The central theme of our August vestry meeting centered on the outcome of the General Convention in Minneapolis in August. Needless to say, our vestry felt compelled to act in the wake of the Conventions decision rule on two very controversial items:

• Consenting to the election as Bishop of New Hampshire of the Rev. Gene Robinson, a man engaged in sexual activity outside of the bonds of holy matrimony, and
• Recognizing the blessing of same-sex unions as a local diocesan option.

Rev. Binder effectively reviewed a number of well-considered options in response to these issues. One calls for the drafting of a petition protesting the decision of the majority of the Virginia delegation to support the above actions. Church leaders, as well as other concerned parishioners, would be able to register their dissatisfaction by affixing their signatures to this document. Secondly, in response to parishioners who have stated that they could not in good conscience financially support the national church and/or the diocese in view of recent events, the vestry is exploring a mechanism that would allow parishioners the option of designating that portion of their pledge to another of the outside causes supported by the Outreach segment of our budget. While the details of this arrangement have not yet been decided, we expect that this response would commence with the next pledge year.

I fear for some dark times ahead for the Episcopal Church here in America. I am optimistic that we as a Pohick family will get through these difficult days, especially under the tutelage of Rev. Don Binder.

Also discussed at our August vestry meeting:

• Rev. Jane Piver outlined a number of options to enrich/meet the spiritual needs of our congregation. Actions include a pilgrimage to our National Cathedral, Advent "Quiet Days," another women's retreat, women's Bible study, and other events.
  
• Seminarian John Frazier will be joining our Pohick family on September 7.
  
• Our Building Committee will be meeting bi-weekly.
  
• Vacation Bible School was an unqualified success. We had 75 students, 18 teams and 26 teachers.

We invite prayerful reflection on the days ahead. Please also feel free to contact me regarding any other Pohick topics/ suggestions. If you wish for issues to be addressed before the vestry, label all written/ electronic correspondence "Vestry-Gram." Either use the proforma in the back of the Pohick Post, or better yet, e-mail me at TSMayberry@comcast.net.

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