Friday, September 10, 2021 11:30 a.m. CDT
Present: Ryan Russell, Jim Searls, Laura Witkowski, Lonnie Chaffin Paul White, Curtis Brown, Gail Burgess
Chair Ryan Russel called the meeting to order.
ITEM #1 – Three grant applications had been received. These included a request from UMVIM for an additional $20,000 to hold an event before Youth 2023; additional funds would come through UMVIM. We agreed to present this to the full Council, but Ryan will ask for clarification on exactly how the money will be spent: staffing? scholarships?
The remaining requests, Global Village from West Ohio, and McKendrie University Campus Ministry in Illinois, will not be forwarded to the full council. The executive committee agreed that they did not meet the criterion for broad jurisdictional participation.
ITEM #2 – The full Mission Council meeting is set for October 15 from 9-11 a.m. Invitations will go out October 1 with a reminder on October 11. The business will include 1) Review of the Grants, both the new request and progress reports from the ongoing grants. The deadline for grant applications was September 1; the information has been on the website. 2) Finance Report, including a revised budget for the Quadrennium. 3) Updates on the Jurisdictional Conference and our involvement with it.
ITEM #3 – What is Happening?
The in person Jurisdictional Conference has been cancelled. Instead delegates will meet virtually on November 10-12. The plan is to have small group break-outs with groups of 6-8 people. The College of Bishops will be determining the schedule. The group planning for the Racial Justice session has met. Ryan and Curtis shared information from the meeting of the group planning for the session on the Future of the UMC. The hope is to come up with a statement or covenant which the delegates can all agree to. It could answer the questions who are we and where are we going.
The full Mission Council will meet virtually on Friday, October 15 from 9 am until 11 a.m. CDT (10 am until noon EDT).
Gail Burgess
Secretary
