The Leadership of the Laity

The ministry of the laity in the Episcopal Church is essential to the success of its mission. Wardens and Vestry members are chosen from among the people to serve in leadership roles for three year terms and to oversee the practical and fiscal needs of the parish.

Saint Bernard’s Church is blessed to count among its lay leaders an extremely talented group of individuals who have undertaken to serve the parish in this time of transition and rebuilding. We are proud to introduce them to you and hope you will feel free both to call upon them with concerns and to support them in their service to Our Lord and to his Church.

Wardens

Mr. Stephen K. Galpin, Jr.

Steve Galpin has been a parishioner of Saint Bernard's Church since 1998. He is Vice President, Financial & Strategic Communications, Global Communications of Schering-Plough Corporation in Kenilworth, New Jersey.

Steve has served as Senior Warden of Saint Bernard’s Church since 2005. He currently serves on the Finance Committee, Profile Committee, Rebuild Committee, and has been a leader in the Campaign for Saint Bernard's. He previously served on Vestry as chairperson of the Buildings & Grounds Committee. He was instrumental in the design and development of this web site.

Steve was born in Washington, D.C. and graduated from Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, Illinois (B.A. English, 1974). His hobbies and interests include photography, visual arts, antiquing, and home repairs.

Steve and his wife Libby and their children, along with one dog and two cats, live in Bernardsville.

When asked about his favorite things, Steve recalled art works he enjoyed decades ago in college and others more recently, including American impressionist paintings, photography by Irving Penn and other portraitists, James Joyce's Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, operas by Puccini, and other expressions that we struggle to find time for outside of work.

Ms. June E. Ellien

June Ellien has been a parishioner of Saint Bernard's Church since 1991. She is a Vice President and Financial Advisor in the Global Private Client Group at Merrill Lynch.

June became a Warden in January 2007 and for the Vestry is a member of the Rebuild Committee, Finance Committee, and Stewardship Committee. She previously served on the Vestry as Treasurer, a member of the Buildings & Grounds Committee, as Co-Chair of the Christmas Fair and Chair of the Silent Auction. She is a Chalicist and has worked on the New Comers Socials.

June is a native of Staten Island, New York. She attended New York University and is a graduate of The Parsons School of Design. She holds numerous licenses in the Securities and Commodities industries. She and her husband, Michael J. Cunniff, live in Mendham, New Jersey.

Her hobbies and interests include supporting the Fine Arts and she is an avid gardener. She enjoys hiking. One of her favorite activities is international travel, and she loves history and the arts. A favorite film of hers: Cinema Paradiso by Giuseppe Tornatore. A favorite book: Andrea De Robilant's A Venetian Affair, based on the letters of a founding Venetian family in the 1700s.

TREASURER

Mr. Alexander M. McWilliams

Sandy McWilliams has been a parishioner of Saint Bernard's Church since 1997. He is President of McWilliams Forge Company, Rockaway, New Jersey, a producer of jet engine discs and critical structural components.

He became Treasurer of Saint Bernard’s in January 2007. He chairs the Finance Committee and has taken the lead in organizing The Campaign for Saint Bernard’s. He has also served as a Warden, and in the areas of Stewardship, Building Use, and on Vestry. His wife Cindy has been active on the Fundraiser Decorating Committee, and together they teach in the Church School and volunteer for Coffee Hour.

Sandy is a graduate of Dartmouth College (B.A. History, 1970). He was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, and grew up in Westfield.

Sandy and his wife Cindy, along with their sons Thomas and James, live in Basking Ridge. Sandy has sons Alex (28) and daughter-in-law Kim, and Andrew (26). Sandy writes: "We love to get together and ski as a family, sometimes in Vermont and each year out west. In summer, we congregate, either in the Outer Banks, North Carolina, in Barnegat Light, New Jersey, or on the back deck."

Vestry

Dr. William Burke (INFO & PHOTO SOON)

Mr. Patrick J. Cody  (PHOTO SOON)

Pat Cody has been a parishioner of Saint Bernard's Church since 2003. He is a partner in CM Engineers, LLC, an engineering consulting firm in Morristown, New Jersey.

Pat has been a member of the Vestry since 2006. He is primarily engaged in our work of rebuilding the church, where his advice and experience have been invaluable.

Pat is a native of Pennsylvania, but has been a life-long rsident of New Jersey. He holds a degree from Rutgers University (B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1991). He lives in Bernardsville.

Pat and his wife Alice have two boys.

Hobbies and interests include golf, time at the beach, and coaching. Pat coaches at multiple levels for Somerset Hills Little League Baseball and also coaches basketball for the Bernardsville Recreation program.

Mrs. Anne Fritts (PHOTO SOON)

Anne has been a parishioner of Saint Bernard’s Church for over 30 years. All her children attended Church School and were confirmed at Saint Bernard’s. She become a member of the current Vestry in 2007.

Over the years, Anne has served on the Vestry previously, volunteered at the soup kitchen, offered many Coffee Hours on Sunday morning, has been a member of the Flower Guild, and was an active helper with the Annual Christmas Fair, for which she started the Antiques Booth.

Anne and Jack Fritts live in New Vernon, NJ. Anne is the Owner and Director of Camp Arcadia, a girls’ summer camp in Maine. Needless to say, the summer is spent there.

Ms. Lorraine Hunt Kopacz (INFO & PHOTO SOON)

Mr. Geoffrey S. Keith (PHOTO SOON)

Geoff Keith has been a parishioner of Saint Bernard’s Church since 2003, when he and his family moved to Mendham from Chatham. He is a Money Manager and is the Founder and a Managing Member of Parabolic Partners Capital Management, LLC, in Summit, NJ. He became a member of the Vestry in 2007.

Geoff and his wife Lisa teach in the Church School and Geoff serves a Reader in our worship services.

Born in New York City, Geoff holds degrees from Stanford University (B.S. Mathematics, 1986, M.S. Engineering-Economic Systems, 1987), as well as a CFA Charter (1999).

He is a regular golf and tennis player, and enjoys reading, especially fantasy literature. He likes listening to music (rock and jazz). He volunteers as an assistant coach for his kids’ sports teams.

Geoff and Lisa, along with their children Hayley and Spencer, live in Mendham.

Mrs. Melinda Moody Kirby (PHOTO SOON)

Mindy Kirby has been a parishioner of Saint Bernard’s Church since 1999. She is a financial analyst and has served for some time as the Treasurer of the Saint Bernard’s Community Fund. She became a member of the Vestry in 2007.

Mindy is graduate of Smith College (B.A. Geology, 1973) and Rutgers Business School (M.B.A. Finance, 1987). She is a native of Omaha, Nebraska, and currently lives in Basking Ridge, NJ.

Mindy’s husband Ned is Professor of Biology at Rutgers University, Newark, and they have a son Charlie, now in his twenties, who was christened at Saint Bernard’s.

Among her hobbies and interests, Mindy includes golf, skiing, and book group. A favorite book is Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities and a favorite film is The Big Chill. Best quote, from her mother: “You have to take the tarts when they’re passed.”

Ms. Valerie McEntee

Valerie McEntee has been a parishioner of Saint Bernard's Church since 1976. She has served as a teacher and administrator for 25 years in the Far Brook School, an independent, coeducational day school in Short Hills, New Jersey.

Valerie chairs the Rebuild Committee and became a member of the Vestry in 2006. She previously served for many years on the Vestry and is a former Warden. She is also a Sacristan and a member of the Pastoral Care Committee, the Outreach Committee, and the Flower Guild. She has sung in the Saint Bernard's Choir for many years.

Valerie was born in Brooklyn, New York. She holds degrees from Mount Holyoke College (B.A. Experimental Psychology, 1974) and Columbia University Teacher's College (M.A. Special Education, Learning Disabilities, 1975). She is a Reading Specialist and has pursued training in teaching technologies.

Hobbies and interests include swimming, reading, and travel. Some of her favorites include: a recent read The Thirteenth Tale (although she has read too many books to count). She also enjoys the New York City Ballet.

Dr. Robert W. Pollock

Bob Pollock has been a parishioner of Saint Bernard's Church since March 1998. He is a professor at Raritan Valley Community College.

Bob joined the Vestry in 2006. He became a member of the Saint Bernard's Choir in 2005. He also serves as a Chalicist at the 10 a.m. services.

He holds degrees from the University of Tennessee (B.A. Natural Science & Physics), Indiana University (M.S. Science & Secondary Education), and Nova Southeastern University (Ed. D. Educational Administration & Leadership). He has pursued post doctoral studies as a Dodge Foundation Fellow at Harvard University's Principal's Center.

Bob is a native of Newark, New Jersey, and resides in Martinsville. He has two children, Robert and Kimberly.

For a few of his favorite things, he says, "books (does TV Guide count?), theater, movies, and, of course, music (from country to opera... no heavy metal, please)."

Mr. David Shepperly (INFO & PHOTO SOON)

Mrs. Suzann Smith

Sue Smith has been a parishioner of Saint Bernard's Church since 1999. She works for Computer Sciences Corporation and is rejoicing on the eve of her retirement.

Sue has been a Vestry member for three years and chairs the Outreach Committee. She also serves as Directress of the Sacristans Guild and as a Chalicist. Annually she chairs the Nominating Committee. She is a member of the Flower Guild and the currently working Parish Profile Committee. She and her husband John Smith were two of our delegates to the New Jersey Diocesan Convention in March 2006.

Sue is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. She holds a degree from Douglass College, Rutgers University (B.A. English) and has pursued extensive training in the computer sciences, business processing, and project management. She lives in Basking Ridge.

Sue and her husband John have twin daughters, Sharon and Diane, and sons-in-law, Brian and Peter.

Sue's hobbies and interests include reading, quilting, knitting, hiking, and gardening. She also hopes to concentrate on issues of Adult Literacy upon retirement. A few of her favorite things are travel, Jane Austen books (all of them), dinners with friends, chats in the afternoon over tea, and shopping with her daughters.

Mr. Daniel E. Somers, Esq.

Dan Somers has been a parishioner of Saint Bernard's Church since 1983. He is an attorney-at-law in the firm of Somers & Malay.

He has been a member of the Vestry since 2005 and is a member of the Finance Committee. He served formerly as a Warden and as a delegate to the Diocesan Convention of New Jersey. As a Vestry member, he is currently engaged in the early stages of a development plan for Saint Bernard's Cemetery.

Dan is a native of Boston, Massachusetts. He holds degrees from Middlebury College (A.B. History, 1974), Pennsylvania State University School of Business Administration (M.B.A., 1976), and the University of Miami School of Law (J.D., 1983). He lives in Green Village, New Jersey.

Dan and his wife Julia have four children, Fiona, Emma, Nicholas, and Camilla. Julia and Camilla sing in the Saint Bernard's Choir.

His hobbies and interests include field sports, fox hunting and bassett hunting, horses and horsemanship. Or as he puts it most succinctly: home, hearth, horses and hounds.

Mr. Peter Tober, Esq. (INFO & PHOTO SOON)

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A Special Thank You to former Vestry member Mr. Steven Sbaraglio, who has served as Project Manager of Rebuild Saint Bernard's in its final phase. Thank you, Steve, for a masterful job well done.

How the Parish Works

THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING & ANNUAL NOMINATIONS

The clergy and lay leadership of Saint Bernard’s Church report to the people of the parish each January in an annual Parish Meeting, in which important items of business are also transacted. This meeting is convened in accordance with the Canons of the Episcopal Church, the Canons of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey, the Parish By-Laws, and New Jersey State Law.

Members of the Vestry are elected in the Parish Meeting to fill three year terms and vacancies. Wardens are elected, as well as delegates and alternates to the annual Diocesan Convention (usually in March) and the Watchung Convocation.

Written copies of the Annual Report to the Parish for the previous year are made available. An Annual Operating Budget for the new year is presented and complete disclosure is made of church and cemetery finances.

The Parish Meeting of Saint Bernard’s Church is mandated for the last Sunday of January each year and is convened in the Great Hall of the Parish House immediately following the 10 a.m. service of Holy Eucharist (about 11:30 a.m.).

NOMINATING COMMITTEE

In the fall of the year before the Annual Meeting the Wardens and Vestry appoint a Nominating Committee to garner the names of prospective candidates who might be willing to hold office in the lay governance of Saint Bernard’s Church. These individuals are approached about serving and with their consent have their names placed on a ballot to be voted on at the Parish Meeting in late January.

Description of the Work of Members of the Vestry

The Vestry is the decision making body of the parish with special responsibility for its “temporalities” (an old English term for the “material” side of the ministry, in contrast to the “spiritual”, which is the domain of the clergy and program staff). The temporal includes the care and use of the physical plant, the collection, management, and disbursement of finances, and the hiring of clergy.

The work of the Vestry is governed by the Parish By-Laws, the Canons of the Diocese, and the National Canons, as well as the Laws of the State of New Jersey.

Members of the Vestry serve three year terms and the group meets monthly (third Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.) to address an agenda. The parish priest presides at meetings and the Wardens are the lay leaders of the Vestry. Vestry members are expected to be adult members of the parish “in good standing”, i.e., active and involved, pledging and supporting.

The focus of our Vestry from 2006 to 2008 will include rebuild, financial recovery, growth and development initiatives, vision and mission, parish profile and new rector search.

For further details, please see Christopher L. Webber, The Vestry Handbook, rev. edn. (Harrisburg: Morehouse, 2000). Copies are available in Fr. Cerrato’s office.

Description of the Work of Delegates to Diocesan Convention

The Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey holds an annual convention each winter (March or thereabouts) to do the work of the diocese. The plenary sessions are chaired by our diocesan Bishop The Right Reverend George E. Councell.

Election of officers and other business, including adoption of an annual budget, are the main events. Educational sessions are offered (seminars, presentations, lectures by well-known authors), as well as opportunity for fellowship (Friday night banquet and entertainment).

Convention is an event often used for networking and gathering new ideas. The keynote speaker and convention Eucharist make for rather impressive gatherings.

Convention Lay Delegates from the parish (3, with 3 alternates/substitutes), elected at the Annual Meeting in January, can commute to convention each day, or book overnight lodging (depending on distance, etc.). Expenses are paid by the parish. Mailings are sent to delegates in advance, so basic study and preparation can be made.

Pre-Convention Hearings are available for those who can attend. A follow-up report to the parish is desirable (in the parish newsletter), especially of significant and relevant decisions. This is a one time, once a year, commitment.

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For more information about the nominating process, please speak with Vestry member Sue Smith, whose contact information is available through the Parish Office (908-766-0602, extension 5, or E-mail saintbernards@verizon.net).