November 14-15, 2008
MINISTRY COUNCIL SUMMARY OF ACTIONS
1. The Ministry Council met November 14-15, 2008, at the new Cumberland Presbyterian Church Headquarters in Cordova, Tennessee.
2. Opened with a devotional and Constituting Prayer led by Karen Breeding.
3. Welcomed Edith M. Gholson, our new Director of Ministries, who has been working with the Ministry Teams and Global Ministry Leadership Team since September 1, 2008.
4. Heard reports from Global Ministry Leadership Team Leaders: Stephanie Brown, Pastoral Development; Mike Sharpe, Missions; Frank Ward, Discipleship; Pat White, Communications. Each report included presentations of each Ministry Team’s scope of work, important dates and future plans, Evangelism activities, and financial issues including budgets and possible changes. This first opportunity for Team Leaders to meet with the Ministry Council included Team Leader questions of the Council and Ministry Council member questions of the Team Leaders.
5. Each Team Leader will present to the Director of Ministries a Budget Defense, reviewing each line item, with the intent to optimize resources including but not limited to cost saving measures.
6. Heard the report of Edith Gholson on tasks assigned by the Council to the Director of Ministries and the Team Leaders including revision of personnel manuals, performance appraisals, and Elected Team Member duties.
7. The Center Inter-Agency Team (CIT) is meeting regularly and working well. The CIT includes Robert Rush (General Assembly Office), Robert Heflin (Board of Stewardship), Susan Gore (Historical Foundation/Archives), and Edith Gholson (Ministry Council) as Chairperson. The CIT handles issues relating to running the Center.
8. The new Administrative Assistant to the Director of Ministries will be announced following this meeting.
9. Announced that a full-time Technology Specialist will be hired after the first of 2009 to be officed at the Center and be responsible for the phone system, computer systems and software, media equipment, local websites, staff technology training, etc. A complete job description will be posted soon.
10. New software is currently being installed and tested to allow for protection of existing files and conversion to a Windows based system in the future.
11. Phone calls to the Center will be answered by Joyce or an appointed backup at all times. Calls will then be transferred to staff directly or in their absence their voice mail. When an in-house/online calendar has been implemented Joyce/back up designee will be able to inform callers whether or not the staff person they’re calling is in the office.
12. Agreed to recommend to the CIT and the GMLT to review current Friday afternoon closing of the Center.
13. Agreed to recommend that the CIT look into what is necessary to be done to the Center Property empty lot to get it off the tax roles and develop a 5-10-20-year plan for the property to be submitted to General Assembly for approval, and that the CIT clarify that no one board/individual/entity has authority to accept/decline offers of improvements to the Center Property.
14. During breaks, Council Members toured the new Center facilities including the Archives
15. Agreed to recommend hiring an accountant by contract to set up and convert financials by year-end with appropriate programs.
16. Agreed to do away with the term “Rent” and use the term “Maintenance” for the funds needed to pay for Center Utilities, Insurance, and Maintenance; and request the CIT to bring an estimate of the amount needed for “Maintenance” to be a guaranteed line item in OUO Allocations. The goal is to remove these amounts from the budgets of each individual Center agency.
17. Requested that the Personal Data Form for Prospective Members of Boards, Agencies, and Ministry Teams of the General Assembly be posted on the General Assembly Office webpage to help increase the number of completed forms available to the General Assembly Nominating Committee.
18. Institutions and Agencies will be invited to the January meeting for the OUO Allocation portion of the meeting.
19. The next meeting of the Ministry Council will be held at the Center, January 23-24, 2009. Nineteen of the twenty-two Ministry Council members were present. Members: Karen Breeding, Jill Carr, Carlton Harper, Elizabeth Horsley, Richard Hughes, Hillman Moore, Gwen Roddye, Sam Romines, Iwao Satoh, Ellie Scrudder, Roy Shanks, Leo Whinery, Wayne Wood. (Excused: Mandy Clark, Rickey Page); Youth Advisory Members: Billy Black, Kyle Smallen (Excused: Corey Faulkner); Advisory Members: Robert Rush, Frank Ward, Jonathan Clark; Director of Ministries: Edith Gholson