United Church of God, an International Association

Council of Elders Videoconference Report

Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013

Chairman Robin Webber called the meeting order at 3:05 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time. He welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked Council member Rainer Salomaa to give the opening prayer. Mr. Webber then asked president Victor Kubik to give his regular update to the Council.

President’s Report—Victor Kubik

The preliminary total Feast of Tabernacles attendance for 2013 was 13,037 at 61 sites around the world. By comparison, attendance for the Feast of 2012 was 12,841 at 57 U.S. and international sites. These numbers do not account for the shut-in brethren who either received recorded sermons or connected via webcast.

Mr. Kubik also reported that the planned, small pay raise for Church employees had recently begun and an additional small bonus will be sent soon. He commented that he had received a number of appreciative notes about the pay increase from various employees. UCG’s employees now number 134 overall, including several ABC student intern positions.

He announced that we have our 34th booklet, Tools for Spiritual Growth, soon to be published. In the wake of the cutbacks, our Good News magazine subscriptions had dropped to 180,000 in the U.S. This reduction of subscribers has begun to lower the number of donors and co-workers. Plans are to ask the Council at its December meeting for approval to invest in advertising to add 75,000 new subscriptions over the coming months.

He reported that Aaron Dean under his new role on the Ministerial and Member Services team will be visiting the ministry in the UK and then possibly then traveling to continental Europe. In conjunction with our ongoing Kingdom of God Bible Seminars, plans are underway to produce some special appearance campaigns in cities with large GN subscriber numbers featuring Beyond Today presenters and other selected speakers.

The United Youth Camp directors just finished their first face-to-face conference in two years, spending two and a half days in efficient and productive discussion refining and planning another productive year of camp. We have a larger Ambassador Bible Center class than in a number of years, with 41 eager and positive students attending classes. The faculty is in place with Steve Myers as the ABC dean of faculty and Randy Stiver, who has assumed his new duties as dean of students, having moved to his new downstairs office near the ABC lecture hall. The pastoral online training program has logged its first six weeks and is progressing very well.

Mr. Kubik emphasized the need to finalize the selection of the Ministerial and Member Services operation manager as his workload as president and de facto operation manager has become more than enough to keep up with.

Treasurer’s Report—Rick Shabi

Rick Shabi presented his first in-person Council meeting report since assuming the treasurer role on the 15th of this month. He commented that the transition with previous treasurer Aaron Dean has gone very smoothly since they have been working together in financial management operations for some time.

He presented financial statements for the first quarter of the fiscal year, and reported that expenses continue to run under budget, while fiscal year-to-date income and Holy Day offerings are above last year and at budgeted levels.

GCE Planning Committee Report—Peter Eddington

Several points from the General Conference of Elders annual meeting report were reviewed. A survey of GCE members showed that one quarter of the attendees spent $1,000 or more to attend. Fellowship opportunities rated highest as a reason for coming to the GCE. Attendees’ satisfaction rate with the conference experience was 88 percent.

The one suggestion for making the GCE more effective included streamlining the format of the question-and-answer session, planning more time for fellowship. He read many of the comments that were given on that section of the survey.

Mr. Webber asked for any general comments about the GCE meeting from Council members. Roc Corbett asked if the survey results are used to alter future conferences. Peter Eddington gave several examples of how the scheduling of messages or other events that were changed as a result. Mr. Webber commented on the need for a time limit to questions offered to the Council during the question-and-answer session.

He stated, “The COE desires to remain welcoming to questions posed by the General Conference of Elders and maintain a welcoming and open environment without a lot of limitations, but the GCE Task Force needs to determine reasonable times of engagement and that the chairman be fully tasked with establishing a point of order if the need arises, so as to allow the maximum amount of people to ask questions and allow time for the Council of Elders to respond.”

At 4:00 p.m. the Council entered executive session and concluded at 7:15 p.m.

Note from chairman Robin Webber: During this executive session in which personnel issues are discussed, the Council of Elders approved Charles Melear to be the new chairman of the GCE Conference Task Force. Mr. Melear has many years of experience of developing major programs and events as our organizational meeting planner. Mr. Eddington will continue to assist the committee as his services are requested.

-end-

Randy Stiver

Council Reporter

© 2013 United Church of God, an International Association