Eastern Shore Episcopalian - Pre-Convention 2020
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General <strong>Convention</strong> Deputation<br />
General <strong>Convention</strong> Deputation Continued<br />
General <strong>Convention</strong> Deputation, Lay -<br />
Tom Shuster<br />
Tom Shuster has been<br />
a member of St. Paul’s<br />
by-the-Sea Episcopal<br />
Church in Ocean City<br />
since 1998. Tom has<br />
been an active member<br />
at St. Paul’s having<br />
previously completed<br />
two terms on the<br />
Vestry and served as<br />
Senior Warden for two years. Tom has<br />
also served the parish as Chairman of the<br />
Finance Committee. He is also a licensed<br />
Eucharistic Minister.<br />
Tom became an active member of the<br />
Demolition and Reconstruction Team<br />
(DART) that oversaw the repairs to<br />
the damaged parts of the church and<br />
construction to replace portions of the<br />
church campus that were lost in the fire<br />
of November 2014. The new building<br />
was completed and dedicated by Bishop<br />
Marray in April 2018.<br />
Tom has been active in the Diocese<br />
of Easton having served on the 150th<br />
Anniversary Committee and as a member<br />
of the Diocesan Search and Nominations<br />
Committee for the 11th Bishop of Easton.<br />
He has also been a Delegate and Alternate<br />
to the Diocesan <strong>Convention</strong>.<br />
He has been a member of the Diocesan<br />
Council since 2017. He was elected a<br />
Deputy to the 79th General <strong>Convention</strong><br />
of the Episcopal Church and attended<br />
the convention in Austin, Texas in July<br />
of 2018. Tom is currently serving on the<br />
Constitution and Canons Task Force.<br />
Tom is retired from employment with<br />
the Town of Ocean City where he served<br />
as Director of Recreation and Parks for<br />
16 years. Tom and his wife Debbie live in<br />
West Ocean City and have two adult sons.<br />
General <strong>Convention</strong> Deputation, Lay -<br />
Eddie Vance<br />
I moved from<br />
Baltimore to Ridgely,<br />
Caroline County,<br />
August, 1989. Peggy<br />
& I were married<br />
at Christ Church,<br />
Denton, December,<br />
1991. Our son, Ely<br />
(“Eli”), was born<br />
at Easton Hospital,<br />
December, 1993. Ely was baptized, raised,<br />
and confirmed at Christ Church.<br />
And next month, I am pleased to say that<br />
I will begin my 12th year at Queen Anne’s<br />
County Library, Centreville, where I work<br />
at the circulation desk.<br />
In 28-1/2 years at Christ Church, I have<br />
served in many capacities, on Vestry, in<br />
the choir, as an EM, a lector, a Eucharistic<br />
Visitor, a Worship Leader, a delegate to<br />
Diocesan <strong>Convention</strong>, with the county<br />
jail ministry, on the annual community<br />
Thanksgiving dinner steering committee,<br />
and as Senior Warden.<br />
My diocesan service has included<br />
Diocesan Council (VP), Commission<br />
on Ministry, Standing Committee,<br />
Department of Mission, Camp Agape,<br />
Search & Nominations Committee for<br />
Bishop XI, Province 3 Synod Rep, General<br />
<strong>Convention</strong> Deputation (Chair), Province<br />
3 Council, Cathedral Chapter, Integrity,<br />
TACL, and Nominating Committee<br />
(Chair).<br />
I have been active on Province 3’s<br />
Nominating Committee (Chair), on P3’s<br />
Executive Committee, and have attended<br />
two, Provincial Leadership Conferences.<br />
At six General <strong>Convention</strong>s, I have served<br />
on the Ecumenical & Interreligious<br />
Relations Legislative Committee. And I<br />
was appointed to served a 6-year term<br />
on TEC’s Standing Commission on<br />
Ecumenical & Interreligious Relations,<br />
‘09-‘15.<br />
inclusion, hospitality, and service, loving<br />
as God loves, mutual accountability for<br />
all, respectful and well-ordered debate,<br />
a la General <strong>Convention</strong>, agreeing to<br />
disagree without being disagreeable, and<br />
quiet confidence in the myriad gifts of<br />
one another, as well as in the gift both<br />
to ourselves and to the world that is the<br />
Episcopal Church, small but mighty, where<br />
Christ is proclaimed by word and deed,<br />
and all are welcome!<br />
General <strong>Convention</strong> Deputation, Lay -<br />
John Phillips<br />
I was born in Salisbury,<br />
MD into the St.<br />
Peter’s family as a<br />
cradle <strong>Episcopalian</strong><br />
where I was baptised,<br />
confirmed, and<br />
married. I am<br />
the father of two<br />
adult sons and a<br />
grandfather to one<br />
large granddog. My formal education was<br />
at the McDonogh School, the University<br />
of Richmond and the Sorbonne in Paris.<br />
Returning to the states after a year and a<br />
half abroad I taught school for two years<br />
in Portsmouth, VA. Then returned to<br />
Salisbury where I had a career for 43 years<br />
in real estate sales. Currently I am semiretired<br />
and manage a few rentals.<br />
Upon returning to St. Peters and<br />
immersing myself in parish life my<br />
faith and christian walk were nurtured,<br />
grew, and continue to grow through the<br />
many roles in which I serve and enjoy<br />
and through my diocesan work. I have<br />
headed the youth groups, been involved<br />
with our former boy scout troop, taught<br />
confirmation classes, ushered, served on<br />
the vestry and was the registrar. I am a<br />
devoted member of our choir, a licensed<br />
eucharistic minister, lay reader, and<br />
eucharistic visitor. I’ve started a small<br />
interdenominational bible study group<br />
and serve on the Green Hill Church<br />
preservation\restoration committee. I am<br />
currently a delegate to the convention<br />
from my parish (having served in that<br />
capacity and as an alternate variety of<br />
times). I have been on the diocesan council<br />
previously both as a southern convocation<br />
and at-large representative.<br />
Serving this diocese has been a privilege,<br />
a tremendous learning experience, and a<br />
faith builder. The Bishop has challenged<br />
us to be a prayer-centered church and a<br />
mission shaped diocese. This work has<br />
begun and is exciting though daunting<br />
in some ways. However, through faith,<br />
a commitment to prayer, worship, and<br />
outreach, we can grow and strengthen our<br />
diocese, but we must do it together. As<br />
children of God and with the Holy Spirit<br />
guiding us we will be sharing Christ’s<br />
gospel and following in Jesus’ footsteps<br />
though let us realize it will take time and<br />
consistency.<br />
General <strong>Convention</strong> Deputation, Lay -<br />
Charlotte “Peaches” Meyer<br />
I envision a Church<br />
that empowers and<br />
supports its clergy<br />
and members to see<br />
themselves as integral<br />
to the success of the<br />
Jesus Movement. We<br />
are all, collectively, the<br />
solution to healing a<br />
hurting world, caring<br />
for God’s Creation, strengthening all<br />
levels of Church formation, and attracting<br />
and stewarding all people who seek a<br />
loving and safe place to begin anew in an<br />
affirming environment.<br />
Born, raised, and christened in Trappe,<br />
I am a confirmed member of St. Paul’s<br />
Church, White Marsh Parish. As I<br />
deepened my relationship with the Church<br />
in the last 10 years, I’ve served as St. Paul’s<br />
Senior Warden, Treasurer, and Registrar. I<br />
also enjoy serving as Eucharistic Minister,<br />
Reader and Usher. At the Diocesan level,<br />
I am the Chair for the Diocesan Fund for<br />
Church Initiatives (middle convocation<br />
representative since 2012). I serve as your<br />
United Thank Offering Co-Coordinator<br />
with Mary Helen Atwood (also since<br />
2012). I’ve been privileged to serve as<br />
your ECW Representative at Province III<br />
Synod gatherings, ECW Annual Meetings<br />
and enjoyed attending the last three<br />
Triennials at General <strong>Convention</strong>. And,<br />
if elected, I’m looking forward to serving<br />
as a Chapter Member at Large for Trinity<br />
Cathedral.<br />
My background includes more than 34<br />
years as a fund raising professional for<br />
Ocean Conservancy, a national nonprofit<br />
in Washington, DC that is dedicated<br />
to protecting our ocean for future<br />
generations. What makes that career<br />
meaningful to me is connecting people<br />
to what they love and empowering them<br />
to do more than they ever imagined<br />
they could. I believe the pathway for<br />
fostering those connections is grounded in<br />
authenticity, gratitude, and a willingness to<br />
listen and learn.<br />
I am fascinated by and drawn to the<br />
organizational structure and governance<br />
of our National Episcopal Church and<br />
have yearned for an opportunity to<br />
participate in General <strong>Convention</strong>.<br />
Listening to, watching, and learning<br />
from the experiences and commitment<br />
of previous Clergy Representatives and<br />
Lay Deputies is moving and exciting. My<br />
desire to participate in this governmental<br />
process where important bodies of work<br />
shape our church formation and spiritual<br />
life has only deepened with time. If<br />
elected as one of your General <strong>Convention</strong><br />
Deputies, I will fully engage in all aspects<br />
of the General <strong>Convention</strong>, look for ways<br />
to bring our Diocesan successes to others<br />
as roadmaps for positive change, listen for<br />
opportunities to bring home the gifts of<br />
new ideas and solutions to the challenges<br />
we face here at home. Thank you for your<br />
consideration!<br />
General <strong>Convention</strong> Deputation, Lay -<br />
Mary Grace “MG” Brosius<br />
I’ve been a member of<br />
Emmanuel Church,<br />
Chester Parish for<br />
over a year, where I<br />
sing in the choir. I’m a<br />
member of the Chester<br />
River Chorale, and<br />
two of its sub-groups,<br />
which keeps me very<br />
busy, so I’ve not yet<br />
taken on any further responsibilities at<br />
Emmanuel. I moved from Baltimore to<br />
the <strong>Shore</strong>, when I reconnected with – and<br />
married – my first “boyfriend,” Jack in late<br />
2007. We have two dogs – and a dozen<br />
kayaks of various types, some of which I<br />
paddle when the weather’s nice. Jack, a<br />
member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic team,<br />
now finds himself coaching 3 Special<br />
Olympics sports: power lifting, swimming<br />
and, you guessed it, kayaking!<br />
I transferred to Emmanuel from St. Paul,<br />
Kent, which was my parish for the first 10<br />
years following my move to Chestertown.<br />
While at St. Paul’s, I sang in the choir and<br />
served as Eucharistic Minister, Reader,<br />
Acolyte(!), Vestry member, Junior Warden<br />
– and Delegate to Diocesan <strong>Convention</strong><br />
four times.<br />
Before my “big move” across the Bay, I was<br />
a member for 25+ years at the Church of<br />
the Messiah, Baltimore, where I served on<br />
Vestry a total of 12 years, and as Delegate<br />
to Diocesan <strong>Convention</strong> – as well as the<br />
liturgical assistant positions listed above.<br />
I have served on six Diocese of Maryland<br />
Cursillo weekend teams (and a 7th<br />
while living here, in 2010), as well as on<br />
Secretariat.<br />
Most people here know me as a recentlyretired<br />
Dental Assistant (which position<br />
was a God-sent 10-year opportunity to<br />
learn totally new skills!). I still see myself,<br />
however, as the Parish Administrator<br />
who, for 20 years, supported and worked<br />
with the Dean of the Cathedral of the<br />
Incarnation as it grew from near-mission<br />
status to a thriving parish. The Cathedral<br />
was dedicated to spreading the Word<br />
of God through hands-on outreach –<br />
including welcoming and incorporating<br />
immigrants into the life and leadership<br />
of the community, rehabbing dilapidated<br />
houses through Sandtown Habitat for<br />
Humanity (West Baltimore), and creating<br />
The Children’s Peace Center (where at-risk<br />
city youth learned nonviolent ways to deal<br />
with frustration and anger).<br />
My vision for the church? I’m not sure<br />
I have one. I see more a vision OF the<br />
church – multicultural, multigenerational,<br />
multilingual, all-inclusive. Each person<br />
[he/she/they] is an integral part of the<br />
awesome diversity of The Episcopal<br />
Church. The more formal music which<br />
I’ve loved for so many years exists side-byside<br />
with Hispanic, African, and Native<br />
American chants and harmonies, as well as<br />
theologically-sound praise music. There<br />
are children who feel safe and comfortable<br />
“My vision for our church is to build up<br />
modern day apostles that live into our<br />
Christian faith here on Maryland’s <strong>Eastern</strong><br />
<strong>Shore</strong>. I see that we are called to love and I ask humbly to serve on Easton’s<br />
serve our neighbor with an open hand and Deputation to General <strong>Convention</strong> ‘21, in<br />
caring heart, remembering always that we Baltimore, and also to offer cheerfully my<br />
are all God’s children. I pray that we may experience as a servant leader and as an<br />
fulfill that vision by each of us accepting enthusiastic and willing team player.<br />
our mission call and embracing God’s<br />
and wanted.<br />
My vision for the church involves radical<br />
grace in every minute of every day of our<br />
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and unqualified invitation, welcome,<br />
14 lives.”<br />
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15