2025
Annual Meeting & Chapter Election
Sunday January 26, 12 pm, In the Great Hall
Our resident photographer Susan Forsburg takes amazing photos for us throughout the year (year after year). Check out 2024’s highlights at our Flickr account (Click Here).
Thank you Susan!
Meet the Candidates Forum
Sunday, January 12 at the 9 am Forum we had a chance to meet each of the seven candidates running for chapter. If you didn’t have a chance to attend, or you’d simply like to review what they said, please watch the recording.
Budget Forum
On Sunday January 19, our finance team presented the annual budget at the 9 am forum, which you can watch here, or click the title to be directed to YouTube. You can also review the slides from this forum by clicking here.
On January 26, 2025, St. Paul’s Cathedral will hold its Annual Parish Meeting, and we will elect Chapter members and Delegates to Diocesan Convention.
Here are the canons, bylaws, and policy that relate to elections:
From the Cathedral Bylaws, section 3.1 – “The qualifications of members and the terms of admission to membership in the Corporation are those which are prescribed by the Canons of the Diocese for electors entitled to vote for members of the Chapter elected pursuant to Section 5.3 (a)(4) below (“Qualified Electors”) “
From the Diocesan Canons, Title 3, Canon 5 – “The following shall be qualified electors: Any person of 16 or more years of age who is an attendant at worship and a regular contributor of record and who for the previous 60 days shall have been registered in the congregation as a baptized person or communicant member.” (See below for expansion of Cathedral requirements).
From the Cathedral Bylaws, 2023 edition, Article 4 – “Each year by April 1, the number of allowable lay delegates and lay alternates to Diocesan Convention shall be elected by the members, preferably at the annual meeting of members, or at a meeting called for that purpose. Delegates shall be elected in the same manner as is provided for in these Bylaws for the election of members of Chapter elected by the congregation. Alternates shall be called upon to serve in the order of their election. Delegates shall serve for a period of one year, and shall serve as delegates for any Diocesan Conventions occurring during that period.”
From the Diocesan Canons, Title 3, Canon 6 – Delegates, like Chapter members, are to be at least 18 years of age.
From Chapter Policy on Chapter Nominations – Candidates for Chapter must additionally:
- Have been a regular pledging contributor of record to the Cathedral for the 210 days prior to the vote; and,
- Regularly attend worship.
Information about this year’s elections
The elections will be held in person during the Annual Parish Meeting following the 10:30 am service on January 2, 2025. Ballots will be supplied to qualified electors (see below for criteria) upon arrival. Mail-in ballots are not permitted, now that the Extraordinary Circumstance of the pandemic is past.
This year we will elect four individuals to three-year terms on Chapter and one to an incomplete term of one year.
According to the Diocesan Canons, based on our average Sunday attendance as stated in the most recent parochial report (231), St. Paul’s is entitled to send four lay delegates (and as many alternates as we wish) to the Diocesan Convention, as well as all canonically resident clergy. The 2024 Convention is scheduled for November 7-8 at St. Dunstan’s, San Diego. In addition to the Convention itself there will be pre-Convention hearings on the budget and the resolutions: in recent years these have been held online and have been recorded. We do not anticipate any special meetings of Convention during the year.
Voting Eligibility
If you can answer “Yes” to all of the following, you are eligible to vote in this election.
- Age 16 or older; and
- Has been baptized with water and in the name of the Trinity; and
- has made a pledge to St. Paul’s general fund on or before June 25, 2024 (ie 210 days before the annual meeting); and
- has made a good faith effort to make regular payments on the pledge; and
- has made a pledge for 2025; and
- has received Communion at St. Paul’s at least 3 times since January 2024.
Resources
Chapter Candidates
CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION AS LAY DELEGATE
Lisa Churchill
I have been a pledging member of St. Paul’s since 2010
I feel called to serve as a Lay Delegate to Diocesan Convention because:
I have been honored to serve as a lay delegate to our Diocesan Convention in the past. It has truly been a privilege to bring the spirit of our St Paul’s community to Diocesan service. As Canon Verger, I bring a unique experience of liturgy and leadership from a layman’s perspective, and it has been personally meaningful to participate in this aspect of our communal Diocesan life. I would very much appreciate an opportunity to continue in this role as your representative.
Angel Ibarra
I have been a pledging member of St. Paul’s since 2021.
I feel called to serve as a Lay Delegate to the Diocesan Convention because I am committed to representing the cathedral’s interests as we shape our strategic plan, with a focus on younger adults and strengthening our relationships with the diocese and other parishes. I believe it is important for St. Paul’s to have a voice in these conversations, ensuring our mission and values are reflected in the broader work of the diocese while fostering collaboration and growth within our faith community.
Allen Mutchler
I have been a pledging member of St. Paul’s since 2020
I feel called to serve as a Lay Delegate to Diocesan Convention because:
My engagement at St. Paul’s has grown over the past two years, from serving on Chapter, the Evangelism Committee, and Family Ministry, to being an usher and lector reader. Serving on these ministries has given me a better understanding of the Cathedral’s importance in serving the Diocese of San Diego. Serving last two years as a delegate for the Cathedral to the convention allowed me to learn even more about how the Diocese operates and how important it is for every parish to be heard. It also allowed me to meet individuals from smaller parishes and understand the struggles the Episcopal Church is facing.
If elected to serve again this year, I would bring the experiences that I will gain over the next year, as well as my previous experience, to the convention. I would be honored to represent the Cathedral again at the upcoming convention. St. Paul’s has given me so much, and I feel called to continue to serve the Cathedral in any capacity that I can.
Blair Shamel
I have been a pledging member of SPC since 2019
I feel called to serve as a Lay Delegate to Diocesan Convention because:
I have been an Episcopalian for over 40 years. I deeply respect the process that dioceses around the world use to make decisions critical to our place in the world. We are facing an increasingly difficult future with the new Federal administration, the assault from right-wing “Christian” nationalists, gun violence, etc. I want to be part of our solutions.
Alternate: Diane Lopez Hughes
I have been a pledging member of St. Paul’s since 2017.
I feel called to serve as a Lay Delegate to Diocesan Convention because it’s an honor to represent St Paul’s at the Convention. As a member of the Diocesan Executive Council I have learned how many of our resolutions can benefit congregations within structures that support our faith. As a Cathedral member and EDSD Advocacy member I have been involved in several ministries that have helped put a few of the resolutions into practice.
Alternate: Stacey Klaman
I have been a pledging member of St. Paul’s since 2021
I feel called to serve as a Lay Delegate to Diocesan Convention because:
With gratitude and joy, my faith has grown through my participation in the life of God’s church here at St. Paul’s Cathedral. God gives us each particular gifts and calls us exercise them. As many of you know, I have a heart for service and try to make a deep difference to others. I am a Chapter member, an Acolyte, Sub-Verger, Lector, Stephen Minister, and Lay Eucharistic Visitor. I am a member of the Card Ministry and also send out Grief Booklets to those mourning the loss of a loved one. I am in my third year of Education for Ministry, attend morning prayer regularly and, until the end of 2023, I served as the Formation Committee Chair and Host of the Sunday Forums.
Living the experience of being part of the St. Paul’s community is a blessing. I have served as a Lay Delegate to the Diocesan Convention before and would welcome the opportunity to serve again. The Convention is a magnificent occasion to meet more people who are part of our beautiful Episcopal community, as well as to exchange experiences and gain knowledge about the work that our other sister churches are doing. Thank you for considering me.
