Ministry Council Summary of Actions (2/20/2022)

1. The Ministry Council met for its regular meeting on February 19-20, 2022, in person and via ZOOM. Those present were Carla Bellis, Rev. Kenny Butcher, Rev. Dr. Michael Clark, Rev. Juan David Correa, Amy Cresswell, Debbie Hayes, Rev. Phillip Layne, Rev. Derek Jacks, Lora Rogers-Kerner, Victory Moore, Angelica Poveda, Melinda Reams, Ted Shirai, Rev. Tim Smith, and Rev. Mike Wilkinson; Advisory Members: Rev. Duawn Mearns, Moderator of the 190^th General Assembly; Rev. Mike Sharpe, Stated Clerk of General Assembly; Staff present were Director of Ministries Edith Old, Matthew Gore, Rev. Elinor Brown, Rev. Dr. Pam Phillips-Burk, and Rev. Dr. Milton Ortiz.

2. The Ministry Council and Staff entered a time of strategic visioning facilitated by Cynthia Mills of The Leaders Haven. The MC and Staff were able to identify several strategies and many tactics to help guide the decision-making and planning for the next few years.

3. The Ministry Council approved a return to an in-person meeting for future meetings beginning with the August 2022 meeting.

4. The Ministry Council formed a committee to review the need for a social media and public forum policy for the MC Employee Handbook.

5. The Ministry Council formed a committee to review and propose actions that will address updating communication processes and website issues.

6. The Ministry Council approved a revision to the Evangelism and New Church Development job description.

7. The Ministry Council decided not to seek to fill the full-time position of the soon-to-be vacant Director of Cross Culture Immigrant Ministries but instead to contract the job duties to Spanish-speaking liaisons.

8. The Ministry Council appointed Rev. Phillip Layne and Lora Rogers-Kerner to represent the MC on the Critical Situation Response Team.

9. The Ministry Council approved MMT’s recommendations to enhance Women’s Ministry: 2023 will be the last year that the CP Women’s Convention will be held concurrently with General Assembly. Convention will be held every other year beginning in 2025. Beginning in 2024, and every other year after that, there will be a Women’s Ministry Retreat (Thursday evening through Saturday morning) in the spring of the year. Executive Officers would serve two years instead of one.

10. The Ministry Council approved the 2022 housing allowances for the clergy on staff.

11. The Ministry Council approved the following requests from the Director of Ministries: (1) each elected member of the MC provide a short article to be published in The Cumberland Presbyterian; (2) each elected member of the MC participate in a lunch discussion with the Director of Ministries; and (3) that elected MC members represent the MC at their respective presbytery meetings when MC staff is not able to attend.

12. The Ministry Council elected the following representatives/committee/team members: MC Representative to 191^st GA (June 19-24, 2022): Derek Jacks, Mike Wilkinson as alternate; MC Representative to OUO Committee Meeting (March 4, 2022): Lora Rogers-Kerner; MC Nominating Committee for 2022-23 Slate of Officers (August 2022): Phillip Layne (Chairperson), Kenny Butcher, Victory Moore; Ministry Team Members: CMT: Rev. Neal Wilkinson; DMT: Rev. Anna Sweet Brockman; Maddie Taylor; Jonathan Bellis; Rev. Abby Prevost; MMT: Robert Betts; PDMT: Rev. Leanne Kerner; Rev. Freddy Rincon.