From the Rector

Dear Friends in Christ,

I hope that you all had a blessed Christmastide. As the holidays come to a close we turn our eyes toward the annual meeting. Of course, this year’s annual meeting will need to be adapted to the pandemic. The Vestry, recognizing this needed change, has adopted a slight revision to the by-laws that allows the parish to hold its meeting electronically.

The annual meeting will take place over two Sundays. On January 31st we will stream a series of recorded videos: the senior warden’s address, a financial update, the rector’s report and the introduction of the three-person slate nominated to serve as the Vestry Class of 2021-2023.

Ten members of the parish were proposed to the Nominating Committee and they were all interviewed. Though for several of them the timing wasn’t right, they are all eager to be considered in the future. In a “normal” year we would accept nominations from the floor but the constraints of meeting online mean we aren’t able to do that this year. We will vote for the slate using an online voting form that will be made available as part of the annual meeting.

The following Sunday, February 7, we will hold a series of live zoom conversations and Q&A sessions. These will focus on the budget, outreach, worship, and pastoral care. These will be a chance to ask questions and get more specific ministry updates.

Links, times for each Q&A session, the vestry slate with bios, and more will be made available over the next week or two and you will be able to find all of this information at stphilipstucson.org/annualmeeting 

As we continue to adapt I ask that everyone continue to show the grace and flexibility that have marked this past year. When this pandemic began, I never thought we’d be at the point of planning for the annual meeting, Ash Wednesday, and more online. Yet, hope is on the horizon! So, we will proceed with planning for the pandemic even as we begin to plan for what comes after it!

Yours in Christ,

Fr Robert