January 29-30, 2016

January 29-30, 2016

1. The Ministry Council met Friday and Saturday, January 29-30, 2016, at Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Bartlett, TN, in both joint and concurrent sessions with the Ministry Teams. Joint sessions included workshops, worship, Ministry Team reports, meals and fellowship.
2. Sixteen of the nineteen Ministry Council Members and Staff were present. Members: Ken Bean, Jill Carr, Rev. Michele Gentry de Correal, Rev. Troy Green, Elizabeth Horsley, Rev. Phillip Layne, Rev. Paula Louder, Rev. Ron McMillan, Adam McReynolds, Gwen Roddye, Rev. Sam Romines, Rev. Tom Sanders; (Excused: Rev. Donny Acton, Rev. Lanny Johnson); Youth Advisory Members: Caleb Davis, Emily Mahoney (Excused: Carolina Gillis); Advisory Member: Rev. Michael Sharpe. Director of Ministries: Edith Old.
   Sixty-seven Ministry Team Members and Ministry Team Staff were present.
3. Noted with sadness the death of Pat Smith, an elected Ministry Council member in her first year of service.
4. Received updated financial reports presented by Dan Scherf, Central Accounting Department. Total Our United Outreach giving in 2015 was $2,581,995.50, 89.03% of the goal. Income shortfalls once again required a major revision to the budget, accomplished through the concerted and collaborative efforts of the Global Ministries Leadership Team (Team Leaders and Director of Ministries.)
5. Participated with Ministry Teams in three workshop sessions: group discussion led by Moderator of the General Assembly Rev. Michele Gentry de Correal, exploring how the Ministry Council/Ministry Teams might optimize resources by reducing the number of meetings annually; R.E.S.P.E.C.T: Finding Out What it Means to the Christian Community, presented by Gwen Roddye; and Safe and Sound, a workshop on Safe Sanctuary Policy presented by Rev. Jill Carr.
6. Received the report of Director of Ministries Edith Old and reminders of important dates:
   • April 15-16, 2016 (Friday and Saturday) – Ministry Council members and Team Leaders Meeting at the Denominational Center in Cordova (Memphis), TN.
   • August 26, 2016 (Friday) – Orientation for Newly-Elected Council and Ministry Team Members at Denominational Center in Cordova (Memphis), TN.
   • August 27-28, 2016 (Saturday and Sunday) – Ministry Council/Ministry Team Meeting for all elected Council and Ministry Team members and staff at Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Bartlett, TN.
7. Elected ten Ministry Team Members to succeed themselves in 3-year terms and Rev. Jesse Thornton (North Central Presbytery) to a first 3-year term on the Discipleship Ministry Team.
8. Approved 2016 housing allowances for clergy on Ministry Council/Ministry Team Staff in accordance with IRS requirements.
9. Elected Adam McReynolds representative to Our United Outreach Committee for 2016-17, with term to begin in August 2016. MC OUO Rep Rev. Lanny Johnson and Adam will attend the March 2016 OUO Committee meeting.
10. Elected Rev. Troy Green to serve as General Assembly Representative and Ken Bean as alternate.
11. Participated as assigned to specific Ministry Teams in afternoon sessions with Teams and reported back to the Ministry Council.
12. Heard Fund Development Committee report by Ken Bean and at the suggestion of Stated Clerk Rev. Mike Sharpe suggested that the Center Interagency Team CIT might use available funds to purchase a subscription to an on-line grant-writing resource that could potentially benefit all Church Center agencies.
13. Heard a report from MC Member Ken Bean regarding growth/revitalization of churches.
14. Heard a report from Rev. Ron McMillan regarding the development of a Ministry Team Member Self-Evaluation Process.
15. Heard a team report presented by Rev. Troy Green outlining a Strategic Plan to Enculturate Servant-Empowered Leadership Principles and Methods throughout the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. A plan will be drafted and budget developed in order for a task force to be appointed in the April meeting.
16. Agreed to set aside time at each meeting to incorporate brief leadership training modules.
17. Heard the report of the Director of Ministries Job Performance Evaluation Committee.
18. Heard the report of the Moderator of the General Assembly Rev. Michele Gentry de Correal, and voted to adopt her recommendation that Ministry Council bylaws be changed, reducing the number of annual meetings from three to two.
19. Following the Friday evening meal, recognized elected members completing their terms: Rev. Mindy Acton, DMT; Rev. Mack Arase, MMT; MC Youth Advisory Member Emily Mahoney; and Rev. Jill Carr, Ms. Elizabeth Horsley, Ms. Gwen Roddye and Rev. Sam Romines, all four of whom have been on the Council since its inception.
20. Heard reports from Ministry Teams during the Saturday morning Joint Session. Some highlights:
    • Communications – The Cumberland Presbyterian magazine is moving toward a digital version, late Summer/early Fall and will add two new columns: music reviews and book reviews. The 2016 major overhaul to the Ministry Council website will continue to include future enhancements such as more digital content and content of interest to young adults.
    • Discipleship – Discipleship Blueprints is custom-designed leadership training brought to your congregation or presbytery. It is FREE except for travel expenses and lodging for the trainer. Here’s how it works:
      • You select a design
      • You set a date
      • Together we custom make a design for your group
      • We come and train your group
    • General Assembly: There will be many opportunities for children and families at General Assembly, June 20-24, 2016, in Nashville, TN. Connect @ GA will consist of a daily session for children, providing them and opportunity to get to know one another, participating in purposeful activities, and learning more about the activities of GA. Family Worship Space will be an area set up at each of the joint worship services where families with young children can sit and experience worship in a child-friendly way. On Tuesday night, the evening activity for all of GA will be an interactive and inter-generational Celebration of Childhood.
    • Missions – The Missions Ministry Team report focused on the news of mission expansion in Australia, Haiti and Brazil. Rev. Lynn Thomas introduced new missionary candidates Rev. Patrick Wilkerson (whose wife, Jessica, was unable to be present, but will be serving alongside her husband) and Rev. Jacob & Lindsey Simms. Rev. Wilkerson and the Simms had the opportunity to share their call to the mission field. The Simms are considering Brazil and the Wilkersons a country in South America.
    • Pastoral Development – In the past, there has been a perceived need for a denominational data base for tracking CEUs. To date PDMT has found no evidence that any presbyteries have reported any CEUs for the ministers in their presbytery. It seems a better use of time would be to serve as a clearinghouse for persons looking for CEU opportunities and helping to suggest all of the myriad of ways that our clergy might get their CEUs. Ministers Conference 2018: PDMT had considered asking one of the churches in the Birmingham area to host the 2018 Ministers Conference, but will ask the Bowling Green Cumberland Presbyterian Church to serve as host for this event. This decision was based on the fact that Cumberland Presbytery paid for 9 registrations for ministers to attend the 2016 conference and as a thank you, PDMT wanted to ask a church in that presbytery to host the 2018 event. The plan is to focus this conference on Conflict Resolution/Management.
21. Adjourned to convene on April 15-16, 2016 (Friday and Saturday) for the Ministry Council Corporation Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors at the Cumberland Presbyterian Center, Cordova, TN.