The Vestry is the committee of laypeople (meaning people who are not ordained clergy) who provide leadership for the parish. They help articulate the mission of the congregation, ensure effective organization and planning, and manage resources and finances. The senior warden and junior warden serve two-year terms; other vestry members serve three-year terms. They are elected at the annual parish meeting.
This year’s meeting will be held at 11am on Sunday, January 28 in the gym. We’ll share lunch together and then celebrate all that we achieved in 2023, thank outgoing leaders, and elect new leadership including vestry members and wardens. Read on to get to know the candidates in advance of the annual meeting!
Bob Baumann: Junior Warden
Bob Baumann: Junior WardenBob, with his husband Bill Sherfey, joined St. John’s about 22 years ago. They attended one service just to hear Howard Don Small play organ; Jim Johnson welcomed them, and they never returned to St. Mark’s. (Although they’re still fond of St. Mark’s!) Bob has served as usher, a member of the Fellowship Committee, and as Clerk of Vestry for a number of years. He taught students as a classroom teacher in grades 2 through 4, ending his career as a Reading Recovery teacher and literacy specialist. Retirement has been hard on Bob: there must be more to life than walking the River Road, reading murder mysteries and petting the cat! St. John’s has served as a most welcoming and fun community where he and Bill can embrace the mysteries of faith through liturgy, music, and service to others.
Bette Ashcroft: Senior Warden
Bette Ashcroft: Senior WardenBette has served in leadership roles on the Vestry of SJE, St. Stephen’s, Edina, Episcopal Homes, MN, and the Sheltering Arms Foundation. She lives with husband Ernie and dog, Zoe. Bette enjoys reading, stitching, and spending time with family and friends.
David Bressoud
David BressoudDavid is a life-long Episcopalian and retired professor of mathematics from Macalester College. A native of Pennsylvania, he and his wife, Jan, met at the Episcopal Center at the University of Minnesota. They were married at St. Paul’s-on-the-hill where they were members until shortly before its dissolution. They began attending St. John’s in 2017. Now a resident of Marvella in Highland, he enjoys travel, continues to work on improving undergraduate instruction in mathematics, and indulges in long walks along the river.
Beth Bowman
Beth BowmanBeth has been a practicing Episcopalian for 20 years. She holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Art from the College of Visual Arts and a Master’s Degree in Art Education as well as post graduate degrees in Affordable Housing and Human Resources from the University of Minnesota. Professionally, she has worked primarily in leadership and human resources roles in the non-profit, government and higher education sectors. She served as Board president of the University of Minnesota’s Goldstein Museum of Design, the University of Minnesota’s College of Design Alumni Board, and the College of Visual Arts Alumni Association; she has served in a board or committee member capacity with a number of local organizations. A trained visual artist, she has exhibited her work internationally including 6 shows and over 40 group exhibitions. Her son, Miles, lives in Canada and she resides in Saint Paul with her partner and three rescue dogs. Beth enjoys the wonderful community and programming at Saint John’s, compline service, and recently joined the discernment group.
Lynn Hartmann
Lynn HartmannLynn C. Hartmann, MD retired from a 30-year career at Mayo Clinic (Rochester) as an oncologist and cancer researcher. In Rochester, Lynn and her spouse Mary were members of Calvary Episcopal, where Lynn served on the vestry, including terms as junior and senior warden. They moved to St. Paul in 2018 and joined St. John’s shortly thereafter. In the last 18 months, Lynn has been part of a leadership team working to develop a Women’s Group at St. John’s. Birdwatching is one of Lynn’s favorite pursuits, along with reading, hiking and checking out new coffee shops and neighborhoods in S. Paul.
Priya Schulze
Priya SchulzeA native of the Kansas City area, Priya moved to the Twin Cities in 2017 and began attending St. John’s in 2018. She is honored to be nominated as the Vestry Liaison to the Music Commission. She has been active in music ministry for much of her life and is currently a member of the choir and the director of the handbell ensemble. When she is not busy with music activities, she enjoys reading and spending time with her husband, Sean. They have a spoiled cat named Loki and two equally spoiled dogs named Ava and Maya.
Eloise Teisberg
Eloise TeisbergEloise is a lifelong member of St John’s. She’s less likely to chase her friends around the fireside room now, but still loves the joy, humor, service, beauty, and faith of this community. Her two sons keep her on her toes, and are discovering new ways to connect at St John’s. A project coordinator at a global nonprofit, she’s dedicated to creating equity in her professional life and through volunteering. She can often be found walking around the lakes or along the river, and escapes to Madeline Island as often as possible.
