Clergy and Parish Staff
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Rev. Jeremy Means-Koss, RectorList Item 1
The Reverend Jeremy Means-Koss began his role of Priest-in-charge at St. Peter’s in September 2022. In 2025 he became St. Peter's 28th rector.
Father Jeremy received his Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary with additional degrees from King’s College, London, and American University. He also received a Certificate in Anglican Studies from Virginia Theological Seminary.
Before coming to Vermont, Fr. Jeremy was a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia specializing in parishes in transition. Along with academic theological specialties in change management, church innovation, and sacramental theology, Fr. Jeremy also has a professional background in Student Affairs/Higher Education.
Having had transformational experiences in the charismatic and liturgical branches of the wider church, as well as the Ignatian and Taoist traditions of contemplative spiritual formation, Fr. Jeremy has a passion for spirit-led sacramental worship and deep spiritual formation. Fr. Jeremy is co-editor of Mysterion Seeking Understanding: How Sacramentality Can Save the Body of Christ.
In his personal life, Fr. Jeremy enjoys crochet, gospel music, electronic dance music, Harry Potter, Star Trek, and all things Quebec. With his husband Brendan and their dog Charlie, Fr. Jeremy lives in Arlington at the St. James’ rectory.
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Charles Turner, Organ Master & Choir Director
Charlie Turner is a pianist and organist with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Theory. He completed additional studies in piano, organ and sacred music.
Charlie has played for and directed choirs of various faith traditions and finds joy in offering sacred music for congregations’ worship and spiritual contemplation. Outside of sacred music Charlie plays the guitar, banjo and mandolin and loves all type of folk music.
Charlie will be with us on the 2nd, 4th & 5th Sundays!
Anyone interested in sharing or developing their talents with the Music Ministry is gratefully invited to speak with Charlie after Mass.
Charlie’s email is: [email protected]
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Erin Williams, Communications Coordinator & Assistant to the Clergy
Erin Williams joined our team in November of 2025. Her professional background is in nonprofit community engagement, and specialized, comprehensive employment support for immigrant populations - and employers of those populations - in Southern Vermont. Erin is a proud Bennington native! She attended the University of New Hampshire, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in English and Sustainability.
Erin is a Co-Organizer of the Bennington Community Café, Bennington's one and only pay-what-you-choose restuarant open every Saturday from 1:30-3pm. The Café is Erin's favorite place to be in Bennington, and she is not shy about inviting everyone she meets to check it out!
In her free time, Erin is more than likely playing in the woods, or summiting a mountain wherever she is least at risk of having cell service. Her indoor activities include playing the bouzouki, making art, usually by painting on anything that isn't a canvas or by doing something strange to a thrifted clothing item, reading and journaling, and entertaining (being entertained by) her cat Rosie.
Erin is passionate about serving the Bennington community, and she is thrilled to serve the church community at St. Peter's however she can. Don't hesitate to send her a message; her phone might be in the woods, but her computer never is!
Erin's email is: [email protected]
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Shirley Miller, Parish Office Volunteer Write a description for this list item and include information that will interest site visitors. For example, you may want to describe a team member's experience, what makes a product special, or a unique service that you offer.
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Donna Menneto, Bookkeeper
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Dennis Rose, SextonList Item 3
Vestry Responsibilities
Members of the vestry, along with the rector or priest-in-charge, serve as spiritual leaders in our congregation. They are entrusted with the mission of the congregation, called to offer their gifts for ministry to the sacred task of fulfilling God’s call. Rather than a representative for a constituency, they are trustees and stewards of the congregation.
The Episcopal Church Foundation identifies four responsibilities of the vestry, shared with the rector:
- Discerning God’s call
- Identifying new leaders
- Stewarding and developing resources
- Special duties in the absence of a rector
The most important of the four responsibilities is discerning God’s call for our congregation as articulated in its mission and vision. Congregations share the common mission of the Church, but every congregation is uniquely called by virtue of its history, its neighborhood, and its people to live that mission in a particular way. And God has equipped our community to fulfill the mission to which it is called. Discerning God’s call requires knowing your congregation’s history, its neighborhood, and its people.
Canonical Responsibilities:
Every congregation and all clergy in the Episcopal Church are bound to abide by the Canons of the Episcopal Church, which set out the following responsibilities:
- Be agents and legal representatives of the congregation in all matters concerning its corporate properties and the relations of the congregation to its clergy (Title I. Canon 14, Section 2, page 52.)
- Ensure that standard business methods, as outlined in The Episcopal Church’s Manual of Business Methods in Church Affairs, will be observed (Title I. Canon 7, Section 1, page 39).
- When a congregation is without a rector, the officers of the vestry are responsible for the continuation of worship, including the calling of a new rector (Title III. Canon 9, Section 3, page 87).
- The vestry has responsibility for nominating persons for holy orders (Title III. Canon 5, Section 2, page 70).