Procedure
for Search for Conference Minister
Many have asked what we are going to do after David Gaewski
leaves after 15 years as Maine Conference Minister assuming he is called by the
New York Conference. I would like to
outline what the process will be.
David will be attending our Annual Meeting in June. He will
be out of the office during the second week of July attending the National
Youth Event (July 10-13) as our Conference
Minister. Then he will be on vacation until he officially concludes his duties
with the Maine Conference the first week of August.
The Conference By-laws gives the responsibility of creating
the search committee to the Coordinating Council and they have authorized both
search committees. As moderator, I have appointed the Executive Committee to
act as the search committee for the Interim Conference Minister. The Coordinating Council approved this motion
at the May meeting. We will be working with Rev. Susan Towner-Larson from the
national office as we do our search for both the Interim and the settled
Conference Minister. The interim position will be advertised through the
national office. We are hoping to have an interim on board by the end of 2012.
With direction from the Coordinating Council, I have been
working on creating a search committee for the settled position with the help
of conference staff and Executive Committee members. My goal is to have representation from each
of the associations, equal male and female, and youth as well as the 20/30 age
group. The Executive Committee recommended to the Coordinating Council the names for the settled Conference Minister search committee membership at its May meeting. The
committee, approximately 11 people, will be announced at this year’s Annual
Meeting in June. It is my hope to have the settled position advertised by
Spring of 2013 with an ending time of applications closing shortly after the
2013 General Synod. Interviews will take place after that. As we go through the
process we will keep the conference informed realizing that there is some of
the work which needs to be confidential. Additionally your input along the way
is always welcome.
We hope to have a settled Maine Conference Minister
candidate available for a vote at a special meeting near the end of 2013 or by
the Annual Meeting 2014. Remember this is a flexible time frame but it gives us
some targets.
Other
Conference News
As a Maine Conference we have many things going on. We have
just worked out an agreement with the New Hampshire Conference to have Bryan
Breault work with them and direct their camp
program, Horton Center, located near Gorham, New Hampshire. At the Annual
Meeting in June we hope that the delegates will approve a capital campaign for
Pilgrim Lodge. We presently have the conference office on the market and are
looking for a location for the Maine Conference Center.
The conference is in
the process of doing a visioning for the future. The Interim Conference Minister, the
Coordinating Council and the Search Committee will be utilizing this information
for the future direction of the Maine Conference.
Finally, so that you can get it on your calendar, we are
going to have a Conference wide Great Gaewski Gathering on July 15 at the
Waterville Church from 4-6p.m. so that you can say goodbye to
David and Sueli. More information will be coming out soon.
Faithfully,
Herbert F. Oliver, Moderator