The Church Board of the First Christian Church of Edmond, OK s1

The Church Board of the First Christian Church of Edmond, OK Monthly Meeting Minutes January 18, 2015

Call to Order: Bruce Jackson called the meeting to order and opened with prayer.

Board Members Present: Bruce Jackson, Don Weichmann, Kathy Kerr, Doyle Phillips, Christin Adkins, Brian Kilpatrick, James Larrison, Larry Mullins, Terry Kerr, Sherry Kious, Marcia Tunison, Randle Lee, Dian and Jim Sill, Crystal Vazquex, Frank Gresh, Melissa and Kacy VanOsdol, Brenda Wood, James Kerr, Robbi Kinnaird and Mark Nash

Board Members Absent: Marcy Williams, Jim Quade, Amy Peters, and Scott Kinnaird

Staff Members Present: Chris Shorow, John Regan, Jerry Black, Diane Ball, and Amy Roberts

Others in Attendance: Leah Johns, Brenda Peterson

Determination of Quorum: A quorum was met with 20 Board members present out of 24 valid positions.

Approval of Minutes: The minutes were approved for November 2014 with no corrections. Marcia Tunison moved to approve the minutes as presented. James Kerr offered the second. No discussion. Minutes were approved.

Old Business:  Update on Sense of the Assembly Resolution Task Force – Brenda Peterson gave a brief overview of the Task Force responsibility and their work in the elimination of voting at General Assembly on Resolutions. Todd Adams, Associate General Minister and Vice President of the DOC is working to accomplish the same goal with an Administrative Task Force; however, instead of just eliminating the resolutions, this task force is working to offer an alternative process through presenting a topic of discussion and would encourage an educational forum. The FCC Task Force unanimously decided to work with the Administrative Task Force on their proposal. Todd Adams contacted Chris Shorow on January 11th and stated they were not able to get their proposal together, but would work with the FCC Task Force to get a proposal presented by the January 18th deadline. Todd Adam’s proposal, after being reviewed and modified by the FCC Task Fork, was unanimously approved by the FCC Task Force, given verbal approval by the Executive Committee, and was submitted for presentation to General Assembly. (Attached.) It was reported that Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President of the DOC, also gives her full support to this resolution and will earmark it at the beginning of the 2015 General Assembly as being a resolution to receive top priority. Frank Gresh motioned to ratify the Executive Committee’s approval of the submission of the Task Force Resolution, Randal Lee offered the second. No discussion. Motion was approved. Brenda Peterson stated we are working very hard to have a representative of First Christian Church Edmond on the recommended task force.  General Assembly: July 18-22, 2015 in Columbus, Ohio Allocated funds for 14 to attend and have 14 people signed up for the $700 stipend. Through an anonymous donor, we are able to add seven additional members to attend. Contact Karla Mahan for reimbursement of expenses.  Building Committee: Robbi Kinnaird reported the committee continues to meet, has completed the gathering of information and Kerr3 is offering various ideas of space allocation. The build-out of room 125 has been completed and Jerry has moved his office. Offered thanks to Kerr3 Design Group for doing build- out at cost and coming in under budget. Remaining funds will be used to furnish the second office and also purchase new coffee table and sofa for Senior Minister’s office. An informational Master Plan meeting has been scheduled for February 15th at 10:00am to update those interested in the process. Still on target to present to Board in March.

New Business:  Regional Leadership Training School, January 31, 2015 at Crown Heights Christian Church  Disciples4Water: Frank Gresh presented water brought from the Democratic Republic of Congo from the first well drilled by the D4W team.

Ministry Updates: Following introductions of Moderators and Moderator Elects,  Elders – Verbal report  Deacons – Verbal report  Administration – 2014 Financial Report presented by Mark Nash  Child Care Center – No report  Communications – No report  Education – Verbal report  Evangelism – Verbal report with Membership (Hospitality)  Membership – Verbal report with Evangelism (Hospitality)  Outreach – Written report presented  Personnel – Verbal report  Spiritual – Verbal report  Stewardship – Verbal report  Trustees – No report

Reports by Ministers and Staff: Verbal reports

Next meeting scheduled for February 15, 2015

Meeting was adjourned at approximately 6:30pm

Respectfully submitted, Robbi Kinnaird 01/18/2015 FCC BOARD ATTACHMENT:

Call for A Church-wide Task Force on General Assembly Resolutions Whereas being and sharing the Good news of Jesus Christ includes prayerful consideration and action regarding contemporary issues in the light of scripture and faith; and

Whereas the current Sense of the Assembly Resolution process provides few, if any resources to congregations and pastors and no opportunities for meaningful dialogue by assembly attendees; and

Whereas Sense of the Assembly resolutions are misrepresented in the media and sometimes by the church as official doctrine, stances or statements; and

Whereas many of our members are either new to the faith or raised in communions where actions by national/international governing bodies are the official position of the church, rather than statements that speak “to the church and not for the church” as the opinion of those gathered and voting, which causes harm to and dissention within various expressions of the church; and

Whereas moral, ethical or religious matters confronting the church, the nation or the world are important in the life of the church, requiring informed and discerned engagement; and

Whereas the church, as a movement for wholeness in a broken and fragmented world, has an opportunity to model alternative decision making processes that are inclusive, holistic and theological- grounded; and

Whereas congregations of the Christian Church and a Task Force of the Administrative Committee have faithfully worked over the past biennium on an alternative approach to how the church engages in moral, ethical or religious matters confronting the church, the nation or the world as a compromise to a resolution to remove the resolution process; and

Whereas our ecumenical partners have made it known that shifts in these processes threaten our historic ecumenical partnerships including Global Ministries, our partnership with the United Church of Christ; and

Whereas general ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) authorized to address these matters by GA 9522, which authorized the Division of Overseas Ministries, Division of Homeland Ministries and the General Minister and President to sign on behalf of the church on moral, ethical or religious matters confronting the church, the nation or the world have much to offer in designing a revised process;

Therefore be it resolved that the 2015 General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) meeting in Columbus, OH July 18-22, 2015, calls for the Moderator Team and General Minister and President to appoint a task force that shall include representatives of but not limited to: the Division of Overseas Ministries, Division of Homeland Ministries, Council on Christian Unity, Office of the General Minister and President, historic justice advocacy groups in the church, the three racial / ethnic ministries, and congregations for the purpose of bringing a jointly sponsored process to the 2017 General Assembly, meeting in Indianapolis; and

And be it furthered resolved that the General Assembly votes to suspend Sections 2.4 and 2.5 of the Special Rules of Procedure for the General Assembly, which authorize Sense of the Assembly Resolutions and Items for Research and Reflection, in order to pilot the process recommended by the Task Force; and

Finally be it resolved that the church reaffirms GA 9522 and the General Assembly authorized mission of the Division of Overseas Ministries, the Division of Homeland Ministries and the General Minister and President, to exercise pastoral judgment in representing the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in matters of justice and witness.