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Vestry

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Vestry

Calvary’s vestry, the parish’s governing body, shares the parish’s leadership with the rector and consists of 15 members, who are nominated and elected by the congregation for three-year terms. They meet to oversee the temporal affairs of the parish, as well as to support the rector and staff in promoting the spiritual welfare of the parish. In addition, the vestry, in conjunction with the finance committee, is accountable for the fiscal responsibility of Calvary Church. Vestry members also share leadership responsibility for the ministry groups of the church.

 

Five vestry members are elected annually, so there are five “new” members each year, five who have served one year already and five who have served two years. The by-laws of Calvary state that a retiring vestry member is ineligible for re-election to the vestry until three years have passed. Once in place, a senior and junior warden are chosen to serve as vestry leaders. A clerk who supports the vestry and the warden’s committee is also selected. The warden’s committee, which meets monthly with the rector, is comprised of the senior warden, junior warden, treasurer, clerk, and an at-large member.

 

Vestry meetings are open to all interested in attending. The meetings take place on the third Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. unless listed otherwise on the calendar.

 

Jessica Flynn
Senior Warden

Jessica and her husband Mike first began attending Calvary in 2014 and were drawn to Calvary’s involvement in the downtown community. They were confirmed in 2015 and married the next year. Both of their children, Olivia and Huey, were baptized at Calvary and Jessica and Mike look forward to raising them in the Episcopal church. Jessica has a degree in Journalism and Psychology from Washington and Lee University, and a master's degree in Psychology from the University of Memphis. For the past decade, she has worked in clinical research, coordinating Psychology studies, at St. Jude. She has served for years on the Washington and Lee Mid-south chapter board and considers her current civic involvement as focusing on raising kind, Christian citizens. She feels drawn to vestry service as an opportunity to give back to the church that has given so much to her family over the past 8 years.

Allison Wellford Parker
Junior Warden

Allison Wellford Parker first visited Calvary in 1992 with her then-boyfriend, now husband, Tommy. Over the past 30 years, Allison has participated in EfM and has served on the vestry, as a Sunday school teacher, on a rector search committee, and on adult and children’s formation committees. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt and an M.Ed. in Human Development Counseling. Allison worked as a teacher, upper school counselor, and the director of counseling at St. Mary’s Episcopal School from 1992 – 2022. Now that Allison is retired, she wants to return her energy and focus to Calvary. She is excited about the building renovation and the opportunities we will have for both in-reach and outreach to our community. Allison and Tommy are the parents of three daughters (Katherine, Annie, and Ellen) and live in midtown.

Christina DuBose Ross
Warden-At-Large

Christina DuBose Ross, a lifelong Episcopalian, grew up at St. Luke’s in Jackson, TN. She graduated from Rhodes in 1994 and from the University of Miami School of Architecture in 2000. In college and graduate school, she visited many other Episcopal churches but felt drawn to Calvary when she returned to Memphis in 2001. “First it was for lunch with friends at Waffle Shop, then to attend music performances, and then it occurred to me that maybe this church was calling me inside!” She and her husband David Hanson joined Calvary at the time of their son Lucian’s baptism in 2011. Christina appreciates Calvary’s community involvement, our intergenerational congregation, and the parish’s years of history in downtown Memphis. For the past 13 years, she and Nina Sublette have hand-crafted the banners given to every child baptized at Calvary. In addition, she volunteers at Emmanuel Meal, makes waffles at Waffle Shop, sorts clothing in the clothing closet, works basement church and Room in the Inn, and is participating in the Sacred Ground course. Christina is involved with MidtownMemphis.org (a non-profit group with a mission to promote a vibrant and sustainable Midtown) and serves as a neighborhood representative for Binghampton and Lea’s Woods where her family lives.

Madge Deacon
Clerk

Madge Logan Deacon was baptized at Calvary at age six weeks. Although over the years she tried short stints at other Episcopal churches closer to home, she has “always come ‘home’ to Calvary.” She and her husband Whit have a blended family of four children and five grandchildren. Madge retired from FedEx in 2013 following a 36-year career which honed her project management, project development, and training and facilitation skills. At Calvary, Madge is a member of the Daughters of the King, Holy Spirit Guild, Wedding Guild, Ushers, Eucharistic Ministers, and Lectors. She volunteers with Waffle Shop, the Lenten Preaching Series, and the Salvation Army Bell Ringers. A majority of Madge’s volunteer time is spent supporting the work of Lives Worth Saving and Thistle & Bee.

Bill Bangham
Term Ending 2026

Bill Bangham and his wife Dianne met Carrington & Alex Wise and Madge & Whit Deacon at the downtown farmer’s market. Alex invited them to Calvary, where “we found a community, the liturgy comforting, music that touched chords deep within us, and all three priests thoughtful with something to say and carry home with us. Calvary is a place where we can exhale, relax, consider life around us and our place in it.” Bill worked as a critically acclaimed photojournalist, writer, and magazine editor for nearly 40 years, focusing on the interpretation of culture and the influence of religion, peacemaking, hunger, and the environment. His work and travel have taken him to 70-some countries. Bill’s photographic and writing talents have been featured in the Chronicle. He volunteers on Sundays and Wednesdays with our youth and is involved in Baguette Brothers, EfM, and Sacred Ground. Bill enjoyed ushering during the past Lenten Preaching Series.

Franklin Barton
Term Ending 2025

Franklin lives across the river in Marion, Arkansas and was raised at Holy Cross Episcopal Church in West Memphis. He and his wife Tara were married at Calvary in 2008 and baptized their son Franklin (10) here in 2012. Franklin attended the University of Mississippi and has worked in his family-owned farm equipment dealership for the past 18 years. Currently he manages day-to-day operations. At Calvary, Franklin has served on a children's committee and helped organize the clothes closet on Wednesday evenings. He is called to serve the vestry as a way of helping Calvary continue to grow as a strong and vibrant church that has meaningful outreach programs and ministry. As a vestry member, he will focus on the youth program and other opportunities as they present themselves.

Zoe Bondi
Youth Representative

As a fifth-generation Calvary member, Zoe Bondi is pleased to take her place as a youth representative on the Calvary vestry. Zoe, the daughter of Karyn & Paul Bondi, the sister of Kyle Bondi, and the granddaughter of Gayle & Raymond Spence, has been at Calvary her whole life. She was baptized here in 2009 and confirmed in November 2024 by Bishop Phoebe Roaf. She enjoys singing soprano in the Calvary Choir and participating in EYC. She is also learning to play the organ under the tutelage of Dr. Kristin Lensch and has had the opportunity to play in services and accompany the Boys and Girls Choir. Zoe is a 10th grader at White Station High School with a strong interest in science and computer programming. She enjoys helping with the school gardening club, which maintains a picnic area and fresh herbs/vegetables for the students year-round. As a youth representative to the vestry, Zoe looks forward to learning more about how Calvary works and sharing input on youth programs, especially music-related ones.

Kate Connell
Term Ending 2025

Kate was introduced to Calvary in 2006 by her mother-in-law Anne Connell when Kate married Anne’s son Coleman. She transferred to Calvary, along with her two sons Gil (25) and Alex (23) Humphreys. Coleman and Kate are the parents of Kate Connell (16). Kate did her undergraduate work at Rhodes College and received her MBA from the University of Memphis. She received her Certified Financial Planner certification from Christian Brother’s and is the Managing Partner at Gilliland Investments. Kate serves on the Capital Campaign committee to plan the January 6 kick-off event. Over the years, she has participated in the Calvary book club, and volunteered with community breakfast, Room in the Inn, and the Emmanuel Meal. In the community, Kate serves on the ArtsMemphis board and endowment committee, the Community Foundation board and audit committee, and the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly outreach committee. As a vestry member, she looks forward to learning more about Calvary’s work in downtown Memphis and supporting our outreach ministries.

Terri Dulaney
Term Ending 2025

Terri was a preschool teacher for 29 years, with almost 15 of those spent as the Sr. preschool teacher and assistant director of Calvary Place. Terri also coordinated the nursery at Calvary for years, which brought her into relationship with dozens of Calvary families and eventually drew her to become a member. She met her family, wife Betty Jo and son Will (18), while working and playing in the Orgill Room. Terri is an avid community volunteer for such organizations as the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Memphis Zoo, and Room in the Inn-Memphis, where she currently works as the volunteer coordinator. At Calvary, Terri has ushered and greeted, served on the Altar Guild, worked the Emmanuel Meal, and taught Godly Play. Terri is excited to serve the vestry as we embark on the renovation of our block to make our community more welcoming and accessible. She is proud that Calvary makes caring for our neighbors a high priority and hopes to help ensure the planned work is completed to continue welcoming parishioners and visitors in the future.

Andy Estes
Term Ending 2027

Andy Estes (75) formerly attended St. Peter Catholic Church, where he was introduced to the Hospitality HUB and became an enthusiastic volunteer. He learned about Calvary through the HUB and first visited in 2009. He quickly gravitated to our 8 a.m. worshipping community, where he serves as an usher. A native Memphian with a Methodist Church background, Andy was confirmed at Calvary in 2016. Andy hopes that serving on the vestry will be a good way to learn more about the church and how he can use his gifts to help Calvary accomplish our mission. Sundays are special in his life and often involve hosting and cooking a large family meal for his two grown daughters, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren at his home in Harbor Town.

Barbara Etheridge
Term Ending 2027

Barbara Etheridge was introduced to Calvary by her mother, the late Pat Hackett, a longtime Calvary member who encouraged Barbara to sing in the Messiah chorus with her in 1999. Barbara has sung soprano in the Calvary Choir for the past twenty years. She has participated in numerous Boar’s Head Feasts and Choir Cabarets and helped to coordinate two Choir Residencies in England. She was received into the Episcopal Church at Calvary in 2016. Barbara majored in Business Administration and graduated from Rhodes College in 1984. She retired in 2020 from a career in corporate accounting and finance, skills she has used as a cashier at Waffle Shop and looks forward to using as a vestry person. Over the next three years on the vestry, Barbara hopes to get to know Calvary better and see how she can help Calvary thrive as we complete our renovations. She intends to continue supporting Calvary’s music programs as part of the liturgy and the larger church mission. Barbara and her husband, Jeff, have been married for 34 years, live in East Memphis, and are the parents of two grown sons and have one granddaughter.

Bill Etnyre
Term Ending 2026

Bill Etnyre is a lifelong learner with a Bachelor’s in Economics, a Master’s and PhD in Social Work, and a Certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) from Cornell University. He served in the US Air Force and worked as a clinical social worker in agencies and private practice until 2017, when he became a clinical professor at the University of Washington. Bill uses his skills, knowledge, and experience “to improve lives, making the world just a bit better.” He recognizes that Calvary, “as a large community of people, has leverage and power to do this.” Bill does his part by serving at Basement Church, Room in the Inn/Welcome Inn, as a Friend of the Mental Health Court, and participating in EfM and Sacred Ground. In addition, he occasionally fills in as an organist or pianist at Sunday services. Bill was led to Calvary by “a persistent nagging to return to a community of faith following a 40-year hiatus. I checked out a couple of other parishes before stopping by Calvary almost four years ago and got hooked.” Bill and his husband, Michael Lonesome-Etnyre, live downtown.

MC Hitt
Youth Representative

MC Hitt's love for Calvary was ignited by a friend, and she dove in with all her heart. A year ago, she was confirmed at Calvary and now serves as an Eucharist Minister, and actively participates in EYC. As a junior at St. Mary’s Episcopal School, she has developed a deep admiration for the Saint Mary’s nuns. Her love for camp prayer songs is evident, and she eagerly takes on the role of a camp counselor during the summer. 

Matt Seltzer

Matt Seltzer and his wife Nicole tried several different parishes in Memphis, looking for a good fit for their young family, before settling at Calvary in 2005. Familiarity with friends who attended Calvary made the transition easy. Matt grew up attending St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Jackson, TN. He attended Rice University and worked in Houston and Philadelphia before moving to Memphis, where he now leads project design teams as a principal at archimania. Matt has taught Godly Play and elementary and high school formation classes at Calvary. He recently facilitated a Sacred Ground group and currently leads middle school Sunday formation. Matt has served on the board of St. Columba, is on the diocesan Happening Steering Committee, and volunteers at the University of Memphis working with architecture students. As a vestry member, Matt hopes to support the continued legacy of our parish as a place that encourages actions and questions of faith in search of the ‘Beloved Community.’ He will support the reimagination of Calvary’s block and the Slave Market memorialization, encouraging sustainability in our life as a community and combatting bias and racism in our city. Matt and Nicole live in East Memphis and have two kids in college, Jackson and Brennan. Matt is often seen worshipping with his mother, Mary Beth Seltzer.

Mary Jane Viar
Term Ending 2026

Mary Jane Viar was born and raised in Memphis. She has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and a Master’s degree from the University of Memphis. After many rewarding years as a research associate at St. Jude and in the Department of Physiology at UTCHS, Mary Jane retired in 2015 to a full and busy life. Calvary has been a big part of that life for the last 25 years. The initial lure of Calvary for Mary Jane was Integrity-Memphis and the genuine, inclusive love shown by the Calvary community. Since then, Mary Jane has participated in many of Calvary’s ministries including Room in the Inn, Soup Sunday, Diocesan Convention as a delegate, Education for Ministry, Emmanuel Meal, the Sacred Ground course, and others. For many years she has served as an acolyte mentor, eucharistic minister, and verger. In addition, her volunteer activities in the community have included Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, and science fair judge in the Memphis City Schools. She and her wife, Debbie Kinard, have a home in midtown that they share with their Corgi, Hemi, and their orange cat, Powder.

Reg Udoj
Term Ending 2027

Reg Udouj has a BS from the University of Memphis and an MS from the University of Tennessee. He has taught in public and private schools for 24 years and is currently an ESL teacher in Bartlett City Schools. For twelve years, Reg has been a staff teacher at SMILA (Simultaneous Multisensory Institute of Language Arts), an organization that provides dyslexia training yearly in June. Reg visited Calvary for the first time on Good Friday in 2021, where he participated in Scott Walters’s Stations of the Cross Walk throughout downtown. He was drawn to the beautiful worship space, liturgy, and music but kept coming back for the people and community. He transferred his membership later that year. Reg is a Eucharistic Minister and volunteers at the Lenten Preaching Series, Waffle Shop, and the Emmanuel Meal. He is currently in year three of the Education for Ministry program. As a vestry member, Reg looks forward to serving this community that has been so welcoming and encouraging to him since he first walked through the door. He hopes to focus his energy on supporting the Lenten Preaching Series, our music ministries, and lifting up the Eucharistic Ministers and others who serve at worship services.

Ginny Webb
Term Ending 2027

Ginny Webb was encouraged by friends to come and be a part of the Calvary community. She transferred her membership from Holy Cross Episcopal Church in West Memphis in 1993. Ginny values our focus on ministry, not just inside the walls of the church but outside and beyond, and appreciates our all-ages music program. She received a BS in Early Childhood Education from the University of Arkansas and an MS with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education from the University of Memphis. As the former Associate Head of School of St. George’s Independent School, Memphis Campus, supported financially by generous donors and designed to reach inner-city students, Ginny worked with teachers, students, and parents to build this school one grade at a time. At Calvary, Ginny is a Daughters of the King member and serves on a Pastoral Care Team. Previously, she served as a Eucharistic Minister, sang in the choir, taught Sunday School, and made soup for Soup Sunday. Ginny and her husband, John, live at Trezevant Manor, where she enjoys substituting for the pianist for church services in Assisted Living and in Memory Care. As a vestry member, Ginny hopes to focus her efforts on supporting our worship and music ministries.

Clay Woemmel
Warden-At-Large

Clay has been very involved at Calvary in his 15 years of membership. In his second round as a vestry member, he hopes to focus on strategic planning, reimagining and maintaining our buildings, continuing our community outreach, and supporting LPS, Waffle Shop, and our music program. Clay has over 25 years’ experience in higher education, including counseling, career counseling, advising, administration, and adjunct faculty roles. He currently serves as a counselor at the UTHSC with a focus on the well-being of medical residents and fellows. He previously worked at the University of Memphis, where he received his master’s degree and EdD in counseling. At Calvary, Clay serves as an usher, greeter, and Eucharistic minister. He currently is serving on a committee to plan events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Diocese of West Tennessee. Clay is married to Brooks Terry, and they spoil their two dogs Gracie and Georgia.