2026
Annual Meeting & Chapter Election
Sunday January 25, 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 11 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 25, 2026, St. Paul’s Cathedral will hold its Annual Parish Meeting, and we will elect Chapter members and Lay 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 25, 2026. Ballots will be supplied to qualified electors (see below for criteria) upon arrival. Mail-in ballots are not permitted by canon.
This year we will elect four individuals to three-year terms on Chapter.
According to the Diocesan Canons, based on our average Sunday attendance as stated in the most recent parochial report (288), St. Paul’s is entitled to send five lay delegates (and as many alternates as we wish) to the Diocesan Convention, as well as all canonically resident clergy. The 2026 Convention is scheduled for November 6-7 at St. Bartholomew’s, Poway. 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 24, 2025 (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 2026; and
- has received Communion at St. Paul’s at least 3 times since January 2025.
Resources
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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
Election of Lay Delegates to Diocesan Convention 2026
Five delegates and at least one alternate to be elected. Nominee statements below:
Lisa Churchill
I have been blessed to represent SPC at Diocesan Convention in the past and I so enjoy bringing our St. Paul’s community spirit to Diocesan service. As Canon Verger, I bring a unique experience of liturgy and leadership from a lay perspective, and it has been personally fulfilling to participate in this aspect of our communal Diocesan life. I would very much enjoy the opportunity to continue in this role as your representative.
Diane Lopez Hughes
It is truly an honor to be considered as an EDSD Convention delegate. As a member of the Cathedral, I am the current convenor of the St Paul’s Simpler Living Creation Care ministry, co-chair of the Outreach Committee, member of Sacred Ground in Action, representative to the FAITH Court Accompaniment ministry and the Interfaith Coalition for Earth Justice, and active weekly contributor to the SPC Thursday bulletins. In the role of Convention delegate, we have an opportunity to learn about issues important to our congregations and use our voices to vote for policies and practices that will elevate our worship opportunities and faith education, and lead us to follow the way of Jesus through grace filled social action.
Sue Kelly
Sue Kelly is a long-time member of St Paul’s and has served in a variety of ways over the years, most recently as a Warden and Chapter member of the Class of 2026. Her favorite ministry remains the choir; she also enjoys and recommends Evangelism & Incorporation as a lively and active group, and she has served as a lay delegate previously.
Stacey Klaman
I have been a pledging member of St. Paul’s since 2021. 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 to exercise them. I am a Chapter member, an Acolyte, Lector, Lay Eucharistic Visitor, Chair of the Finance Committee, and sometimes a baker. I have completed Education for Ministry, and a year-long lay preaching course and now have my lay preaching license. I am a member of the Pastoral Care Committee and send out Grief Booklets to those mourning the loss of a loved one. I serve on the Community of Light board as secretary. I have served as a Lay Delegate to the Diocesan Convention before and would welcome the opportunity to serve again. The Convention is a grand 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.
Allen Mutchler
I have been a pledging member of St. Paul’s since 2020. Serving in multiple ministries has given me a better understanding of the Cathedral’s importance in serving the Diocese of San Diego. Serving last three years as a delegate 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
Blair Shamel has been a member of SPC for over 5 years and served on the SPC Chapter for the last 3 years. In his role on Chapter he helped with raising the initial funds for the Music Center and led the effort to draft the 2025 Strategic Plan. He serves on the SPC Endowment and Audit Committees. He served as a Delegate to the 2025 Diocesan Convention and has asked to once again be considered to be a delegate to the 2026 Diocesan Convention.
