COORDINATING COUNCIL

MAINE CONFERENCE, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

February 22, 2008, Waterville

 

Minutes

 

Present:

Denise Goodman, Moderator                                     Franklin Anderson, York

Anita White, Vice Moderator                        Phillip McKean, Lincoln

Walter (Ted) Ruark Clerk                              Herb Oliver, Commission for Community Life

Chelsea Bicknell, State Youth Council         Linda Smith, Commission for Community Life

Richard Weidler, Cumberland                       Judy Hubley, Commission for Spiritual Life

Victor Stanley, Hancock-Waldo                    Anne Roundy, Commission for Spiritual Life

Jane Lowell, Kennebec Valley                       Jeanne Davis, Commission for Witness Life

Dan Johnson, Oxford-Union                          Connie Insley, Commission for Witness Life

John Glover, Penobscot-Piscataquis              David Gaewski, Conference Minister

Don Green, Washington                                 Susan Craig, Associate Conference Minister

            Ron Beinema, Board of Trustees                   Mark Schussler, Business Manager

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

 

Absent: John Deal, Aroostook         

                       

Call to Order and Prayer: Denise called the meeting to order at 10:03 a.m. and opened with prayer and a Lenten passage from the United Church of Christ web site. She remarked that the memorable quote from the passage was “God can’t steer a parked car.”

 

Minutes of January meeting: On a motion by Herb Oliver, seconded by Linda Smith, the minutes of the January 25, 2008 meeting were accepted with minor corrections.

 

Business Manager’s: Mark referred the committee to his written report and highlighted the following:

a.      The anticipated sale of a portion of the Rockcraft property fell through when the potential buyer was unable to secure bank financing, and the property is back on the market; and,

b.     The audits of the Conference accounts and the Consolidated Fund are underway, with the fieldwork currently being conducted.

Mark reminded the Council that the timing of the Annual Meeting (June as opposed to the usual September) has put additional pressure on Conference staff, to prepare the proposed 2009 budget at the same time as assisting in the annual audit.

Denise reported that Chuck Ilhoff had declined the invitation to be acting Treasurer and asked if any Council member was willing to accept the responsibility. The discussion that followed included the following comments:

  1. The Treasurer’s position includes membership on, and therefore attendance at meetings of, the Coordinating Council, the Executive Committee, and the Finance Committee, in addition to the work in the Conference office.
  2. Mark estimated that the time commitment would be between 4 and 16 hours per month.
  3. It was suggested that it might be time to consider hiring a part-time Treasurer, with a stipend for work performed. In preparation for further discussion at the March 28th council meeting, the staff was asked prepare a draft job description (responsibilities, required skills and abilities, anticipated hours, and pay level). It was also suggested that David check with other similar-sized conferences to see if this practice is used elsewhere.

 

Conference Ministers’ Reports:

Susie Craig highlighted the following items from her written report:

  1. She is working closely with the new Placement Assistant Alyssa Lodewick on the search and call process and with Annette Mott in the Resource Center.
  2. She is coordinating the 2 conferences, scheduled for April, which will be jointly sponsored by the Maine Conference and the Maritime Conference of the United Church of Canada.
  3. She continues her work on the National Youth Event in Knoxville, Tennessee in July, indicating that the age range for the event is 12 through 18.
  4. She will be participated in State Youth Council’s Midwinter Event taking place this weekend in Saco.

David Gaewski highlighted the following items from his written report:

  1. Rev. Tom Clough has been recommended by the Personnel Committee to fill the half-time Conference Minister position while David is on sabbatical (July through October). Copies of Rev. Clough’s ministerial profile and the contract for services to be performed were distributed for the council’s information. Rev. Clough’s contract will be for 12 weeks beginning the last week of July and running through the end of October (with 1 week’s unpaid vacation in August). On a motion by Ann Roundy, seconded by Phil McLean, the Council voted 19 to 0 to accept the recommendation of the Personnel Committee to retain the services of Rev. Tom Clough as Conference Minister while David is on sabbatical leave.
  2. Rev. Darren Morgan, currently half-time pastor of the Brownville church, has been selected as the Acting Associate Minister for Small Church Development. The Council had previously authorized the search committee to make that selection without further Council action.
  3. David reported on his recent visit to Honduras and his meetings with leaders of the Evangelical and Reformed Church. He indicated that the recent changes in that church’s leadership would provide both challenges and opportunities to the two church organizations, most notably the opportunity to focus on the theological basis of the respective denominations. He commented that the Partnership will likely focus on “much more than social reform.”

 

Continuing business:

Consolidated Trust payout: Ron Beinema commented on the written information explaining the ramifications of the new Board of Trustees’ investment policy. The three graphs in particular illustrated the impact the policy would have to ensure a predictable payout to the Conference and member churches.

 

Annual Meeting 2008: Herb presented a draft agenda for the 2008 Annual Meeting. The major changes from past years are that there would be only one workshop session (with 15 workshops planned). He also presented the following cost schedule:

       Registration fee - $50

       Lodging - $25 - person/night (double occupancy); $35 - person/night (single occupancy)

       Meals – breakfast - $6; lunch - $9; and $12 – dinner (all meals served cafeteria style)

Following a brief discussion, Ann Roundy moved, Richard Wiedler seconded, and the Council voted 18 to 0 to pay the expenses of the 4 Conference officers (Moderator, Vice-Moderator, Treasurer, Clerk) to attend the Annual Meeting. It was acknowledged that an officer could decline this offer, especially if he/she was attending as a delegate from a local church and that church was subsidizing his/her attendance.

Again after brief discussion, it was determined that presenters at the Annual Meeting would be provided with a meal ticket and travel reimbursement, if requested. It was also noted that attendance at the Retired Clergy has traditionally required payment of the registration fee and the cost of the luncheon. The Council made no changes to this arrangement. 

 

Town Meeting Summary and next steps: Herb reported that a reconfigured listing of the Town Meeting comments (organized around the 3 conference properties) would be available on the conference web site by mid-March and would be presented to the council at its March 28th meeting. Dan Johnson presented a letter, prepared by he and Don Isham, recommending that the Council conduct a visioning process prior to making any decisions about conference property. After a brief discussion, Dan Johnson moved, Ann Roundy seconded, and the Council voted 16 to 0 (with 1 abstention) that the Council meet on April 11, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. be develop a vision statement.

 

Bangor Theological Seminary report: Anita and Denise reported on the follow-up conversation with President Bill Imes. The Council’s discussion included the following:

  1. There appeared to be a need for further explanation of the respective roles of the seminary and the Academy for Congregational Life/Leadership.
  2. The Conference Minister has traditionally appointed representatives to the New England Council on Theological Education from Maine.
  3. At its next meeting, the Commission for Spiritual Life will discuss where the Seminary Support Committee, if reconstituted, would fall organizationally and make a recommendation to the Council.

 

Fall Council Retreat: Because Living Waters was not available on the selected dates (September 26 – 28, 2008), the Council decided to move the fall retreat to the China Lake facility.

 

New business:

Church and Ministry Committees retreat: Ann announced that the date of retreat had been changed to May 10th. Implementation of the Issues on Ministry pronouncement would be the topic for discussion.

 

Churches that contribute no OCWM: It was suggested that this item be placed first on the agenda of the March 28th meeting.

 

Honduras Partnership: Franklin Anderson reported that the Partnership would not be using the $7,000 in its 2008 to hire a part time position, freeing the money for other budgetary items, but that the Partnership would request the funds to be included in the proposed 2009 budget.

 

Personnel Committee: John Glover presented the Personnel Committee’s recommendation that the Conference underwrite part of David’s sabbatical leave expenses. On a motion by John Glover, seconded by Anita White, the Council voted 15 to 0 (with 1 abstention) that $8,150 be allocated for that item. It was further explained that the $3,000 is available from the continuing education account, $2,400 from the out-of-state travel account, and $2,750 from the sabbatical reserve account.

 

 

 

 

Reports:               

State Youth Council: Chelsea Bicknell reported that this would be her last meeting with the Council. The Council thanked her for her participation in Council activities during her tenure.

 

Witness Life: Jeanne Davis distributed postcards to be used to alert members of Congress to a debt relief bill currently before it. She commented that Senators Snowe and Collins were co-sponsors of the bill, and encouraged Council members to contact Representatives Allen and Michaud.

 

Associations: Verbal reports of activities were given for the Cumberland and Lincoln associations:

                                                                                                           

The meeting adjourned at 2:14 p.m.