Vestry

The late great Peter James Lee, 12^th Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia, often commented that Virginia invented vestries. Clergy were scarce in colonial times, and the Church of England demanded excellent stewardship of its vast holdings in Virginia, so small groups of landholders were appointed to meet in the church sacristy (then called a vestry) to ensure that the local parish operated smoothly and made periodic reports to the Crown through the Archbishop of Canterbury. For more than 400 years, vestries have “managed the temporal affairs” of the Episcopal Church in Virginia. Our vestry officers include a senior warden (chief operating officer), junior warden (in charge of buildings and grounds), registrar (secretary), and treasurer.