Convention Booklet 2023

104th Annual Convention

Erik Boody, Trinity, Staunton I have been a member of Trinity Staunton for more than twenty years. In that time, I have been a Sunday school teacher, participated in adult and youth mission trips to Honduras, serve on the property committee, and I just completed my second term as junior warden. These activities have given me many opportunities to work with various groups and committees in the church and learn how to work well together with different groups of people.

Charlie Schindler, St. John’s, Lynchburg I am a cradle to grave Episcopalian. I have been at St. John's, Lynchburg since 2009. I have served in numerous positions to include vestry, vestry nominating committee, search committee chair, VBS, men's breakfast, numerous mission trips, youth group, Eucharistic minister, acolyte organizer, and many more. I am a VMI graduate with a mechanical engineering degree. I spend most of my time helping with church and am the Scout Master for Troop 7. I have been a delegate for St. John's for about 10 years and feel it is time for me to look out and find new opportunities to serve the great people of this diocese.

Laura Beth Weaver, Christ, Blacksburg It would be an honor to serve as a General Convention Lay Deputy. I attended as an alternate this past summer and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to participate in the process, meet others from across the country, and support the growth and mission of our larger congregation. I have served on my parish Vestry, share leadership for our Children's Chapel programming, serve on the Constitution & Canons Convention Committee, and facilitate Safeguarding God's Children for my parish and via Zoom for the diocesan-wide offerings. I am currently in my first term as President of the NRV Convocation. Professionally, I bring experience answering the National Suicide Hotline, providing services to victims of sexual and domestic violence, and providing leadership to a local non-profit organization. My husband and I are raising our children among the saints at Christ Church and live on our family's farm near Riner.

Mark Loftis, Christ, Roanoke I have been a practicing attorney for more than 33 years with Woods Rogers (now Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black) in Roanoke, and have had the privilege of serving as Chancellor of the Diocese since 2008. As Chancellor, I have followed the work of past General Conventions and assisted our Diocesan leadership in implementing changes to our policies, procedures, and operations to comply with General Convention Resolutions and Canonical revisions. I would welcome the opportunity to utilize my legal skills and experience and my knowledge of Church governance issues as a Lay Deputy to General Convention.

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