August 27-28, 2011

August 27-28, 2011

1. The Ministry Council met Saturday and Sunday, August 27-28, 2011, in Cordova, at the Denominational Center in both joint and concurrent sessions with the Ministry Teams.  An Orientation was held on Friday afternoon August 26 for Ministry Council and Elected Ministry Team Members, both new and returning who did not attend Orientation last year.
2. Participated in a Team Building fellowship event, traveling to Stax Museum for a tour and evening meal on Friday.
3. Joint sessions included Saturday morning devotional, a Saturday lunchtime presentation via ooVoo with Family W serving in Southeast Asia, and Sunday morning reports from each Team and from the Council followed by worship with Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Bartlett, TN.
4. Seventeen of the twenty-two Ministry Council members were present.  Members:  Sally Allen, Jill Carr, Mandy Clark, Michele Gentry de Correal, Troy Green, Carlton Harper, Elizabeth Horsley, Lanny Johnson, Toni Prosser, Gwen Roddye, Thomas Sanders, Lisa Scott, Roy Shanks (Excused:  Drew Hayes.); Advisory Members:  Mike Sharpe, Don Tabor; Youth Advisory Members:  Ricky Kirby, Madison Rush (Excused:  Ben Sweet).  Member Sam Romines and Advisory Member Boyce Wallace participated via ooVoo.  Director of Ministries:  Edith Old.  Also present:  Megan Warren. A total of fifty-nine Council and Ministry Team Staff and Elected members were present.
5. Introduced the Ministry Council to the Beehive.  The Ministry Council has been likened unto a beehive:  workers, both staff and elected members, gathering ideas and resources from throughout the Church, from around the globe, bringing them back to the Ministry Council, tweaking and tailoring as may be helpful, then taking them back out to share and enhance ministries of the local congregations.  Everyone has work to do:  staff and elected members.
6. Heard financial status report from Dan Scherf, Accounting Supervisor.   By the end of August, a 29th OUO distribution for this year will be accomplished, representing an additional distribution of $50,000 compared to August 2010. The Touch the Future (TTF) loan was paid off in July, leaving three remaining loans:

   a. Building and maintenance loan on the Union Avenue property, approximately $216,000, being repaid through OUO at a rate of $3,050/month, expected to be completed by July 2019.

   b. Capital Campaign (for current Denominational Center), approximately $236,000, being paid off at a rate of approximately $1,200/month, and expected to be completed by December 2017.

   c. Contingency loan, approximately $156,000.  Funds used to pay off the TTF loan are now redirected toward the repayment of this loan, with anticipated completion of August 2012. Upon completion of repayment of Contingency loan, funds will be directed toward Building and Maintenance loan in order to retire that debt more quickly.

7. Heard the report of the outgoing Ministry Council Chairperson Jill Carr, encouraging members to use the visual depiction of the denominational structure and the Ministry Council visual to help educate individuals, churches, and presbyteries about how the Ministry Council fits into the work of the church
8. Elected officers: Chairperson—Carlton Harper; 1st Vice Chairperson—Lisa Scott; 2nd Vice Chairperson—Sam Romines; Secretary—Elizabeth Horsley; Assistant Secretary—Gwen Roddye. Presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Jill Carr for her service as Chairperson
9. Heard the report of the Director of Ministries, Edith Busbee Old, encouraging Ministry Council Members to be advocates for the ministries of the church.
10. Heard from Ron McMillan, representing the Evaluation Committee appointed to evaluate the denominational restructure, who described the process the Committee will be using to address effectiveness of the organization and implementation of the restructure.  Input will be received from members, former members, and staff of the Ministry Council and Ministry Teams, Members of the Board of Stewardship, the General Assembly Corporate Board, as well as the church at large.
11. Affirmed the success of the pre-meeting workshops held at the 2011 General Assembly, and voted to recommend to the 2012 GA Planning Committee that a pre-meeting Forum on Immigration be held, with suggested topics including but not limited to how new laws affect congregations’ and individuals’ potential responses, and general education about issues related to immigration.
12. Agreed to begin developing two-year budgets, with the 2014 and 2015 budgets to be presented to the Ministry Council in January 2013 for inclusion in our report to General Assembly
13. By mutual consent, determined that the Ministry Council will provide information gathered for the denominational Planning Calendar to the Office of the General Assembly by March 15. The dates will be considered for inclusion in the Church Calendar which will be reported to General Assembly by the Stated Clerk beginning in 2012.
14. Reaffirmed the policies that have been developed by the Missionary Crisis Team as summarized.
15. Heard from Robert Watkins regarding Fund Development for all ministries of the Ministry Council and his plan to communicate to individuals how they can use their money to fulfill their calling as an extension of their faith passion.  Individual Ministry Council members responded to his invitation to participate by completing pledge cards.
16. Heard Missions Ministry Team Leader George Estes regarding the need for additional staff and support for Evangelism and New Church Development, Cross-culture Ministries, and Congregational Ministries. Voted to fill full-time Evangelism position to oversee “Step Out” Decade Evangelism Plan and New Church Development.  Asked Missions Ministry Team to prioritize and provide additional information about the request for a part-time position for a Cross-Culture Coordinator and a Director of Congregational Ministries, including a more detailed explanation of responsibilities of each position and anticipated salary ranges.
17. Gave permission for the Missions Ministry Team to talk with the Permanent Judiciary Committee regarding polity and potential new presbytery not bound by geography or culture to assist with US and Non-USA NCD’s and Cross-Culture Congregations.
18. Heard from Communications Ministry Team Leader Mark J Davis that on-line credit card acceptance will soon be available for both Resource purchases and donations.  Discussed social networking as a method of communication within the church.  Noted that new Ministry Council web pages are now online and will continue to be updated and further developed.
19. Affirmed the Discipleship Ministry Team staff and Elected Team Members for their cooperative work during the months that the Team Leader position has been vacant.  Received proposal about the redistribution of responsibilities among staff.  Reaffirmed the need to fill the vacant Team Leader position and authorized the Director of Ministries to begin the search process.
20. Motion carried to ask the Director of Ministries and the Team Leaders to review endowments and prepare a list of endowments with corpus less than the retrievable amount and that have not had any activity except for interest for the last five years or for which the purpose is no longer feasible.  Information needed:  Name, balance, purpose, initiator, and date of last activity.  This information will allow the Ministry Council to move forward in investigating potential resources.
21. Addressed directives from General Assembly.
22. Made plans to invite the General Assembly Missions Board of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America to meet with the Ministry Council Executive Committee and other Ministry Council members on the evening prior to our January meeting.
23. The study on Spirited Leadership/Empowering People to What Matters will commence immediately.  Troy Green will assist leading the study.
24. Adjourned to convene in joint sessions on January 27-28, 2012 (Fri/Sat) at the Center in Cordova.