Council of Elders Meeting in Cincinnati Ohio
United Church of God, an International Association
Council of Elders Meeting Report
Wednesday, December 1, 1999 — Cincinnati, Ohio
Chairman Bob Dick welcomed the Council back to Cincinnati today, observing that more effective committee work had streamlined the current schedule. The Council decided to meet through Monday, December 6 at noon, shortening the usual meeting length by one day. Discussion on this first day centered on updates from the president and treasurer, strategic planning, and an informal discussion concluding the dayâs business.
Administration Reports
Eleven Council members started the opening session today by approving the minutes of the last meetings in Seattle, held August 25 ö September 1, 1999. Council member Donald Ward was not present.
Les McCullough gave the presidentâs report, first updating the Council on the Ambassador Bible Center. The classroom area is due to have renovations completed by December 14, and 25 applicants have now been accepted. The largest single age grouping of students is comprised of those from age 20 to 30 (16 students), with the age range for all students from 20 to over 60. The group includes an Australian married couple and four Canadians; there are seven married couples (who will only be charged one tuition for the couple) in this first class. Plans now call for timing succeeding sessions just as for the initial program, from January to early August. This will accommodate college plans for those attending, as most students can take one semester away from studies at other institutions without losing government funding or being required to start repaying government loans.
Mr. McCullough reported on other miscellaneous items of information:
á The Caudles are ready to move to New Zealand, where Jeff Caudle will become resident pastor.
á Leon Walker will visit New Zealand shortly, with the intention of honoring the local request for a Council member to be on the church board in New Zealand.
á Doug Horchak and Jim Franks are on their way to West Africa to meet with elders and members of the Remnant Church of God, at their request (elders from other fellowships of churches of God will also be present, by local request).
á The prospect of some exciting new developments in radio broadcasting in the United Kingdom loom on the horizon; John Jewell hopes to be able to report details soon if current negotiations are successful.
á A national radio program is possible soon if Council approves; the president will suggest possibilities for presenters.
á Over 116,000 pieces of mail have been received at the Cincinnati office so far in 1999, with over 42,000 of those containing donations.
á Current travel plans for the McCulloughs include Peru and Chile (in March); Australia and New Zealand (within six months); and Europe, especially Germany (not yet scheduled).
Treasurer Tom Kirkpatrick gave his report next. Expenses are slightly under budget, and income is slightly over budget ö a good situation! If this trend continues, and if the usual year-end ãbumpä in income occurs (when individuals and businesses contribute more than usual), his projection is for a total income for the fiscal 12-month period ending March 31, 2000, of $14.7 to $14.9 million. The General Conference of Elders approved a budget for the year of $13.8 million. Mr. Kirkpatrick plans to propose a budget of $15 million for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000. Reserves by that time could reach a level of ten weeksâ income, sufficient, in his judgment, to be maintained with no more budgeted additions.
Other items from the treasurer included:
á A request for the February Council meetings to begin February 23, rather than February 2, 2000, in order to allow adequate time for budget preparation (Council agreed).
á His own ãwish listä for a proposed $15 million budget, including the implementation of any recommendations from the task force on ministerial work load, funding a full year of the ABC program, increased retirement fund assistance for church employees, salary adjustments for the lowest paid employees, and a national radio program.
á The Councilâs meeting in Seattle was costlier than expected, due in part to the number of guest presenters invited; but by ãwatching our Ps and Qsä now and at the meetings in February, the Council budget for the year can still be met.
á Insurance payouts have been somewhat higher than normal, due to a number of employee health needs.
á The Good News print run is already at the fiscal year target of 250,000. It may well reach 320,000, doubling for the second consecutive year. The Waiting Room program gets a large share of the credit, with the numbers of monthly subscriptions increasing from 400 in May to 1,320 in November.
á The ten-vehicle pilot automobile lease program is underway, with the last three vehicles to be delivered shortly.
Strategic Planning
Roy Holladay began his session with a brief update on the current radio broadcast airing on radio station KBCL in Shreveport, Louisiana (Donald Ward is the presenter). As a result of the broadcast, three individuals have contacted the church directly; the radio station manager reports 10-12 calls to the station per weekend, and has aired the program in one additional time slot per week (Sunday afternoon) at no charge to us.
Council unanimously approved the job description for strategic planning and finance committee members (Gary Antion being absent for the vote). Members then spent time fine-tuning the wording for the Strategic Plan to be presented to the General Conference for approval at its next annual meeting.
Following a break for lunch, Council discussion in this area continued, delving specifically into the area of the state of the church and the ministry. Mr. Holladay had solicited input from the U.S. regional pastors on these topics, and presented their comments. Discussion centered on two main areas: ministerial morale and church identity.
Regarding ministerial morale, input was unanimous that the largest single cause of difficulty has been the reduction to partial salary of a segment of the ministry due to financial constraints in the spring of 1998. The decision to restore those salaries, observed several members, lies with the Council, not the administration, since the Council took the step to remove them during the churchâs financial duress.
At the heart of the church identity issue lies the current reality of the many fellowships of the church of God, and the desire of so many to see more unity. Why not add this issue to the Strategic Plan itself? ãIt might not be a bad idea ö the Council talks about it each time we meet!ä noted Mr. Dick. As committee chairman, Roy Holladay stated his impression that it is covered under the third goal of the current plan, involving improving our relationships and fulfilling our responsibilities in a godly manner.
Dennis Luker pointed out that Council input on the topic was similar to past discussions, and Mr. Holladay recalled the statement put out by the Council November 17, 1997 as follows:
The Church of God is a spiritual body of which Jesus Christ is the head. Members are called into the Church, and God is preparing them for the Kingdom of God through the work of the Church. As the head of the Church, Christ has placed some in positions of leadership for the edification and unity of the Church. The United Church of God, an International Association, is a continuation of that body Jesus Christ founded. We, in the United Church of God, an International Association, do not claim that all Christians are among our fellowship. However, we have a distinct identity and endeavor to function accord
The Council agreed that this still reflected its belief and ended discussion on the topic. The day concluded with the remaining portion of the afternoon session devoted to an informal discussion.
-Doug Johnson
