Vestry

2025 Annual Meeting and Vestry Election

January 22, 2025 by St. George's 1 Comment

St. George’s Annual Meeting will occur during a combined 10 am worship service on Sunday, January 26, 2025. Part of the Annual Meeting will include electing four new members to our Vestry (lay leadership council). We give thanks for the nominees who have offered to serve. You can read more about them in their bios below.

The vestry election will be part of the annual meeting. In order to vote in the election, you must be a registered, baptized, adult (16+) member of St. George’s “in good standing.” “In good standing” is defined by the canons as members of the parish who have been faithful in corporate worship, unless for good cause prevented, and have been “faithful in working, praying and giving for the spread of the Kingdom of God.” In keeping with the canons (regulations) of the Episcopal Church, you must be present in person in order to vote. Even though we only have four candidates for four positions, we must still complete a balloting process with at least 10% of our eligible members participating.

Kit Burns – Attends 9 am Service

I feel a strong push to enable the growth of God’s work. My love of St. George’s, my desire to deepen my own spirituality, my past leadership and vestry experiences, are ways in which I believe I can be of service to St. George’s vestry and our community. In my free time, I play lots of golf and I enjoy cooking.
Additionally, I bring these gifts, skills, and abilities:
• Organized and diligently work toward goals
• Purposefully listening for and discerning God’s voice in my life
• Past experiences on 3 different vestries
• I was professionally responsible for managing goals, budget and personnel of a 30 person branch
• Desire to spread God’s love

Ministry Involvement:
• ~2005 – present: LEM at St. George’s
• ~2005 – present: Lector at St. George’s
• 2022 – present: Volunteer and gleaner for The Table
• ~2006 – 2009: Vestry at St. George’s
• ~1998 – 2001: Vestry, Warden at Christ Episcopal Church in Smithfield, VA

Professional / Volunteer Experience:
• US Navy Dahlgren – chemical researcher and then Branch Manager
• Most of my community involvement revolves around St. George’s. I am active in women’s golf both locally and statewide.

Wendy Cannon – Attends 11.15 and Celtic

Serving on vestry would allow me to participate in decisions made for St. George’s. If you really care about something, you need to get involved. We are in a time of transition and I would be honored to serve on the vestry as St. George’s grows and changes. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, reading, and time with family and friends.

In addition to strong leadership skills, I truly consider how people might feel when making decisions. I believe one of my strongest gifts is intuition which I always use to guide me. On the practical skill side, particularly in my nonprofit work, I am a good writer and editor.

Ministry Experience
• Choir
• The Table at St. George’s
• Fellowship Commission
• The House – Our Campus and Young Adult Ministry
• Episcopal Church Women (ECW)

Professional / Volunteer Experience:
• Fredericksburg Cooperative Preschool: Program Director and 4s Class Teacher
• Doctor Yum Project: Food Adventure Creative Director/Cooking and Outreach Specialist
• The Table at St. George’s
• Regional Hunger Action Coalition
• The House – Our Campus and Young Adult Ministry

Robert Powers – Attends 9 am Service

I am ever encouraged and thankful for God’s blessings through Jesus in my life. With that, knowing my salvation in our Lord I firmly believe in serving both inside the Church walls and taking that light into the world. St. Georges is encouraging in its many community offerings, I’m inspired. In my free time I enjoy hiking, fishing, and hunting.

Additionally, I bring these gifts, skills, and abilities:
• Financial
• Organizational
• Creative
• Spiritual

Ministry Involvement:
I served in the United Methodist Church as a Trustee (President and Vice) 2018-2020; I was the United Methodist Men’s group President 2018-2019 and Vice in 2017. And I served on the staff Pastor Parish Relations committee 2015-2018. In the Baptist world I also served on the Pastor Search Committee.

Professional / Volunteer Experience:
• I work for the US Army, I have worked for all the Services as a civilian and am a Retired Navy Master Chief Petty Officer.
• Micah cold weather shelter,
• Rebuilding Together multi-county assistance in sprucing up homes for some less-fortunate.
• Participating in the Fredericksburg Walk for suicide awareness and remembrance.

Linda Wickersham – Attends 9 am Service

I would be honored to serve on St. George’s vestry. I am compassionate and empathetic and develop rapport with people easily. I taught English, history, journalism, and philosophy for 28 years and still love to teach and present. I am currently a writer and editor and offer my skills to the church.

Current Activities or Employment:

Writer-Editor for Defense Counter Intelligence Security Agency
Volunteer for Micah
Secretary of Episcopal Women’s Club
Fellowship Committee
Personal Prayer Ministry

2024 Annual Meeting and Vestry Election

January 17, 2024 by St. George's 2 Comments

January 17, 2024

Updated – January 22, 2024

St. George’s Annual Meeting will occur during a combined 10 am worship service on Sunday, January 28, 2024. Part of the Annual Meeting will include electing four new members to our Vestry (lay leadership council). We give thanks for the nominees who have offered to serve. You can read more about them in their bios below.

Beth Klein served out a previous vestry member’s term after they were unable to continue on the Vestry. She is eligible to run in the election again this year and has opted to put her name forth as a nominee.

Katie Green – Attends 9 am Service

After being asked to consider becoming a candidate for vestry, I quickly realized that “yes” was the right answer. St. George’s has given me so many opportunities of spiritual growth. I fondly recall my time in “Pilgrim’s Class,” and the lovely challenges of EfM. We, at St. George’s are gifted weekly with extraordinary sermons, music, and formation gatherings. And then there are service opportunities like Monday Night Dinners and the Table that open our hearts and make us beloved community. If elected, I would be honored to support our current ministries, and to help to envision our future ones.

When we moved here in May 2012 to be near family, Bill and I quickly found the disapproving references to “gay lifestyle” from local Catholic pulpits quite uncomfortable. We decided to try something new, and one St. Georgian Sunday was all it took to make us Episcopalians. By October, we were at Shrine Mont! As proud grandparents of two trans grandchildren, we are very grateful for the support St. George’s and The House offer to young adults who are simply trying to become the selves God leads them to be.

Ministry Involvement:

1980s: Member, Archdiocesan Pastoral Council (in Phenix City, AL), tasked with responding to “Partners in the Mystery of Redemption,” a letter from American Bishops questioning the limitations placed on women in the Catholic Church
2000s: Lector, first at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Bowling Green, KY; and now, at St. George’s

Professional / Volunteer Experience:

1992-2012: Professor, Western Kentucky University (English Literature, Composition, and Women’s Studies)
2019-2023: Racial Justice and Healing Book Group, St. George Episcopal
2023: Member of the Association of Visual Artists of the Diocese of Virginia (formed in 2023)
2023: Shrine Mont TED talk: “So, What Kind of Brushstroke am I Today?”

Patricia Johnson – Attends Celtic Service and 9 am Online

I moved to Fredericksburg 8 years ago and joined St. George’s about the same time. I was invited to St. George’s by friends who were members in the same /shared Episcopal community in Germany for many years. In that community I had the opportunity to serve in various roles on both the Parish Council and with the Bishop of the Armed Forces umbrella. Those experiences along with vestry memberships in 2 congregations in MD instilled a sense of community contribution and involvement in serving and increased partnership wherever you are” planted”.

Originally from Boston area, grew up a baptized Catholic participating in Sunday School, CCD, Youth groups, teams, activities. My hometown was ~95% Jewish culminating in extensive exposure to faith groups through joint activities, individual relationships. I questioned the Catholic teaching of being “chosen”. At 17 I decided to explore. I married a Lutheran and by fate we became Episcopalians in ~1982 at St Stephen’s, Sierra Vista, AZ. As a military family we spent 23 years in Germany, mostly Heidelberg & that Episcopal community. My journey includes multiple formations, session at Sewanee, EFM, 3 vestries, 1 TEC outreach service, conferences, committees.

Ministry Experience

While at St George’s I’ve been most involved with the Tuesday evening book group for the past several years. In 2023 I joined the Writing into Wholeness group. Additionally, I’ve participated in workshops, and retreats.

Professional / Volunteer Experience:

I am 2022 civilian retiree from Dept of the Army, where I spent a 44yr career as a Child, Youth&Family Specialist in both garrison(community ) and HQs staffs. My responsibilities and focus areas were vast, to include child care and youth program development, delivery and accreditation to meet the needs of the particular command mission, parents and children ages 0-18 yrs. Additionally, I directed and managed the Child & Youth facility requirements and full construction program for the European Command. I expanded my focus as a strategic program analyst and lead community planner. While in Europe from 1986-2006 I served as the volunteer liaison and coordinator for the Episcopal Bishops of the Armed Forces. My professional roles greatly contributed to supporting the Bishop with clergy needs and placements, Search processes, clergy and family conferences, and representation to the TEC European “Diocese”. These experiences helped me to learn and adjust to the very different vestry needs of smaller local civilian parishes that I served on in MD.

Gabriela Kelly – Attends 9 am Service

I have not previously considered the Vestry because I felt I still was new to the Episcopal faith and the specific church. However, now that I have attended St. George’s for almost 7 years, and I have put down roots here in the area, I feel compelled to off er my time and insight to the church body. I have strong views on what I feel church should be in my 49 year old mind, and I look forward to finding out if that can be a reality.

I was baptized in the Catholic church in approximately 1976. I joined the Episcopal church in Virginia Beach at Emmanuel, but I do not know a date, but it was likely in 2006. I reaffirmed my faith at St. Paul’s in Richmond May 15, 2016. I have now bought a townhouse in Stafford, VA and live with my mom, Sandra Bock who moved down to VA from MD after retiring. My son is in Virginia Tech majoring in cinema. My hobbies are cooking, watching movies, listening to true crime/paranormal podcasts, walking, swimming, and attending concerts.

Ministry Involvement:

I have been involved in the Table with the Sunday produce team since I joined in 2017. I also was a volunteer in the One Body Response Team in 2017 and later took over the leadership of emailing for a year before returning to being just a member. I joined the Episcopal Church Women maybe in 2019. I joined the Racial Justice and Healing book club but realized I could not keep up with readings, and this 2023 year joined the Racial Justice and Healing Committee with Joe, Jake, Michelle, Gabe, Caroline and Cindy. I also briefly helped build one ramp with Saws and helped bring them lunches.

Beth Klein – Attends Celtic Service

I currently serve on the Vestry as I am finishing Suzan Duffee’s term. I am running on my own for this term. I have been actively involved in a variety of ministries since 2011. Through my career as a Disability Advocate for the past 25 years I am aware of a variety of services and organizations available in the Fredericksburg Region. I also ran a small non-profit and applied for grants.

I am an experienced event planner and organizer and love working with my fellow St. Georgians on a variety of projects.

One of my favorite quotes is by Madeleine L’Engle “We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.” This to me is St. George’s. I am drawn to St. George’s for our diversity, acceptance and curiosity.

My husband Dale and I have been together for 35 years and live in Stafford with our cats: Gallaudet, Noah and Lilycat Diana.

Ministry Involvement:
I have been involved in a variety of ministries since 2011 when I started attending St. Georges. Currently I am a Delegate to the Diocesan Convention and a Member of the Regional Council. I was the Admin Assistant for the Episcopal Conference of Deaf from 2019-2022. I have been involved in a variety of feeding ministries at St. George’s including the Table 2012-2020, Community Dinners 2019-2021, and Micah Christmas Am 2012-present. I was also actively involved in the Grace in Action (Outreach) Commission.

Professional / Volunteer Experience:

2022- Present: Disability Rights Advocate- disAbility Law Center of Virginia
2005- 2022: Owner- Employment Solutions for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, LLC
2011-2018: Founder/Executive Director- PAH: Providing Access to Healthcare for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
2004- Present: American Sign Language Interpreter

Rogers Lawson – Attends 9 am Service

I am a truly blessed individual and feel the need to share these blessings with others. My wife and I have found a home at St Georges. I would like to apply my experience to enhance the church’s effort to reach out and serve the broader community. I have been in leadership roles and have learned that leadership must also be performed with compassion. It is important to me that I practice the open acceptance and love for all individuals that I see at St. Georges.

I grew up in Poquoson, VA and was a member of the Tabernacle United Methodist Church. I was baptized as an infant around 1949. I served as an aviation electronics technician in the US Navy/Navy Reserves from 1969-2002, retiring as a Master Chief Petty Officer. Carol and I were married in 1969 and have two beautiful daughters (one born in Key West and the other in San Diego) and 3 wonderful grandchildren. We have lived in 8 states and attended a variety of Presbyterian and Methodist churches. We have been attending St Georges since 2010.

Ministry Involvement:

2015 – Present: The Table
2019 – Present: SAWs of Virginia
1988 – 1990: Christmas in April (house repairs)

Professional / Volunteer Experience:

Senior Enlisted Advisor US Navy providing leadership and counseling to approximately 225 enlisted personnel.

Jennifer Vaughan – Attends 9 am Service

The mission of the Episcopal Church, as stated in the Book of Common Prayer, speaks to my heart as it calls us “to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.” In step with that mission, I want to serve within my local community by supporting the creation & maintenance of community that is loving, liberating, and builds life-giving relationships with God, with each other, and with the earth. I feel called to lend my administrative gifts and energy toward supporting, aligning, and sustaining our local St. Georgian ministries with this mission.

My husband Brian and I began attending St. George’s as soon as we moved to Fredericksburg in 2011. I was confirmed at St. George’s and he was received in 2012. Before moving to Fredericksburg, we met and were married in Charlottesville, VA. I am originally from Reading, PA where I was baptized at age 13. I have also spent time living in Wheaton, IL, North Andover & Cambridge, MA, Oxford, UK, and Charlottesville, VA. Brian and I live in Celebrate Virginia where we spend most of our spare time attending to every whim of our two cats, Fred and Ginger.
Ministry Involvement:

2023: House Mom
2023: Lay Eucharistic Visitor
2021 – 2023: Education for Ministry
2007 – 2023: Personal Prayer Minister
2015 – 2023: Lay Eucharistic Minister
2019 – 2021: Chair, One Body Response Team
2016 – 2019: Chair, Adult Christian Education
2015 – 2019: Adult Christian Education Committee
2012 – 2016: Choir
2009 – 2011: Clerk of Session (Presbyterian equivalent of Warden) Gordonsville Presbyterian Church
2008 – 2011: Session Member (Presbyterian version of Vestry) Gordonsville Presbyterian Church

Professional / Volunteer Experience:

I am currently working at Riverside Counseling as a Professional Spiritual Director, a Trauma Coach, and a Pastoral Sex Addictions Treatment Provider (providing support for those impacted by addictions or intimate or institutional betrayal—i.e., “hurt by church”). I also work for Empower House providing training for batterers in the Men’s Fresh Start program. Before moving into collaborative work with my husband at Riverside, I worked in academic management and administration at Tufts, Harvard, UVA School of Medicine, and most recently Prince William County Schools.

Annual Meeting and Vestry Nominees for 2023

January 12, 2023 by St. George's 7 Comments

***UPDATE*** January 22, 2023

We are pleased to announce the four people elected to serve on our Vestry:

Brian Davis
Brooke Di Lauro
Pete Kelly
Peggy Verdine

Thank you to all of our nominees for their willingness to serve!

****

Thanks be to God for Brian Davis, Brooke DiLauro, Michael Hodgkin, Pete Kelly, Joseph Lyttle, Peggy Matthias, and Peggy Verdine who have graciously offered to serve on our Vestry! Below is the biographical information each nominee shared. At our Annual Meeting on January 22, 2023, we will elect four of these nominees.

Click here for a message from the Rector about the Annual Meeting on January 22, 2023 at 10 am.

Click here for a video introducing our vestry nominees. The passcode is: H?Fv&9K6

Brian Davis – attends 9 am worship

Admittedly, I wasn’t inclined to serve on the Vestry. I’m busy at work, busy at home, and usually feel “spiritually challenged.” Moreover, my gifts are secular. I’m a nerd who likes spreadsheets and finance. What could I offer that someone with more time or deeper faith couldn’t? Nevertheless, multiple people have encouraged me to consider serving on the Vestry. Despite some apprehension, I’d be honored to serve on the Vestry and contribute my gifts and experiences. St. George’s has helped make me a better human being, and I feel a responsibility to give back. A cliché, I know, but true.

My religious journey began in Pennsylvania in 1997 during marriage preparation with the Catholic priest who married Danielle and me. In 1998, I received five sacraments in two months: baptism, confirmation, first eucharist, first reconciliation, and marriage. I was an enthusiastic Catholic, even if I harbored some minor reservations. We moved to Virginia in 2004, but the Catholic Church here was different, more dogmatic. By 2012, my misgivings led me to search for a new faith community more aligned with my values. Enter St. George’s. Danielle and Sandi soon followed, and we count our blessings that we found St. George’s.

Ministry Experience

Children’s faith formation, 2016 – 2020
Trustee, A.W. Wallace Trust Fund, Benevolent Society of St. George’s, and Matthew 25 Fund, 2015 – 2020
Stewardship commission, 2015 – 2016

Professional or Volunteer Experience

Member, Finance Committee, St. Gregory’s Catholic Church, 1999 – 2004
Member, Building Committee, St. Gregory’s Catholic Church, 2000 – 2003
Member, Coventry Creek Homeowners Association Board of Directors, 2006 – 2008
Financial Secretary, Knights of Columbus Council, 2009 – 2011
Treasurer, FBI Quantico Recreation Association, 2011 – Present

Brooke Di Lauro – attends 11:15 am worship

Since we joined the church in 2013 and sent our girls to preschool here, St. George’s has become a central part of our community and I see serving on the Vestry as a way to give back and give thanks for all that the church has given us. I am particularly excited about contributing to the “Open to all in love” project. I am a good listener, open-minded, detail-oriented, and organized. I think these qualities will help me contribute positively to the Vestry.

I was raised Episcopalian and baptized (1981) and confirmed (1990) at the Church of the Redeemer in Baltimore, MD where I served as an acolyte for four years. I moved to Fredericksburg in 2006 to take a job as a French professor at UMW and my husband joined me when we got married four years later. We have two daughters, Caroline (9) and Marina (6). In my spare time I love to read and travel—each year we get to spend a month in France as a family while I run my study abroad program in Aix-en-Provence and Paris.

Ministry Experience
I joined the Flower Guild two years ago and began teaching Sunday School last fall. This year my husband and I began serving on the Generosity Team and were co-chairs of the Generosity Campaign.

Professional or Volunteer Experience
Last year and this year I am an assistant coach with the faith-based Upward Basketball program at FUMC.

Mike Hodgkin – attends Celtic worship

In the years I’ve had the pleasure to be a member of the St. George’s community, I have found that my relationship with God continues to evolve. There has not been an ‘aha’ moment but rather a greater appreciation for what God has built and is letting us discover. And that is what I would like to share with this ministry.

My brother and I were raised as Catholics. I was confirmed while in the 7th grade (1964). I enlisted in 1970 and retired from the military in 2005. Cindy and I were married in 1974, Honolulu, HI. We have two sons and a daughter. We moved 14 times during our marriage; but not becoming members of a congregation. St. George’s is the first congregation we’ve been part of. Cindy and I were confirmed Episcopalian in 2010. We attended many of the ‘conventional’ Sunday services, and we found that the Celtic Service resonated with us. Hobbies & interests: fishing, hiking, traveling.

Ministry Experience
Officiant for Celtic services, Reader and Greeter, prayer leader. Spring 2006 to present.

Professional or Volunteer Experience
Have worked with veterans and law enforcement organizations to support veterans and law enforcement officers and their families.

Pete Kelly – attends 11:15 am worship

St. Georges plays in important role in helping those who struggle in Fredericksburg, and that is important to me. I feel it is time for me to become more involved in the life and community of the church.

I was raised a Catholic in Columbia, Missouri, and was received into the Episcopal Church in 2009. I have four children from a previous marriage, and put myself through high school, my bachelor’s, and my master’s working in restaurants. After teaching social studies and special education for 10 years, I took my Ph.D. in special education from the University of Kansas, and engaged in teacher preparation for 16 years at Truman State University. I came to Fredericksburg as the dean of the College of Education at UMW in 2017. Time permitting, I enjoy biking, hiking, kayaking, and being outdoors.

Ministry Experience

I was a member at Trinity Episcopal Church in Kirksville, Missouri from about 2009-2017. I served as a lector, an acolyte, a member of the vestry and junior warden for three years, and I was named the “King of Coffee Hour” for two consecutive years. While on the vestry, I served on the search committee to hire a new priest, and assisted with planning for a building addition to our church.

Professional or Volunteer Experience

Professor and dean of the College of Education at University of Mary Washington
Convener for the Virginia Education Deans and Leaders
Member of Advisory Board of Teacher Education and Licensure
Member of Virginia Association of Colleges of Teacher Education
Board member for Smart Beginnings Rappahannock Area
Member NAACP and NAACP Education Committee and NAACP Finance Committee
Member Fredericksburg City Public Schools Education Equity Task Force
Taught special education in prison, middle school, and adolescent psychiatric unit.

Joseph Lyttle – attends 9 am worship

I’ve had conversations with other St. Georgians encouraging me to consider serving. I would love to be more involved because St. George has become a true church family for me. I have experience in serving in similar capacities and I believe the Vestry could benefit from my work and volunteer experience.

Moved to Fredericksburg in 2016.
Baptized at St. George’s on 9/12/21.
Confirmed at St. George’s on 10/3/21.

Ministry Experience

Serve as a LEM
Serve as a Greeter
Regular Wednesday Night Bible Study Group Member with The House Campus Ministry
Served on the Communications Committee

Professional or Volunteer Experience

Fredericksburg Area Health and Support Services (FAHASS), Executive Director – Oct 2016 to CURRENT
Fredericksburg Regional Continuum of Care, Member of Board of Directors – 2022 to CURRENT
Fredericksburg Area Museum – African-American History Committee Member – 2022 to CURRENT

Peggy Mathias – attends 11:15 am worship

Having been a member since 2019, and through my volunteer work at The Table and community dinners, I am ready to become more deeply involved and give of my talents to shape St. George’s mission and help make that mission a reality.

Baptized and confirmed and married in ELCA Lutheran church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Member of three different ELCA congregations in Chicago area as we moved to different suburbs.
Moved to Fredericksburg with husband Peter Rasmussen and youngest son Kyle in 2017 and completed Pilgrims Path class at St. George’s and received April 2018.
Attracted to St. George’s by the history and by the music program but finding outreach and racial reconciliation and the opportunity for fellowship and spiritual growth are pulling me in more deeply.
Hobbies and interests include golf, pickleball, knitting, reading, and my Shiba Inu Tessa.

Ministry Experience
Choir of St. George’s, The Table, and community dinner. Recently started getting involved with grant writing for The Table. Previously was financial secretary recording all pledges, offerings, and generating statements of giving (late 1980’s). Assistant director of christian education (early 1990’s).

Professional or Volunteer Experience
I have an MBA and CPA and spent most of my professional career working with IT systems for business and accounting. Completed a certificate program in patient advocacy at University of Wisconsin which involved learning about social services as well as health care systems.

Peggy Verdine – attends 7:45 am worship

I love St. George’s, it is my home and I would love to serve in any capacity. I have a degree in business management with a minor in computer science. I have volunteered with the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation as a member of the Market Committee. In my community, Falls Run, I chaired the Buildings and Grounds Committee which cared for 199 villa homes. I have been a member of St. George’s since 2015 with experience as a docent, greeter, community dinner manager, The Table, lecto,r and LEM.

My faith history includes being raised as a Catholic before coming to St. George’s. I was baptized, received First Holy Communion and Confirmed while living in Albany, New York. I was received in April 2015 into the Episcopal faith. I was married for 39 years before my husband passed away from cancer in November 2014. I have one son, Shawn, who has moved to the Fredericksburg area. I recently remarried in January of 2022 to Joseph Dreyer. As a veteran, I lived in Germany and then I was stationed in Virginia. Reading, travel and family time are my hobbies.

Ministry Experience
Docent, greeter, lector, LEM, community dinners, The Table, Micah Sandwich Team, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Racial Reconciliation Book Group and the Tuesday night book group. I am also a third year student of EfM.

Professional or Volunteer Experience

Chair of Buildings and Grounds at Falls Run. Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Property and Grounds at Falls Run, and Mary Washington Auxiliary.

Vestry Nominations Are Open

December 8, 2022 by St. George's Leave a Comment

Nominations are now open for St. George’s Vestry. There are four positions opening up for the class that will serve 2023-2025.

The vestry is the parish council of lay persons, elected by other active members of the parish, who, with the rector, have responsibility for the care and control of church property and the transaction of the business of the congregation. At St. George’s, the vestry is also a group that helps the rector, other clergy, staff, and commissions to discern and carry out the vision of where God is calling us as a congregation. There is “business” to which we must attend, but there is also a lot of joyful sharing and growing in faith and love.

For more information about being on the vestry, see the job description here. Please submit names by December 30, 2022. Use this online form here.

December 8, 2019: Annual Parish Meeting and Vestry Election

November 22, 2019 by St. George's Leave a Comment

Save the date! Come celebrate our blessings of the past year and look ahead to 2020. On December 8, we will have a combined 10 am service during which the Annual Meeting and voting will occur. See the vestry candidate profiles below and please join us in prayerful discernment as we consider who we elect to serve on our Vestry.

Jason Kunkler

I am a lifelong Episcopalian, and have always been active in the church. After moving to Fredericksburg 5 years ago I began attending St. George’s, and after 5 years it is time to get more involved! I currently serve as an usher, reader, and on the stewardship committee. Past roles at other churches have also included serving on vestries and as a warden—as well as chairing a capital campaign. I have served on the board of my childhood church camp in the Diocese of Atlanta, and remain active in the life of the camp.

I have been in small business my entire career and understand that a church functions very much like a small business. I also bring the understanding that a church is unlike a business, in that we must act with our hearts as much as our heads.

Quick Facts about Jason

Worship Service(s) Regularly Attend at St. George’s: I bounce back and forth between 9, 11:15, and 5:30

Year of Confirmation / Reception in Episcopal Church: 1982

Hobbies: Yard work and old house repair

Parishes / Congregations Have Been Member of:

St. George’s 2014 to present
Emanuel Episcopal Baltimore 2013 to 2014
Memorial Episcopal Baltimore 2003 to 2013
St Bartholomews Atlanta 1993 to 2003

Recent Places of Work:

Knifecenter 2006 to present
Chesapeake Knife & Tool 2003 to 2006
Matthews Cutlery 1994 to 2003

Recent Community Involvement:

Every local history tour that is offered.
Every Biography series lecture that I can make.
Taking advantage of the hiking and biking trails around Fredericksburg

Where Jason calls home: Wherever I can meet up with my parents and my sister, usually Atlanta or north central Ohio. Also Colorado.

Caroline Pritchard

St. George’s has become my home over the past few years, and its people have become my family. I feel called to give back to St. George’s. I feel as though I have good experiences and skills to help me fill this position and give back to the church. I enjoy singing at the 11:15 am, Celtic, and Compline services, as well as volunteering at The Table at St. George’s, serving on the Children’s Formation committee, and playing the violin in the St. George’s Chamber Ensemble.

I am very organized and detail oriented. I have worked in finance both at a bank and I used to do a great deal of budgets when I was an Interior Designer. I am also creative and have leadership skills. I have served on the diaconate at my previous church.

Quick Facts about Caroline

Worship Service(s) Regularly Attend at St. George’s: 11:15 am, Compline

Year of Confirmation / Reception in Episcopal Church: 2015

Hobbies: Sewing/embroidery, cooking, music

Parishes / Congregations Have Been Member of:

First Baptist Church, Savannah, GA (1980 to 2015)
St. George’s Episcopal (attended since Feb 2014, confirmed in 2015)

Recent Places of Work:

Usborn Books and More, Independent Consultant
Fairchild Tropical Garden (Miami, FL)
Wrightington Rheumatology (Savannag, GA)

Recent Community Involvement:

St. George’s Chamber Ensemble
Volunteering at The Table (Also doing work behind the scenes)
Member of an Early French Renaissance Choir (singing at UMW on December 7)

Where Caroline calls home: St. George’s, Salem College, Savannah, GA

Josue Rivera-Orellano

The opportunity of serving on St. George’s Vestry can provide me a way to contribute and give continuity to the services that St. George’s provides to our community. I feel blessed to be part of the St. George’s Parish. I have received and witness all the love, support, and spiritual nourishment that St. George’s offers to everyone. I have served with the Youth Formation ministry at St. George’s, leading Rite 13 and Confirmation Classes. Also, I am volunteering with the 2020 Commission as we plan our 300th Anniversary celebrations.

My contributions will be based on my professional experience (Human Resources, Organizational Development, and Administration), sensitiveness on diversity issues, and commitment with St. George’s values. In addition to my experience, my contributions will be centered on integrity, hard work, and my ability to build trust and rapport with others.

Quick Facts about Josue

Worship Service(s) Regularly Attend at St. George’s: 9 am

Year of Confirmation / Reception in Episcopal Church: 2019

Hobbies: Playing Bomba Music and Cross-fit (weight lifting)

Parishes / Congregations Have Been Member of:

St Georges 11/2015 to present

Recent Places of Work:

Pathways Health and Community Services – Benefits Manager
PR Aqueduct and Sewer Authority – Senior HR Deputy Director
Municipality of Caguas – HR Deputy Director

Recent Community Involvement:

Board of Director – FAHASS (Fredericksburg Area HIV/AIDS Support Services)
Member of Semilla Cultural – Non-profit organization with the purpose of developing and cultivating a community that embraces Puerto Rican culture and arts in the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia region.

Where Josue calls home: Fredericksburg, Virginia and Caguas, Puerto Rico

Stuart Whitford

I feel blessed to be a member of such a wonderful, loving, and giving congregation and would like to help with the work and challenges that our church faces in the coming years. I have hosted Songwriters Showcases at St. George’s to help raise money for Youth in Global Community and for St. George’s Haiti Mission. I have also volunteered at St. George’s Community Dinners. Previously, I was a member of the choir and Youth Fellowship at First United Methodist Church in Bristol, Tennessee.

I am a careful listener and participant in church outreach and worship discussions. I also have a lot of knowledge and experience with software and with music.

Quick Facts about Stuart

Worship Service(s) Regularly Attend at St. George’s: I attend the 9:00 service mostly, but also the 5:30 and 11:15 services.

Year of Confirmation / Reception in Episcopal Church: 2017

Hobbies: Music – playing, singing, and songwriting

Parishes / Congregations Have Been Member of:

1966-67 First Methodist Church, Bristol, TN
1967-68, Haygood Methodist Church, Virginia Beach, Virginia
1979-1983, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Johnson City, TN

Recent Places of Work:

Booz Allen Hamilton 2014 to present
Naval Ordnance Safety and Security Activity (NOSSA) 2010 to 2014
Naval Surface Warfare Center/Dahlgren 2006 to 2010

Recent Community Involvement:

Performed at Fredericksburg Porchfest in 2019
Performed benefit concerts for Friends of the Rappahannock in 2018 and 2019

Where Stuart calls home: City of Fredericksburg, St. George’s Church, Down Home Pickin’ Parlor in Johnson City, TN