Following a series of meetings at which the Rt. Rev. Jane Holmes Dixon presided, the current vestry at Christ Church in Accokeek, Md., is likely to remain in office for the duration of its legal dispute with the bishop pro tempore of Washington.

Vestry members approved a series of changes to the church bylaws on Dec. 5 that will among other things extend vestry terms from the current two years to three and change the date of the annual meeting from February to October. The changes must be approved by eligible voting members of the parish and a special meeting has been scheduled for Dec. 27. By October of next year, it is likely that the legal appeal filed on behalf of the vestry and the Rev. Samuel Edwards will be decided.

While the appeal of the call of Fr. Edwards to be rector moves forward, the Rev. Stephen Arpee will serve as interim rector. The vestry voted to call Fr. Arpee in November and on Dec. 11 Bishop Dixon signed a letter of agreement approving the call. Under terms of the agreement, Bishop Dixon will send her own representative once a month to preach, so that the parish has the opportunity to hear the Gospel preached from more than one perspective. Bishop Dixon has also assembled a diocesan task force, composed primarily of members from the Standing Committee and Diocesan Council, to visit the parish and make periodic reports.

The choice of Fr. Arpee has met with approval from members of St. John's Chapel in nearby Pomonkey. Members from the small congregation stayed away from services at which Fr. Edwards presided. Eventually worship services were suspended, but are expected to resume soon under Fr. Arpee. St. John's is a mission of Christ Church.

Should the appeals court decision uphold Bishop Dixon's right to reject Fr. Edwards, Bishop Dixon acknowledged it is likely that the parish will choose as its next rector someone who would be more conservative than most priests in the diocese and she would be prepared to accept that person.