Vestry - Church of the Good Shepherd

Our Elected Leaders

Meet the Vestry

Our Vestry come from all walks of life. Some are new to Norfolk, and some have lived here their whole lives. Our elected leadership look forward to welcoming you.

Meet the Candidates

Vestry Candidates

With election for new Vestry candidates coming up, we wanted you to have an opportunity to meet the new candidates.

• MEET OUR VESTRY CANDIDATES •

Rector’s Warden

Pat Tayloe

My husband and I grew up attending churches of other Protestant denominations but started attending Good Shepherd in the 1960’s and grew to love our Episcopal Church. Our three boys also enjoyed being acolytes.

I have loved being involved with the Outreach Committee, and going on outings with the mission children. I do feel strongly that we need to not only take care of our own members, but also reach out to the larger community.

Good Shepherd has also offered me educational opportunities, including Lenten studies and the EFM course, that I’ve found challenging and informative.

The Good Shepherd family has been there to support us through rough times, as well as to provide us lots of joy through music, art, and friendships.

I am looking forward to a bright future for Good Shepherd and it is a privilege to help in any way that I can.

Vestry Member

Ryan Dunigan

Hello, my name is Ryan Dunigan. I was born and raised in a small town in Southern Indiana, where I attended a small country church that my Grandfather helped to re-open in the late 1950’s. We had 14 pews, a potluck every Sunday, and an open-mic/bring-your-own-instrument worship service on Sunday evenings. The whole church would be lined with guitars, mandolins, and banjos for an evening full of traditional southern gospel music. I left home to attend Indiana Wesleyan University and received my degree in Communication with an emphasis in Broadcast Journalism. I arrived here in Norfolk after enlisting in the Navy following a short 2-year stint as a Photojournalist in South Bend, IN.

In 2013 I met Hillary Metzger and started attending Good Shepherd. We were married in 2015, and we welcomed our spunky little Olivia into the world in 2016. After years of attending Good Shepherd, I finally went through Confirmation in 2019 and joined the Vestry in 2020.

I’ve attended many churches throughout my life with many different denominations. Good Shepherd was the first one that felt like home since leaving my little country church in my hometown. I have dedicated the last year to figuring out the best ways to get Sunday Morning services into your homes. Much like my Grandfather pulling the vines from the doors of a small church building nearly 60 years ago, I take great pride and find immense joy in being able to provide our Church Family with Sunday Services in a time when being together is not an option.

Vestry Member

Eliza Berkley

I am a long-standing member of the Church of Good Shepherd. I grew up in this church. I was baptized, served as an acolyte, and was confirmed at Good Shepherd. My children Mackie (5) and Claud (3) were also baptized here and enjoy coming to Church each Sunday. I have found that Good Shepherd provides me with a sense of wellness as it allows me to connect with friends and grow spiritually. The ability to help others through its ministry also brings me peace. I would love to see Good Shepherd grow but also to see it reconnect and re-engage with current and past members. This could indeed have a positive and lasting impact on our community both near and far.

Outreach Liaison

Walker W. Shivar

My wife Donna and I have been members of The Church of the Good Shepherd since 1983. Our daughters Kaitlyn and MacKenzie were brought up in this church: baptized, confirmed, and served as acolytes.

Without question, Good Shepherd has been a most important part of our extended family.

This is my 4th time on the vestry having previously served as Junior Warden and Senior Warden.

To say that the COVID pandemic of 2020 has been a most challenging time for the entire world would be a significant understatement. Closer to home it has dramatically impacted every aspect our church life here at Good Shepherd. I am honored to be a part of the leadership of this church working with other very committed members of the vestry; all are dedicated to the success of the Good Shepherd community.

We are hopeful that we will soon be able transition from pandemic mode into a more normal way of life. At the vestry level we are very excited and optimistic about the future of our church and having all of our parishioners engaged and instrumental in making 2021 and beyond the best time ever in the life of The Church of the Good Shepherd.

My educational-professional background includes:

Pennsylvania State University 1973
Medical College of Virginia, DDS 1978
Eastman Dental Center (Rochester, NY) Orthodontics 1981
Numerous Dental and Orthodontic organizations
Retired from the private practice of Orthodontics 2020

My civic-social activities include:

Lynnhaven Kiwanis Club: founding member, President
Lochhaven Civic League: board member, President
Lakewood Civic League: board member, President

Vestry Member

Beth Parker

I was raised in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Charlottesville. My father and grandmother raised me and my three siblings; together, they somehow managed to get all four of us through our first communion and confirmed in the Catholic Church. My father favored the modern Catholic Church where most of the University faculty and students went, and we kids liked going to the Folk Mass where guitars and tambourines accompanied the priest throughout the service. It wasn’t until my husband Jeff and I got married in 1996 that we both decided to switch from our respective denominations to the Episcopal Church. From the very first time I stepped into Good Shepherd I felt at home. Everything about it reminded me of St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlottesville. This familiarity and the warm sense of community made it easy for us to choose Good Shepherd as our permanent place for worship. Our three daughters (Aven, now a 4th year at UVA; Blake, a sophomore at JMU; and Carleigh, 10th grade at Maury H.S.) have grown up running the halls of Good Shepherd. Over the past 15 years they have enjoyed attending the Ruok program (evening arts and crafts), children’s chapel, vacation bible camp, confirmation classes, OBX retreats, acolyting, serving during NEST, the annual picnic, and so much more. I feel privileged to have had opportunities through the years to volunteer teaching children’s chapel, helping with Vacation Bible Camp, assisting Ben with music and art projects, hosting social events, serving as a lector, and most recently helping to count the offertory after the service. Although my life’s vocation has been grounded in human services where I have had the good fortune of providing support and education to underserved populations of all ages, I’m now at point in my life where my girls are more independent and I have more time to give back to my community. I am looking forward to rolling up my sleeves, peeling back the curtain, to help reveal the next phase of growth for Good Shepherd. The building, along with the surrounding grounds, and the people who frequent these cherished spaces, hold so much promise for fellowship, outreach and camaraderie. I am honored to be called to help shepherd in new beginnings, growth and opportunity here at this place I have grown to love.

Below are this year’s Vestry candidates. Contact the church office with any questions.

Beth Williams

I’ve been a member of Good Shepherd for more than 25 years. My husband Rolf grew up in this church and both of our kids were baptized and confirmed here. I’ve volunteered in a number of positions from manager of Shepherd’s Corner to Junior Warden with lots of time on various committees along the way. For the past four years I have served as Vestry Registrar. Good Shepherd has been my home and comfort. Now it is time to look forward. I’m excited about the path we are on and want to give back to the church that has given my family so much.

John Trinder

My wife Betty and I have been members of Good Shepherd for 18 years. I know many of you know Betty through many of her volunteer efforts at Good Shepherd. I have learned about the Flower Guild and Alter Guild by osmosis. The vestry will be my first official position at Good Shepherd. I am honored to serve the church in this capacity. We believe Good Shepherd is our spiritual harbor.

Born in in Worcester, MA
Served in United States Marine Corps
University of Bridgeport graduate
Been in broadcasting for 52 years
Presently President of Max Media, a local broadcast company

Shawn Everett

I was born and raised in Virginia Beach but have been a proud Norfolk resident for the past 25 years. My wife Christy, daughters Mills and Eliza, son Hardy and I have been coming to Good Shepherd regularly for just over a year. Prior to that time, we had attended St. Paul’s in Downtown Norfolk for almost 20 years. All three kids were baptized there and the older two confirmed. I became involved with several outreach ministries, a weekly bible study, and Cursillo #159.

When we came to Good Shepherd, we were greeted warmly by so many and connected with some familiar faces. Since that time, we have continued to enjoy getting to know more of the congregation and are hoping to dive deeper and serve the Church in the best possible ways. It seems like such an exciting time in the life of Good Shepherd. I look forward to being a part of that momentum.

Upcoming Events

We are honored to be a part of our Norfolk community. Take a look at what’s going on here at Good Shepherd and what we’re doing in the neighborhood. Everyone is welcome to join us!

• View Events Calendar •