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

Monday, November 16, 1998 — Cincinnati, Ohio

The Council of Elders opened Monday’s meeting deeply saddened by the news of the death on Sunday of Colin Adair. Mr. Adair, a minister in the Global Church of God, served for years in several areas of the world as a regional director, and resided most recently in Escondido, California with his wife Margaret. Council members signed a card and sent flowers to Mrs. Adair to express their collective condolences.

  A lighter moment in meetings

It then attended to the day’s agenda, dealing mainly with the Council’s role in the international areas and developments in the media department.

Addressing needs in the international areas

Leon Walker brought to the table some ideas regarding the international areas of the Church. These areas outside the US either have a minister present or, as in New Zealand’s case, have a church served by a minister in somewhat of a satellite manner. They include the United Kingdom, Netherlands, France (and the French-speaking areas), Italy, South Africa, Tonga/Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Latin America, Canada, Caribbean, Philippines, and the Baltics.

Mr. Walker recalled that in United’s formative stage concepts varied as to the role of the international representatives on the Council. "My concept was that they would have a special role to play in terms of directly and specifically representing the international areas, in ways the other Council members could not, because of their background, experience, and knowledge," he said. That did not work out, but a need remains to have Council representatives who are "a point of contact" who understand the cultural problems unique to various areas of the world. Those with questions, problems, or suggestions could do so "through a ‘mentor’ relationship with the three members of the Council."

"Another thing is that many international. areas need a closer contact with the Council than they have at the present time. Many are isolated. We don’t have an international regional director. Some areas would like to have one and others do not. While many do not wish to have an administrative role over them, they all, as far as I know, recognize that the Council is over them in governance. At the same time, there is no mechanism set up for a relationship with the Council.

"Some areas lack a local minister and those areas feel frustrated, isolated and out of contact. They would like to have a relationship with the Council but how do they do that? How do they get answers to their questions? They would like to have someone they can specifically work with to answer their questions or receive their input."

The three international Council representatives are Mr. Walker (Latin America), Gary Antion (Canada), and Joel Meeker (French-speaking areas). "We serve our areas, but what about the others?" asked Mr. Walker. "I would like to suggest that the three members from the international regions would have a special role to play in terms of directly assisting and advising all the international regions; that we actually become representatives of those areas."

No takeover in administration is intended—"we have no desire or mandate to do that"—but there is a role to play in the areas of governance, and "to just be a mentor, giving advice and assisting them in whatever way we can as they want us to do."

He specified three specific ways the Council could help—advise and assist in developing their governing documents, develop closer contact and stronger relationships with the Council, and determine the specific role of the Council members from the international areas (the Bylaws do not describe any such role).

After discussing a few of the ideas, the Council commissioned Mr. Walker to construct a formal proposal for implementing his recommendations in this respect.

Media developments

Don Ward, Media Committee chairman, began with tasks assigned at the last meeting in August. To use various locally-developed TV programs on cable access stations, the Council recommended a standard, centrally-produced "wrap-around" (the introduction and conclusion) that would give all of them a recognizable uniformity. He showed clips of several samples, and the Council selected one Peter Eddington produced.

Everyone went on to view samples of local cable access programs developed in the Beloit, Wisconsin and Portland, Oregon areas. This marked the first time the Council collectively watched such programs, and what they saw spawned follow-up discussion to decide whether to endorse the continuing development of these efforts. In summary, the conversation covered the following issues:

Production costs (it varies depending on expenses for videotapes and shipping, but the major areas of production and air time range from free to very minimal because of the community-access laws).

How, and to what degree, will local programs represent the Church in general?

The results to-date in the Portland area, which has aired a program for several years (approximately 2,400 have requested the Good News and 4,500 pieces of other literature, 35 people have attended services with three or four baptisms).

Where plans stand for developing a centrally-produced national TV program (11 ministers have sent in 30-minute audition tapes but such a program is realistically still some time away from realization).

How local programs would coordinate with central programs.

Advantages of having at least a local TV message in the current absence of a national program

The review process to assure doctrinal accord in all programs (proposed policy calls for a Regional Pastor and two senior pastors to review and approve each telecast).

The Media Committee is in the process of developing guidelines for local production of media efforts. After the Council has approved the guidelines, the Media Committee will work with the local areas to help them fulfill the approved standards.

The Council amended (11 for, one abstain) the Media Policy to say that current locally-produced programs may continue pending approval by the Media Committee, rather than the Council.

The Council next viewed and critiqued two sample spot ads, considering mainly the relative merits of content and style. President Les McCullough pointed out that while several cities have been targeted for possible TV spot ads (as well as simultaneous print ads), no decisions have yet been made for further airing.

Web site update

Via video projection, the Council saw a live-off-the-Internet demonstration of the Church’s Web site and all that is accessible through this increasingly popular medium. Mr. Eddington showed samples of all that is available to the Internet user, such as a church literature library, request forms, Council meeting reports, teen Bible studies, video sermons, United News, World News in Prophecy, the President’s letters to the ministry, Feast of Tabernacles reports, news of congregations and members, etc.

Our site receives 300-400 hits per day and visitors request about 100 pieces of literature each week.

Victor Kubik reported we are ready to launch the inaugural issue of the UCG Web site’s Virtual Christian Magazine, approved for development at the August meeting. (The word "Virtual" in the title alludes to the computer-based nature of this medium, meaning that it is not available in the same form as one usually associates with traditional print magazines).

  Dr. Donald Ward

This new instrument’s mission is to be "An on-line magazine of practical Christian living and inspiration for the 21st Century," and to do that Mr. Kubik said it aims to:

• Use the cyberworld to reach those inquiring about answers to life’s biggest questions.
• Provide a destination for those searching the cyberworld for life’s answers.
• Provide meaningful commentary on breaking news on a timely basis.
• Demonstrate the practical application of Christian principles.
• Be listed on search engines, including all the religious search engines we can find—reach and appeal to the largest possible audience.
• Introduce and connect people to fellowship of the United Church of God.
• Use new methods of one- and two-way communication to more effectively achieve our objectives.

Several members experienced in this field form an editorial staff under Mr. Kubik’s coordination (Chris Rowland, Joan Osborn and Aimee Zahora from Indiana; Mike Bennett from Idaho; Lorelei Nettles from Missouri; and John Rutis from Oregon). Because everyone’s work is voluntary and can be done entirely over the Internet, this venture has cost nothing.

Resolutions and amendments

In other business, the Council unanimously approved a proposal, which will be presented to the General Conference of Elders, to amend Bylaws article 11, section 11.1 in order to change the fiscal year from April 1-March 31 to July 1-June 30. It also passed a resolution formally establishing as policy the annual festival allotment for employed elders. A proposed policy for housing subsidy and ministerial expense was delayed for further development.

The Council closed the day in executive session to address the matter of half-salaried ministers and related issues.

- Clyde Kilough

© 1998 United Church of God, an International Association