2026 Annual Meeting Booklet.pdf (Document)

St. James' Episcopal Church

Wherever you are on your journey of faith, you are welcome at this table.

Annual Parish Meeting 2026

Annual Parish Meeting Agenda

Annual Parish Meeting Agenda

February 1, 2026, 12-1 pm, Founders Hall

Opening Prayer (Stephanie Dodoo, incoming Senior Warden)

Call to order and adoption of the agenda (Harrison Eppright, Senior Warden)

Motion: To adopt the agenda.

Senior Warden’s Report (Harrison Eppright)

Rector’s Remarks (The Rev. Eileen O’Brien)

2025 Financial Report (Will Clark, Treasurer)

2026 Budget Presentation (Jeff Cox, outgoing Vestry Finance Committee Chair)

Motion: To approve the 2026 Budget.

Q&A

Adjourn

2026 Vestry Membership & Officers

New Vestry members were elected on December 21, 2025. Jennifer

will continue as clerk of the

until she moves in mid-2026; Rodger Brown will complete her term and provide continuity stjamesvestry@stjamesaustin org

Thank you to those completing Vestry Service!

Wrapping up service mid-2026

Some ways to think about where we are as of Dec 2025

14 Baptisms

Average Sunday Attendance

259 In Person (up from 232)

Average Sunday Attendance

36 Online

19 Confirmations/Receptions

741 Communicants

175 Pledging Households

1 Curate ordained and at work planting new campus ministries. This will continue even after his curacy ends in June 2026.

5 seminarians learning among us.

$24,000+ in discretionary funds distributed to meet urgent needs.

100+ households with POA docs.

3086 volunteer hours from 163 people dedicated to Welcome Table.

$47500 in-kind giving to Welcome Table, and over $100,000 in individual giving from St. James’ donors.

Strategic Vision

In Fall of 2025, the St. James’ Vestry adopted a Strategic Vision.

The three pillars of the Strategic Vision are Expanding Welcome, Connecting Generations, and Building Partnerships.

Expanding Welcome

At St. James’, the gospel virtue of radical hospitality drives us to open our doors, our hearts, and our lives ever-wider to those whom Jesus sought out: to the vulnerable, the invisible, the marginalized, and the seeker of God. This is our story; this is our song: Wherever you are on your journey of faith, you are welcome at this table

2025 Highlights

BUILDING DIVERSE TEAMS

Fall training of new liturgical ministers

Diverse Vestry and Diocesan Council Slate

EXPANDING SUPPORT FOR MINISTRIES WITH YOUNG PEOPLE

Safeguarded people for Sacred Journey as well as children’s and youth ministry; 2 classroom volunteer support for Godly Play in place with the help of clergy and seminarians; Continuing training of lay volunteers; new Gran Comunion preparation and children’s curriculum for children from the Spanish language service.

NEWCOMER ENGAGEMENT

Fall EpiscoBasics classes (English and Spanish); New Spanish language EpiscoBasics format; 19 people confirmed or received; Lots of coffee meetings with newcomers to facilitate connection and involvement

COMMUNICATIONS

Completed the campus-wide bilingual signage project! Large print bulletins available. Added weekly Spanish-language e-news geared toward the 1 pm (~60% open rate) Instagram for St James’ Episcopal Church & Austin Canterbury.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGLISH AND SPANISH SPEAKERS TO COME TOGETHER

Kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month with a bilingual event during the 12-1 pm hour; Build for the Altar for Dia de los Muertos; Monthly vigils at St David’s; Worship and serving at Casa Marianella; full Novena of Las Posadas.

MASTER PLAN

Chair appointed: Rudy Green; Key materials including historic documents and sample RFP/Qs gathered; List of potential architects gathered and vetted; Pulling the committee together in February 2026.

Strategic Vision

Connecting Generations

St. James’ has a strong awareness that we are called to carry on an important legacy from generation to generation, both as the only Black Episcopal Church planted in Austin and as a church that has intentionally chosen the work of inclusion and social justice over and over again We value this multigenerational space where the sharing of stories and witness strengthens and inspires generations to come The work of connecting generations to this legacy and to one another will help us continue to be St James’ in the future

2025 HIGHLIGHTS

TRAINING FOR LEADERSHIP IN MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY LIFE

Planned for WINTER/SPRING 2026

January 19: Union of Black Episcopalians Event with former Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.

February Guest Preacher/Conversation Series: February guest preachers will do lunch with the preacher and talk about what they have learned about leading and life in multicultural contexts.

March: One Human Race will offer The Austin Story on March 7. Will have a youth table and childcare.

Eastertide (April/May): St. James’ Reads Groups on Radical Welcome; Know your neighbor/Conoce a tu vecino event.

INTERGENERATIONAL EVENTS AND GENERATION-SPECIFIC WORK

Started quarterly Generation to Generation Luncheons

Started a Parent Group

Intentional work to get jazz tickets into the hands of young people (young adults, families with kids, Freedom School families).

The Blessing of the Animals was a multigenerational success.

Rev. Jim Harrington’s book signings brought people of different ages together for conversation about organizing (English and Spanish).

Brought rites of adoption into our worship experience

Building Partnerships

Building meaningful partnerships with organizations that share our values will deepen our commitments within the East Austin community, African American and Spanish-speaking communities; enrich our sense of mission; build greater financial resiliency; and facilitate spiritual growth.

2025 KEY PARTNERS

Make the Vision a Reality in 2026

EXPANDING WELCOME

Participate in the gatherings that bring Spanishspeakers and English speakers together. Be a part of the Master Plan congregational engagement process.

Become a sponsor for a ministry to young people.

CONNECTING GENERATIONS

Participate in the opportunities for training for life in multicultural community and invite friends to join you.

Participate in our quarterly Generation to Generation luncheon.

Join the St. James’ Archives Project (or bring in your St. James’ stuff that needs archiving!).

Join the St. James’ 85 Anniversary Team. th

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS

Help Rev. Addison get connected with college students (HT, ACC, wherever), or go to events with him and help strike up conversations that might lead to connection.

Help us get the Healing Hands CBP partnership underway well, so that we can create a needed maternal health hub at St. James’.

Help St. James’ get more deeply connected to organizations serving the Latino community; and get involved in care teams for our undocumented neighbors when ICE ramps up and travel feels unsafe.

These are some areas for involvement, but maybe you have other ideas about things you would like to do to make this vision a reality. Contact office@stjamesaustin.org, and we will send you in the right direction.

2025 Financials

Treasurer’s Report

The financial position for St. James’ at the beginning of 2026 is strong in spite of a higher degree of financial uncertainty for many in our community. We really want to thank you, the people of St James’, who came through for us in terms of giving in both pledged and unpledged income. Our pledge fulfillment rate was 92% of the total pledged. That’s really good. I also want to say that there were people who realized that they might not be able to meet their pledge mid-year, and many felt comfortable letting us know so that we could adjust expectations. This was very helpful, and I think it reflects a non-shaming culture where we understand that circumstances can change and that pledges represent loving intentions and commitment.

During the fall, the finance committee let you know that we were seeing both unpledged income (operating contributions) and pledged income fall behind. Both caught up by the end of the year, but this was a nail-biter for us Out of caution, we did take some steps to reduce spending in the fall out. When we take such steps, we tend to cut back on things that involve food and materials, and your generosity in bringing those things together anyway or making do helps us continue to gather people around the table. The 1 pm community are champions at this! On any given Sunday, the Hora de Cafe gathers the majority of the 1 pm congregation around the table for more than just one hour, and for more than just coffee The hospitality team for 12-1 pm has also mastered this art, and our partnership with Chef Ray at St. David’s for First Sunday Dinners makes things possible that we could not otherwise do with our hospitality budget During lean times, we also tap non-operating funds such as discretionary funds to help fund eligible items in the Mission and Outreach category. That way we are not underfunding things that you are important to you By cutting back in these ways, we are also not effecting staff/contract pay, which has different repercussions, and we are still fully funding our work in the areas of Formation and Mission and Outreach, even though the operating budget report may not reflect that due to the limited use of non-operating funds.

In 2025, we saw some incredible generosity from the Diocese of Texas The 2025 Cain Grant provided $40,000 for indoor painting and sidewalk repair. We also completed our use of the 2024 Cain Grant and other funds allocated by the Vestry from past surplus or designated income to finish a $124,000 campus-wide signage project. The Diocese also continued to fund our Curate’s salary through the Quin Grant and the Campus Ministries Budget. As a bonus, they also largely funded his pension and provided program monies for the campus ministries nonoperating fund. Incredible! While the Quin Grant ends in June 2026, the campus ministries funding and partnership will keep going

Finally, we do want to bring to your attention the considerable increases in the Operations and Business category Increases in the cost of essentials like insurance, electricity, repairs and maintenance, gas, computer/internet outpaced our expectations by quite a bit. We know you feel it too This will continue to impact our budgeting

Our endowment, started in 2018 as a positive bet on the future of St. James’, now totals $322,500 and is invested with the diocesan Participating Fund (separate report available)

All that said, our financial position is strong We have savings We are doing the work of Spirit and caring for the vulnerable, and we continue to be committed to walking in an uncertain world together.

2026 Budget

2026 Budget Explainer

INCOME SIDE

The budgeted number for pledges represents 93% of our received pledge amount by the countable pledge deadline. That means we hit a new pledge record this year with 175 households pledging We saw a number of pledging households move, pass on, or have to reduce their pledge; and we have a lot of new pledging households and people who raised their pledge to help out

Out of caution, we are setting our Operating Contributions expectation at the same number and raising our Plate expectation to roughly match 2025 EOY.

We are close to a new lease agreement with a community partner in maternal health, whose mission aligns with ours and who already partners with Welcome Table. Thus, we have raised our lease income expectation by a modest amount, and we continue with our Child Inc (Early Childhood Head Start) lease.

On July 1, 2026, the Quin Curate grant ends, but campus ministry support from the diocese continues There is an expected decrease in diocesan support for this combined position

EXPENSE SIDE

This is another skinny budget (funding for people and place, but not big funding for programmatic things).

Worship Resources - All things equal, we have added compensation for more substitute musicians for 1 pm, for music for Las Posadas, and for music for Casa Marianella. Ministry and Outreach - We added funds for hospitality, 1 pm supplies, and operating disbursements to clergy discretionary funds. After several years of talking with Welcome Table, we have taken the WT line item out of the operating budget given the tens of thousands of dollars of in kind and our shared donor base We do not need a symbolic toehold in the operating budget to indicate how important Welcome Table’s ministry is to us.

Christian Formation - Same as last year

Diocese of Texas - The increase in our diocesan assessment reflects the growth in our own budget. The assessment funds support the work and mission of the wider diocese.

Program Staff Compensation - This budget reflects a few positional changes First, the Rev. Addison McMillan will be continuing with his work after his curacy ends, so his title and compensation will be adjusted upward In late 2025, Tanya Martinez asked for a reduction of hours/week and more time off in order to care for family. We agreed. That adjusted that salary down. In February 2026, Rev. George Porter’s portfolio will shift from Associate Rector to Assistant Priest We do not anticipate a felt change for the Spanish language community. We added to the nursery budget to boost the Parent Group.

Music Staff Compensation - We are giving our 5 pm Pianist a raise to get him closer to market. Other things essentially equal.

Administrative Staff Compensation - We are giving our Office Assistant a raise to get her more aligned with market

Operations and Business - We are budgeting for increases almost all the way across the board in these categories

Junior Warden’s Report - Buildings, Grounds, Safe Spaces

The Vestry Administration Committee does a lot of behind the scenes work, alongside staff, that you might not notice. As the chair of that committee, I work closely Aimee Estep, our parish administrator and a dedicated group of Vestry and non-Vestry members. Given that her Celebration of Life was yesterday, I should mention that Sharon Bennett was a long-time member of this committee, when she was serving on the Vestry and when she was not. She was a great doer and problem solver, and St. James’ looks different and more vibrant today because of her work and care

The Vestry Administration’s primary task is care of the grounds This year, we finished replacing all of the parking lot lights with more efficient LED bulbs. We completed a two-year campus-wide signage project that has made our signage visible, bilingual, inviting, inclusive of organizations that share our campus, and accurate With the help of a Cain Grant from the Diocese of Texas, we repainted the interior of the Sanctuary and offices and we repaired the cracks in the sidewalks around the church and school Few have noticed because Episcopalians don’t always sit up front, but a team recovered the kneelers on the front pews, and they are real nice now In addition to regular maintenance, repairs from damage caused by the May hail storm also took place, and they continue

Teams came together to make big progress We had two parish workdays and appreciate the help from all of you able to participate. We also had 2 Brush Buster workdays: The rose gardens were cleaned and some roses replaced, so we have 16 bushes commemorating our Founders. Downed trees and branches were cleared after the May storm Thanks to everyone who participated, especially those from our 1 pm community.

We also updated our Emergency Plan to cover contingencies related to ICE presence on campus, conducted Know Your Rights trainings for people across our community, and conducted Emergency trainings. This work is ongoing, and we hope that you will join us for The Power of Hello training on Sunday, March 22, 12-1 pm in Founders Hall.