Vestry Nominee: Wesley Duvall

Hello, my name is Wesley Duvall, I am a parishioner here at St. James Episcopal Church. On most Sundays, you can find me helping with the children’s church or drinking a lot of coffee during coffee hour, and of course in the pews. My partner and I spend as much time as we can gardening, taking walks through the woods, enjoying the world, and marveling at all the gifts that God has given us to ponder upon. We have a son that we hope to instill all this love that God has for us so that he may passit down to his own children one day. I am an avid reader of the bible, biblically related history, world history, and science fiction. My family’s journey to St. James began when we were looking for a more rounded education for our son. Once we met the school staff, and after being so welcomed by all the amazing people that attend the Sunday congregation, we felt like St. James was just the right place for us to further our love in Christ. Every Sunday walking into St. James you see the beautiful stained glass, the high arched ceiling, the fine craftsmanship of the carpentry, but none of that compares to quality of the love that God has blessed in the choir and the assembly singers. It makes the experience at St. James very unique while not taking away from the lessons that God is trying to deliver.

I am proud to be part of St. James because of the church’s commitment to all the upcoming generations by proving such a positive place to guide and nurture God's virtues. I would love to see St. James’ inspire in people a deeper connection with the Christ so they may share in all the rewards that God has promised to provide.

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Vestry Nominee: Patrick Heijman

My wife Elizabeth and I have lived in Warrenton for over 20 years. We have been members of St. James for most of that time. Our children Henry (16) and Cate (13) were baptized at the church and attended St James Episcopal School.

I served on the school board for 6 years and Elizabeth and I taught Sunday School when our kids were younger. I am a Certified Financial Planner and Vice President - Investments at Wells Fargo Advisors in Warrenton. In my free time I enjoy traveling and playing golf. Elizabeth and I both grew up in the Episcopal Church and knew that we would want to find a good local church to attend and raise our family. We tried a few different churches and decided that St James was the place for us due to the warm reception we received when we first started attending.

Our greatest experiences with the church have centered around our children. They were both baptized here and attended the SJES and Sunday School for many years.

I am proud to be part of Saint James because it is a church and school rooted in faith, love and grace and we have a wonderful Rector (and Head of School) that have done so many wonderful things in this church and the greater community.

I would love to see Saint James continue to grow both internally and externally. More specifically I would like to see membership and involvement in our church grow. And have our impact on the greater Warrenton and Fauquier communities grow.

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‍Vestry Nominee: Ashley Rose

My husband and I live in Warrenton with our 3 boys, ages 8, 4 and 2. They attend SJES and my husband, Matt, plays guitar in the church band. I have been a Fairfax County Police Officer for the last 17 years and our family also owns a farm brewery right outside of town. I love being an active member of the ECW here at Saint James, and in my free time I enjoy yoga, rowing and sewing for my baby company.

My husband Matt and I began attending Saint James not long after moving to Warrenton in 2016. We were married at the church in 2018 and have loved being a part of the school and church community with our children ever since.

Saint James feels like home to us. From the moment we began attending services, to our conversations with Father Ben, to our wedding, it's always felt like where we belong. Later, as our children began attending, it was obvious to us that the school was also a fit for our family. The pride I feel as I see how welcoming our community is to all people of all types, and how much we have done as a church for those in our area, it has only increased how much Saint James feels like home.

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Vestry Nominee: Suzy Watkins

My proudest accomplishment is my role of Mom to our 3 children, all of whom attended Saint James Episcopal School (back when it was only a preschool!)  In my professional life, I hold two Interior Design degrees and have been helping people create more beautiful and functional spaces for over 30 years.  Last year, I obtained my real estate license to help people find their perfect property whether residential or commercial.  Helping people is at the heart of everything I do.  

I came to be a part of Saint James when my husband, Warren, and I were married here in 1998.  He was already a member of Saint James and it was perfect that we would be married in this beautiful church.  Our three children were baptized here.  

My greatest experience at Saint James was serving on the SJES Board for 7 years.  The School Board went from being an Advisory Board with toddlers playing around our feet at our once yearly meetings, to a reinvigorated and reformatted Board which met monthly.  At the first meeting of the “new” Board I sat at the head of the table, and by default ended up becoming President of the SJES Board!  My years on the SJES nominating committee led to many stellar recruits for that Board, for example, Stacey Irvin, who became our Head of School.  I also take intense pride in my role on the Building Committee and being the Pro bono interior designer for the Saint James Church and School expansion while also being a member of the Vestry at that time.

I am proud to be a member of Saint James because I love the hospitality of our church.  I am thrilled that the church and school have fostered a close relationship and I love it when all the kids come into the sanctuary from Children’s church each week.  The school has brought so many young families into our church and the vitality is contagious.  

I would love to see Saint James continue its outreach to our Community.  The members of Saint James are a remarkably talented group and so many creative outreach efforts have started right here.  From Learning Starts Early and the Gobble, Gobble, Run or Wobble, to our Refugee Ministry and our work with First Baptist, I’d like to encourage the sharing of time, talent and treasure to expand these efforts.

To be appointed to the Vestry class of 2024: George Walker

My wife Lynne and I have been members of Saint James for over twenty years and I am excited to have the opportunity to serve again as a member of the vestry for Saint James.

Saint James has been a part of much of our lives including the spiritual influences on Lynne and I and our three children as they grew and now have families of their own. I look forward to supporting the efforts of the parish and Father Ben to continue to grow and provide a welcoming family friendly atmosphere at St. James.

Our family moved to Warrenton in 1997 and began to attend Saint James shortly thereafter. Lynne and I became involved in various church ministries and our children were involved in the acolyte program and youth group activities. One of the most fulfilling ministries that I was involved with was the Youth Group Mission Trips to South Carolina. Experiencing and observing the spiritual growth in our group from helping strangers who became friends; and forging faith based friendships and connections across hundreds of miles was extremely rewarding.

I am proud to be part of Saint James because of the willingness of the leadership and the parish to support the multiple outreach programs both at home and abroad that make a positive difference in people’s lives. I would love to see Saint James Church and School continue to grow and serve the community and expand it’s outreach as much as possible.

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