Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Incorporating new people into leadership in a methodical, regular way is important, and most of our churches elect new vestry members each year.

The problem, I’m discovering, is that most congregations don’t have a methodical, regular way to pass along information about the decisions of the vestry over the past few years.

Let me explain: We know training for new vestry members is helpful. And The Vestry Resource Guide developed by the estimable Episcopal Church Foundation is a fantastic start. It is a fantastic resource about what it means to serve on the vestry, the roles and expectations of leadership, and how to navigate transitions and conflict. But it doesn’t (and can’t) explain a particular vestry’s decision about replacing the roof or adding a part-time administrator or ending involvement in a particular program. That’s because this information is specific to each congregation and vestry. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less important.

We need to figure out a way to pass on that information as well. This is perhaps harder to do, and I’ll admit, I don’t have a vital practice solution in my back pocket for this. I’m asking your help. Somehow we need to develop a practice of sharing key decisions as well as the information about how we got there. Most vestries take minutes at each meeting but I wonder if new vestry members receive the minutes from the past couple of years before they changed. I also wonder if the minutes are strictly action items or reflect any of the discernment that led up to the vote.

Sometimes we need to go back before we can go forward. But other times, a lack of informational continuity creates more work and frustration, more spinning of wheels than onward motion. I’m interested in hearing from you. How have you overcome this challenge? What practices have you implemented to improve the hand-off from old to new vestry members?