Role of the Trustees |
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Grace Episcopal Church has three Trustees who hold legal title to the property of the church in trust for the Diocese of Virginia. These Trustees are appointed by the Vestry and must be approved by the Virginia Circuit Court to serve in this capacity. This practice has its roots in the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, written by Thomas Jefferson and supported by James Madison, which was passed by the Virginia Assembly in 1786. The governing law is now contained in the Virginia Code, Title 57, Article 2, "Property Held for Religious Purposes," adopted in 1950. Its substance is also embodied in Canon 15 of the Diocese of Virginia: “Church Property”. Under the law, Episcopal churches are unincorporated associations, incapable of holding title to real property. The limited role of the Trustees is to hold title to the property of the church on behalf of the Vestry, but they have no role in its management or use. The Trustees must also execute all documents necessary in connection with the purchase, sale, or encumbrance of church property.
Over the years, the Trustees of Grace Church have periodically received funds from gifts or bequests of members of the church and the community at large to be used in their discretion for the confidential charitable benefit of church or community members suffering unusual hardships. The church maintains a Trustees Fund to hold these funds until they are put to use for these purposes.
The Trustees are Barclay Rives, Corky Shackelford, and Reg Woods.
Over the years, the Trustees of Grace Church have periodically received funds from gifts or bequests of members of the church and the community at large to be used in their discretion for the confidential charitable benefit of church or community members suffering unusual hardships. The church maintains a Trustees Fund to hold these funds until they are put to use for these purposes.
The Trustees are Barclay Rives, Corky Shackelford, and Reg Woods.