United Church of God, an International Association
Council of Elders Meeting Report

Friday, May 14, 1999 — Cincinnati, Ohio

The third day of meetings covered four main subjects. The Council first turned to a discussion of miscellaneous Home Office initiated issues, then moved on to finalizing a job description for the Chairman of the Council of Elders. A number of media issues appeared next, and the day ended with finalization of executive session concerns brought forward by Roy Holladay and Gary Antion.

Outgoing reporter Clyde Kilough
Incoming reporter
Doug Johnson (right)

Home Office Initiated Issues

President Les McCullough directed the Council’s attention to a number of miscellaneous issues at the outset of Friday’s meetings.

The first item concerned a Web site proposal from Montana elder Dan Deininger regarding an affiliate marketing program for the Good News magazine on the Internet. Further discussion of the church’s Web site management is on the Council agenda for these meetings; both Mr. Kubik and Mr. McCullough indicated that the Council needed to settle this before proceeding with Mr. Deininger’s offer. Mr. McCullough asked Web site coordinator Peter Eddington to respond to Mr. Deininger.

Discussion moved to the 1999 Festival video. Plans are considerably ahead of last year’s pace. Recommendations regarding the video from Portland elder Howard Davis, Beloit, Wisconsin elder Galen Morrison, and French-language area elder Joel Meeker require consideration. At this point, Don Ward suggested a brief executive session to cover media personnel issues more frankly. Dennis Luker and Roy Holladay agreed, Chairman Robert Dick made the official proposal, and the Council entered executive session.

Roles and Responsibilities

Council resumed its open session by discussing the job description for the Chairman of the Council of Elders. Mr. Luker, committee chairman, sought input on finalizing the wording of the church’s official statement. An important side issue arose in the discussion concerning performance evaluations of the President and the Chairman that need to be conducted on a routine basis. The Council concurred that both evaluations need to be standardized and noted that both need to be carried out as soon as practicable. The question of the Chairman’s length of service arose and was discussed. At present, the only limitation is the three-year length of his term as a Council member. The Council agreed that any change beyond this natural limit would require an amendment to the church’s governing documents, not a job description.

Gary Antion moved that the Chairman’s job description be accepted as corrected, Burk McNair seconded the motion, and the Council unanimously approved the motion.

Media Committee

Committee Chairman Don Ward welcomed Chicago church member and radio promotions advisor John Barbush, United’s publications editor Scott Ashley, Mr. Morrison, and Mr.Davis, who joined the meeting by phone hook-up. He then asked Mr. Kubik to detail some of his ideas regarding reconstructing the church’s Web site, which deal primarily with the entry points to the site, as well as setting up a separate site for the Good News magazine (linked to the main site). Setting up a separate site for the Good News would accommodate those with less knowledge of the church and its mission, while allowing church members and those more familiar with the church to use the primary Web site. To accomplish this task, Mr. Kubik proposes forming a team of church members who are professionals in the field, since no one person brings all needed skills to the project. Many church members, especially including church youth, have expressed support to Council members for the idea, and the Council accepted the Media Committee’s recommendation by consent. Mr. Kubik will contact potential team members and report back to the Council.

Don Ward and Roy Holladay

Dr. Ward directed discussion to the two cable access TV programs currently being produced. Mr. Morrison reported on the production procedure currently in use in Beloit, and distribution costs for other church areas to use the program. Mr. Davis filled the Council in on procedures and distribution costs for use of Portland’s production. Some time ago Portland’s production team estimated the cost to them to provide a cable access TV program to other church areas at approximately $500 per year. Is this accurate? Should it apply equally to both Beloit and Portland productions? What is a fair administration of any system decided upon by Council? Dr. Ward proposed a much more thorough discussion to deliberate on these and other details, involving himself, Messrs. Morrison, Davis, McCullough, Eddington, and members of the Media Committee. Council agreed and the subject was tabled.

Dr. Ward brought to the attention of the group an offer the church has received in Louisiana to go on radio station WWL. Discussion of radio’s current niche in western culture followed. Mr. Barbush pointed out that radio as a medium typically combines with another medium (such as print) to increase effectiveness. Comments from several Council members supported looking seriously at what is available. At this point, no presenter has been chosen, meaning this avenue is still in its formative stages. The Council, by consent, agreed to turn this radio time offer over to the President as an operational matter.

Public Bible lectures occupied center stage next. Leon Walker strongly suggested that this idea is not one that is a proposed policy for the Council to consider, but is a tried-and-true avenue of taking the gospel to the world. That makes it an operational matter coming under the President’s purview. John Jewell commented that the British experience has not shown lectures to be particularly effective there, but Mr. Walker pointed to the great success of public lectures in Latin America. Previous experience in South African lectures prompted a comment from Mr. McCullough. Mr. Antion related the current plans in Canada for a series of lectures later this year. With a Good News mailing list from which to draw, Mr. Eddington noted that the prospects for success are greater now than in United’s first round of lectures, presented in 1996.

The day concluded with an executive session discussing personnel concerns, on a communication matter put forward by Mr. Holladay and the update on specific Minsterial Services material requested by Mr. Antion.

-Doug Johnson

© 1999 United Church of God, an International Association