A Chancellor in the Episcopal Church is a volunteer lawyer. After 17 years of serving as Chancellor or as Co-Chancellor with Sheila Teimourian, I retired from the post, leaving Sheila as St. John’s only lawyer. My retirement leaves her with more work than one Chancellor can reasonably be expected to handle.
As our Parish has grown and its ministries have multiplied, the volume and nature of its legal needs have expanded. Some matters are routine and largely predictable—reviewing leases and other contracts, drafting employment agreements, addressing insurance matters and advising on Parish governance.
The work also can encompass a surprising range of other subjects. For example, during my tenure, I have worked on matters as diverse as:
- The lease and sale of an inherited oil and gas property in Wyoming (which became the foundation of the Joyful Noice Music Fund);
- Organization of Nourishing Bethesda as a non-profit Maryland corporation;
- Coordination of the sale of stock of a closely held corporation bequeathed to St. John’s;
- Amendments to St. John’s Bylaws to permit remote participation and online voting at Parish meetings; and
- Reorganization of St. John’s as a Maryland Religious Corporation (rather than an entity established under the Maryland Vestry Act of 1798).
Because I have been a member of a large law firm with a diverse practice, I often have been able to obtain assistance for St. John’s from tax practitioners, insurance specialists and other colleagues who have welcomed discrete pro bono projects.
Representing St. John’s thus offers a rewarding opportunity for lawyers to serve St. John’s and to meet (if not exceed) expectations for pro bono service. Traditionally St. John’s has had a single Chancellor or two Co-Chancellors; but it may now be more appropriate for us to have a Chancellor and several adjutants—perhaps Vice Chancellors (a distinguished title commonly associated with Oxford and Cambridge).
One way or another, St. John’s needs more legal help than Sheila alone can be expected to provide. So if you are a lawyer in the Parish (or if you know of a lawyer in the Parish) who would consider helping out, either occasionally or on a continuing basis, please use the form below to contact Sheila Teimourian.
- Craig Ulman, Chancellor Emeritus
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Complete this form to connect with parishioner and St. John's Chancellor Sheila Teimourian.