United Church of God, an International Association
Council of Elders Quarterly Meeting Report
Milford, Ohio
Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Chairman Pebworth called the morning session to order at 8 a.m. Eastern. Aaron Dean opened the meeting with a prayer. Ten council members were present; Scott Ashley joined via Zoom. Dan Dowd was absent.
Chairman Pebworth began with a few personal opening comments, and a review of the week’s agenda. He then presented the regular May and special July meeting minutes for approval, which were unanimously approved. Chairman Pebworth then turned the floor over to John Elliott for the President’s report.

President’s Report: John Elliott

Mr. Elliott began by welcoming everyone in attendance. He reflected on his journey, noting that 30 years ago, in May, he began pastoring at Cincinnati East before the United infrastructure was established. At that time, there were very few resources available—just a group of people with a desire to share the truth of the gospel and a few pieces of literature. He shared the story of the move of the home office to Cincinnati and our gradual growth as media opportunities developed over the years.

Mr. Elliott then addressed the current state of the work, which involves preaching the gospel to the entire world. He emphasized that the mission extends beyond office tasks; it is about people.

He pointed out that being present at the Home Office has helped him see the sacrifices people make for the work of God. He read from Matthew 28 as a reminder of Jesus’ command to His Church: to embody Christ-like qualities and disciple others as commanded. He stressed the importance of exemplifying love, quoting Bob Dick’s assertion that “We cannot speak to what we are not.” He emphasized that if we are not love, we cannot reflect that love.

Mr. Elliott shared a desire for transformation that aligns with what Christ wants for us. He posed the question, “How much have we each changed during our lives?” He stated that while we’ve all experienced personal change, he drew the attention toward the change we concurrently see in the landscape of the work, as well as our audiences. He also pointed out changes as we adapt to new equipment, formats, software and staff availability. Additionally, he addressed the growing needs of our congregations, buildings, pastoral duties, and gospel initiatives. He added, “Things are always changing” as we work to advocate change in spiritual character.

Mr. Elliott acknowledged that there have been some missed opportunities to be supportive of one another and that staff needs have sometimes gone unmet, leading to difficulties. Thankfully, he noted that God has answered the prayers of His people, and some of those staffing needs have since been filled, bringing greater talent and skills into the organization.

He recounted a moment when he assumed office, noting the immediate need for guidance on when and how to act on specific needs of the Church. He acknowledged the help he received from Peter Eddington who provided valuable assistance during a first phase. Mr. Elliott then mentioned his appreciation of trusted team managers, noting that respectful, team-based input before needed decision-making has worked effectively.

He shared, “I have never fasted so much in my life,” and felt that God’s Spirit is present, guiding His work towards right and obvious objectives. He likened the pace of decision-making to “drinking from a fire hose”—fast and intense—but expressed gratitude that these decisions have been made harmoniously.

Mr. Elliott added, “A favorite part of the day is coming to work at the home office. I love all the employees and highly respect them, whether they work at the Home Office, remotely, or across the world.”

He then read from 1 Peter 2:9-10 to remind everyone that in God’s eyes, “you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God.”

Regardless of what others might do, he stressed the importance of remembering how God sees us and extending that respect to one another. He also encouraged everyone to clear out any issues we might have with others so that all can move forward effectively.

He then reflected on how their employees are skilled through God’s gifts, citing Exodus 35:31 “He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship.” He recognized that no employees initially possessed the abilities or knowledge they have today, but over time we have been equipped for the tasks at hand. God calls those that the world perceives as weak to be mighty and the give glory to Him (1 Corinthians 1:27).

Mr. Elliott then provided a brief overview of several notable events that have occurred since the May meetings:

• Visit to Canada: During Canadian board meetings paid tribute to the transition of the Head of the Canadian Council from Anthony Wasilkoff to Paul Wasilkoff.
• On July 14, Peter Eddington moved away from his previous assistant position and was given Council permission to fill in as an interim Media Operations Manager until these meetings.
• In late July, he, along with Steve Myers and Darris McNeely traveled to Sri Lanka for the very first South Asia Leadership Conference. He noted that the conference and discussions gave Church leaders from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka a better foundation of UCG doctrines, policies and procedures on which to build out the work in that region.
• During the summer, at least 13 United States summer camps and seven international UYC events were held and are featured in the latest United News.
• In August, ABC kicked off its 26th year with 16 attendees.
• Over the Labor Day weekend, MMS held its annual Leadership event, which was attended by just under 50 people.

Mr. Elliott concluded his report by expressing gratitude to everyone for attending these council meetings.

Chairman Pebworth then turned the floor over to the operation managers for their reports.

Operation Manager Reports:

Ministerial and Member Services (MMS)—Steve Myers

Mr. Myers accompanied his report with a PowerPoint presentation. He began by quoting Luke 10:2, “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” He emphasized that caring for the flock requires us to pray boldly and diligently, while walking together in unity, trusting God to raise up workers for His great and glorious work.

He then highlighted a few statistics.

• 395 elders serving 429 congregations and Bible study groups.
• Elders
• 111 International.
• 284 United States
• Five Ministerial Trainees
• Three – United States.
• One - Philippines.
• He asked for prayer for the families of deceased elders and elder’s wives
  • Ray Cowan (London, Kentucky).
  • Rick Shabi (Orlando, Florida).
  • Joan Wright (wife of Reg Wright, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia).
  • Naomi Lucas (wife of Shannon Lucas, East Texas).
• 90 baptisms so far in 2025 (United States).
• United Youth Camps – (30th Year of Summer Camps)
• 2025 Camp Theme: “Building on The Foundation” (Matthew 7:24-25).
• Total of 920 campers: 425 teens, 495 preteens (United States).
• 911 volunteers – (United States).
• International Camps: Nigeria, Philippines, Jamaica, Mexico, Chile, Peru, South Africa, Benin, and Zambia.
• Engaging Young Adults
• Web page updates.
• Encouraging young adults to sign up for email and text updates.
• Young Adult Weekends “Playbook” now available at ucg.org (Assist in planning events).
• Strengthening Families and Congregations
• Bible-based curriculum in development for ages 5-18 to support Sabbath schools and parents (First prototype being reviewed now).
• Homeschool Co-op Guide now available online to assist families starting or joining co-ops.
• Equipping the Ministry
• Labor Day Leadership Weekend (46 attendees).
• Ongoing development of the “Education and Training” dashboard.
• Education and Training resource library to support minister’s lifelong learning.
• Feast of Tabernacles
• Over 65 locations worldwide—with 15 sites in the United States–God has supplied an abundance of sites.
• International Work
• Focus on getting the word out in various languages.
• Booklet translations.
• New landing page: ucgeurope.org
  • Ability to choose language.
  • Connections to other language pages.
• Sharing resources with international areas.
• Looking Ahead and Key Focus
• We have a strong core in the ministry, but a growing reliance on volunteers.
• Pastoral succession remains a priority: identifying, training and mentoring new leaders.
• Continued expansion of educational tools for all age groups.
• Support our small congregations and Bible study groups.
• Strengthening unity and communication across the Body of Christ.

Mr. Myers stressed the urgency of prayer: “It’s time to call on God—the time is now. This call is not just for ministers; it’s for the entire Church of God.” He reminded us that Jesus did not suggest but rather commanded us to “Pray to the Lord of the harvest.”

He noted that our success will not come from strategies alone; it will come as God’s people get on their knees and petition Him through prayer. “Now is the time to pray. Now is the time to act.”

Mr. Myers concluded with saying, “May we all take up the mantle and, in unity, pray to the Lord of the harvest.”

Treasurer’s Report—Ted Budge

Mr. Budge began with a brief introduction with a few personal thoughts and expressed his appreciation for Barry Korthuis’s help during the transition. He also expressed his appreciation to Linda Api and her team. Mr. Budge then presented his report with the assistance of Linda Api who presented a PowerPoint presentation of the recent financial statics. He mentioned that he is currently in observation mode to evaluate relevant policies and procedures. He then reviewed the following activities he has undertaken since taking on the role of Treasurer as well as a review of related financial principles:

• Met with representatives from Wells Fargo Advisors and Park National Bank.
• Met with Clark Schaffer and Hackett to discuss 2025 Audit.
• Financial Dashboard–Mr. Budge explained that this dashboard provides a macro level overview of key metrics to aid financial decisions. He then gave a brief tutorial and presentation of the dashboard with the year-to-date results of UCG’s financial state.
• Comparisons and clarifications of the roles of the Treasurer and Financial Operation Manager: He noted that the Treasurer primarily reports to the Council of Elders at a strategic level and reviews reports, while the Financial Operation Manager primarily reports to the President at a technical level and creates/analyzes reports.
• A review of financial related principles:
• Professional/Fiduciary Responsibility 
• Care and competence, confidentiality, integrity and honesty, accountability and compliance.
• Financial Oversight
• Internal control (policies and procedures), best practices, financial reporting and transparency, budgeting and forecasting and assessing risk (low/high/acceptable).
• Accounting and Regulatory
• General accepted accounting principles.
• Financial accounting standards.
• Legal and regulatory requirements.
• Why written policies and procedures are important
• Consistency in operations, clear communications, compliance and risk management, accountability and performance monitoring.
• Cash and Cash Equivalent Reserves
• Capital reserves, operating reserves, strategy reserves, opportunity reserves, investments reserves, and quasi-endowment.
• Mr. Budge then quickly discussed the best practices for reserves.
• How much should be in reserves? He presented this along with what the Bible Instructs (Luke 14:28-30; 2 Corinthians 8:20-21; Proverbs 21:20; Luke 12:16-21).
• Current liquidity analysis along with considerations moving forward.
• Integrating financial reporting with strategic planning.

Mr. Budge then opened the floor for any questions or comments.

Media and Communications Services—Peter Eddington

Mr. Eddington started by distributing copies of the printed report. He announced that he had resigned from his position as operation manager of Media and Communications Services in order to serve on the Council of Elders. He explained that while the search for a new operation manager for the media department is ongoing, the Council has approved him to serve as interim operation manager. Therefore, he is presenting the media report today in an interim capacity.

Mr. Eddington then presented the following updates from the Media Department:

• Quarterly Summary (Google Analytics)
• Google Analytics relies on users accepting the “cookies” when visiting ucg.org, resulting in the traffic reporting being about 1/5 of our actual traffic. A Drupal 10 website plugin by Unami Cloud has been installed to give more accurate website visit figures.
• Melody Porter, an ABC student, has begun work in the outgoing mail processing area.
• Working on shortening the time from when a person requests a booklet to receiving it in the mail.
• Bradley Bales is making great progress in developing our new video streaming app. He has also completed A.I. voiceover audio of three more of our booklets.
• The search for a Media and Communications Services operation manager continues.
• Weekly Beyond Today YouTube video shorts and social media posts are being produced and being featured each week on our ucg.org home page and also on our main Beyond Today video page at ucg.org/beyond-today.
• New broadcast television programming is scheduled to begin airing in September. It will be an updated format to a widening audience across several planned platforms—especially on YouTube with 13-minute programs.
• Holding quarterly Zoom meetings with UCG-Australia staff. They’re developing their own YouTube channel to take advantage of our soon-coming 13- to 14-minute Beyond Today video episodes.
• Currently narrowing down the list of those who have expressed interest in being future Beyond Today TV presenters and will then hold screen tests with the top candidates.
• Website statistics from SimilarWeb are now available for July.
• Beyond Today TV Responses Past 52 Weeks
• Seeing an upswing in Beyond Today TV responses on The WORD Network.
• Beyond Today TV YouTube Views
• 28.1 million all-time video views.
• 103,000 subscribers.
• YouTube sent us a congratulatory plaque upon reaching 100K subscribers.
• Beyond Today YouTube Traffic Source Last 365 Days
• Views: 4,913,236.
• Hours watched: 283,843.
• Average view duration: 3:30.
• Impressions: 19,973,006.
• He then shared a graph that broke this down by geography and audience.
• United Church of God Sermon YouTube Statistics
• 2.35 million all-time video views.
• 11,535 subscribers.
• 608,436 views in last 356 days.
• End of July: Church Media Growth and Statistics
• United News circulation for July is at 19,597.
• United States July-August Beyond Today magazine subscribers total 332,692
• July-August Beyond Today magazine total print run worldwide stands at 378,893.
• Internet literature responses so far for 2025 stands at 201,476.
• Total impressions to our Bing and Google ads as of July for 2025 is 97.6 million.
• July coworker count is at 6,414.
• Donor list now includes 5,109 people.

Mr. Eddington opened the floor for any questions and comments.

Committee Chairmen Reports:

Doctrine Committee (DC)—Rex Sexton
Mr. Sexton reported that the DC met twice since the May meetings via Zoom to discuss moving forward with the following four projects assigned to the DC.

• Last Great Day/Eighth Day Study Paper
• Calendar Study Paper Edit
• Night to Be Observed Study Paper
• Possible Study Paper Project on the subject of Slavery in the Bible

Mr. Sexton presented the proposed edit to the calendar paper and asked Mr. de Campos to briefly explain its purpose. After Mr. de Campos’s explanation, Mr. Sexton opened the floor for questions, comments and suggestions. Following a further discussion and additional edits, Rex Sexton moved to accept the edit. The edit to the calendar paper was unanimously accepted.

Mr. Sexton then presented the proposed study paper on the Last Great Day/Eighth Day. He read through the paper section by section, inviting comments and observations after each part. Once the entire document was read, a further discussion occurred. It was concluded that more discussion was needed, and the paper would be revisited at the end of the week.

Members of the DC: Jorge de Campos, Len Martin, Gary Petty and Rex Sexton (chair).

Ethics Committee—Victor Kubik

Mr. Kubik reported that no items have been remanded to the Ethics Committee at this time.

Members of the Ethics Committee: Scott Ashley, Dan Dowd, Peter Eddington, Victor Kubik (chair) and Rex Sexton.

Media Committee—Jorge de Campos

Mr. de Campos provided a brief overview of the scope and responsibilities of the Media Committee (MC). He expressed the committee’s eagerness to collaborate effectively with the Strategic Planning & Finance Committee as the next strategic plan is developed. He mentioned that the committee has reviewed and approved the topics that will be discussed in this week’s meetings. He concluded by sharing his anticipation of working with the new Media Manager once the position is filled.

Members of the Media Committee (MC): Scott Ashley, Jorge de Campos (chair), Gary Petty and Paul Wasilkoff.

Roles and Rules Committee (RRC)—Len Martin

Mr. Martin began by explaining that he would be delivering the RRC report in Dan Dowd’s absence. He noted that there have not been any face-to-face or video conferencing meetings over the past couple of months, only conversations conducted via email. He mentioned that the RRC has several remanded items to address, but due to the current workload, much of it has been put on hold during the last few Council meetings. Additionally, the RRC will facilitate discussions regarding several committees that need to be repopulated this week.

Mr. Martin presented proposed edits to Policy 1.8.5, the Appeal Policy for Removed Website Content. Before discussing the edits, he read through the existing policy. He then shared the proposed changes and opened the floor for comments and questions. After further discussion, it was determined that the current policy, as posted, addressed the concern adequately, and the proposed edits were deemed unnecessary.

Members of the RRC: Scott Ashley, Dan Dowd (chair), Len Martin and Paul Wasilkoff.

Proposal for a new Study Paper – Rex Sexton

Rex Sexton presented a request for a potential study paper project on the topic of slavery in the Bible. He explained the importance of addressing this subject and the reasons behind why this has been brought before the Council. He then opened the floor for discussion. It was decided that a detailed outline of the study’s scope would need to be presented before a decision could be made.

Updating the Council of Elder’s email address – Len Martin

Len Martin led a discussion about the recent deletion of the Council of Elders (COE) email address. He emphasized the importance having a dedicated email address and outlined the reasons for this necessity. It was agreed that a new email address would be created, and in addition, a contact form would also be added to the coe.org website. This contact form will be linked to the new email address, making it easier for individuals to reach out to the COE.

Council meeting dates for 2026 – Tim Pebworth

Chairman Pebworth led a discussion on setting upcoming COE meeting dates for August and December of 2026. It was determined that dates would be as follows:

• August 10-13, 2026
• December 7-10, 2026

Education Committee (EC)—Aaron Dean

Mr. Dean reported that the only project currently remanded to the EC is a study paper on marriage. He then gave a brief update on its status, then turned the floor back over to the Chairman.
Members of the EC: Aaron Dean (chair), Peter Eddington, Darris McNeely, Gary Petty and Paul Wasilkoff.

Strategic Planning and Finance Committee (SPFC)—Darris McNeely

Mr. McNeely began by stating it has been busy over the summer. He noted that there were serval items that have been remanded to the SPFC. He then briefly spoke on each and outlined what the SPFC would be presenting during these meetings.

• International Building Policy
• Amendment to Retirement Policy
• Two proposed Compensation Policies (Ministry and Employees)
• Members Survey

 
Members of the SPFC: Aaron Dean, Peter Eddington, Victor Kubik, Len Martin and Darris McNeely (chair)

Mr. McNeely then introduced Nathan Ekama and Julie Brown, who led the presentation of the members’ survey results. Both Nathan Ekama and Julie Brown joined via Zoom.

Julie Brown began by expressing her appreciation for the members and everyone involved in the survey. She noted that the survey was conducted from March 20 to April 10, 2025, and received 2,300 valid responses, primarily from the United States, with some international participation. Following a few opening remarks, Julie and Nathan presented the survey results in turn, using a PowerPoint presentation to accompany their discussion. Following the presentation, the floor was opened for comments and questions. A further discussion followed, during which many questions and concerns were addressed for clarification. In closing, Mr. McNeely asked the Council to consider the presentation and provide feedback, as this will impact the directives for the Church in developing of the next strategic plan.

At 3:10 p.m., the Council went into the planned Executive Session.

At 5:15 p.m., the Executive Session ended and the Council adjourned for the day.

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Chairman Pebworth called the morning session to order at 8 a.m. Eastern. Darris McNeely opened the meeting with a prayer. Ten council members were present and Scott Ashley joined via Zoom. Dan Dowd joined via Zoom during the afternoon session. The Council immediately went into a planned Executive Session.

At 12:00 p.m., the Council took a break for lunch.

At 12:45 p.m., the Executive Session resumed.

At 5:45 p.m., the Council took a break for dinner.

At 8:05 p.m., the Executive Session ended, and the Council adjourned for the day.

Thursday, September 4, 2025

Chairman Pebworth called the morning session to order at 8 a.m. Eastern. Peter Eddington opened the meeting with a prayer. Ten council members were present; Scott Ashley and Dan Dowd joined via Zoom. The Council immediately went into a planned Executive Session.

At 11:35 a.m., the Executive Session ended.

Jorge de Campos presented the following item on the day’s agenda: updates from the Doctrine Committee (DC) regarding the proposed study paper on the Last Great Day/Eighth Day. Mr. de Campos provided a brief background on the origins of this project and explained how it came to the Doctrine Committee. He then gave an overview of the project’s progress thus far. Mr. de Campos then requested that the Council provide additional time to work further on the paper. He then opened the floor for any questions or comments. It was determined that the DC will take the necessary time to further work on the proposed study paper. 
Len Martin presented the next item on the agenda: the submission process for Study Papers to the Doctrine Committee (DC). Mr. Martin reviewed the current process as well as discussing the difficulties and challenges the existing procedure has caused. Mr. Martin then outlined the proposed changes to the submission process for the DC. After his presentation, he opened the floor for questions and comments, during which additional edits were made for further clarification. Mr. Martin then moved to approve the proposed updates to the process, as amended. The motion was unanimously approved.

At 12:16 p.m., the Council adjourned the COE meetings.

Final Addendum:

New Media and Communications Services Operation Manager named for United Church of God, an International Association

On Thursday, September 4, the Council of Elders completed the task of approving the president’s request for appointment of a new operation manager for Media and Communications Services.

Scott Delamater, a 15-year Church elder and veteran of the software industry, has been appointed to serve on the president’s administration team as operation manager for the Church’s media efforts. His background spans technical and product leadership, and his 25 years of business experience have equipped him to help strengthen this vital area of the work.

The Church has been blessed with strong Media and Communications Services leadership for many years. Peter Eddington was appointed as operation manager in 1999 and has served in that role almost continuously until now. We thank him greatly for developing our comprehensive media strategy and proclamation effort from its fledgling operation in 1999—to now having dozens of employees and a very strong print, digital and broadcast gospel presence for the Church around the globe. Mr. Eddington will stay on staff to support a smooth transition for Mr. Delamater over the coming months.

We must be lights in a darkening world, especially as society accelerates toward division, discord and even war. We are the ones who must bring hope, and the opportunity is certainly there. As Jesus Himself tells us: “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35).

We ask that you pray for Mr. Delamater and all of us, that we may focus on powerfully proclaiming the gospel in new ways as we are led. It is exciting to be part of God’s work being done on this earth. Let us all move forward in power and in unity.  
   
In Christ’s service,

John Elliott, President

Tim Pebworth, Chairman

-end-
Acting Council Reporter 
Ryan Hall

[These are not the official minutes from the council meeting. Elders can find those at the Home Office with the Council Secretary. Video recordings are posted for the elders on the UCG Ministerial Resource Site.]
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