October 22-23, 2016

October 22-23, 2016

1. The Ministry Council met Saturday October 22, 2016, at Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Bartlett, TN and Sunday, October 23, 2016 at St. Benedict at Auburndale High School, Cordova, TN, in both joint and concurrent sessions with the Ministry Teams.
2. Newly elected Ministry Council and Ministry Team Members joined their Cohorts/Mentors for a fellowship supper on Friday evening.
3. Joint meeting sessions included Saturday morning worship coordinated by Pastoral Development Ministry Team Leader Rev. Chuck Brown, and Sunday worship coordinated by Missions Ministry Team Leader Rev. Dr. Milton Ortiz.
4. Fifteen of the twenty-one Ministry Council members and staff were present at the meeting. Members: Donny Acton, Karen Avery, Carla Bellis, Rev. Michele Gentry de Correal, Rev. Troy Green, Rev. Lanny Johnson, Rev. Phillip Layne, Rev. Ron McMillan, Victory Moore, Tsuruko Satoh, Rev. Thomas Sanders, and Rev. Mike Wilkinson. Advisory Member: Stated Clerk Rev. Mike Sharpe; Youth Advisory Members: Cameron Alderson and Charli Uhlrich; and Director of Ministries Edith Busbee Old. Also present: Rev. Nobuko Seki, Vice Moderator of the General Assembly and CPWM President Jamie Berkley.  Forty-nine Elected and Staff Ministry Team members and invited guests were present.
5. Elected Officers: Troy Green, President; Rev. Michele Gentry, 1^st Vice President; Rev. Lanny Johnson, 2^nd Vice President; Rev. Phillip Layne, Secretary.
6. Annual review of the Ministry Council Covenant was followed by each member signing the Covenant.
7. Received written financial highlights report from Dan Scherf, Accounting Supervisor. Cash flow accounting is being watched daily and we commend the work of GMLT, Dan Scherf and Jinger Ellis.
8. CMT Leader Mark Davis and DMT Leader Rev. Elinor Swindle Brown both made brief presentations to the Ministry Council related to areas where MC might offer assistance.
9. Following lunch, all Ministry Council members moved to meet with the Ministry Team they serve as a Liaison.
10. Following the meeting time with Ministry Teams, Ministry Council meeting reconvened.
11. Youth Advisory Member Ms. Charli Uhlrich made a presentation from her perspective as a participant/crew member for Presbyterian Youth Triennium.
12. Ron McMillan shared an update of the process of online evaluation for Ministry Team elected members.
13. Troy Green presented a leadership training on “Servant Leadership”, specifically examining God’s call upon each of our lives; he pointed out that the relationship we have with God is for a purpose, and power is available to fulfill that call of equipping the saints for ministry.
14. Following Saturday supper, the MC went into Executive Session.
15. On Sunday morning, a dual language worship service was held (Spanish and English), coordinated by MMT Leader Rev. Dr. Milton Ortiz.
16. The four Ministry Teams each reported on current and future work.
17. Following the joint session, the MC reconvened at St. Benedict’s School in order to finish its agenda.
18. Heard the report of the Director of Ministries, Edith Old. Took the following actions in response to the Director of Ministries report:
    1. Approved 2017 Clergy housing allowances.
    2. Approved that to the extent possible, all elected MC members record their faith story for inclusion in the online videos http://cpc.app-staging.com/faith-stories/ prior to General Assembly June 19 – 23, 2017.
    3. Approved Ministry Council elected members commit to regularly pray for and communicate messages of encouragement directly with a member of MC/MT staff. A list can be compiled during the October meeting.
    4. Approved Ministry Council elected members promote and connect to Ministry Council social networking channels to include, but not limited to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
    5. Approved that in 2017 Ministry Council elected members help to coordinate a regional Pastors Gathering within their presbytery to help promote denominational ministries implemented and/or sustained by the Council and Ministry Teams.
19. The report of the Budget Evaluation Sub-Committee was received and approved by consent.
20. Ron McMillan was appointed to take the place of Paula Louder on the Budget Evaluation Sub-committee.
21. The meeting was closed in prayer by Tsuruko Satoh.