Bill Fisher

Each of the Vestry members were asked to reflect on the following questions:

 

WHY DO YOU FEEL CALLED TO SERVE ON THE VESTRY OF ST. MARK’S?

To be technical (lawyer that I am…), I am answering the call of the Vestry Discernment Committee to stand for Vestry. And having served on that committee in prior years, I trust the process by which they identify slates of candidates. The reason I answered their call is that I am moved to deepen my service to St. Mark’s, especially at a time of great disruption/opportunity.

 

PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR PARTICIPATION AT ST. MARK’S AND/OR IN THE COMMUNITY, INDICATING EXPERIENCES THAT YOU THINK WILL BE HELPFUL FOR THE VESTRY.

My participation in St. Mark’s deepened significantly after attending the Duncan Park retreat led by The Rev. Dr. John Lewis and The Rev. Matt Wise. Shortly afterwards I joined the Finance Committee and am just wrapping up a full term. Also, I served on the first two iterations of the Vestry Discernment Committee. My wife Mariana and I have been engaged with the Mind the Gap group and we have also experienced the youth programs vicariously through the experience of our children, Christina and Maxwell. These activities have brought me in contact with various sectors of the St. Mark’s congregation, clergy, and staff and familiarized me with many of our current programs, in addition to our decision-making processes and style. The community activity of most relevance to Vestry service is my longtime association with the San Antonio Public Library Foundation, for which I currently serve as board chair. That Foundation’s practice of needs assessment, goal setting, and consensus building will translate well to Vestry service.

 

ST. MARK’S CORE VOCATION IS FEEDING SAN ANTONIO WITH THE BREAD OF LIFE: FEEDING THE HUNGRY WITH REAL FOOD; FEEDING THOSE WHO ARE HUNGRY FOR KNOWLEDGE AND MEANING; FEEDING THOSE WHO ARE HUNGRY FOR BEAUTY AND CREATIVITY. HOW DO YOU ENVISION THE VESTRY WORKING IN SUPPORT OF THIS VOCATION?

I see the Vestry’s role as listening closely to the rest of the congregation and working with the clergy to explore how to continue to serve our Core Vocation in greatly changed circumstances. I feel that the various hungers that we seek to satisfy have all intensified during the pandemic and that we will require new and creative ways to continue feeding them.

 

WHEN DID YOU JOIN ST. MARK’S AND WHAT CONTINUES TO DRAW YOU TO THIS COMMUNITY?

I was baptized at St. Mark’s almost five decades ago. But I joined the community by choice upon my return to San Antonio as an adult. What initially drew me to St. Mark’s then was that my parents, Lewis and Mary, belonged. But the draw intensified after I got to know other members of the community, and especially after marrying and starting a family. Mariana and I have found the various avenues of youth engagement, especially through the music program and youth group, of great importance to our family. And it has been a joyful experience to belong to and interact with community that is so diverse, thoughtful, and caring, not to mention fun to be around!