Dear St. Philip’s family,

On March 1, 2026, we will hold our Annual Parish Meeting. During that meeting, we will elect the next class of leaders to serve on the Vestry. The Vestry has appointed Ann Hester Willis (Chairman and Junior Warden), David Wright (Senior Warden), Ashley Davis, Polly Dickson, Jayne Gurley, Alan Runyan, Jeff Rink, and Lowell Grosse to serve as a nominating committee. 

The goal is for this to be a Spirit-led process executed by the Vestry and blessed by the clergy. We encourage you to spend time in prayer concerning this matter and to allow the Lord to lay on your heart individuals who might well serve the church in this leadership position. Please submit any name of a Parish member whom you believe has the leadership skills and spiritual commitment to serve the Parish in this important role. We ask that you not contact the person regarding your submission of his or her name; all names submitted will be held in confidence by the committee. After committee review and prayer, qualified candidates will be contacted by the committee regarding their interest in serving.

The nominee process is:

1. Members of the Parish submit prospective names to the committee by email to Ann Hester Willis (willisah@gmail.com; (843) 224-5400) or the Executive Assistant to the Rector, Rachel Murphy (rachel@stpchurch.org; (854) 429-1928). Names may be submitted now through November 26, 2025. The following qualifications should be considered prior to submitting names.
  • Per Article V, Section 5 of our Bylaws: All members of the Vestry shall be Confirmed Members in Good Standing of St. Philip’s Church...
  • Article III, Section 2 defines Members in Good Standing as … All members who are aged eighteen (18) or more and who have, unless for good cause prevented, (a) been faithful in corporate worship at St. Philip’s Church for the previous twelve (12) months, and (b) been faithful in work, prayer, and giving to St. Philip’s Church for the spread of the Kingdom of God …

2. The nominating committee will assemble and prayerfully prioritize the list of candidates according to the needs of the Parish.

3. The committee will then contact potential candidates to discuss serving. Understandably, candidates often have questions about what the commitment to spiritual leadership on the Vestry requires, and we want to provide them with ample time to make that decision prayerfully.

4. The committee will inform the congregation of the nominees several weeks before the Annual Meeting. The Bylaws permit duly qualified nominations from the floor at the Annual Meeting.

We want every member of our church to feel engaged in this process, and we look forward to receiving your submissions. If you have any questions about the process, please do not hesitate to contact one of us or any other member of the committee. Above all, please pray for the work of the nominating committee, that they seek God’s will in discerning the future leadership of the Parish and that they honor Him in their recommendation to us, the church.

Yours in Christ,

David Wright
Senior Warden

Ann Hester Willis
Chairman and Junior Warden

Construction notice:
The graveyard and sanctuary are closed to weekday visitors due to construction and renovations taking place as part of our Shine the Light capital campaign.