United Church of God, an International Association
Council of Elders Meeting Report
December 12, 2007 - Cincinnati, OH

 

Robert Dick opened the meeting today at 9 a.m. After the opening prayer, Clyde Kilough introduced David McCarble II, a United Church of God member who lives in Houston, Texas, to give the Council a presentation on development possibilities for a new facility. Mr. McCarble has extensive experience in development of high-rise and commercial retail centers. Since 2000, he has developed seven projects having a market value of approximately $60 million. He showed the Council large pictures of a number of projects in which he has been involved.

 

Discussion on the Milam Road Property Development

Mr. McCarble described the physical setting of the Milam Road property. He said that since the property is outside of the city limits at this time, we can have a lot more freedom in developing the style we choose for this property. He mentioned that this property is a huge blessing. He also said that this property might well qualify for low-cost bond financing at a good rate. He went on to say that timing is everything and mentioned that he thought God gave us this property at the right time at the right price.

He then fielded a number of questions from the Council. Following are some of the questions and a summary of his answers:

• Would we have to develop a septic system? Answer: Yes, but the property does have enough land available so we can develop our own system, and it will be a cost-saving measure in the long run. Municipal sewer would eventually be brought to the area.
• Tell us about the appraisal price. Answer: We looked at about 70 properties in the area. We got an excellent rate on this property.
• Tell us about the development in the area. Answer: There is a lot of construction occurring, including businesses and residential areas. This property is now on the outskirts of town, so it is best to develop it now before it could come under city annexation and regulations.
• How long will Phase One development take? Answer: From start to finish, about 18 months.

Mr. Kilough asked him to explain the design and structure of the pre-engineered steel buildings in which he specializes. Mr. McCarble mentioned that the buildings he deals with have the highest fire rating because of the brick, stone and steel that are used in construction. The buildings are cost-effective because they can be designed by CAD (computer-aided design), which takes only two or three weeks for design completion.

He mentioned that steel costs could go higher, but once we order a building, we can lock into the price on the steel. He said that we can take any type of building plan and turn it into a steel building, which is also a cost savings. He also talked about developing a "green," or environmentally friendly, type of building, which also can lead to savings on energy costs, and it would be a good example to the community.

Mr. Kilough reminded the Council that Mr. McCarble is a Church member, which also is a benefit. Of course, everything would have to be on a business level, and Larry Darden, the Church's legal counsel, would review all contracts before they are signed. Mr. McCarble mentioned that it would be an honor to be considered to oversee the development. He assured the Council that checks and balances would be in place such as "testing contracts" for materials. He also mentioned that there is a good labor market, and that there are a number of United Church of God members who are skilled and may be available to help. They would be encouraged to offer bids as well.

At the conclusion of this presentation, Leon Walker mentioned he would like to see the development of the property proceed as soon as possible.

 

Proposed Amendments

Mr. Dick then led the Council in the review of five proposed amendments to the Bylaws that had been forwarded to the Council by the Amendment Committee.

According to Bylaw 12.2.2.9, each proposed amendment must receive the support from a minimum of four Council members for it to be placed on the agenda for the General Conference of Elders meeting in May 2008. If that level of support is not received, the proposed amendments go to the GCE to seek support.

Mr. Dick reminded the Council they were also permitted to write statements of concern for each amendment if they felt it was warranted. This could happen whether the amendment receives support from four members or not. For a statement of concern to come from the Council, at least seven Council members, a majority, would have to approve it.

After the review of each amendment, Mr. Dick asked for a show of hands as to the required level of support. Since this is not a ballot issue, nor is it a resolution, there is no tabulation of which Council members supported or didn't support an amendment.

Proposed amendment to Bylaw 8.3.1:

The amendment did not receive the minimum Council member support, and it will be returned to the Amendment Committee for their action. The Council will also send a statement of concern to the Amendment Committee.

Proposed amendment to Bylaws 7.5.4 and 8.4.3:

The amendment did receive the minimum Council member support, and it will be included on the ballot at the 2008 GCE annual meeting. The Council will also send a statement of concern to the Amendment Committee.

Proposed amendment to Bylaw 9.6:

The amendment did not receive the minimum Council member support, and it will be returned to the Amendment Committee for their action. The Council will also send a statement of concern to the Amendment Committee.

Proposed amendment to Articles 12.2.2.11 and 12.2.2.12:

The amendment did receive the minimum Council member support, and it will be included on the ballot at the 2008 GCE annual meeting. The Council did not choose to send a statement of concern.

Proposed amendment to Articles 9.1 and 9.2:

The amendment did receive the minimum Council member support, and it will be included on the ballot at the 2008 GCE annual meeting. The Council will also send a statement of concern to the Amendment Committee.

Mr. Walker was chosen to write up the statements of concern on behalf of the Council. The members of the Council were asked to send him additional comments or edits to the statements of concern.

 

Resolutions

The secretary, David Johnson, presented three resolutions to the Council. All three were unanimously approved. The first was to confirm signature authorization for the Church for a Fidelity investment account. The second resolution was requested by the U.S. Postal Service so that the Church would receive the periodical postage rates for World News and Prophecy. The third resolution was a proactive move. This resolution was presented now so that the Church would be prepared to handle similar requests from the U.S. Postal Service for our other publications.

The open meeting adjourned at 2:45 p.m. The Council went into executive session for the remainder of the afternoon to handle ordinations, credentialing, legal updates, etc.

 

John Foster
Council Reporter

 

© 2007 United Church of God, an International Association