North Central Jurisdiction
Jurisdictional Mission Council
Minutes of Meeting of March 21-22, 2015
Present: Bill Pyatt, Chair; Paul White; Bishop Julius Trimble; Rita Gaither-Gant; Harry Askin, Matthew Sipe, Rose Booker-Jones, Cynthia Williams, Ouk-Yean Kim Jueng, Mark Dicken, Benton Heisler, DCM Rep, Rick VanGiesen, Treasurer; John Boley, Secretary. Guest: Jim Searls, Communicator and Webmaster.
Introductions: Around the table with an update on life.
Devotions: Bill led devotions from Shaine Claiborne – “in the roar of hard rain, you can’t separate good doctrine from good living.” Bill led in prayer.
Purpose of Meeting: Bishop Trimble reviewed the tasks of the Jurisdictional Council on Ministries from the 1980 NCJ Journal. They had a budget of $606,000 and had many of the same programs that are being funded currently.
Bill Pyatt informed everyone that our intent is to have a robust discussion about ways to use our funds. This is being requested by our internal discussions, by the College of Bishops and by the Akron Task Force.
Financial Statements: Rick reviewed the Budgeted Financial Statement:
1) We have about $700,000 in the bank; groups didn’t spend their budgeted funds at the end of the last quadrennium and we received 100% of our apportioned funds from the Conferences
2) We have about $869,225 budgeted, and have spent $302,165. This amounts to 34.76%
3) The biggest budgeted item is upcoming in the form of Jurisdictional Conference
4) We’re still getting timely and full contributions from the Annual Conferences
5) Some groups raise their own funds, especially the Korean Ministries, which is $17,000 to the good. Native American ministries is $6,000 to the good due to a grant from the West Ohio Conference
6) Discussion of costs of the Episcopacy Committee
Meeting with College of Bishops: Bill led a review of the minutes of the Executive Committee meeting with the College of Bishops in January, including the Jodi Cataldo proposal that is Exhibit A of the minutes, the Bishops’ observations and questions etc.
Flow Chart: Rick and Benton discussed the flow chart presented to determine input from the DCM’s. It will be updated.
Continuing issues:
1) How do we tell the difference between Jurisdictional ministries and local ministries?
2) How do we move from legacy funding to project funding?
3) What do Jurisdictional ministries do that Annual Conferences cannot do?
4) How do we ensure that ministries are jurisdictional in nature?
5) What collaborative efforts are necessary for existing agencies?
6) What is the criteria to determine a “project?”
7) What are the frequencies of DCM meetings and Mission Council meetings?
Proposal for Discussion: Rose suggested that we phase in this thinking by funding ½ of the current levels of existing agencies for the next quadrennium and that we place ½ of the funding in block grants.
Bishop Trimble mentioned that another thing to take into consideration is that in 2020 we might lose another Bishop and we might need some transitional money; we will know by 2018 at the latest.
Additional discussion: 1) What do we do with our large reserves?; 2) How do we time all of this as we anticipate our September meeting? 3) How do we focus on the fact that this effort is vision driven rather than finance driven? Do we know how to do that, or how to communicate it?
Bill suggested that there might be some consensus on some things: 1) There needs to be a way of funding emerging ministries; 2) We can’t just cut out all non-required funding; 3) We’re discerning a way to phase in – away from legacy funding and toward project/block funding.
End of day Reflection by Bill: Bill’s church in East Alton is close to Ferguson, MO. He is most concerned with the blanket of indifference in our world, but we are reminded that God still speaks to us to seek balance and justice. People shared intercession and Ouk-Jean led in prayer.
Break for the evening / Reconvene in the morning.
Akron Task Force: Rick led a discussion on the work of the Akron Task Force. They’re behind us in their deliberations but generally on board with the VanGiesen position paper. They are conflicted about Jurisdictional v. General church issues. They have a meeting October 23 and 24. They tend to be most interested in General church issues and that might not be helpful to us. But we will work with them.
I-75 Action Plan: We all reviewed a proposal by members of the Detroit Annual Conference and the West Ohio Annual Conference, along with the letters from Bishop Kiesey and Bishop Palmer, seeking funding for a plan for the I-75 cities. This has come out of the Bishop’s Urban Cohort. This is a pilot program and we’re being asked to only fund part of this; there is a sunset provision. There is some question of what fruit this will bear.
Motion by Mark that we approve it, seconded by Rose. More discussion. Friendly amendment that we get a progress report back to the Mission Council in 2016 (Goal 4). Amendment by Harry that we release the first $25,000 and we get a complete report in 2015 prior to our September meeting before we release the second $25,000. Seconded by Rick. Harry will be liaison and contact person. Motion carried.
Reflection by Bishop Trimble: President Obama gave a great speech recently at Selma – “We” are responsible. It is troubling that we don’t use much “we” language in our discussions. We can do better at connectionalism. We have an opportunity to be visionary and not be driven only by financial issues. Consensus: We always need to be able to build better relationships.
Discussion of Essentials v. Non-Essentials: Some Jurisdictional agencies are required by Discipline. Other agencies are not, and these need to know that this might be coming.
Motion by Rick: That we accept Jodi’s Draft proposal as presented by Exhibit A, updated. Seconded by Benton. Discussion of concerns:
1) Not sure what the Block grants for $300,000 and $100,000 really mean
2) Concern about agencies that have employees
3) Concern about how block grants would work and whether National Plans can handle it.
4) Concern about what other Jurisdictions are doing
5) Clarify the Strategies and Methodologies section and clarify the proposed funding, especially with respect to the workings of the $300,000 and $100,000 sections
6) Put in Part I the purpose of the Mission Council
7) Clarify the criterion of Emerging Ministries so that we don’t have to use only existing NCJ funded agencies
8) Timeline: Agencies need to be informed of a possible new process by May 15th. We need this proposal by July 1st so that we can communicate by July 31 to the Agencies that there will be a new application process. After Jodi updates the proposal, we’ll send it out and can communicate by conference call or email.
9) Remind liaisons to be in touch right after July 30th.
Discussion of next officers: Jodi will be Chair; need a new Vice-Chair; Treasurer and a new Secretary. Discussion about how this happens at Jurisdictional Conference through the workings of the Jurisdictional Nominating Committee.
Consensus: Bill says that the consensus seems to be:
1) We of course fund all mandated ministries
2) Jodi will perfect the Proposal
3) We agree that we’re moving to block grants for non-mandated ministries
Rick moved to table his motion pending revision of the Proposal. Approved.
Rose mentioned that Lawrence McGuin can’t continue as Liaison of the CCC. Rose volunteered to be Liaison. Consensus agreement.
Next Meeting: We will meet September 25 and 26. Place to be determined. Ouk-Yean will check out places in Chicago. Bishop Trimble will be in Columbus then. Rick will be coming from South Carolina.
Closed in Prayer.
Respectfully submitted,
John Boley, Secretary
