Leadership

Buck Mountain is led by a priest‑in‑charge and an elected vestry of lay members of the congregation. Together, they share the responsibility of guiding the parish’s spiritual life, stewardship, and mission. The church follows the guidance in the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church and of the Diocese of Virginia, and the parish by-laws.

The priest‑in‑charge serves as Buck Mountain’s pastor and spiritual leader—preaching, celebrating the sacraments, offering pastoral care, and helping the congregation discern how God is calling us to grow. The priest also works closely with parish leaders to support ministries and nurture the life of the church.

The vestry is a group of parishioners elected to represent the congregation. They oversee the church’s finances, property, and long‑term planning, and they help ensure that Buck Mountain’s ministries remain strong, sustainable, and faithful to our mission. Each vestry member is elected for a three-year term by all parishioners who are in good standing and at least 16 years of age as of the church’s annual meeting in January.

The parish officers are the Senior Warden, Junior Warden, Treasurer, and Registrar (clerk). The officers are elected annually for one-year terms by the vestry. The vestry is chaired by the Priest-in-Charge. In the absence of a priest, the Senior Warden chairs the meetings.

Interim Priest-in-Charge

The Rev. Mary L. Staley began as Interim Priest in Charge at Buck Mountain Episcopal Church on December 7, 2025, after concluding a nine month interim position at Trinity, Fredericksburg, the end of October 2025. She also served as Interim at Christ Episcopal Church, Kent, Ohio, August 2022 until January 2025, when she moved back to Virginia.

From 2010 to 2022 she was the Priest in Charge at St. Paul’s, located on an island known as Put-in-Bay, OH, in the middle of Lake Erie. In addition to serving parishes in Ohio, she served as a parish search consultant for four Ohio parishes. She has attended the Interim Ministry Network (IMN) training. The preparation for Interims and Search Consultants is similar, bringing Buck Mountain Episcopal Church a lot of experience. She served several parishes in Northern Virginia and Charlottesville before being called to serve in Ohio.

She sees herself as a collaborative leader, called to offer liturgy from the full range of liturgy developed by the Episcopal Church. She sees the position of interim as a time to help the congregation prepare to welcome their next priest.

She has a Master of Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary and another in Management from Webster University. Prior to seminary, she spent 22 years in Air Force Satellite Systems, starting before the first GPS was launched. Everywhere the Air Force sent her she connected with the nearby Episcopal church, experiencing the depth and breadth of the Episcopal Church. She used her undergraduate degree in nonprofit leadership to serve as a Girl Scout executive and directing a summer camp in her home state, Iowa. She was involved in many aspects of parish life before entering seminary, including serving as Stephen Ministry leader, youth leader, search committee member, vestry member, and parish mission activities in Central America.

Abby and Sadie, her two very spoiled miniature schnauzers, live with her in Locust Grove, Virginia. She enjoys reading, the outdoors, riding roller coasters, and traveling. Since 2006, she has only missed one Episcopal General Convention, where she serves as a page in the House of Bishops. She’s been in a hot-air balloon over three continents. In a balloon, the fire is like the Holy Spirit, lifting you up and carrying you on the journey. One of her favorite bible verses is Micah 6:6-8.

Vestry

The vestry meets at 6 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month. Each meeting contains presentations about and discussion of various areas of parish life, and is attended by staff and clergy. Visitors are welcome to attend vestry meetings.

You’re welcome to reach out to any member of the vestry to ask questions or offer feedback.

Parish Officers

Senior Warden

Rob Michel

Junior Warden

Cliff Smith

Registrar

Anne Heldreth

Treasurer

Doug Smith

Coordinator of Music Ministries

Trustees

In the Diocese of Virginia, trustees serve an important but very focused role. Because Virginia law doesn’t allow churches to hold property in their own name, trustees act as the legal titleholders for all parish real estate. Their work is almost entirely behind the scenes, but essential to the life of the church.

What trustees do:

• Hold legal title to church property on behalf of the congregation.
• Sign legal documents—such as deeds, mortgages, or easements—only when the vestry has authorized the action and, when required, the Bishop or Standing Committee has given consent.
• Ensure compliance with Virginia law and diocesan canons whenever property is bought, sold, or encumbered.

What trustees do not do:

• They do not govern the parish or make decisions about ministry, finances, or parish life.
• They act solely in response to vestry direction, serving as the legal mechanism that allows the parish to carry out decisions involving property.

A simple way to understand their role: The vestry discerns and decides; the trustees carry out the legal paperwork that makes those decisions possible.

The trustees of Buck Mountain Episcopal Church are:

• Ruth Gibson
• Douglas Simon
• Douglas B. Smith