Ministry Council Summary of Actions - Teleconference (29 August 2009)

1. The Ministry Council met via teleconference on Saturday, August 29, 2009, at 9:01 a.m. CDT in lieu of a face-to-face Council meeting.
2. Nineteen of the twenty-two Ministry Council members responded to the roll call. Members: Karen Breeding, Jill Carr, Mandy Clark, Carlton Harper, Elizabeth Horsley, Richard Hughes, Rickey Page, Toni Prosser, Gwen Roddye, Sam Romines, Iwao Satoh, Leo Whinery, Wayne Wood.  (Excused: Roy Shanks; Absent: Hillman Moore,); Youth Advisory Members:  Billy Black, Emma Shoaf (Absent: Corey Faulkner); Advisory Members: Jonathan Clark, Robert Rush, Sam Suddarth; Director of Ministries: Edith Gholson.
3. Welcomed New Members Toni Prosser, Sam Suddarth, and Emma Shoaf.
4. Heard reports from Chairperson and Representative to General Assembly Gwen Roddye and Alternate Representative to General Assembly Rickey Page.
5. Heard from Stephanie Scrudder Brown, Team Leader of the Pastoral Development Ministry Team, regarding the future design for the PDMT and the job description ready to be posted for the new Team Leader. Ministry Council agreed to post the job as listed. Thanked Stephanie for her service to the Ministry Council as a Team Leader and for taking time to report during this conference call.
6. Heard a report from Edith Gholson Director of Ministries regarding: a) The MC Luncheon, b).Hiring of New Communications Team Leader, c) Pastoral Development Ministry Team, d) Personnel Manual and move to annual review, e) Launching new software, f) Ministry Council Planning Retreat for all advisory teams, and g) Travel by the Director.
   
   
   Recent Meetings and Travel:
   • Covenant Presbytery Minister's Lunch : 22 August
   • GA Program Planning Committee : 20 August
   • GA Corporate Board : 5 August
   • General Assembly : 14-17 June (Presentations to Committees, CPWM Convention and General Assembly)
   • West TN Presbytery Committee on the Ministry : June
   • West TN Presbytery : 7 June
   
   
   Upcoming Travel:
   • Missouri Presbytery (tentative) : 19 September
   • Soncoast FL CPWM Conference & Keynote : 2-3 October
   • Ministers Conference (tentative) : 12-14 October
   • Nashville Presbytery : 27 October
   • Columbia (TBD)
   • Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea (TBD)
7. Received the report from the Executive Committee. Robert Watkins has invited the Director to visit Colombia, and suggested that he may be able to find a source to underwrite the expense of that visit. The Executive Committee endorsed the plan for the Director to visit Colombia when possible, and the Council adopted the following recommendation:

   That the Director be given permission to travel to Colombia at the earliest time she deems appropriate, taking financial concerns and other obligations into consideration.

8. Named Richard Hughes, Leo Whinery, and Billy Black as the Nominating Committee to present a slate of officers for election during the November Retreat.
9. Heard from Robert Rush that our property on Traditional Place is now officially tax exempt retroactive back to July 2008. The City is now working toward a refund of taxes paid.
10. Retreat Meeting Date: November 6-8, 2009 Retreat will be held at St. Columba Retreat Center, Bartlett, TN, with all Ministry Teams' Elected and Staff Members participating. (half day Friday, all day Saturday, half day Sunday).