As the director of a coalition of environmental nonprofits, I have 20+ years’ experience working with multiple parties with overlapping interests but different opinions. My skills and experience gained come through strongest when I’m developing and implementing strategic plans; supporting collaboration between organizations; aligning budgets with the organization’s mission; and including multiple perspectives when coming to a resolution.
How has your involvement with a particular ministry, worship experience or other activity at St. Philip’s been meaningful to you? I had the honor of working with the youth of the 2023/2024 J2A cohort, starting with Rite 13 and concluding with their participation in Forward. During this time, I got to know other youth leaders and were inspired by the energy and openness they brought to the youths’ development. I got to know parents who were ready to volunteer their homes and time to give their kids a chance for fellowship. And I experienced the importance that the vestry and clergy place on the intentional development of the youth’s spirituality.
Throughout 2024 our parish has been deeply engaged in a visioning process. What do you see in the vision statement that particularly resonates with you and why? If you’re elected to serve on the vestry, what elements of St. Philip’s vision statement will inspire or guide you as you help lead our parish? To begin with, I’ll share that the visioning process itself resonated with me as an exceptional act of empowering others. At the roots of St. Philips vision, the trunk, the branches and out to the leaves of the tree, you can feel the church members are present. If selected to serve on the vestry, the specific elements of the vision that will guide me are supporting worship that feeds the soul, love that welcomes all, and celebrating and protecting God’s creation.
John Bowman (He/him)
What originally brought you to St. Philip’s? How has your experience since then reinforced your expectations – or surprised you? Ginny and I visited St. Philip’s about 40 years ago at the encouragement of E.K. Powe and his wife, Sybil. We felt welcomed and were impressed with the then Rector, Tom Midyette, and we were impressed with the community outreach through St. Philip’s Community Kitchen (now UMD). This sense of comfort with St. Philip’s and its commitment to downtown has been reinforced through the years.
What gifts, skills, assets, and experience – personal or professional – would you bring to vestry service?
- My training and background as a family law attorney and mediator could assist in receiving, reviewing, and analyzing information to make informed decisions.
- Long-time connection with St. Philip’s.
- Service on other non-profit Boards such as UMD, Families Moving Forward, LEAP, etc.
How has your involvement with a particular ministry, worship experience or other activity at St. Philip’s been meaningful to you? My involvement as a Eucharistic minister has been meaningful to me on several levels, especially how I experience the service in an entirely different way when serving as a Eucharistic minister than I do from the pew. Serving on the Garden Close Committee was another meaningful experience that allowed me to work with and get to know some great parishioners, and then to see the wonderful new garden as the result of our collective efforts.
Throughout 2024 our parish has been deeply engaged in a visioning process. What do you see in the vision statement that particularly resonates with you and why? If you’re elected to serve on the vestry, what elements of St. Philip’s vision statement will inspire or guide you as you help lead our parish? St. Philip’s commitment to action in our vision statement resonates with me because we have continued to be true to our downtown community, as recently reflected by our improving the church infrastructure with a new roof and foundation. We have affirmed that we are committed to where we are as Durham grows around us. This compliments our continued support of community outreach. If elected to the vestry, I will be guided by our historical commitment to maintaining our presence and facilities in downtown, as well as the parish’s history of service to those less fortunate in our community.
Martin Fowler (He/him)
What originally brought you to St. Philip’s? How has your experience since then reinforced your expectations – or surprised you? My husband and I came to St. Philip’s in the early 1990s to find a welcoming church which respected and explored scripture. We asked St. Philip’s to host a World AIDS Day service and they did so. We were grateful and impressed!
What gifts, skills, assets, and experience – personal or professional – would you bring to vestry service? I am retiring from teaching philosophy at Elon University, and one of my gifts is public speaking. I have supported and participated in one-on-one ministries such as the jail ministry, lay healing ministry, and Eucharistic minister service.
How has your involvement with a particular ministry, worship experience or other activity at St. Philip’s been meaningful to you? I’ve been a volunteer and leader of St. Philip’s jail ministry for 30 years and that outreach has meant a great deal to me because I want inmates to know that, although they’re isolated, they fully belong in fellowship in the Body of Christ. I’ve served as a vestry member once before, have been a J2A leader, taking St. Philip’s teens to Spain in 2005, and I mentored a Stephen Ministry at St. Philip’s for a number of years, which trained St. Philippians to assist clergy in long-term fellowship and support for ailing members of the church.
Throughout 2024 our parish has been deeply engaged in a visioning process. What do you see in the vision statement that particularly resonates with you and why? If you’re elected to serve on the vestry, what elements of St. Philip’s vision statement will inspire or guide you as you help lead our parish? I especially identify with the part of the vision statement that states, “Where Love… Boldly welcomes all; Celebrates and protects God’s creation; Encourages, comforts, and empowers others.” I look forward to being active in The Trees retreat setting and other environmental projects, while doing my best to ensure that no parishioner in need is left behind or fails to have loving fellowship at St. Philip’s. People talk about loving and caring for nature, but St. Philip’s has the unique range of opportunities to embody that love and caring at The Trees. We should make the most of it.
Marcus Southern (He/him)
What originally brought you to St. Philip’s? How has your experience since then reinforced your expectations – or surprised you? I was looking for a “good fit.” What a “good fit” is has evolved as I’ve gotten older and progressed through different stages of my own life. What has not changed is St. Philip’s commitment to God’s universal love and grace. The resilience of St. Philip’s parishioners and its leadership over the last five years has been my greatest surprise. I want to commend the previous vestry, clergy, and the laity for navigating Covid and the political uncertainty of the last five years with grace.
What gifts, skills, assets, and experience – personal or professional – would you bring to vestry service?
- Community leadership experience
- Former vice president of the Walltown Community Association
- Durham Participatory Budget delegate
- Duke Durham Neighborhood partner
- YMCA fundraiser
How has your involvement with a particular ministry, worship experience or other activity at St. Philip’s been meaningful to you? I have found two ministries particularly meaningful: the Wednesday night dinner and the youth programming. As working parents, Wednesday night dinner is a welcome reprieve from cooking. My son and I have enjoyed our youth ministry. Earlier in my life I worked for the YMCA of the Triangle as a youth counselor and site leader. I started my professional career as an elementary school teacher. How we treat our youngest members is of critical importance. The number of programs we have, the quality of programs and the preparation that individual adult leaders demonstrate on a weekly basis is outstanding.
Throughout 2024 our parish has been deeply engaged in a visioning process. What do you see in the vision statement that particularly resonates with you and why? If you’re elected to serve on the vestry, what elements of St. Philip’s vision statement will inspire or guide you as you help lead our parish? “Worship, Love, and Action” is an eloquent summary of the Great Commandment and the Golden Rule. Action would guide me on the vestry. Action is a witness to worship and love. We are all made in God’s image and seeing the reflection of our creator in everyone is one of the greatest challenges of our faith. I want St. Philip’s to be a place where everyone feels whole. Where people feel respected, welcomed, and are recognized as the children of God.
Caroline Wang (she/her)
What originally brought you to St. Philip’s? How has your experience since then reinforced your expectations – or surprised you? I was raised in The Episcopal Church in Atlanta. When my husband Harris and I moved to Durham, NC in 2015, we were searching for community and ways to connect with young couples and build friendships. I was impressed with the friendliness of the St. Philip’s community and was immediately welcomed at the service and in coffee hour. I appreciate that St. Philip’s is an inclusive, multigenerational multicultural worship community and a strong example of women leading worship. I value the church’s mission with focus on social justice.
What gifts, skills, assets, and experience – personal or professional – would you bring to vestry service? As a medical device scientist and an engineer, I am analytical and ready to bring a problem-solving mindset to projects at St. Philip’s. I am a good listener and will seek community input. I have a steady, calm disposition, ready for building consensus.
How has your involvement with a particular ministry, worship experience or other activity at St. Philip’s been meaningful to you? I appreciate worship music and find making music meaningful. Through participation in choir, I have made close friends and feel active in worship. I bring my two young daughters to children’s formation and enjoy building social connections with the families of St. Philip’s. Family choir and the Wednesday night dinners have been a great way to connect and gather with friends mid-week.
Throughout 2024 our parish has been deeply engaged in a visioning process. What do you see in the vision statement that particularly resonates with you and why? If you’re elected to serve on the vestry, what elements of St. Philip’s vision statement will inspire or guide you as you help lead our parish? I am honored to be considered for service on the vestry. Should I be chosen, I am ready to participate prayerfully in bringing the church’s vision statement into practice particularly through building community with young families, fighting poverty and injustice, and supporting the restful healing mission of The Trees.
Emily Combs Yeatts (she/her)
What originally brought you to St. Philip’s? How has your experience since then reinforced your expectations – or surprised you? Eleven years ago, I hoped to sprinkle some churchiness into the lives of my young children with a traditional liturgical worship experience. St. Philip’s was the first and last place I visited. I fell in love with the way the stained glass-filtered light and organ music filled every corner. I did not expect to become actively involved, but I discovered that church cannot just be sprinkled. Following the example of the faithful St. Philippians I met, participation in the life of the church became a joyful connection to God.
What gifts, skills, assets, and experience – personal or professional – would you bring to vestry service? As in-house counsel for a community development financial institution, I provide legal guidance, negotiate with partners, analyze and propose risk mitigation strategies, and document agreements. My job is to get deals done. The challenge is managing the transactional aspects effectively while also creating space for strengthening relationships and ensuring intended purposes remain priorities. I understand vestry service to require a similar balance between detail-oriented and mission-driven work. In my experience, facilitating dialogue about expectations and concerns creates a bridge between dreams and action.
How has your involvement with a particular ministry, worship experience or other activity at St. Philip’s been meaningful to you? My heart is in two ministries. They seem unrelated, but both are about inviting people into relationship with God and one another. I am a catechist for our youngest parishioners. We build on each child’s innate knowledge of God by offering language for prayer and invitations to contemplate God’s presence. I also serve on the Campus Study Committee to develop a master plan for St. Philip’s property in downtown Durham. The studying and listening process has revealed to me how deeply our congregation cares about St. Philip’s being a good neighbor and sharing our gifts.
Throughout 2024 our parish has been deeply engaged in a visioning process. What do you see in the vision statement that particularly resonates with you and why? If you’re elected to serve on the vestry, what elements of St. Philip’s vision statement will inspire or guide you as you help lead our parish? I believe God is where “love boldly welcomes all.” I recall a question from a young child, who asked about the entryway between our garden and Urban Ministries, “Why are there gates if they are always closed?” I hope our vision statement will empower our leadership to open the gates, literally and figuratively, between the church and anyone seeking to participate in God’s full life. We have countless opportunities to welcome all with love: smiling on a restless child, supporting programming at The Trees that invites new connections to spiritual life, and meeting our downtown neighbors with open hearts.