Pastor Marcus opened the meeting with prayer. I introduced the two new members on the Council: George Liebel and Darlene Kostrub. New committee chairmen were also identified. The minutes of the November 2018 meeting were approved. Sharon Saige gave her Business Administrator report.

Pastor Marcus led discussion on several agenda items. The ad hoc committee appointed to investigate the offer of the Montessori school to purchase the West Campus will have its first meeting on January 23. Chuck Reeder is the chairman of that committee.
The United Methodist Church will have a special session of the General Conference February 24-27 in St. Louis, Missouri. The single subject at this meeting will concern human sexuality and the current policy of the United Methodist Church as written in the Book of Discipline. Our church will be sponsoring a study session on the East Campus on February 6, 13, and 20 to discuss this issue using the book, Making Sense of the Bible, by Adam Hamilton. These meetings are open to all who would like to attend.

Joe Mannino, chairman of the Staff Parish Committee, reported that a job description has been created for Arlene Sparks, recently appointed as director of all music ministries on both campuses. Arlene will be in charge of music at all worship services including special events. She will also develop a budget and supervise the individuals in charge of each service as well as the musicians. It was emphasized that any expense in the music program must to be approved by Arlene and paid directly by the church. Personal reimbursement is not allowed. Wyatt Robinson’s 90-day review is due February 1, 2019. The committee is updating the “Organizational Chart”.

Joe Rakestraw, chairman of the Finance Committee gave the finance report. Due to the staff and church members’ efforts there was a significant reduction in last year’s expenses. The 2019 proposed budget is significantly less than last year. Deficit spending is expected to continue to decrease. The number of people pledging has decreased for 2019 but the level of giving has increased with the current pledges. Overall, there is a definite improvement in our finances. A number of action items were approved by the Council. These included a transfer of funds, a request that the Trustees investigate a contract with a valet service to provide parking during large Mizner Park amphitheater events (to raise money), and a proposal to delay our apportionment payments to the Florida Conference until the end of the year. (The apportionment will be paid in full but the money will accumulate in an interest-bearing account). Finally, the 2019 budget was approved unanimously.

Bruce Wetmore, chairman of the Trustees gave his report. A number of projects were completed and several are ongoing. Over the Christmas holidays, the church received a proposal of a car wash being built adjacent to the east side of the West Campus. There was concern expressed about security and noise pollution. The Trustees along with Mike Woolsey will be investigating this issue and making sure that the church is represented at any public hearings. We will also coordinate our efforts with the Montessori school. The Council approved the cost of an attorney if that becomes necessary.
Pastor Rachel gave her report on the progress of the Fresh Expressions Ministry, the “Dinner Church.” A team of volunteers has been established to support this ministry. The first Dinner Church is scheduled for February 24. Overall the preparation of this ministry is moving along smoothly.

Pastor Ryan was not present, but congratulations were extended by the Council on his successful completion of his Elder’s Interview. His ordination will occur on June 8 at the Florida Conference in Lakeland. All are invited.

Wyatt Robinson gave a comprehensive report of his progress since being hired as Director of Family Ministry. The youth ministry program appears to be moving forward well and several of our programs that had been placed on hold have been re-established.

Jill Haire gave her report on the Connections Ministry. Discussion was made about some of the new language in the updated Connect Card. The end-of-the-year membership audit and reports are underway, and she continues to work on the “greeter program” at all of the services.
Our Lay Leader, Suzanne Reeves, and Young Adult Leader, Mallory Albeck, did not have anything to report. The meeting was closed in prayer by Pastor Rachel.

Once again, I offer you the caveat that the above remarks are my interpretation of the events and discussions held at the Leadership Council meeting, and any opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Respectfully submitted,
Charlie Tate

It is important for each church member to be aware of the hard work and long hours performed by the members of the Leadership Council since the church conference in April. The desire of each member of the Council is to make the right decisions that will lead our church to a successful future in growing God’s kingdom in Boca Raton. While we may not agree on the process, we all agree on the desired outcome. The meeting Monday night took three hours, illustrating the efforts of the Council in our goal. The following is my recollection of the meeting and my expressed personal views.

Pastor Marcus opened the meeting with a prayer and a devotional.

Ron Allen, president of Morgan Taylor Company, a longstanding member of our church, gave a formal presentation on the condition of our facilities on both campuses. His presentation was impressive with details and overview, covering the condition of the roofs, air-conditioners, buildings, and walkways. It was my opinion that his presentation indicated that overall, the facilities are in decent to good condition with a few exceptions. Roof cleaning was recommended on the East campus along with low-cost maintenance on the air conditioning units (line insulation). The West campus needs some roof work and parking lot repair. Pastor Tom asked Ron to review a leak in the Chapel. Ron and his company have been involved in the repair or replacement of our facilities dating back to 2002. Please contact him directly or speak with Fran Bertotti if you have a concern. Overall, I thought his report was quite encouraging.

Joe Manino gave a presentation on how the current governing body of our church, The Leadership Council, came into being in 2012. Revised in 2016, the document describing the composition and policies of the Council was distributed to each member. In the future, new members on the Council will be given this document in January and will be asked to participate in a brief leadership training at the start of their tenure. There are several concerns regarding current composition and policy. These include which members should have the privilege of voting, alternate committee members, and attendance requirements for Council members. Pastor Tom, and in his absence pastor Marcus, will chair a committee of Charlie Tate, Joe Rakestraw, and Merv Timberlake, to make recommendations at the July meeting. All policy must be consistent with The Book of Discipline. Charlie Tate reminded the Council that this document represented the “Constitution” of our governing body, and must be closely adhered to.

Sharon Saige gave the business administrator report. Those documents are available for review. In brief, we continue to run a budget deficit, and our attendance continues to drop on both campuses. This is the summer, when attendance and giving are historically low. On the bright side, the increase in pledging has now totaled about $44,000. However, this remains well below the goal established at the April church conference of 20%. Please continue to pray about your financial commitment to the kingdom of God.

Fran Bertotti gave the trustees subcommittee report. The list of minor repairs is available for your review. Fran did express concern about the West Campus parking lot and the need for repair prior to our Pumpkin Patch Outreach in October. Particularly encouraging was the report of volunteers supplying labor and in some cases materials to improve our facilities on West and East campuses. Volunteerism is the heart and soul of any church. Please do your part.

Chuck Reeder gave the Staff Parish report. There have been rather dramatic changes in our staff this summer. As reported last month, our West Campus children’s director and Sunday school teacher has resigned. This month, Melissa Walls, after 10 years of faithful service, has resigned as Director of Children’s Ministry. These resignations leave a tremendous gap in our ministry to our children and youth. The committee proposed a bold plan to develop a new position of Director of Family Ministry. This individual would be in charge of the children and youth ministries on both campuses. For this to work, in addition to his or her direct ministry, this individual would need to have significant people skills in order to produce the volunteers (parents and other church members) necessary for each of the programs. Budgeted funds are available for this position and there may be an opportunity for some budget savings with the consolidation. The plan was unanimously approved by the Council and the search for the director will begin this summer.

Sharon Beede gave the finance committee report. Her report is available for review. In summary, the committee continues to express concern about the financial well-being of our church. We continue to run a budget deficit and the long-term implications of this is onerous. The committee continues to work diligently to find areas in the budget that can be modified to reduce costs. Some of these areas may include reduction of the music ministry expenses on the East campus, the financial consequences of selling one or both of the parish homes, and an overall reduction in the Staff Parish budget. On the positive side, we have reduced cost for our custodial services, and we have increased income through new rental agreements with MECE on the East Campus and the Montessori school on the West Campus. In addition, there may be additional savings as noted earlier in the establishment of a Director of Family Ministry. A motion was approved to move $100,000 from our foundation fund into a Merrill Lynch liquid account. A second motion encouraging a budget reduction of 15%, with 10% coming from Staff Parish was defeated. It would be my opinion that Leadership Council has two schools of thought on the budget issue. Some Council members feel that the budget should be reduced and the deficit eliminated. Other Council members, including myself, feel that our church ministry must be revamped and updated, if we are to succeed in the future. This will likely require deficit spending in the near future. All members of our Council want our church to succeed on both campuses. As members, your input is necessary—not only your thoughts, but your time, energy, and giving.

Pastor Marcus briefly discussed the first meetings of the Strategic Planning Task Force and the Ministries Reassessment Task Force. These two teams were established at our April church conference and will be evaluating all aspects of worship at our church currently and our strategic planning for the future. They will be working all summer to bring a report to the Leadership Council in September.

Pastor Tom gave his final report as a full-time pastor. He will be spending three weeks starting July 7 in Atlanta to complete his study at the Emory University School of Theology. He shared his sense of blessing at being a full-time pastor at our church and left the Council with a most appropriate Bible verse to live by: Ephesians 4:32. Look it up, it’s worth remembering. Charlie Tate concluded Pastor Tom’s remarks by expressing a deep appreciation and love for Pastor Tom and all that he has done to further the ministry of our church. We are so very grateful that he will continue to be with us on a part-time basis.

Pastors Rachel and Ryan continue to be on maternity leave. They will be returning to work on July 1. Our prayers of joy continue for young Charlie.

Suzanne Reeves gave the Lay Leader report. Suzanne is serving on both planning teams as a facilitator with Pastor Marcus. If you take a minute to review the Leadership Council composition and policy document discussed earlier, you will find the responsibilities of the Lay Leader. Suzi is the living, breathing, walking and talking example of what the Leader of Laity is supposed to be. We are so blessed to have her.

Our new Young Adult Representative, Mallory Albeck, did not present a report at this meeting.  The purpose of the Young Adult Representative is to insure that the Leadership Council discussions and votes include the perspective of the next generation.

Jill Haire, our Connections Ministry Director, filed a written report. She continues to work on a plan of action this summer for increasing number of greeters and ushers for our services starting in the fall.

Joe Rakestraw, one of our Council members, is working with Mike Woolsey to establish a new outreach ministry with the motorcycle enthusiasts in our community. He asked for the council’s endorsement. Council members recommended George Liebel as an additional convener of this “motorcycle gang” and unanimously supported this outreach. Please be careful, boys!!!

Doris Clark gave an exciting and enthusiastic report of the first meeting of the Pumpkin Patch Committee. There are four co-chairpersons. Minutes and summary of that meeting are available for review. The level of volunteerism this year is very exciting and all profits from this activity will be used to support the operating budget of our church. Please plan to participate in this wonderful and very successful community outreach ministry.

Pastor Tom ended a lengthy but successful meeting with prayer.

Respectfully submitted,

Charles F Tate III, MD

Chair, Leadership Council, FUMC, BR

This is the second report of the Leadership Council Chair, consisting of my reflections on the meeting held May 21, 2018 at the West Campus. Council attendance was excellent and each of the members are to be commended for their hard work during the past month. Each committee submitted a written report which is available for review. It was a busy, but highly productive meeting, going just over two hours.

Our Church Business Administrator Sharon Saige reported on recent pledges turned in. 28 people have increased their pledge or pledged for the first time with an overall increase of $22,000 in giving. We hope and pray there are more pledges to come in, as our needs are great. Leadership Council members should be wearing bright new name badges in the next month. We want everyone to get to know the lay leaders and ask questions or express concerns to them. We are planning a new photo church directory to be published by the first of the year. Photography will be scheduled for this fall. Becky Clark will be the staff “point person” on this project; we need volunteers to help her make this a big success. Please contact her and offer your services. We have received a 95 page appraisal of the West Campus from Integra Realty Resources in Orlando, a company recommended by our conference. The West Campus property appraisal was acknowledged; the property was valued at $3.6 million.

Jill Haire gave a report on plans to expand our greeter program. We will be developing a plan of action that will greatly expand the number of greeters, so the burden of serving every week can be reduced on our current loyal group. This is an extremely important ministry, as studies have shown that visitors decide within 7 to 8 minutes of walking into a church service whether they feel encouraged to return. Stay tuned and please extend the hand of friendship to all.

Pastor Marcus gave a report from the Nominating Committee. We welcomed our new Young Adult Representative, Mallory Albeck, to her first meeting. Claire Vande Polder was elected to serve on the Staff Parish Relations Committee. The pastor then nominated 13 members for the new Ministries Reassessment Task Force and 9 members for the Strategic Planning Task Force, which were mandated by the vote at our Church Conference in April. All nominees were approved. The task forces will be working this summer to assess our church and make recommendations to move forward into the future with success. These names will be published in the bulletin and on Realm. Please get to know them and share your thoughts with them.

Chuck Reeder, Chairman of the Staff Parish Relations Committee gave their report. Pastor Tom’s new position as a part-time minister required definition and salary adjustments. The Staff Parish proposal was approved, and Pastor Tom is ready to begin part time on July 1. We are extremely pleased to continue to enjoy his talent, caring, and love for the Lord. Custodial services have undergone a change since the resignation of Alex Castle. Sharon Saige has negotiated with a contract service, and the plan approved will produce an estimated $6000 savings to the church. Callie Schaffer, our Assistant Children’s Director and West Campus Sunday school teacher, has resigned. She plans to work full time at the Montessori school. We will attempt to fill her role with volunteers this summer and revisit this position in the fall. Please, if you enjoy children, volunteer once or twice a month to take care of our most precious gifts. The hiring of a full-time youth director (to serve on both campuses) has been deferred this summer. In the interim, Dani Boden has been hired as a part time youth and children intern. We will revisit this important subject this fall, and based on giving, goals, and recommendations of the Strategic Planning and Ministry Reassessment teams, reconsider a full-time position.

Sharon Beede, Chair of the Finance Committee, gave their report and recommendations. It was approved that a monthly financial report will appear in the bulletin every week, so that members “can’t miss” the information. Salaries for pastors and staff will be frozen this year as we tighten our financial belts. Finally, the Finance Committee members were unanimous in the belief that the church should move to a balanced budget as quickly as possible. Fiscal responsibility is essential to the health of our institution. It was agreed that Finance, working with Sharon Saige, will propose a detailed balanced budget next month. This will be based on actual current needs, current changes in giving, recent changes in salaries and new income. Please, prayerfully consider your giving to our church. It is only with your help that our goal to serve greater Boca Raton for God’s work can be fulfilled.

Fran Bertotti, Chairperson of the Trustees, gave their report. Ron Allen, a church member, and owner of Morgan Taylor Contractors is currently inspecting facilities at both campuses. He will be presenting a detailed overview of the condition of both facilities with proposed necessary repairs and replacements, at our June meeting. Approval was given to install storm windows in the East Campus parsonage. These funds will not come from the church budget. Approval was given for window repair and caulking on the East Campus. Fran also reported on an occupancy study she did. George Liebel was thanked for repairing the walkway between Fellowship Hall and the school building on the West Campus. A water leak was repaired outside the Chapel on the West Campus. There is a water leak at the West Campus parsonage that needs repair. MECE will be paying $5000 more this year to use the Life Enrichment Center. The Montessori school contract is in negotiations. The church vehicles need to be replaced. They are over 12 years old and worn out. No action was taken, but this will need to be addressed as we try to improve our youth ministry and outreach programs.

Lay Leader Suzanne Reeves gave her report. She noted that she attended the Trustees and Finance Committee meetings this month, participated in the West Campus services at 930, and has submitted her first message for our weekly email. She expressed concern about the condition of the West Campus infant/toddler nursery.

Charlie Tate asked Pastor Tom to chair an ad hoc committee to review whether there should be any changes to the members of the Council who vote on Council matters. Joe Rakestraw and Merv Timberlake were asked to serve. A report is requested to the Council at the June meeting.

The meeting was adjourned with a closing prayer.

Respectfully submitted,

Charles F Tate III, MD

Chair, Leadership Council, FUMC, BR