At Savior’s annual meeting last week, the congregation voted to elect Ellen Hsu, Erika Olsen, and Nadine Rorem to the Vestry. Get to know these new Vestry members — and learn a little bit more about the Vestry! — below:
Ellen Hsu: Ellen serves on the Prayer and Communion Ministry Team and as a Scripture reader; her gifts include administration and leadership. She is senior rights and contracts manager at IVP. She has attended Church of the Savior since 2005 with her husband (Al) and sons ( Josiah and Elijah).
Erika Olsen: Erika serves on the Welcome Team and with VBS. She has gifts in mercy, hospitality, shepherding and leadership, which give her a heart to see the church care for people and the community well; she has a particular passion for building relationships in cross-cultural contexts. Erika is a stay-at-home mom and works part-time for Peoples Resource Center as the Food Pantry Coordinator for a school based food pantry. Erika lives in West Chicago with her husband Andy with their three children.
Nadine Rorem: Nadine currently serves at Savior as a Prayer and Communion minister, and she has gifts of hospitality, prayer and discernment; she is also a spiritual director. Nadine works at Wheaton College as a professor in the Biology Department enjoying the beauty and wonder of God’s amazing creation. She has a passion for cultivating spiritual growth in those with whom she interacts.
In addition to these new members, we thank Al Hsu, Janis Hultgren, Steve McNeely, and Deb Nickerson — the Vestry members rotating off this year — for their service to Savior.
Ever wonder about what the vestry is? The following questions and answers should give you a better sense of how the Vestry serves the congregation here at Savior.
What exactly is the Vestry and what does it do?
The vestry is the governing board of our church. It has two main functions: first, it oversees the finances and property of the church; the Vestry are the legal representatives of Church of the Savior. Second, it provides big-picture discernment and direction. As a group, we try to discern what God is doing in our midst and walk in step with that (Exodus 13:21).
Why does it have such a funny name?
In English churches, hundreds of years ago, the best place for a church’s leaders to meet was in the “vestry,” the room where clergy put on their vestments before services. The group took on the name of the place, much as we say, “The White House,” (a place) to mean the leaders who work there.
Who is on our Vestry and who leads it?
From 5 to 15 members, elected by the church, who serve 3-year terms. The Vestry also includes the Rector (Kevin), Associate Rector (non-voting, Karen), and Senior Deacon (Sandy Oyler). The Rector and Wardens lead the vestry. The Rector leads the meetings; the Senior Warden reviews and helps shape the agenda; and the Junior Warden oversees bylaws revisions.