6/28/23: Annual Meeting

Fred’s Report to Annual Meeting:

  1. As a result of Dr. Karen McClintock’s consultation with us through the “Listening Post” and “What You’ve Told Us” sessions: we as church leadership have heard your pain, confusion and frustration over the way Rev. Christina’s ministry to us ended.
    • We acknowledge that some of us were displeased and hurt by aspects of Rev. Christina’s leadership and ministry to us
    • And we acknowledge that as Church Leadership we did not take those concerns as seriously as they deserved and that some of our congregation behaved in less than charitable ways to Rev. Christina … and for that we are truly sorry.
  2. During this Reconciliation process we have been able to abide by the “Things We Agree To” guidelines during these conversations
  3. As a result of this Reconciliation process: Church Council has a much clearer idea about their role in the process of co-leading us as a church.
  4. It is recommended that Council along with our Ministry Team Leaders and Committee Leaders will meet quarterly to ensure stable leadership and clear communication.
  5. A new and invigorated Personnel Committee will begin work.
  6. A new and reinvigorated Pastoral Relations Committee will begin work focused on promoting effective communication between pastor and congregation and being present in conflicts in ways that are productive.
  7. The Pastor will now have an annual review overseen by Council.
  8. The criteria for this annual review will be agreed upon by both Council and the Pastor and made public and transparent to the Congregation.
  9. I recommend that we remove the “Reconciliation Ministry Team” from the church bylaws. It is my belief that when congregants are in disagreement or relational struggles, this is best handled by competent and trained clergy. This sort of work is too much to ask of untrained volunteers.
  10. We will continue to work on and complete a Relational Agreement for members as requested by some people during the listening post process.
  11. McClintock will be retained through October of this year to help implement the Pastoral Relations Committee, to guide development of our Relationship Agreement, and she will wrap up her work with us by offering a healthy congregations workshop for everyone on October 14th.

Finally, I ended the meeting announcing the sad news that Tege has tendered her resignation. She is ready to replace church office work with grandbabies! She will be with us through August 31st; is willing to train her replacement; and will continue to be part of our church family. Laurie True and the Personnel Committee are already at work posting for a new Business Manager. We have been so blessed with Tege’s hard work, loving care of us all, deep understanding of how church works and keeping us on track, especially when we had no minister. She is an impressive, efficient, compassionate, lovely woman who I will miss terribly–and yet I will be able to be with her in a new way, and that is wonderful.