COORDINATING COUNCIL

MAINE CONFERENCE, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

May 8, 2009, Hallowell

 

Minutes

 

Present:

            Anita White, Moderator                                 Franklin Anderson, York      

Walter (Ted) Ruark, Clerk                             Susan DeCoster, Commission for Community Life

            Gerard Moore, Treasurer                               Linda Smith, Commission for Community Life

            Kelsea Trefethen, State Youth Council         Ann Roundy, Commission for Spiritual Life

Ron Beinema, Board of Trustees                   Jeanne Davis, Commission for Witness Life

Nita Dehais, Cumberland                               Connie Insley, Finance and Audit Committees

            Bernys Doak, Hancock-Waldo                       David Gaewski, Conference Minister

Jane Lowell, Kennebec Valley                       Susan Craig, Associate Conference Minister

            Phillip McKean, Lincoln                                Darren Morgan, Acting Associate Conference

            Dan Johnson, Oxford Union                                       Minister for Small Church Development

John Glover, Penobscot-Piscataquis              Mark Schussler, Business Manager

Don Green, Washington                                 Susan Stevens, Conference Executive Assistant

                                                                                                           

Absent:          

Aroostook representative                               Linda Kimball, Commission for Spiritual Life

Herb Oliver, Vice-Moderator                                    Susan Kaplan-Burgess, Franklin

Representative, Commission for Witness Life                    

           

Call to Order: Anita White called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. and welcomed Susan DeCoster, as the new chair of the Commission for Community Life to the Council. Sue Stevens opened with a “holy humor” meditation on keeping the important things paramount in our lives and with a prayer.

 

Review of March 27, 2009 Coordinating Council Meeting Minutes: On a motion by Linda Smith, seconded by John Glover, the council voted to accept the minutes of the March 27, 2009 Coordinating Council meeting as printed.

 

Treasurer’s Report: Gerard Moore highlighted the following from his written report:

1.     Total income for the year to date increased by $80,955 compared to the same period in 2008 with increases in fellowship dues, miscellaneous income, and Pilgrim Lodge registrations.

2.     Cash flow has improved significantly during the past two months (March and April).

3.     He also recommended that the agenda for the Annual Meeting include a report on the Consolidated Trust from the Board of Trustees. On a motion by Phil McLean, seconded by Ron Beinema, the council voted to accept the Treasurer’s report as printed.

 

Business Manager’s Report: Mark Schussler reported that his work for the past month could be summarized in three different areas:

  1. Audits: He has worked with the Audit Committee in preparing its reports to the Coordinating Council.
  2. Finance: He has been working with the Finance Committee on the 2010 budgetary process.
  3. Trustees: He has met with the Board of Trustees in relation to the Consolidated Trust.

In addition, Mark mentioned that he has been discussing issues associated with the Special Conference Meeting with legal counsel. On a motion by Anne Roundy, seconded by Phil McLean, the council voted to accept the Business manager’s report.

 

Conference Ministers’ Reports

David Gaeweski: David reported the following to supplement his written report:

  1. Voting at the Special Conference Meeting on June 6, 2009: The Conference Bylaws clearly define who is eligible to vote at Annual and/or Special Conference Meetings and includes 2 delegates from each church (with a formula for additional delegates from churches with larger membership), a youth delegate from each church, all active and retired ministers with standing in an association in Maine, association officers (specifically, the Moderator, Vice-Moderator, Scribe, and Treasurer), members of committees of the Conference (specified as the Nominating and Credentials Committees), and all commission members. This excluded members of the Executive Committee of the State Youth Council, unless they were youth delegates from their local churches. There was a question as to whether delegates from Schedule I and II churches could vote. David will seek guidance from the Conference legal counsel on this matter. There was also a question as to whether delegates under the age of 18 could vote to sell property because of a provision in the law restricting the vote to sign a contract to persons 18 or over. David will also seek clarification of this issue from legal counsel.
  2. Emergency Resolutions for the General Synod: David explained that the deadline for submitting resolutions for the June General Synod had passed, but that emergency resolutions could be submitted by June 5, 2009. Apparently three conferences (Penn Central, Michigan, and Connecticut) were preparing three slightly different emergency resolutions in support of a single governance board model for discussion at the 2009 General Synod and a vote at the 2011 General Synod. There is concern among Maine’s delegates to national boards and committees that a single board governance model would diminish the minority voice historically associated with the United Church of Christ (including those from mainly rural states, like Maine). Marcia Charles, Maine’s representative to the Executive Board, recounted her experience at her first meeting in Cleveland. She and David, with the assistance of Bonnie Haas (from the Machais church and a former Associate Conference Minister in Chicago) have volunteered to draft an emergency resolution that would recognize the importance of maintaining minority voices in the national governance organization. After considerable discussion, on a motion by Anne Roundy, seconded by Dan Johnson, the council voted that the Coordinating Council of the Maine Conference supports meaningful representation of minority voices in the governance of the national church and authorizes the Executive Committee of the Coordinating Council, on its behalf, to make final determination of the wording of the General Synod Emergency Resolution and to share that resolution with other conferences as it sees fit.

Several members of the Coordinating Council congratulated and thanked David for his presentation at the public hearing on L. D. 1020 on April 24, 2009.

 

Susan Craig: Susan had distributed her report prior to the meeting and recounted her activities since the last Coordinating Council meeting, highlighting the May 3rd middle school event (63 persons in attendance), the New England Regional Youth and Young Adult Focus Group, and the April 30th Virtual Boundary Training. She also indicated that a number of the churches she is working with in the search and call process have decided to reduce their ministers to part-time. She added that such a change would significantly increase lay participation in the local church.

Darren Morgan: Darren had distributed his report prior to the meeting and noted that the transition from half time to three quarters time with the conference and his resignation from the pastorate in Brownville have gone smoothly. He also indicated that he hopes to be invited to submit a grant proposal to the Frank E. Clark Charitable Trust for additional financial support of the Parish of Promise, Resourcing the Local Church, and Maine Ministerial Excellence Programs.

           

Continuing Business:

Special Conference Meeting: Anita distributed a revised draft of the agenda for the meeting, commenting on the changes made since the last Coordinating Council meeting. Additional suggestions for change were made. Anita also made the following appointments for the Special Conference Meeting:

            Parliamentarian: Diane Bennekamper

            Tellers: Anne Roundy, Susan DeCoster, Don Green, and Franklin Anderson

            Credentials Committee: Connie Insley, Sue Stevens, and Linda Smith

Council members recognized that a question would likely be raised at the meeting concerning the disposition of the money from the sale of Rockcraft if it is approved at the June 6th meeting and it is eventually sold. After considerable discussion, on a motion by Franklin Anderson, seconded by Dan Johnson, the council voted that should Rockcraft Lodge be sold, the net proceeds will be reserved in an interest-bearing account until the entire conference in meeting decides how it use it. Net proceeds means the money received from the sale, less expenses of the sale and maintenance or preparation of Rockcraft in the interim.

 

Guidelines for a Conference Minister Fitness Review: David presented the proposed wording of the Guidelines for a Conference Minister Fitness Review recommended by the Personnel Committee for inclusion in the Conference Administrative Manual. The Personnel Committee further recommended that the following stipulations be noted:

  1. The cost of any such review should be borne by the Maine Conference (line 206-7).
  2. Only associations outside of the Maine conference be asked for assistance (line 354-7).

On a motion by Anne Roundy, seconded by John Glover, the council voted to adopt the Guidelines for a Conference Minister Fitness Review.

 

Commission for Witness Life and Our Church’s Wider Mission: Jeanne Davis expressed the concern of the Commission for Witness Life’s responsibility to recommend the amount of OCWM included in the annual conference budget. The committee believes that this responsibility should be placed at a different level, one that reflects broader conference participation. After brief discussion, on a motion by Jeanne Davis, seconded by Dan Johnson, the council voted, with one opposed, to reassign the responsibility for recommending the amount of OCWM included in the annual conference budget to the Coordinating Council.

 

2009 Annual Meeting Committee: Sue Stevens reported that Sunday River had made an offer to reduce the cost of meals and beverages at the 2009 and subsequent Annual Meetings if the Conference agreed to book the facilities for the 2010 and 2011 Annual Meetings. After brief discussion, the council reaffirmed its decision to hold the 2010 and 2011 Annual Meetings at the University of Maine at Farmington.

 

Audit Committee: Connie Insley, chair of the Finance and Audit Committee, distributed copies of the audits of the Consolidated Trust Fund and the Maine Conference from Smith & Associates. On a motion by Anne Roundy, Seconded by John Glover, the council voted to accept the audit reports.

 

Coordinating Council Fall Retreat: Anita announced that Rockcraft was not available on October 23, 2009, the previously selected day for the Coordinating Council fall retreat, and that the date had been changed to December 4,2009. The council will hold a regular meeting on October 23rd.

 

State Youth Council and Association Reports:

  1. State Youth Council: Kelsea Trefethen reported that the State Youth Council will conduct a workshop at the Conference Annual Meeting in September and that it is planning a Beach Day for July 25th and the Fall Convention for October 16 – 17. She was also selected to represent the delegate to the General Synod in June. A second youth also hopes to attend, as a visitor. Funding for her attendance was referred to the Commission for Community Life.
  2. The following associations reported on their spring meetings:
    1. Lincoln Association – At its next meeting, the association will vote to change its name to the Mid-Coast Association since it includes churches from three counties (Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and Knox). Rev. David Hall will be visiting the various churches in the association, preaching on “What is Covenant?” The executive committee of the association will be visiting each church in the association during the next year.
    2. Oxford Union Association – Dan Johnson spoke at the spring meeting of the association concerning the special Conference Meeting and vote to sell Rockcraft. He reported that there were very few questions following his presentation. He indicated that Don Isham would return from Arizona and rejoin the Coordinating Council in time for its June 5th meeting.
    3. Hancock- Waldo Association – The association has published its first association newsletter. The executive committee plans to meet with interested individuals in the various churches of the association over the next few months.
    4. Washington Association – Don Green, as the association representative to the Coordinating Council, will be visiting churches in the association.
    5. York Association – Twenty of the 22 churches in the association were represented at the spring meeting in Kennebunkport, which included workshops on the use of the Internet and web sites and donations of food buckets for the Amigo program (food assistance for Honduras).

 

The meeting was adjourned at 2:26 p.m.