Governance Bodies and Committees
In the tabs below you will find a description of each of the Governance bodies and committees, along with the elected or appointed members of each committee.
Diocesan Council Inc., is a corporate entity of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the State of Delaware. It is organized for the purpose of taking charge of the unification, development and prosecution of the missionary work, Church extension, religious education and Christian social service of the diocese and such other matters as may be committed to it by its convention. The bishop is president of diocesan council. The work of diocesan council is rather extensive and depends greatly on the committed partnership between its elected members, the diocesan staff, and the bishop. Council’s key role is to submit to each annual convention a budget for all the work committed to it. Provision shall be made therein for the reasonable expenses of diocesan council. Council organizes its work with several subcommittees. The work of the finance, insurance, and personnel subcommittees is obvious in scope, and the subcommittee for program review undertakes an annual and extensive evaluation of specific diocesan-supported programs. An example of a program is Camp Arrowhead. Council is made up of 18 elected clergy and lay members representing all the geographic regions of the diocese. (Ref: Art. IX, and Canon 21 (Duties of Diocesan Council), Const. & Cns., ECD.)
| Responsibililty: | Program and budget for the work and mission of the Episcopal Church in Delaware | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Church | Term |
| The Rt. Rev. Kevin S. Brown, Bishop | ||
| Mr. Frank Daniels, Treasurer | Christ Church, Dover | |
| Canon Judith (Judi) Lane Gregory, Canon for Finance & Administration, Mission Support Team | ||
| Mr. Walter (Walt) Lafontaine, Executive Director Camp Arrowhead, Mission Support Team | ||
| Ms. Teresa (Teri) Valente, Director Camp Arrowhead, Mission Support Team | ||
| Ms. Elizabeth FitzPatrick, President ECW | Church of the Ascension, Claymont | |
| The Rev. Marianne Ell, Clergy Rep | St. Luke's Church, Seaford | 2021 |
| The Rev. Dr. Marta Illueca, Clergy Rep | Brandywine Collaborative Ministries, Wilmington | 2021 |
| Ms. Kay Keenan, Vice President | Christ Church, Christiana Hundred (Area V) | 2021 |
| Mr. Jim Pappas, Lay-at-Large | Christ Church, Dover (Area II) | 2021 |
| Mr. John Michael Sophos | St. Peter's Church, Lewes (Area I) | 2021 |
| Mr. Michael Wood | St. David's Church, Wilmington | 2021 |
| The Rev. Juan V. George | Trinity Parish, Wilmington | 2022 |
| Ms. Anne Alexis Harra, Lay Area V | St. David's Church, Wilmington | 2022 |
| Ms. Christine Lockwood, Lay-at-Large | Church of the Ascension, Claymont | 2022 |
| The Rev. Deacon Christine Miller-Marcin, Clergy Rep | St. Peter's Church, Lewes | 2022 |
| Mr. Mark Owen, Lay-at-Large | St. John the Baptist Church, Milton | 2022 |
| Ms. Carol Roy, Lay Area II | St. Paul's Church, Georgetown | 2022 |
| The Rev. Sarah L. J. Nelson, Clergy Rep | St. James, Newport | 2023 |
| The Rev. Dr. Howell (Howie) Crawford Sasser, Jr., Clergy Rep | St. Thomas's Parish, Newark | 2023 |
| Ms. Michelle Smith, Lay Area IV | Sts. Andrew & Matthew, Wilmington | 2023 |
| Ms. Helen Spence, Lay Area III | St. Thomas's Parish, Newark | 2023 |
| Mr. Eric Valentine, Lay-at-Large | St. John the Baptist, Milton | 2023 |
| Responsibility: | All matters relating to the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church in Delaware | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Church | Term |
| Ms. Anne C. Foster, Esq., Chancellor | Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Wilmington | |
| Ms. Felice Jo Lamden | Immanuel Church, New Castle | 2021 |
| Mr. Tom Crowley, Chair | St. Peter's Church, Lewes | 2022 |
| Ms. Kathryn Jakabcin | Trinity Parish, Wilmington | 2023 |
| Mr. Paul Hurdle, III | All Saints & St. George's Chapel | 2024 |
| The Rev. Russell (Russ) Bohner | St. Anne's Church, Middletown | 2025 |
The General Convention of the Episcopal Church canons regarding the clergy disciplinary process is known as Title IV. These make clergy discipline first and foremost a process of discernment, mediation, and pastoral response. Each diocese is required by canon to create a court of not less than seven persons known as the disciplinary board. The membership of the board must include lay persons and clergy. The Episcopal Church in Delaware, the board presently consists of nine persons elected at the convention for terms of four years. Annually the board elects a president from its members. Also, annually a church attorney and a clerk for the board are appointed by the bishop. The Title IV process allows for resolution through whatever means will move those affected toward justice, restitution, amendment of life, repentance, healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation. This can include a variety of interventions for all involved and, if necessary, the suspension or removal of the cleric from ordained ministry. A step-by-step guide to assist with Title IV processes is available in the Structure and Procedures section of the Title IV website, www.TitleIV.org. Also see Title IV, Canons of the Episcopal Church; Canon 19, Canons of the Diocese of Delaware; and the clergy misconduct webpage https://delaware.church/clergy-misconduct/.
| Responsibility | Oversight of the disciplinary process for clergy misconduct as defined in title IV of Episcopal Church canons | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Church | Term |
| Mr. John Day, Church Attorney | ||
| The Rev. Ruth Lawson Beresford, Intake Officer | Christ Church Christiana Hundred | |
| Mr. Robert (Bob) Irwin, Intake Officer | Immanuel Church, New Castle | |
| Mrs. Donna Ledbetter, Intake Officer | St. Peter's, Lewes | |
| The Rev. Margaret Pumphrey, President | Retired | 2021 |
| Mr. Tim Willard | St. Peter's Church, Lewes | 2021 |
| The Rev. Kim F. Capwell | St.James' Mill Creek, Wilmington | 2022 |
| Mr. Paul Hurdle III | All Saints and St. George's Chapel | 2022 |
| The Rev. Dr. Marta Illueca | Brandywine Collaborative Ministries | 2022 |
| The Rev. Deacon Cecily Sawyer Harmon | St. Thomas's Parish, Newark | 2023 |
| Dr. Edward (Ted) S. Wilson | St. Peter's Church, Lewes | 2023 |
| The Rev. Canon Mark Harris | St. Peter's Church, Lewes | 2024 |
| Ms. Teri Quinn Gray, Deputy | St. Thomas's Parish, Newark | 2024 |
The ecclesiastical authority of the diocese in the absence of a bishop, the Standing Committee is elected by diocesan convention. Half of its members are clerical, half lay. It serves as the bishop’s council of advice. The Standing Committee is requested to give consent for all bishops elected in the Episcopal Church. It recommends persons for ordination. It gives the bishop advice and consent on the purchase, sale, or encumbrance of any property held by a congregation or the diocese. It gives the bishop advice and consent as to any judicial sentence given to a clergy person or concurs in allowing a clergy person to cease functioning as a member of the clergy. It investigates and reports to the bishop on the charge that a deacon or priest has abandoned the Episcopal Church. It also receives the bishop’s resignation. (Refs: Art. VII, Const. & Cns, ECD. Art. IV and Title 1 Cn. 12, Const. & Cns, TEC)
| Responsibility | A council of advice to the bishop; gives consent for persons to become candidates for Holy Orders, for ordinations, for elections of bishops in other dioceses, and before any church can sell or mortgage property. When there is no bishop, becomes the ecclesiastical authority of the diocese. | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Church | Term |
| The Rt. Rev. Kevin S. Brown, Bishop | ||
| The Rev. Canon Martha Gay Kirkpatrick, Canon to the Ordinary | ||
| Ms. Connie Cooper, Recording Secretary | St. Thomas's Parish, Newark | |
| The Rev. Donna Jean Kiessling, Cor. Secretary | St. Peter's Church, Smyrna | 2021 |
| Ms. Catherine Maguire | Calvary Church, Hillcrest | 2021 |
| The Rev. Charles (Chuck) Weiss | Christ Church, Dover | 2022 |
| Mr. Terry Flanagan, President | St. Barnabas', Wilmington | 2022 |
| Mr. Jonathan Barrett | Immanuel Church, New Castle | 2023 |
| The Rev. Dr. Ketlen A. Solak | Brandywine Collaborative Ministries | 2023 |
| The Rev, Bradley (Brad) Hinton, Deputy | St. David's, Wilmington | 2024 |
| Ms. Beth Maurer, Esq. | St. Martha's, Bethany Beach | 2024 |
Trustees is a corporate entity of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the state of Delaware responsible for advancing the religious and educational work of the Episcopal Church by serving as the custodian and trustee of the property and funds of and as the fiscal agent of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the Episcopal Church in Delaware and by providing financial, custodial, trust and investment services and advice for the diocese and all of its institutions, by aiding, supporting and maintaining the bishop and necessitous ministers and missionaries of the diocese and by fulfilling such duties as are authorized and required by the convention of the diocese. The role of the trustees includes: endowment oversight, stewardship for trustee property, hold funds in trust for others, support A&D when needed, and set broad constraints on funds when sent to council. All funds held by the Trustees are invested in Master Fund A and managed by the investment committee with set guidelines. The interest, revenue, from MFA is used to support council and others, cover trustee property and operations, and maintain reserves. Trustees have “unrestricted”, “designated” and “restricted” funds. (Ref: Art. VIII, Const. & Cns, ECD.)
| Responsibility | Custodian and trustee of the property and funds, and fiscal agent of the Episcopal Church in Delaware. Provide financial, custodial, trust, and investment services for the diocese and its institutions | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Church | Term |
| The Rt. Rev. Kevin S. Brown, Bishop | ||
| Ms. Anne C. Foster, Esq., Chancellor | Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Wilmington | |
| Mr. James (Jim) S. Bray, Trustee Emeritus | Trinity Parish & Old Swedes, Wilmington | |
| Mr. Ronald (Ron) W. Truitt, Trustee Emeritus | St. Anne's, Middletown | |
| Canon Judith (Judi) Lane Gregory, Canon for Finance & Administration, Mission Support Team | ||
| Mr. Richard Harra, Treasurer | St. David's Church, Wilmington | 2021 |
| The Rev. Calhoun Wick, Secretary | Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Wilmington | 2022 |
| The Rev. Jeffrey Ross, Vice president | St. Peter's Church, Lewes | 2023 |
| Mr. Bruce Vrana | St. James' Church, Mill Creek | 2024 |
| Ms. Lydia York, Investment Committeee | St. Barnabas', Wilmington | 2025 |
Resources
Episcopal Church in Delaware (ECD) Resource Booklet
Orientation for all Board Members 2021 — via Zoom
Consitution & Canons of the Episcopal Church in Delaware, the Episcopal Church, and Rule of Order for annual convention.