COORDINATING COUNCIL

MAINE CONFERENCE, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

February 13, 2009, Waterville

 

Minutes

 

Present:

            Anita White, Moderator                                 Bernys Doak, Hancock-Waldo          

Herb Oliver, Vice-Moderator                        Linda Smith, Commission for Community Life

            Walter (Ted) Ruark, Clerk                             Linda Kimball, Commission for Spiritual Life

            Gerard Moore, Treasurer                               Jeanne Davis, Commission for Witness Life

Ron Beinema, Board of Trustees                   Connie Insley, Commission for Witness Life

            Jane Lowell, Kennebec Valley                       David Gaewski, Conference Minister

Nita Dehais, Cumberland                               Susan Craig, Associate Conference Minister

            Dan Johnson, Oxford Union                           Darren Morgan, Acting Associate Minister

Don Green, Washington                                                         for Small Church Development

Franklin Anderson, York                               Mark Schussler, Business Manager

Susan Kaplan-Burgess, Franklin                    Susan Stevens, Conference Executive Assistant

John Glover, Penobscot-Piscataquis

             

Absent:          

Aroostook representative                               State Youth Council representative              

Phillip McKean, Lincoln                                Earle Simpson, Commission for Community Life

Ann Roundy, Commission for Spiritual Life

           

Call to Order: Anita White called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. and Linda Kimball opened with a reading entitled “Priming off dead center” from Guerrillas for Grace by Ted Loder.

 

Review of November 21, 2008 Coordinating Council Meeting Minutes: On a motion by Herb Oliver, seconded by Linda Smith, the council voted to accept the minutes of the November 21, 2008 Coordinating Council meeting as printed.

 

Review of January 9, 2009 Coordinating Council Meeting Minutes: On a motion by Linda Smith, seconded by John Glover, the council voted to accept the minutes of the January 9, 2009 Coordinating Council meeting as printed.

 

Presentation by Austin Smith and Chris Berry of Scott Simon Architects:

    Copies of the Facilities Feasibility Study had been sent to each council member prior to the meeting. Additional copies were available at the meeting.

    Anita White introduced Austin Smith and Chris Berry and gave a brief overview of their work with the Facilities Planning Study Committee. She thanked them for their commitment to the endeavor and commended the committee on its work.

    Austin and Chris began with a review of their past involvement with the Maine Conference (architectural work at all three conference facilities) and acknowledged the previous work done by the Coordinating Council in gathering information essential to their tasks. They described the interview process they had used to collect additional data, from staff and identified users of the facilities, including a questionnaire that solicited information on the physical facilities, the impact of the programs held at those facilities, and the potential uses of each one.

    Austin and Chris then offered a Power Point presentation, examining the short and long-term maintenance needs for each facility with corresponding cost estimates. They also presented the estimated costs of the construction of a new conference office and several options for the construction of a new retreat center.

    They concluded their presentation with a summary of their findings and recommendations to the council. These included the eventual sale of both the Pennell Center and Rockcraft Retreat Center (current market conditions discourage the immediate sale of either property), initiation of a planned maintenance program for Rockcraft and Pilgrim Lodge, and development of a marketing strategy for both facilities. Austin and Chris then responded to questions from council members. 

 

2009 Fall Retreat: Anita White announced that the 2009 fall retreat had inadvertently been scheduled for the weekend after the Annual Meeting. This will be revisited at a later meeting.

 

Conference Ministers’ Reports

Susan Craig: Susan had distributed her report prior to the meeting.

Darren Morgan: Darren had distributed his report prior to the meeting.

David Gaeweski:

  1. David reported on changes to staff meetings in the conference office. While placement meetings will remain unchanged (approximately 10 meetings per year), the general staff meetings now include a representative of Pilgrim Lodge and a new meeting of program staff meets monthly. Program staff meetings have been focusing on “transformative” versus maintenance programs provided by the conference. The three most successful transformative programs have been identified as the Pilgrim Lodge youth programs, the Honduras Partnership, and the Annual Meeting. He indicated that the conference is committed to building on successes rather than focusing on its deficiencies and encouraged the council to do the same.
  2. David distributed his assessment of potential 2009 Our Church’s Wider Mission giving, which he estimated could be almost $78,000 below the budgeted amount. Added to a projected $12,000 projected shortfall in fellowship dues, he anticipates a total 2009 shortfall of approximately $90,000. He indicated that the recommendations for $50,000 budget adjustments previously approved by the council would not be enough, and therefore recommended that the budgeted amount for National Basic Support be reduced by an additional $30,000. After considerable discussion (including the suggestion of several alternatives) and on a motion by Don Green, seconded by Ron Beinema, the council voted 8-7 (with 1 abstention) to reduce National Basic Support by an additional $30,000.
  3. David distributed a letter of recommendation from the Search Committee for the Associate Conference Minister for Small Church Development, urging the council to appoint Rev. Darren Morgan to the position of Acting Associate Conference Minister for Small Church Development. On a motion by Ron Beinema, seconded by Susan Kaplan-Burgess, the council voted to appoint Rev. Darren Morgan to the position of Acting Associate Conference Minister for Small Church Development. On a motion by Connie Insley, seconded by Dan Johnson, the council voted to recommend Rev. Darren Morgan to the position of Associate Conference Minister for Small Church Development at the 2009 Annual Meeting in September.
  4. David indicated that a vacancy exists on the national Board of Directors of the Wider Church Ministries. In order to meet diversity provisions, the nominee is required to be a male under the age of 30. Three names were suggested: David Clark, Nate Wildes, and Drew McLaren. On a motion by Don Green, seconded by Dan Johnson, the council voted to submit the name of Drew McLaren as the Maine Conference representative to the national Board of Directors of the Wider Church Ministries.
  5. David distributed and explained information indicating a 2008 deficit of slightly over $25,000 at Rockcraft. He predicted an even greater deficit for 2009. He offered 3 possible options for reducing that potential deficit: (1) increasing revenue through greater use; (2) changing its operations (i.e., eliminating linen service and meals); or, (3) suspending operations. Mark had prepared estimates for each of the options for the council’s review and discussion. Gerry Moore moved and John Glover seconded that the matter be referred to the Finance Committee for its review of the fiscal data. The council defeated that motion by a vote of 15 to 1. After further discussion and on a motion by Linda Kimball, seconded by Don Green, the council voted to make adjustments in the rates at Rockcraft for 2009 as it considered the long-term decisions about the property.  On a motion by Linda Kimball, seconded by Don Green, the council voted unanimously to call a Special Conference Meeting for June 2009, to recommend the closing of the Rockcraft Retreat Center no later than December 31, 2009 and its eventual sale. Anita White asked Herb Oliver and the Facility Planning Study Committee to coordinate the organization of the Special Conference Meeting. A tentative date and location of June 6, 2009 and the First Congregational Church in Waterville were established for the meeting.

 

Other Business:

  1. Anita asked Sue Stevens to prepare the worship for the March 27th Coordinating Council meeting.
  2. Darren Morgan reported that 3 members of the Resourcing the Local Church Committee had resigned and need to be replaced. Council members were asked to forward any suggestions for new members to Darren.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m.