Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Last month I had the privilege of attending the New Community Clergy and Lay Conference at Kanuga. There, nearly 200 lay and clergy leaders from ethnic ministries across our church gathered to explore the theme “Together, Advancing the Sacred Dream.” Throughout the conference I heard amazing stories of the many ways members of our Episcopal Churches are making a difference in their communities and the world as they honor God’s unconditional love through service and sacrifice.

I also heard stories of the challenges our congregations face. A common thread among these stories is the need for effective leadership – which often means leaders willing to take on the challenge of creating a culture of trust, creating safe spaces where members can tackle the difficult conversations that most would prefer to avoid.

This month in Vestry Papers, as we prepare for the new life and resurrection of Easter, we share stories of leadership teams facing their challenges as they work to advance their sacred dream.

Our articles include:

In “A Blueprint for Change,” Birdie Blake-Reid shares the story of how the laity in her church, in partnership with the bishop and their new rector, reclaimed the leadership roles they had given away over the years. The result? A congregation that turned itself around and once again serves as a beacon of hope in their urban neighborhood.

In this month’s “Try This at Church” we share an exercise from Howard K. Williams’ and Birdie Blake-Reid’s workshop from last month’s New Community Conference. This seemingly simple exercise proved to be a great conversation starter, helping people talk about how they view their church.


When a school is part of your congregation’s ministry, leadership responsibility expands. Schools and congregations each need strong staff/volunteer teams and good communication between the two is essential. In “Making it Work,” Ann Mellow asks two heads of school to share what makes their church-school relationships work.

Rosa Lindahl continues to report on the work her congregation is doing to prepare for their transition from full time clergy to part time. The vestry is focusing on strengthening their skill in working as a team, and, as she notes in “The Slow Work of God,” building trust and a deeper relationship is “not for the faint of heart."

In addition to these new Vestry Papers articles, I’d also like to share this short video from our archives, Differentiated Leadership in Seven Minutes. It is one of the many resources found in our Topics index. 

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