Minutes of Meeting of September 23 and 24, 2011
Note: The following minutes are not necessarily presented in the order discussed at the meeting. The discussions and decisions made here were made in different session interspersed with presentations from the Mission Council Agencies.
Present: Bishop Julius Trimble, Ruth Ellen Stone, chair, Ouk-Yean Kim Jueng, Joanne Perez, Eric Burton Krieger, Joel Carver, Lawrence McGuinn, John Edgar, Anne Bunch, Bill Pyatt, Rick VanGiesen, John Boley. Also present by invitation was Jim Searls, webmaster.
Devotions: Devotions by Ouk-Yean Kim Jueng: Reading from Ezekiel. Meditation on flowing water and the living water of Christ. Mission Council work is like flowing and living water that will bring forth life. We are distributing “Holy Resources.”
Minutes: Approved the minutes of the meeting of September 24 and 25, 2010 as amended by changing the word “live” to “line” on p. 4.
Financial Reports: Rick V. reported that apportionments are coming in well, except for West Ohio, which is $16,000 behind. This might be the result of a new Treasurer.
We are $110,213 ahead for the first 2 and ½ years, but we have a big expense coming up with Jurisdictional Conference next July. All groups are in good shape, except the Commission on Religion and Race, discussed below. The Korean Mission might run out of money at the beginning of the next year.
Discussion of the Commission on Religion and Race: Rick explained that there is a discrepancy related to how much funding the CORR thought it had carried over from last quad. CORR thought they were carrying over around $20,000, and the books Rick inherited said that it was about $2000. Motion by Rick, seconded, that the Mission Council permit the CORR to overspend their budget by about $20,000 with no carryover for the next quad. Unanimous approval. Rick will communicate this to CORR.
Executive Committee Recommendations: Ruth Ellen led a discussion on Executive Committee recommendations:
- Solar Oven Grant Request: The Dakotas are requesting a grant of $5000 to help fund their Haiti Solar Over Project. The Executive Committee recommended approval with the $5,000 to be taken out of the Emerging Ministry line item. Motion tabled by unanimous vote.
This grant was taken up later in the meeting: Motion, seconded and approved to provide $5,000 grant out of Emerging Ministries line item for the Haiti Solar Oven Project. A subcommittee of Bill Pyatt, Ouk-Yean Kim Jeung and Anne Bunch will work together on policies for the future.
- Proposed Revised Financial Policies: Rick led a discussion of the following matters:
1) Audit. No CPA would perform an audit for us short of $100,000 due to extensive agency on-sight work. We will have to present to the Jurisdictional Conference the unfeasibility of performing an audit, even though it is required by the Discipline
2) The Two Pathways: The first pathway is for an agency to be a separate 501 (c) (3) operating independently; and the second pathway is for an agency to do all of its financial business through the mission council using the NCJ Treasurer as its treasurer.
a) Requirements for Funds to be Received in 2012 (Green Sheet): Executive committee recommends approval – Ouk-Yean recommends adding the language “that the cabinet to be notified” to no. 5. Unanimously approved as stated in Addendum B.
b) Requirements for Receiving Funds in 2013-2016 (Green Sheet): Executive Committee recommends approval. It was suggested that a new II e. be added: “The NCJ Treasurer will issue quarterly reports to the director and chair of the agency or organization and those whom the organization or agency designates.” Unanimously approved as stated in Addendum B. It was also approved that this procedure be taken to the Jurisdictional Conference in 2012.
Devotions: Bill Pyatt led devotions from Ed Hayes “A Pilgrim’s Almanac” focusing on that we believe in both sunrises and sunsets.
Continue Executive Committee Recommendations:
- Jurisdictional Expenses: Ruth Ellen presented the recommendation that jurisdictional expenses be as follows: Per diem raised from $75 to $100 per day, mileage remain at 30 cents a mile with a 5 cent supplement for additional passengers. The recommendation was unanimously approved, but later in the meeting it was unanimously approved to return the per diem back to $75.
- Request for Funds for Dakotas and Minnesota Area: Discussion about the request for $235,096 for developing a technological system to bring together the Dakotas and Minnesota into one area. Much discussion over several sessions. Several motions made, amended and withdrawn – (it is not worth reporting them all).
Final result of discussions: Motion by John Edgar, 2nd, that we support the full funding of the proposal of the Dakotas/Minnesota area for new technology and that the Executive Committee be empowered to work with the College of Bishops to come up with a plan to bring this to the Jurisdictional Conference. Unanimously approved. The College of Bishops will next meet in January.
- Budget Building. After much discussion and alternatives, the budget as attached as Addendum C was unanimously approved with a final apportioned budget of $992,300.
- Final business: Motion by Eric Burton Krieger: I move that annual conference directors of connectional ministry and heads of communications report to the executive committee of the Mission Council on their current capabilities related to interned video conferencing. Specifically, the Mission Council executive committee would like to know what is possible regarding a conference’s jurisdictional delegation meeting in a central location and being linked to other conference delegations online so that Jurisdictional Conference might be held virtually. Included in this report will be your current capabilities, plans for future development of video conferencing and sense of the needs you would have to make such an experience possible. Unanimously approved.
(Note from Secretary: This motion should be reworked by the Executive Committee to request a report of capabilities, however, in the event that bishops are to be elected, holding a virtual conference would be impossible).
- Final business: Motion to give Executive Committee authority to complete the unfinished business of this meeting. Unanimously approved.
Respectfully submitted:
John W. Boley
Mission Council Secretary
212 S. Park St., Kalamazoo, MI 49007
269.381.6340
Addendum A – Reports of Agencies
Addendum B – Financial Reporting Policies
Addendum C – Final Proposed Budget
Minutes of Meeting of September 23rd and 24th
Addendum A
Agency Reports:
Note: All of these Agencies submitted Funded Agency Reports for 2011. These reports were available and reviewed before the meetings. What follows are the highlights of the verbal presentations. These presentations were made in this order, with meals, breaks and other business scattered in between:
- Town and Country Association: Presenter, Deb Ketchem
- The NC Jurisdiction is filled with rural churches; they are very foundational in rural areas, and in establishing urban churches as rural people move to cities
- In March of 2011, there was a study that said that rural churches are feeling unheard; it’s very important to have training for clergy and laity on the needs of rural churches.
- Strong tie between Town and Country and Urban Network.
- January training included “Leading from the Edge,” Bridges 1 and 2”, Multi-cultural churches
- Future plans based on the theme “Radical Leadership”
- Will do more with web sites and technology; trying to do more things locally as well
- We are their only funding
- Request is for $12,000, same as last quad
- Urban Network: No Presenter
- Request is for $20,000, up from $12,000
- Midwest Mission Distribution Center: Presenter, Pat White, Executive Director
- History; founded in 1999 by Ill. Great Rivers; proposal to expand with help of UMCOR and Ill Great Rivers Conf.
- New facilities and dorm built since then
- Receive a large amount of donations from everywhere for health kits and cleaning buckets
- Board of Directors is 2 reps from each Conference
- New agreement with UMCOR to be a gathering point for kits, but other projects as well such as PETS
- Now are one of seven UMCOR depots
- Lots of volunteers and lots of enthusiasm
- Request is for $10,000, up from $5,000
- Commission on Religion and Race: Presenter, Phil Carver
- History: 1985, S. Dakota Conference gathered people to discuss racial issues
- By 1987 it was formally organized
- Focus on elimination of racism and how the church takes the lead in this
- Events held in all conferences, 2011 year in Iowa
- Connected with the General CORR
- Funding, about ½ from Mission Council, ½ from registrations and other sources
- Harder to receive funding from Conferences due to changes in their structures
- Funding dilemma: $18,000 discrepancy between what CORR thought it had as a carryover and what the Treasurer’s records show
- Request is for $20,000, same as last quad
- UM Volunteers in Mission: Presenter, Lorna Jost
- Board of 17 people; 2 meetings per year
- 17,000 volunteers in 2008, 1300 groups
- Due to large number of volunteers, focus more on training
- Try to do occasional Jurisdictional Roundups
- Also developing early response teams since 2007 to help UMCOR
- Budget about $78,000
- Request is for $32,000, same as last quad
- Continuing Consultation Committee: Presenter, Carolyn Johnson
- Desire to continue the approaches of last quad
- Want to work with local churches and develop coaches
- Work with what it means for the church to be a “residential neighbor” as African American neighborhoods change to Hispanic or Hmong, etc.
- Don’t want to be adversarial with larger church
- Will spend the rest of their budget in 2012
- Focus on black men; campus ministries; black generational differences
- Events: the history piece in Cleveland; colloquium in Faith, Family and Health
- Request is for $80,000, up from $70,000 last quad
- Hispanic American Caucus: Presenter, Jorge Mayorga
- Last week had the annual assembly in Rockford, Ill., 85 people attending
- 2009 focus on Pastoral couples
- 2010 focus on youth, gathered 195 from different conferences
- 2011 focus on women (gathering in Rockford)
- 2012 will focus on men
- All of these focus on spiritual strength and developing leadership IAW denominations focus of developing new leaders
- Everything also is designed to reduce racism
- Active in MARCHA – National Hispanic Caucus
- Don’t have plans to create more local churches
- Request is for $44,000, same as last quad
- Korean Mission Council: Presenter, Martin Lee
- Hoon K. Lee is chair, Martin Lee is past chair
- 2009 many UMs went to Korea as a cultural pilgrimage
- 110 Pastors in NCJ; presented handout of 2008-2011 successes, seven congregations, in planting churches with plans to plant 5 more churches in next quad
- Want to do more retreats to be more connected
- Very excited about academy for spiritual formation
- Get funding from Korean National Plan and from churches and individuals
- Request is for $150,000, a reduction from $175,000 for last quad
- Division on Ministry with Young People: Presenter, Kaylee Stoops
- Casey Madsen is chair, but couldn’t be here due to car trouble
- They’ve had a difficult year with leadership transitions
- Operating mainly in Indiana and Michigan, trying to move into other states
- They have a website operated by Carl Gladstone
- Desire to have some longevity in board members
- Work toward Young Person’s Convocation
- Request for $20,000 to get started again, $15,000 for last quad
- Bishop Reuben Job Center: Presenter, Doug Anderson
- Mission is to do a series of workshops and seminars in church development
- Examples: Renewal of Old Downtown First Church, Mission Centered Ministry, Back to the Parish
- Mission Council funding is about ¼ of budget, other funding comes from seminar fees and special giving
- Transitioning as Doug contemplates retirement next year
- Request is for $90,000, down from $98,000 for last quad
- Center for Hispanic Studies: Presenter, Awilda Nolla
- Help and develop all Hispanic churches in the Jurisdiction by training of individuals
- Presented brochure of events and focus
- Working on training due to mobility of populations, stewardship and worship
- Developing a lay leader program to train individuals in Wesleyan theology and polity for those not becoming Pastors
- Covenant with John Wesley Seminary in Monterray, Mexico – the faculty from there comes here for courses.
- Works closely with Hispanic American Caucus
- No other funding; all volunteer staff
- Request is for $45,000, down from $46,000 from last quad
- Asian American Fellowship: Presenter, Sung Ja Lee Moon
- Mission: To empower and encourage Asian American community
- 195 Asian American Pastors in Jurisdiction
- Committed to 4 areas of focus in UMC
- Give out many scholarships
- They cover 10 Asian American groups
- 2011 Convocation in California with worship and workshops
- Request is for $40,000, same as last quad
- Committee on Native American Ministries: Presenters, Carol Lakota Easton and Tim Miller
- 2 different funded agencies; Committee on Native American Ministries and Native American International Caucus
- CONAM doing the Course of Study since 2005, accredited through GBHEM
- Tom John of West Michigan Conference is first graduate
- Goals of CONAM – Continue COS in different states; participate in General Conference Acts of Repentance;
- Need extra funding (about $100,00) for a jurisdictional summit and to fund a resource staff person
- Michigan used to have 43 NA ministries, now has 9
- NA International Caucus bring people together – camping program and eagles program and provides education in such things as alcohol abuse and suicide prevention
- Request is for $140,000 for CONAM, up from $35,000; and $30,000 for NA International Caucus, same as for last quad
Meeting of September 23 and 24, 2011
Addendum B
Financial Policies adopted at Meeting
Requirements for Receiving Funds in 2012:
- Organization/Agency must request funds after January 1, 2012
- Organization/Agency must present a detailed financial report to the NCJ Treasurer for the year ending December 31, 2011. An audit is preferable.
- Organization/Agency must provide the NCJ Treasurer with a copy of its December 2011 bank statements (all accounts). Organizations or agencies which do not have their own bank accounts of their own treasuries obviously do not need to comply with this requirement.
- No funds can be paid to individuals or personal bank accounts, except for authorized reimbursement which must be fully documented.
- Funding for local churches (and other ministries directly related to an annual conference) will be sent to the treasurer of that annual conference for distribution, and the cabinet of that annual conference will also be notified of the distribution.
Requirements for Receiving Funds in 2013 – 2016 – Two Pathways are Permissible
- Block (Lump Sum) Annual Funding
- Organization/Agency shall provide the NCJ Treasurer with a copy of its 501(c)(3) designation from the IRS.
- Organization/Agency shall provide the NCJ Treasurer with a copy of its articles of incorporation and registration with the appropriate governmental entities in the state where its main offices are located.
- Funds must be requested annually.
- A detailed financial report from the previous year must be presented to the NCJ Treasurer (An audit is preferable).
- Copies of the December bank statements from the previous year must be presented to the NCJ Treasurer (all accounts).
- Local churches, uncharted churches and mission churches are exempt from a & b above, however, approved funding will be sent to the appropriate annual conference treasurer for distribution monthly.
- Periodic and Reimbursement Funding
- Organizations and agencies which do not have their own 501(c)(3) designation and are not separately incorporated must utilize NCJ Treasurer as their sole treasurer.
- Existing balances in current bank accounts as of December 31, 2012 must be surrendered to the NCJ Treasury and evidence provided that those bank accounts are closed.
- Organizations and agencies shall utilize a payout voucher system (provided by the NCJ Treasurer) for program expenses and reimbursements.
- The annual audit of these organizations and agencies shall be conducted as a part of the NCJ audit.
- The NCJ Treasurer will issue quarterly reports to the director and chair of the agency or organization and those whom the organization or agency designates.
|
Minutes of Meeting of September 23 and 24, 2011 – Addendum C |
||||||
| Acct # Description | Budget Quadrennium |
Budget 2013-2016 |
||||
|
INCOME |
||||||
|
40100 Apportionments |
$921,240 |
$992,300 |
||||
|
41100 Special Missions |
$0 |
|||||
|
42100 Interest Income – Merrill Lynch |
$45,000 |
|||||
|
42200 Interest Income – Credit Union |
$0 |
|||||
|
49900 Miscellaneous Income |
$0 |
|||||
|
TOTAL INCOME |
$966,240 |
$992,300 |
||||
|
EXPENSES |
||||||
|
51100 Jurisdictional Conference Expense |
$299,000 |
$274,000 |
||||
|
51300 Jurisdictional Conference Secretary |
$12,500 |
$12,500 |
||||
|
51400 Jurisdictional Conference Treasurer |
$12,000 |
$12,000 |
||||
|
51500 Jurisdictional Court of Appeals (Misc) |
$15,000 |
$5,000 |
||||
|
52100 Mission Council |
$49,000 |
$40,000 |
||||
|
52150 Fellowship of Mission Secretaries |
$1,000 |
$0 |
||||
|
52200 Committee on Episcopacy |
$42,000 |
$60,000 |
||||
|
52300 Archives & History |
$2,500 |
$800 |
||||
|
52400 Ruben Job Center |
$98,000 |
$90,000 |
||||
|
52500 Town & Country Network |
$24,000 |
$12,000 |
||||
|
52550 Urban Network |
$12,000 |
|||||
|
52600 Volunteers in Mission |
$32,000 |
$25,000 |
||||
|
53100 Korean Ministries |
$175,000 |
$150,000 |
||||
|
53300 Hispanic Ministry Center of the NCJ |
$46,000 |
$45,000 |
||||
|
53350 Hispanic Caucus |
$44,000 |
$44,000 |
||||
|
53400 Native American Ministry |
$35,000 |
$35,000 |
||||
|
53450 Native American IC NE Region |
$30,000 |
$30,000 |
||||
|
54100 Youth Ministry |
$15,000 |
$15,000 |
||||
|
54150 Asian American Fellowship |
$40,000 |
$35,000 |
||||
|
55100 Religion and Race |
$20,000 |
$20,000 |
||||
|
56100 Continuing Consultation |
$70,000 |
$70,000 |
||||
|
57100 Midwest Mission Distribution Center |
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
||||
|
58100 General Conf. Expense for Host A/C |
$20,000 |
$0 |
||||
|
58200 Jurisdictional Conf. Expense for Host A/C |
$20,000 |
$0 |
||||
|
59100 Transitional Assistance – MN/Dakotas |
$40,000 |
$0 |
||||
|
59900 Emerging Ministries |
$6,000 |
$0 |
||||
|
TOTAL EXPENSES |
$1,153,000 |
$992,300 |
$71,060 |
7.71% |
||
|
TOTAL CHANGE IN NET ASSETS |
-$186,760 |
$0 |
||||
