MINUTES OF THE

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING

AND

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

OF THE

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CONGREGATIONAL CHRISTIAN CHURCHES

 

Comfort Suites, Oak Creek, Wisconsin

November 3-4, 2006

 

 

Agenda

Discussion/Action

1. Welcome/Opening Devotions

Chairman Rev. Richard Hotchkin convened the meeting of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. at the Comfort Suites in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.  

 

Anne Butman gave opening devotions.

2.  Roll Call

Executive Committee voting members present were:

Rev. Richard Hotchkin (Chair)               Rev. Joseph Clarke

Anne Butman                                        Bonn Clayton

Claudia Kniefel                                     Rev. Wendy Van Tassell

Rev. Dr. Giovan King                            Joelle Sommers

Edith Bartley                                         Rev. Casey vanderBent

Rev. Neil Hunt                                      Don Sturgis

 

Board of Directors voting members:

Rev. Richard Hotchkin (Chair)               Rev. Joseph Clarke

Anne Butman                                        Bonn Clayton

Claudia Kniefel                                     Rev. Wendy Van Tassell

Rev.Dr. Giovan King                             Joelle Sommers

Don Sturgis                                           Edith Bartley                            

Rev. Casey vanderBent                         Rev. Neil Hunt                         

Dr. Helen Gierke, Moderator                

Rev. William Fillebrown, Moderator-Elect

                                   

 

Also present:

Rev. Dr. Thomas M. Richard, Executive Secretary

Dan Drea, Financial Manager               

Rev. Dr. Lloyd Hall, Historian

Jeff Dillon, Treasurer

Susan Carter, Secretary

Diana David, Capital Campaign Administrator

Rev. Sam Schaal, Communication Services Committee Member

 

3. Review of June 2006 Annual Meeting Minutes

A committee to certify the Annual Meeting minutes was not selected at the June meeting.  Motion #1 - By consensus the following people were appointed to certify the minutes of the 2006 Annual Meeting:

Dewey Gierke

Sherry Glab

Cindy Bacon

 

4.Staff/Division/Committee Reports

 

 
  1. Future Annual Meetings – Accepted written report from Carrie Dahm.
  2. The Congregationalist – written report. Tom Richard reported that we are behind in fundraising for The Congregationalist.
  3. Development/Foundation – no report
  4. DFM/CFTS/Information Services - no report
  5. CCD/MS/Partnerships - No report
  6. Executive Secretary - written report. Tom Richard reported there has been some division of time with executives since he is spending the majority of his time on the Capital Campaign.
  7. Youth and Church Services - written report
  8. CCD - handout from chair of CCD.  Working on being proactive on beginning of new churches.
  9. CFTS – written report.  Casey reported they had just accepted one more person to CFTS.
  10. DFM - written report.
  11. Missionary Society – written report.  All members will be paying their own way to the next meeting.  Need to apply for NGO License.  Self reported our error. 

Motion #2:  Moved by Bonn Clayton, second, that the Executive Secretary be directed to register with the OFAC as a non-government organization (NGO) before any further transfers are made to Myanmar the Mission.

 

VOTE:  Yes=7; No=4; Motion Adopted.

 

  1.  Building and Loan - written report
  2. Church services. – written report.
  3. Communication Services. Written report by Alan Seltzer. Requesting increase in size of committee to nine members.  Have taken on new projects.  Claudia reported they are a dynamite committee. They have stepped up to the plate and we are proud of what they are doing.
  4. Congregational Foundation.  No report
  5. Credentials – no report  
  6. Financial Services – written report
  7. Investment Advisory.  First Amendment to Congregational Investment Trust.  Assigned to Membership and Procedures Committee to bring back clean document. 
  8. Nominating Committee. No nominees to date. EC members were encouraged to spread the word.
  9. World Christian Relations - written report.
  10. Youth.  Written report.  Do not have site for June meeting of NAPF and HOPE.  Possibly Orlando.  Starting 2008 will alternate with Missions.

 

 

5.Annual Meetings
  1. Evaluations 2006 – written report.
  2.  Moderator 2007 – written report.  Great facility, many rooms for breakout sessions.  Four bookstores coming. Going to be creative with food and music.
  3. Host Committee 2007.  Kathy Rust and Dewey Gierke will co-chair host committee.  Very enthusiastic about meeting. It will be a challenge because of distance between churches involved.
  4. 2008 Annual Meeting – report by Bill Fillebrown.  Have received all manuals and schedule for pre-meetings.  Radisson Hotel about ¼ mile from Mayflower.  Contracted with three hotels with approximately the same rate.  Had initial planning meeting in August.  Next meeting in January.  Chuck Kantner may become general chair of the Host Committee.  Closing Program at Plymouth Plantation. Goal to raise $18,000 for planning of meeting. Phil Jackson to be Congregational Lecture.  Has extended Bible Lecture to James Henry White. Transportation is one of their top priorities.
  5. Location 2009 – Wisconsin Congregational Association will host the 2009 meeting to coincide with ICF meeting.  Written report.
  6. Past Moderator – Dick Adair.

 

6.  Financials

Financial Report presented by Jeff Dillon, Treasurer, and Dan Drea, Financial Manager.

Considerable concern regarding the current budget.  Need to empower Dan, Jeff and Don Sturgis to closely examine each line item.   Suggested that there be a minimum fee for membership in NA.

  1. Talk to investment trust.  Our return is not big enough.
  2. Look at expense side from staff.
  3. Divisions need to look at this crunch.  RSI Capital Campaign is directed to benefit the services that our divisions deliver.  They need to help.
  4. Look at minimum donation from our churches.
  5. Need to look at The Congregationalist.  Need to reduce cost and still deliver in print to 8,000 people.
  6. Our own personal contact with churches. 

 

EC members concerned that NA member churches will think we are not particularly good stewards of money because our budget looks so bad.

 

Wendy Van Tassell and Neil Hunt expressed their concern of the discrepancy of dollars spent on the NAPF/HOPE meetings as reported by the CYM vs. numbers recorded by the NACCC office.

 

We need more information on the giving of the local church.  We need to make better contact with our local churches.

 

What is the trend in local church membership?  Is this affecting the local church giving to the NA?

 

Don Sturgis questioned what kind of budget we are looking for?  He needs direction for next year’s budget.

 

Discussed increasing the draw down from 5 to 6%.

 

Motion #3 - Moved by Don Sturgis, second, that our Executive Secretary, Financial Manager, Treasurer, and Chair of the Budget Committee report to the Executive Committee within this month a plan to reduce expenses within this year GOF and planning for 2007-2008 budget.

 

VOTE: Motion adopted.

 

Motion #4 - Moved by Neil Hunt, second, that the draw down be increased to 6% to be split 5% to Divisions and 1% to the GOF and that the Divisions and Commissions be sent a letter from the budget sub committee that they need to have a balanced budget.  The draw down to be reviewed annually.

 

VOTE:  Motion adopted.

 

7.  Historian

No report.

8.  Ad Hoc Committees
  1. Biennial meeting.  Oral report from Joelle Sommers. Report is in draft form and they are having one more meeting to finalize.  Recommend we maintain an Annual Meeting.
  2. Staff Transition – Written Report.  Don’s tenure is fall of 2008.

 

Motion #5 – Moved by Wendy Van Tassell, second, that the Executive Committee recommends to the Association the elimination of the 10 year term limits for executive positions following the tenure of those currently in those positions.  Executives would continue to receive performance reviews on an annual basis, with annual renewals of contracts.

 

VOTE:  Motion adopted

 

Will be assigned to Membership and Procedures to draft the proper language.

 

  1. The Congregationalist – The EC created a team to review ways of cutting costs, improving revenue, and expanding the scope and mission of our Association’s magazine. Received written report prepared by The Congregationalist Review Team. The Congregationalist is in serious arrears.  The charge of the committee was not to deal with personalities.

 

Motion #6 – Moved by Anne Butman, second, that the Executive Committee accept the report of The Congregationalist Review Team and refer it to the Personnel and Administration Subcommittee to supply a final report by December 1, 2006.

 

VOTE: Motion adopted.

 

Motion #7 – Moved by Bonn Clayton, second, that we accept the report of committee with thanks for their hard work.

 

VOTE:  Motion adopted.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2006

8:00 A.M.

Opening prayer by Dick Hotchkin

9. Pending/New Items
  1. New Mission Statement - no report
  2. Christian Churches Together – written report

 

10. Sub-Committees
  1. Budget -no report
  2. Membership and Procedures were given charge to look at proposal regarding term of executives.
  3. Nomination and Appointments – no nominees at this time.
  4. Personnel & Administration – introduced new staff member Diana David, Capital Campaign Administrator.

11.  RSI

RSI Implementation Team.  Role (see report)

Team looked at two things. Suggestions for theme for campaign and identifying possible people for a number of teams we need.

Diana David has added a tremendous element to the initiative to move on the Capital Campaign.  It is two and a half times the largest campaign we have ever done.

Diana reported on progress of Campaign. Quiet phase of campaign – constituents aren’t aware of campaign.  Refining the case. Implementation team is giving feedback.  Tom has been meeting with regional people seeking their input.

 

RSI has started going out to local churches to discuss their campaigns.  Two right now:  Florence, MA and Madison, WI.  Piedmont College is designing marketing tools. They are donating thousands of dollars worth of services.  We need to identify a slogan.  Diana is building a database for prospects, identifying people for teams. Prayer Team is first team to be identified.  Need business plan with goals and objectives.  How are you going to measure the success of the money that people invest in the campaign?

 

Where are we going:

Concentrated direction for Tom for at least the next year.  We are in phase one.  Recruitment of teams in next month is going to be crucial. Identify the talented people within your church that can help us.

 

When we start (right after first of year) going out to talk to potential investors.  We need to know that EC is totally on board.  How much commitment do we have from our own people?

 

Anticipating that we will launch the public phase in June 2007.

12.  Organizational
  1. Congregational Institute - Developing curriculum for new lay minister program.
  2. New NA Hymnal - written report.  Look forward to having a hymnal in common for all NA churches.  Title of Hymnal: Hymns for a Pilgrim People.

13. New Business:

 

Proposal dated January 06 regarding the EC being reduced to 8 members. Was discussed at February 2006 meeting.  Suggestion was to reduce EC to 8 and then add one person from each Division to raise number to 12.  Last time it was raised the NA body soundly defeated it. 

14. February meeting

The February 2007 meeting of the EC will most likely be a conference call or online meeting.  EC has already spent their budget.  One suggestion would be to use mymeeting.com

 

Vote was taken on how many would pay his or her own expenses if the EC met in person.  Will look at other alternatives, but meeting in person is still a possibility.  Meeting would be February 2 & 3, 2007.  Sub-committees would meet at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 2.  EC meeting would be from 4-9 on Friday, February 2, 2007 and Saturday, February 3, 2007, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

15. Adjourned

Closing prayer given by Joe Clarke at 1:35 p.m.