St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Vestry Meeting 

1/12/2026

5:15pm

I.  Welcome

Vestry members and officers present at the meeting were David Spiller (Sr. Warden), Katherine Betts (Junior Warden), Tom White (Treasurer), Carrie Stefaniak (Clerk), John Beard, Greg Miller, Jeremy Weldon, Harriett Whitaker, Curt Hodge, Beth Luehrs, Jennifer Nicely, Victoria Pratt and Duke Richey.  Rhett Bentley attended by Zoom.  Also present were incoming vestry members Shay Mahone (by Zoom) and Amanda Pettit-Shaheen (in person).  Clergy and staff present were Fr. Eric Long, Fr. Murdock Jones, Mtr. Elizabeth Farr, and Carly Woodfin.  (The laptop for Zoom connection failed, and the audio connection for remote participants was unreliable.) 

Fr. Eric opened the meeting in prayer.

II. Consent Agenda:

• The vestry unanimously approved the November 17, 2025,and December 15, 2025, vestry meeting minutes.

III. Action/Discussion Items:

1. Treasurer Tom White gave a report, including a forecast of the proposed 2026 budget, which will be emailed to the vestry a week before the February vestry meeting.  The Finance Committee is discussing a possible change in which part of the withdrawal from the endowment during strong market years could be put aside to use during weaker market years, so the amount would be more predictable from year to year.

2. Resolutions for clergy housing allowances were deferred to the executive session.

3. Banking resolutions are not needed at this time.

4. Junior Warden Katherine Betts reported that the architect for the Loring Clark wall is helping us obtain three bids from local masonry companies, which will then be presented to the Buildings and Grounds Committee and the vestry.  The work is projected to be done in June and July.  Two estimates for the back doors are being considered by the Buildings and Grounds Committee.  Katherine and Carly will meet with the decorator regarding proposals for the Ava Wright and Strang Rooms.  The Buildings and Grounds Committee will meet on January 27.

5. The parish’s delegates to Diocesan Convention on February 20-21, 2026, will be Rhett Bentley, Ian Mahone, Shay Mahone, Andrea Odle,  and Duke Richey.  Randy Odle is the alternate.  All four parish clergy will attend.  Mtr. Elizabeth will serve as the Secretary of Convention.  Carly Woodfin and Mackenzie Teal will facilitate Safe Church training for the Diocese, and Fr. Murdock will report on Canons and Constitutions.

6. The slate of officers presented by the Vestry Officer Nominating Committee, consisting of Jeremy Weldon as Senior Warden, Katherine Betts as Junior Warden, Duke Richey as Secretary, and Tom White as Treasurer, was moved, seconded, unanimously approved. 

7. The 2026 Vestry/Staff retreat will begin Friday evening, February 6, with a dinner for vestry members and their spouses and partners, generously funded by a departing gift from St. John’s to Fr. Eric.  Fr. Eric will facilitate the retreat on the morning of Saturday, February 7.

IV. Reports:

• Stewardship Committee (Jennifer):

  • 163 pledges are in, totaling just over $1 million.

  • The Committee is communicating with past pledgers who have not yet pledged. 

  • In-home events by area of town will happen over the next few months, with two scheduled for January.

• Finance Committee (Beth):

  • The Finance Committee met with Tom last week.  The Committee is exploring ideas to better balance the amounts drawn from the endowments from year to year. 

• HR Committee (Jeremy):

  • The Committee meets quarterly and met last week with Fr. Eric.

  • The Committee is discussing how to do Mutual Ministry Reviews with all the clergy and how to incorporate them in future procedures..

• Community Engagement Committee (Harriett):

  • Harriett commended the generosity of the parish over the holidays, including 170 Angel Tree angels, a Habitat build supplemented by youth group alumni.  

  • The Committee will meet in January.  The Committee is finding ways to organize work and make the parish aware of opportunities.

•  Formation and Family Ministry Committee (Duke):

  • Formation will restart on Sunday.

  • David Eastman of McCallie will speak on January 2025 for adult formation.

• Music and Art Committee (Curt):

  • It is a slow time for scheduling art shows.

  • Three music presentations are upcoming, with January 18 Compline, January 26 Evensong for the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, and February 9 Gesualdo 6, with strong ticket sales for the latter.

• Contemplative Ministry Committee (Rhett):

  • No report; possible audio issues with remote connection.

• Security Committee (John):

  • The Committee has been formed and will meet on January 21.  The members have the recent security assessment and materials from the previous committee.

  • Dragonfly is set up, which allows the Chattanooga Police Department immediate access to the security cameras in the event of an emergency.  There is no charge for this service.  

  • The services of an officer are secured through May.

• Executive Director of Operations (Carly):

  • A phone system switchover was completed this week.  There is now a pastoral line that goes to clergy cell phones.  There is also a recorded message to greet incoming callers with hours, etc.

  • The church also migrated from Outlook to Google for email, which will save costs by consolidating licenses.

• Fr. Murdock:

  • Attendance yesterday was approximately 500 people

    • Jeremy commended Carly for getting out and directing traffic on Sunday with our high attendance.

  • The Liturgy and Worship Committee will meet this week for Lent and Easter.

  • New people are coming into the liturgy as Readers, Eucharastic Ministers, and Vergers.

  • The Thorne Sparkman Committee has met and has almost completed the slate of speakers, beginning with Barbara Brown Taylor and ending with Bishop Wright of Atlanta.  Meetings will be on Tuesday evening, as they were in 2025.

• Mtr. Elizabeth:

  • We had a full and wonderful celebration of Advent and the twelve days of Christmas to Epiphany.  For example, attendance at Lessons and Carols even exceeded attendance at that morning’s 10:30 service, and the 90th Feast of Lights with its alumni picture was a great success.

  • The Sunday morning offering for adults is moving from Rector’s Forum to Adult Formation, with an increased emphasis on short series from clergy.

  • David commended the Farrs for their two-week series during Advent

• David (Sr. Warden):

  • David commended Victoria on Welcome Week.  Numerous parishioners have told him their hearts are full and they are feeling at peace after meeting Fr. Eric.

  • David has also received thanks for the vestry’s thank-you notes for pledges and commended Victoria for leading that process.

  • The vestry discussed and affirmed that vestry meetings are open to everyone.

• Fr. Eric:

  • Fr. Eric thanked Victoria for the Welcome Week activities.  He is glad to have completed so many firsts and is happy, honored, and exhilarated to begin serving the parish of St. Paul’s.  The associate rectors have been great at helping as he comes in, as have the members of the staff.

  • The first staff position to focus on will be the Children’s Ministry, which can be transformative.

  • Another priority is administrative support.  This is included in the proposed budget and will free clergy time for more ministry.

  • Fr. Eric is also talking with downtown churches with stewardship positions who have had positive experiences with the position.   

V. The Vestry met in executive session with Fr. Eric from 6:32 to 7:07 p.m. 

• The attached housing allowance resolutions for 2025 for Mtr. Elizabeth ($20,000) and Fr. Murdock ($27,192) were moved, seconded, discussed, and passed.

• The attached housing allowance resolution for 2026 for Fr. Eric ($55,000) was moved, seconded, discussed, and passed.

VI. The Vestry met in executive session alone from 7:07 to 7:17 p.m. 

VII. Adjournment 

Important Dates:  The vestry-staff retreat will be February 6-7, 2026.  Commissioning of new vestry members will take place on February 8, 2026.  The next vestry meeting will be February 16, 2026.  

Respectfully Submitted,

Carrie Stefaniak, Vestry Clerk

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Vestry Meeting 

2/16/2026

5:15pm

I.  Welcome

Vestry members and officers present at the meeting were Jeremy Weldon (Sr. Warden), Katherine Betts (Junior Warden), Tom White (Treasurer), Duke Richey (Clerk), John Beard, Greg Miller, Harriett Whitaker, Curt Hodge, Beth Luehrs, Lauren Benedict, Laura Howell, Shay Mahone, Amanda Pettit-Shaheen, Andy Pippenger.  Jennifer Nicely and Victoria Pratt attended by Zoom, as did Fr. Murdock Jones.  Clergy and staff present were Fr. Eric Long, Mtr. Elizabeth Farr, and Carly Woodfin.  

Fr. Eric opened the meeting in prayer.

II. Consent Agenda:

• The vestry unanimously approved the January 12, 2026 vestry meeting minutes.

III. Action/Discussion Items:

1. The Parochial Report was discussed, and an electronic update was sent out and approved. 

2. The vestry deferred conversation on the resolutions for clergy housing allowances until the passing of the 2026 budget later in the meeting.

3. There were no committee reports other than Stewardship. Jennifer Nicely reported that more than 500 people were invited to multiple in-home events around town, 3-4 of which have yet to happen. 188 pledges are in, totaling just over $1 million. This time last year there were 242 pledges. The Committee is communicating with past pledgers who have not yet pledged, and the committee is collecting good data. 

4. Junior Warden Katherine Betts reported that there is a new leak on the roof. An electronic request to approve of this repair was sent out and approved.  Things are moving forward with the Loring Clark wall. The work is still projected to be done in June and July.  Two estimates for the back doors are being considered by the Buildings and Grounds Committee.  Katherine is still regarding proposals for the Ava Wright and Strang Rooms.  

5. Treasurer Tom White walked the vestry through the 2026 budget, making reference to previous years and how unpledged collections helped lead to balanced budgets. There was some discussion of the challenges around budgeting post-COVID, and more conversation around whether or not we are coming up with our budget at the right time of year. Fr. Eric noted that hiring a Director of Stewardship will really make a difference in future budgeting. The vestry then voted on and passed the 2026 budget. 

6. The resolutions on housing for Fr. Murdock and Mtr. Elizabeth passed. 

IV. Reports: 

Other than the Stewardship update above, there were no committee reports. 

V. Adjournment 

Important Dates:  March 15, 2026, at 5pm, the Bishop will be here for the rescheduled confirmation. 

Respectfully Submitted,

Duke Richey, Vestry Clerk

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 

Vestry Meeting 

3/16/2026 

5:15pm 

I. Welcome 

Vestry members and officers present at the meeting were Jeremy Weldon (Sr. Warden), Katherine Betts (Junior Warden), Tom White (Treasurer), Duke Richey (Clerk), Greg Miller, Harriett Whitaker, Curt Hodge, Beth Luehrs, Laura Howell, Shay Mahone, Andy Pippenger. John Beard, Jennifer Nicely, and Amanda Pettit-Shaheen attended by Zoom. Clergy and staff present were Fr. Eric Long, Mtr. Elizabeth Farr, and Fr. Murdock Jones. 

Fr. Eric opened the meeting in prayer. 

II. Consent Agenda: 

● The vestry unanimously approved the February 16, 2026, vestry meeting minutes. 

III. Action/Discussion Items: 

1. The vestry unanimously approved of this month’s financial report and that any named fund in the EEC needs to be a minimum of $100,000. Treasurer Tom White noted that January is typically a tough month and that January pledge collections were a little bit low. 

2. Jennifer Nicely reported that there have been 198 pledges totalling $1,067,000. This time last year, there were 223 pledges of $1,145,800. It was noted that the in-home gathering have not really moved the needle. Some people may be uncomfortable with the online process. People may also think that the previous year rolls over. Last year, 243 people pledged, so 45 people have yet to pledge this year. 

3. Junior Warden Katherine Betts reported that the Loring Clark wall repair will be paid for by the estate gift coming in April. The vestry approved the Buildings and Grounds Items (water heater, broken window replacement, and the door by the kitchen). 

4. Ftr. Eric discussed the need for an administrative assistant. Anita Vetter is filling in at this time on a temporary basis, but there is a need for someone more permanent. He also discussed the stewardship and the children’s ministry positions. Ftr. Murdock discussed our partnership with the YMCA Early Learning Center and how this is a significant undertaking of the St. Paul’s community.

IV. Reports: 

Other than the Stewardship update above, the only other committee report came from Outreach and it was noted by Harriet Whitaker that April 30 will mark the 30th anniversary of St. Catherine’s Shelter for women and children at St. Paul’s. 

V. Adjournment 

Respectfully Submitted, 

Duke Richey, Vestry Clerk