COORDINATING COUNCIL
MAINE CONFERENCE, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
June 5, 2009, Pilgrim Lodge, West Gardiner
Minutes

 

Present:

Anita White, Moderator                                 Ann Roundy, Commission for Spiritual Life

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

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

Gerard Moore, Treasurer                               Lori Whittemore, Commission for Witness Life 

Nita Dehais, Cumberland                               David Gaewski, Conference Minister

Susan Kaplan-Burgess, Franklin                    Susan Craig, Associate Conference Minister

Jane Lowell, Kennebec Valley                       Darren Morgan, Acting Associate Conference

Don Isham, Oxford Union                                          Minister for Small Church Development

John Glover, Penobscot-Piscataquis              Mark Schussler, Business Manager

Don Green, Washington                                 Susan Stevens, Conference Executive Assistant 

Franklin Anderson, York                               Connie Insley, Finance and Audit Committee
                                                                                    Bryan Breault, Pilgrim Lodge    

 

Absent:

Aroostook representative                               Linda Kimball, Commission for Spiritual Life

Kelsea Trefethen, State Youth Council         Bernys Doak, Hancock-Waldo 

Ron Beinema, Board of Trustees                   Phillip McKean, Lincoln 

 

Welcome: Bryan Breault welcomed the Coordinating Council to Pilgrim Lodge.

 

Call to Order: Anita White called the meeting to order at 10:22 a.m. and opened with a reading from Wrestling the Light by Ted Loder.


Minutes of the May 8, 2009 meeting: On a motion by Linda Smith, seconded by Franklin Anderson, the council voted to accept the minutes of the May 8, 2008 meeting as printed.


Treasurer’s Report: Gerald Moore highlighted the following from is written report:

  1. Income for the year to date is up by 19% and expenses are down by 7%, the latter partially due to the reduction of the budget enacted earlier in the year by the Coordinating Council.
  2. Investment income is the only income line item that is down compared to last year.

On a motion by Anne Roundy, seconded by Herb Oliver, the council voted to accept the Treasurer’s Report as printed.


Business Manager’s Report: Mark Schussler highlighted the following from is written report:

  1. Human Resources: Mark and Sue Stevens reported that about 50 applications have been received for the Placement Assistant position. Sue expects the field to be narrowed to approximately 12 to 15 for telephone interviews and then 3 to 5 for face-to-face interviews with David Gaewski, Susan Craig, and Sue Stevens.
  2. Financial Operations: He has been busy working on the 2010 budget for presentation at the Annual Meeting in September.
  3. Business Operations: A new telephone system at the conference office is expected to be installed next week. It will include individual voice mail for each staff member, whether he/she is located in the Pennell Center or at a different location.
  4. Governance: He has been preparing the financial material for the Special Conference Meeting, and the Maine Ministerial Relief Society Annual Meeting.

 

Conference Ministers’ Reports

Susan Craig highlighted the following items from her written report:

  1. Several of the search committees that she is working will now have their pastoral vacancies and are receiving ministerial profiles.
  2. She is continuing to work with the State Youth Council and as a representative of Maine planning a Regional Youth Event.
  3. David Clark has accepted an invitation to be the delegate on the Council for Youth and Young Adult Ministries for the national setting.
  4. She expressed concern that the published dates for the 2011 General Synod could make it difficult for youth delegates to attend because of a potential conflict with local high school graduations.

Darren Morgan highlighted the following from his written report:

  1. He has presented a visioning workshop for a number of churches.
  2. He, along with Sue Stevens, attended the Annual Meeting of the Maritime Conference of the United Church of Canada in Sackville, New Brunswick. Approximately 500 delegates and guests attended. Informal discussions included the role of non-church members in leadership positions and health care costs.

David Gaewski highlighted the following from his written report:

  1. On a personal level, he has attended his daughter’s college graduation, entertained his wife’s family from Brazil for the month of May, and attended four presentations of his son’s high school play.
  2. He met recently with the president of Atlantic School of Theology in New Brunswick which offers a Masters of Divinity degree on-line (with a 3-week residency requirement each summer). The cost of the program are about half that of a traditional seminary education.
  3. He has been approached about the need for a workshop for “seasoned pastors,” ministers who have postponed their retirement and feel the need for learning how to keep their ministry fresh and relevant.
  4. David, in conversation with a Member in Discernment, explored the idea of a workshop/event focused on the topic of church development for the “under 30” generation. Council discussion centered on how such an event could be organized.
  5. At a recent meeting with the clergy of the Lincoln Association, he was told that adult retreats are not a high priority. The Coordinating Council discussion that followed this comment reiterated that this was not the consensus of many ministers and laypersons across the state.
  6. David discussed the inaccuracies in today’s Kennebec Journal article about the June 6th Special Conference Meeting. He will provide a similar explanation prior to the Moderator’s comments at the meeting, in order to clarify the information contained in the article.
  7. Susan Kaplan-Burgess thanked David for his remarks as guest speaker at the Bangor Theological Seminary graduation.


Continuing Business:

Special Conference Meeting: Anita announced that coffee would be available when delegates arrived in Waterville. Sue Stevens reported that 206 delegates representing 57 churches had preregistered for the meeting. She pointed out that the latest edition of the ACE had reminded delegates that registration would begin at 9:00 a.m., and that volunteers were needed to assist in the registration process. John Glover, Susan DeCoster, and Susan Kaplan-Burgess will help out. Separate registration tables will be set up for delegates, visitors, and others attending the meeting. Anita distributed copies of her remarks which summarizes the history of the activities leading to consideration of the sale of Rockcraft in the context of a larger study of Conference properties and facilities. A printed copy would be provided to each person in attendance. After considerable discussion, the Coordinating Council agreed to the following wording of the motion to be presented at the meeting by Don Green:

I move that rental activities at Rockcraft Retreat Center be terminated no later than December 31, 2009, provided that the property continue to be used solely for purposes of the Conference until and unless the property is sold or is otherwise no longer used or occupied by the Conference, and that the 101.5+/- acre property known as Rockcraft Retreat Center be offered for sale upon terms and conditions deemed advisable by the Coordinating Council which is hereby authorized to take such actions as are necessary or desirable to complete such offer and sale. Anita and the council members thanked Sue Stevens for all her work in preparing for the Special Conference Meeting.


Calendar: Anita reminded council members of the following schedule of meetings:

August 6 - 2:30 p.m. - Executive Committee, conference call

August 14 - 10:00 a.m. - Coordinating Council, Waterville
            September 10 - 2:30 p.m. - Executive Committee, Waterville
            September 25 - 27  - Annual Meeting, Sunday River
            October 23 - 10:00 a.m. - Coordinating Council, Waterville
            December 4 - 10:00 a.m. - Coordinating Council Retreat, Rockcraft (subject to change)

She also indicated that the Executive Committee meetings prior to the October and December Coordinating Council meetings have yet to be scheduled.


2009 Annual Meeting: Anne reported that concern about the keynote speaker has been resolved and that the workshop schedule, while including fewer sessions than last year, is “coming together nicely.” The planning committee will meet on June 10th in Waterville at 10:00 a.m.


2010 Annual Meeting: Anita indicated that it is the Coordinating Council’s responsibility to establish the theme for and to select the co-chairs of the Annual Meeting Planning Committee. After considerable discussion, on a motion by Anne Roundy, seconded by Susan Kaplan-Burgess, the council voted to forward to the planning committee the concept of “’emerging churches” as the theme for the 2010 Annual Meeting. On a motion by Lori Whittemore, seconded by Susan DeCoster, the council voted to ask Martha Hoverson to be one co-chair of the 2010 Annual Meeting Planning Committee. Mark Doty had previously agreed to be one co-chair. Susan Craig indicated that the Academy for Congregational Life and Leadership might want to hold its 2010 gradation at the Annual Meeting. Lori Whittemore offered to write a grant proposal to obtain funds to stream the 2010 Annual Meeting on line or as a webinar.


Formal Statement of Thanks to the First Congregational Church in Waterville: Anita reminded the council that the First Congregational Church in Waterville has offered its space for Conference meetings for a number of years at no cost. On a motion by Anne Roundy, seconded by John Glover, the council voted (with 2 abstentions) to formally thank the Waterville church for its extravagant hospitality at the Annual Meeting and at a Sunday morning worship service.


General Synod Resolution - “Unifying Governance of the United Church of Christ”: David presented the background of the emergency resolution that was prepared by Bonnie Haase of the Machais church and reviewed by David and the five Maine members of the Covenanted Ministries Boards. The resolution recognizes the need for restructuring the national office, acknowledges the tensions created by the latest vote on a single governance board, and requests a “pregnant pause” in deliberations to allow further discussion of the issue. He also indicated that 3 conferences and 1 association have submitted emergency resolutions that, if approved, would bring the single governing board concept to a vote at the 2011 General Synod. On a motion by Herb Oliver, seconded by Jane Lowell, the council voted that the Maine Conference submit the Unifying Governance of the United Church of Christ Resolution as an emergency resolution to the 27th General Synod of the United Church of Christ.


Reports: Susan Craig that the State Youth Council has expressed concern about youth voting at the Annual Meeting since the executive committee of the State Youth Council does not meet the definition of a committee of the conference (not elected at the Annual Meeting).


New Business:

Bylaw Revision Committee: Anita advised the council that, at previous meetings, it had been recognized that the bylaws were in need of revision. On a motion by Susan Kaplan-Burgess, seconded by Jane Lowell, the council voted to create an ad hoc bylaw revision committee. Anita appointed Bill Walsh, Franklin Anderson and Walter (Ted) Ruark as members of the committee, with David Gaewski and Sue Stevens as members ex officio. Walter (Ted) Ruark agreed to chair the committee. The bylaw revision committee is expected to make its report to the Coordinating Council at the January 2010 meeting, allowing sufficient time for discussion prior to a recommendation at the 2010 Annual Meeting in June.


Conference Call Option for People who Live at a Great Distance: Anita noted that representation on commissions and conference committees, including the Coordinating Council, is sometimes inhibited by the distance people must travel to attend (especially from Aroostook and Washington counties). She suggested that participation by people from those areas would be increased if they could be connected to the commission or committee meetings through conference calling. In the ensuing discussion, the following comments were made:

  1. The Waterville church has only one telephone line available, so having conference calls for all 3 commission meetings, which meet simultaneously, would not be possible without the installation (and related cost) of additional Telephone lines.
  2. Distance is not the only inhibitor of participation. Sometimes the time needed to travel and attend a meeting is not available, or the person is too ill to attend. Conference calling would allow participation by persons who experience these difficulties.
  3. Using the Internet and Skype might provide a visual as well as audio alternative to conference calling.
  4. The acoustics in the meeting room often impede the veracity of conference calling.

On a motion by Anne Roundy, seconded by Herb Oliver, the council voted to look into what is necessary to have telecommunication options for conference meetings for those who are at great distances or who are unable to attend conference meetings.


The meeting was adjourned at 1:49 p.m.

 


Emailed to Anita White on Sunday, June 7, 2009 and to Sue Stevens on June 19, 2009