January 25-26, 2013

January 25-26, 2013

1. The Ministry Council met Friday and Saturday, January 25-26, 2013, at Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Bartlett, TN, in both joint and concurrent sessions with the Ministry Teams. Joint sessions included worship, Team reports, meals and fellowship.
2. Eighteen of the twenty-three Ministry Council Members and Staff were present. Members: Sally Allen, Mary Ann Cole, Rev. Michele Gentry de Correal, Rev. Troy Green, Rev. Carlton Harper, Elizabeth Horsley, Rev. Lanny Johnson, Rev. Ron McMillan, Gwen Roddye, Rev. Sam Romines, Rev. Tom Sanders, Rev. Lisa Scott, Roy Shanks, (Excused: Jill Carr and Mandy Clark); Youth Advisory Members: Ethan Morgan, (Excused: Sebastian Phillips and Madison Rush); Advisory Members: Rev. Michael Sharpe, Rev. Robert Rush, (Excused: Rev. Don Tabor); Director of Ministries: Edith Old; Executive Assistant: Megan Warren. Forty Ministry Team Members and Ministry Team Staff were present.
3. Met with Evaluation Committee Members Reverend Charles McCaskey, chair, Reverend Kevin Brantley, Reverend J. Don Clark, Elder Sarah Davidson, Reverend Sherrlyn Frost, Elder Gwen Peterson to discuss status of work done to date allowing reciprocal questions and answers from the Evaluation Committee and Ministry Council Members.
4. Heard presentation by Missions Ministry Team Leader Reverend George Estes with a request that a Cross Culture Ministries USA Program Director position be filled. Reviewed job description and enthusiastically approved MMT to proceed with a search to fill the position.
5. Received updated financial reports presented by Dan Scherf, CAD. Our United Outreach giving for 2012 was officially ended on 1/15/13. Total OUO giving for 2012 was $2,593,709.68 with $633,319.90 (approximately 25% total OUO) given in December. Noted that the Ministry Council ended 2012 in the black.
6. Heard Communication Ministry Team report requesting clarification regarding the denominations corporate communications.
7. Adopted recommendation of subcommittee that mileage rates for staff and elected MC/MT members be increased to $.45 per mile.
8. Received the report of Director of Ministries Edith Old giving the account of her travels on behalf of the Church September 2012- January 2013, including meetings with pastors in Birmingham, Nashville, and Bowling Green. Also noted in the Director of Ministries report were opportunities to participate in The Event: Elder Training, to be conducted in 23 regions over a period of five Saturdays, February 2-March 2.
9. Heard announcement by the Director of Ministries that the Ministry Council sponsored event at 2013 General Assembly is 90th Anniversary of CPYC Celebration on Tuesday, June 18, which will include sharing, fellowship, a dessert canteen, and a walk through decades in pictures and videos.
10. Adopted recommendation that each Ministry Council member actively participate in his/her Spring presbytery meeting to ensure discussions on the floor related to presbyterial endorsements for future MC and MT positions, and that MC members strongly encourage presbyteries to consider Our United Outreach support as an important criteria when endorsing individuals.
11. Elected Rev. Lanny Johnson, representative, and Mary Ann Cole, alternate, to Our United Outreach Committee.
12. Elected Ministry Council representatives to General Assembly 2013, Murfreesboro, TN: Rev. Troy Green, Representative; Rev. Sam Romines, Alternate; and Elizabeth Horsley, Assistant.
13. Appointed a subcommittee to review MC future meeting calendar regarding its efficiency as it relates to resources and other challenges: Sam Romines, Elizabeth Horsley, Roy Shanks, Edith Old (Advisory Member).
14. Approved both Privacy Policy and Internet Use Policy for use by MC and MT.
15. Voted to recommend that the 183^rd General Assembly encourage presbyteries to consider OUO support as important criteria when selecting Commissioners to General Assembly.
16. Agreed to work with the Stated Clerk to schedule a pre-assembly Leadership Development workshop to be led by Troy Green.
17. Adopted the 2014 and 2015 Budgets including staff salary increases of 2.4%.
18. Discussed the process of self-evaluation.
19. Heard from PDMT Team Leader Reverend Milton Ortiz who presented Lay Leader Handbook and Application Packet which has been used on a trial basis and is now ready for use by the church at large.
20. Heard report from DMT Team Leader Reverend Elinor Brown and adopted recommendation that the Ministry Council recommend to General Assembly the endorsement of specific curriculum for use in our churches.
21. Adopted DMT recommendation that the Ministry Council recommend to General Assembly a plan for all congregations, presbyteries, synods, and denominational groups to have a safe sanctuary policy in place by December 31, 2014.
22. Response to past General Assembly directives:
23. Received updated Follow-up Report from MC subcommittee dealing with the Report Number Two of the Committee on Judiciary.
24. Reviewed and edited Bylaws to address areas of concern by the Evaluation Committee and plan to adopt changes in April.
25. During the Saturday morning Joint Session, each Ministry Team recognized Elected Team Members rotating off: DMT—Rev. Tom Martin and Rev. Vernon Sansom; MMT—Mikel Davis, Jo Ann Shugert, and Sam Suddarth; PDMT—Rev. Tommy Thompson, Rev. Don Thomas, and Rev. Bob Shelton; (CMT—no one currently slated to rotate off).
26. Heard reports from each Team during the Saturday morning Joint Session. Sixteen Ministry Council Members and Staff plus thirty-seven Ministry Team Members and Staff were present.
27. Continued with the Ministry Council business meeting after the Joint Session adjourned.
28. Voted to recommend to General Assembly that our Bylaws relating to Ministry Council Youth Advisory Members be changed to allow youth ages 15-17 to be elected as Youth Advisory Members for a term of 1 year, and that they be eligible for reelection one time.
29. Adopted a process for hiring Ministry Council and Ministry Team Staff.
30. Heard update from Moderator Robert Rush regarding the unification process with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America.
31. Adopted a policy on staff members working in remote locations.
32. Heard subcommittee tasked with designing/implementing an effective alternate survey method for the general Church. Asked Rev. Tom Sanders to approach Memphis Theological Seminary about conducting research (Doctor of Ministry project) to discern progress toward priority goals.
33. Adjourned to convene on April 19-20, 2013 (Friday and Saturday) for the Corporate Meeting of the Board at the Cumberland Presbyterian Center, Cordova, TN.