Monika Hussell

Note: Monika Hussell served as Senior Warden during 2006.

Prayer-filled Thoughts
From Monika Hussell
Senior Warden

As I reflect on this past year as Senior Warden of St. Matthews, I found that two “keepsakes” have embraced me during this time of my life. The first was the ever-present question that sprung to mind when we were presented with a difficult situation - “what would Jesus do?” (WWJD) Certainly an appropriate question when discussing matters of His church. But I never answered the question (although I thought more than once that he would wipe the dust off of his feet, or that he would hug a hurting soul). Nonetheless, the thought of Jesus, and his actions and teachings, focused my attention on the general mission of the church and our parish, so that I might see more clearly the underlying issues that were presenting themselves. It occurred to me today that it’s not the right question (which would explain why I never really answered it). When seeking guidance in what to do in a certain situation, the question for me is really “What would Jesus have me do?” (WWJHMD) Not quite the same ring to it, but it happens to be the question I answered all year.

The second keepsake I received from Debbie Short, during our mutual ministry review. As we began our review of the mutual ministry of the rector, the wardens and the vestry at St. Matthews, she suggested that we all “speak the truth in love.” On that evening we did; and we continued that tradition in the following months. Speaking the truth in love requires that one first discern the truth. The truth is not always apparent, particularly when the issue is filled with emotion. However, once discerned, the truth must be shared if you are to live in relationship with others. Being able to say at the start of a conversation that I intended to “speak the truth in love” would somehow give me the strength to speak directly, honestly, openly, and receptively, with love (His and mine).

I am hopeful that as I retire as Senior Warden, the question of WWJHMD and the concept of speaking the truth in love will remain with me and the vestry as we take on other challenges.

Finally, I leave Wardenship (patent lawyers are allowed to be their own lexicographers) having wonderful relationships with the other Vestry members and the Rector. The Vestry has worked very hard this year on strengthening our community and mission at St. Matthews. Each and every vestry member has contributed to our successes. I will continue to cherish each of these people, and my friend and spiritual guide, Father Bill. Bill consistently calmed me down in perceived “moments of crisis”, supported me in my endeavors, and always helped me to process my thoughts and ideas. The first time I met Bill in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, I had the sense that I would be able to seek from him on just about anything; my intuition was right.

Thanks to you for the privilege of serving as your Senior Warden!

Prayer-filled Thoughts
From Monika Hussell
Senior Warden

December, 2006

Following our mutual ministry review in September, the Vestry determined that we needed to reorganize our leadership structure and individual roles and responsibilities. As we "brainstormed" what that new leadership structure might look like, we found that the responsibilities of the church fell within four general categories, as follows (in no intentional order):

RELIGIOUS / SPIRITUAL - e.g., children, youth, high school and adult Christian education, worship and music (facilitated by Monika Hussell — 346-0475)

CHURCH ENGINE - e.g., finances, stewardship, facilities, communication, and long range planning (facilitated by John Ziebold — 342-1275)

PARISH FELLOWSHIP - e.g., pot-luck lunches and other events, newcomers, sheepdog neighborhoods, youth group, athletics (facilitated by Laura Pray — 744-7868)

OUTREACH - including caring for those within our parish, our community, our nation and the world (facilitated by Fran Rollins — 342-8002)

The Vestry has formed committees (including non-vestry members) for each of these categories, and has met frequently on a committee level since September to create and formalize committee structure and further the purpose thereof; we will continue to refine (and broaden) the scope of leadership for each committee through the end of the year, and plan to have in place a formal structure which will be announced to the parish at or before the Annual Meeting in 2007. If you would like to participate in any of these committees, please contact the current committee facilitator listed above.

I wish each of you a joyous and spirit-filled Advent season.

November, 2006

As has been the tradition at Saint Matthews, the four “retiring” vestry members will begin meeting this week as the nominating committee to discern vestry candidates for the vestry term beginning in 2007. At the October meeting, the vestry determined that at least six candidates should be presented to the parish from the nominating committee. Please note that any member of Saint Matthews in good standing may run for the vestry - candidates are not limited to the people presented from the nominating committee. The vestry also determined that the voluntary (non-voting) position of associate vestry member should be continued in 2007; this position began three years ago, with Laura Pray serving as our first associate vestry member. With Laura’s gift, and the gifts of the associate vestry members after her, the vestry has been able to pull from more talent and receive more perspectives in service to the Church; we determined that these contributions were invaluable.

The nominating committee, consisting of John Ziebold, Lisa Sayre, Todd Goldman and me, has received some recommendations for 2007 candidates from our rector, certain parishioners and the vestry. However, we would appreciate additional recommendations from the parish. Please prayerfully consider becoming a vestry candidate, or passing on names/talents/qualities that you believe should be on the vestry. You may contact any of us with your suggestions. If you would like additional information about what leadership role and responsibilities the vestry has in the Episcopal Church, please plan to attend the informational meeting on November 19th at 9:30 AM in Mathes Hall with the rector and members of the current Vestry.

Finally, as it is “Stewardship Season” please consider making or increasing your pledge to Saint Matthews. This year we have been blessed with great volunteers and monetary gifts outside of pledges, and with that we were able to accomplish many programs and works in His name. Next year we might be able to do even more in the name of Christ if we can properly fund our current and some new programs and dreams.

May His Peace be with you today and always.

Basic Responsibilities
of the Vestry

Help define and articulate the mission of the congregation;

Support the mission by word and deed;

Select the rector (when the position is vacant);

Ensure effective organization and planning;

Ensure adequate resources in leadership and in financial stewardship;

Manage resources effectively;

Determine that appropriate programs, policies, and procedures have been developed and followed;

Assess its own performance

From the brochure “What is a Vestry” that can be found in the Narthex of the church.

September, 2006

As we approach the fall, it is time for the Vestry to engage in a mutual ministry review with our Rector, organize and facilitate a stewardship campaign, develop a 2007 budget, and nominate vestry members for the coming year. I anticipate that the mutual ministry review, scheduled for September 11th and facilitated by Canon Debbie Short of the Diocesan Office, will guide and invigorate the Vestry in planning and executing the stewardship campaign and developing the annual budget for the upcoming year. Therefore, I shall save those topics for future articles. In this article I hope to give you some resources and insight into the role of the vestry within the parish.

A Vestry’s roles and responsibilities, as well as other governance of the church, are found in the canons of both the national church (see www.churchpublishing.org/general_convention/index.cfm?fuseaction=candc) and the West Virginia diocese (which can be found at www.wvdiocese.org/resources/default.asp). Additional literature can be found in the Narthex. Two canons I found particularly interesting involved the election of vestry members and annual convention delegates, and the duties of the Vestry, stated below.

WV Canon 14, Section 1(a): Annually, during the months of November, or December, or the next following January … there shall be a congregational meeting in each Parish … at which time there shall be chosen by ballot from among those competent to serve not less than three (3), nor more than fifteen (15) persons, preferably communicants in good standing, to be the Vestry for the ensuing year or for such other term as may be decided upon by the congregational meeting and to serve until their successors are elected and qualified. … At the same time, there shall be chosen by ballot the delegate(s) and alternate(s) to the Annual Convention of the Diocese, and to the Deanery meetings.

WV Canon 16, Section 1: It shall be the duty of the Vestry, after having conferred with the Bishop in accordance with the Canons of the Diocese, to elect a Rector … and to cooperate with him/her in gathering souls into the fold of Christ; … to see that all contracts are properly made and executed for the erection, furnishing and preserving of the Church edifice and other Church property; to provide for the appointment of Trustees under the law of the State of West Virginia, authorized to hold the legal title of all Church property …; to regulate the use of the parish graveyard; to employ an organist, and otherwise provide for sacred music, subject to the control of the Rector; and generally … to transact all its temporal business.

(You can find the complete canons of the Diocese of West Virginia by clicking here.)

In addition to these canons, included within this newsletter beginning below are excerpts from other canons regarding church governance which I thought might be interesting to the Parish from the National Canons entitled “Of Priests and Their Duties.”

In closing, I would greatly appreciate recommendations for 2007 vestry nominees for consideration by the nominating committee of the Vestry; if you have any ideas or suggestions for nominations, or the process in general, please contact me by e-mail at monika.hussell@dinslaw.com, or call me at 346-0475. Wishing you all His Peace.

Of Priests and Their Duties

CANON III 9.5.c.
(1) The Rector shall have full authority and responsibility for the conduct of the worship and the spiritual jurisdiction of the Parish, subject to the Rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer, the Constitution and Canons of this Church, and the pastoral direction of the Bishop.
(2) For the purposes of the office and for the full and free discharge of all functions and duties pertaining thereto, the Rector shall at all times be entitled to the use and control of the Church and Parish buildings together with all appurtenances and furniture, and to access to all records and registers maintained by or on behalf of the congregation.
III 9.5.b. (1) It shall be the duty of the Priest to ensure all persons in their charge receive Instruction in the Holy Scriptures; in the subjects contained in An Outline of the Faith, commonly called the Catechism; in the doctrine, discipline, and worship of this Church; and in the exercise of their ministry as baptized persons.
(2) It shall be the duty of Priests to ensure that all persons in their charge are instructed concerning Christian stewardship, including:
(i) reverence for the creation and the right use of God's gifts;
(ii) generous and consistent offering of time, talent, and treasure for the mission and ministry of the Church at home and abroad;
(iii) the biblical standard of the tithe for financial stewardship; and
(iv) the responsibility of all persons to make a will as prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer.
(3) It shall be the duty of Priests to ensure that persons be prepared for Baptism. Before baptizing infants or children, Priests shall ensure that sponsors be prepared by instructing both the parents and the Godparents concerning the significance of Holy Baptism, the responsibilities of parents and Godparents for the Christian training of the baptized child, and how these obligations may properly be discharged.
(4) It shall be the duty of Priests to encourage and ensure the preparation of persons for Confirmation, Reception, and the Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows, and to be ready to present them to the Bishop with a list of their names.
(5) On notice being received of the Bishop's intention to visit any congregation, the Rector shall announce the fact to the congregation. At every visitation it shall be the duty of the Rector and the Wardens, Vestry or other officers, to exhibit to the Bishop the Parish Register and to give information as to the state of the congregation, spiritual and temporal, in such categories as the Bishop shall have previously requested in writing.
(6) The Alms and Contributions, not otherwise specifically designated, at the Administration of the Holy Communion on one Sunday in each calendar month, and other offerings for the poor, shall be deposited with the Rector or with such Church officer as the Rector shall appoint to be applied to such pious and charitable uses as the Rector shall determine.
III 9.5.c (1) It shall be the duty of the Rector to record in the Parish Register all Baptisms, Confirmations (including the canonical equivalents in Canon I.17.1(d)), Marriages and Burials.
III 9.3.c. Assistants. A Priest serving as an assistant in a Parish, by whatever title designated, shall be selected by the Rector, and when required by the canons of the Diocese, subject to the approval of the Vestry, and shall serve under the authority and direction of the Rector. Before the selection of an assistant the name of the Priest proposed for selection shall be made known to the Bishop and a time, not exceeding sixty days, given for the Bishop to communicate with the Rector and Vestry on the proposed selection. Any assistant shall serve at the pleasure of the Rector and may not serve beyond the period of service of the Rector, except that pending the call of a new Rector, an assistant may continue in the service of the Parish if requested to do so by the Vestry under such conditions as the Bishop and Vestry shall determine.

You can find the complete National Canons by clicking here.

July, 2006

As Senior Warden I have spent a lot of time speaking with parishioners of Saint Matthews. In those conversations, I repeatedly hear about the Saint Matthews family. I know what that family is, as I experience it every Sunday, every meeting, every function and each and every interaction with someone who has, at one time or another, worshiped with me. In fact, it’s the same feeling I had growing up in Illinois, going to college, and attending law school, in each instance where I worshiped with others. I even feel it in my travels today, when we visit other Episcopal churches.

At the core of the church family is the trinity of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, made visible through love for one another. The acceptance of love makes this spiritual experience complete. Within our relatively safe confines, it is easy to love one-another. Accepting that love, on the other hand, can be difficult. It requires giving up control. Also, love doesn’t always come in the form of smiles and compliments. At times, it comes with heart-felt criticism and disagreement. But it is all love, and we are called to love and, I would suggest, accept that love.

How do we do when we leave the confines of our parish family? I believe we all do quite well in giving love by donating to the poor their time and money, by calling or bringing dinner to people who struggle through a difficult time, even by smiling and saying hello to strangers on the street. But in each of these circumstances, we control the situation, and therefore control the love.

Can this, perhaps overly type-A parish, step back from the position of control (giving love), to accepting it? That’s a tough one. Who among us doesn’t cringe when we are publicly recognized for an accomplishment? Or avoid situations that may lead to criticism? But if we accept His love in both the recognition and the criticism, rather than avoiding or rejecting it, then His love is complete. I imagine that our Saint Matthews family must have been built on both the giving and acceptance of love, for it is true love that exists within this parish. I hope that we can continue this tradition, and ensure that it doesn’t just stop at our doors, but that this love flourishes like the branches of a mustard plant.

March, 2006

As a pre-Lenten commitment, I began reading the Forward Day by Day (available in the back of the narthex). For those unfamiliar with this publication, it provides a passage from the Bible, and about 3 short paragraphs of “food for thought.” On February 8, the passage was Romans 12: 1-8: “We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.” The commentary queried what the reader’s gifts were and suggested prayer to God, “asking for ways that you might employ those gifts in the life of the Church.” This called to mind an e-mail exchange I had been a part of with a fellow parishioner about gifts - gifts from God, and that to hide or belittle these gifts was to hide or belittle God. Rather, you should let these gifts shine in the daylight, for all to see and love. I can’t say that I’ve successfully done that (I was on the receiving end of the advice), but the words echo in my ears and I try.

This year is an exciting, yet challenging, year for Saint Matthews. The vestry recognized that we lost some parishioners last year and that, as a result, we lost some pledge monies that we need to sustain the Church. In response to feedback concerning the 2005 deficit budget, the vestry also committed itself to proposing a balanced budget. I think we all realize that with less money, the Church had to make some painful cuts in funding. As we cut, and cut, and cut some more, I thought that our people and programs would find a way to be funded; that the members of Saint Matthews would respond to specific needs of our parish and world community; and that in the end, if we spent our energies on strengthening our community, we would be OK (well, more than OK - we would be the “Christ-centered community” God called us to be - but here you see my human frailty). I still think that is true.

This year, as I embark on my term as Senior Warden, I have made my primary goal the enablement and encouragement of all parishioners in sharing their gifts of talent to the Church. These gifts are greater than any financial treasure one may possess (or the Church may receive). Some of these gifts may have been suppressed over the last year or two; let’s see them shine again! Others may have never received the phone “call”; let’s respond to God’s call, not that pesky phone. Let’s celebrate and offer to God the gifts of Saint Matthews - the gifts of each and every parishioner, that can enhance our Christ-centered community, and equip and enable ourselves to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit so that people are drawn to Christ. I feel certain that no budgetary concerns can stand in our way.