JUNE 2022

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MARCH 2022

The following are highlights from the 3/14/2022 Governance Board (GB) meeting:

Planning Scheduling for meeting: Stephen Cady requested two Governing Board members to attend the mediation with him. He asked who could attend for the meeting on March 24th, 2022. Angie Burch and Valerie Benjamin have agreed to attend with Stephen Cady.

• Review/Approve Consent Agenda — All

1. January GB Meeting Minutes — Mr. Tylenda
2. Senior Minister’s Report — Rev. Dr. Cady
3. EC Minutes — Ms. Wilkens
4. PPRC Meeting Minutes — Mr. Stankaitis
5. PSC Minutes and Capital Improvement Plan — Mr. Hanrahan
6. Finance Cmte Minutes and Materials — Ms. Burch

Motion: Passed by unanimous consent

• Update to Board Policy Book — ALL

Suggestion to add a new 3.1.5, renumbering existing 3.1.5 and 3.1.6 correspondingly:

3.1.5 The Church Financial Director. The Financial Director reports to the Senior Minister, subject to appropriate Governing Board oversight including approval of candidates for the position proposed by the Senior Minister.

Suggested language for the fifth bullet of 1.1.1. below:
    An annual, mutual Performance Evaluation of the Senior Minister’s effectiveness conducted and coordinated through the Pastor Parish Relations Committee, and Board’s effectiveness, in their respective roles as outlined in the Book of Discipline.

Valerie Benjamin stated Beth Wilkens provided with the recommended verbiage above. 

Discussion Opened: Chuck Hanrahan stated he had questions on the current Board Policy Book.

1. In the overview, we refer to bylaws, what procedures is this referencing? In this notation it is referring to the Book of Discipline. It's in the first sentence of overview.
2. The Board Policy Book refers to the strategic plan. Is the Dreamscape our strategic plan? Yes. We should reference it and will make that change.
3. Vision of Ministry. What is this a reference? Stephen replied, it is a goal for the Governing Board that needs to be created. The goal is to create this each year to in conjunction with creating our goals. This is done in consultation with the congregation. How are we going to do that? Will we hold a future discussion on defining the process.
4. 1.3.4 Property stewardship comm. We reference trusts. I thought we moved this to investment committee. We have not been administering bequests in the PSC. It should move to Governing Board to reflect the current process.

Valerie will move "on-going receipt…." to her next update of the policy.

Action: Valerie Benjamin will update the policy book and send back to the Governing Board. 
She will update it to our website.

NEW BUSINESS

• General Conference: Implications for AFUMC — Mr. Tylenda and Rev. Dr. Cady

Mr. Cady provided an overview of status. In February, the 2020 General Conference has now been postponed to 2024. This could make a difference if we have to elect delegates again. No movement is going to officially happen until 2024. In the meantime, the WCA and Good News, and Confessing Movement are now officially launching the Global Methodist Church on May 1, 2022. Some churches will probably immediately leave. 

There is a provision in the Book of Discipline for churches that want to leave the UMC. In the Upper NY Conference, we have one of six bishops, who said that he is leaving the UMC to go to the Global Methodist Church. What does that mean to the churches who remain in the Upper NY Conference?

Is there a way that we can lead as a congregation as of right now? Or we do we wait two years from now?  This is a topic we are following closely and continues to change. There is a hopefulness that is coming, even though it might be a couple of years away.

• PPRC Incident 3/7/22 — Mr. Stankaitis 

Executive Session began at 5:23pm and ended at 5:55pm

• Board Evaluation/Assessment — Mrs. Benjamin 

Action: Please review the board evaluation assessment. Please complete and return to Valerie.

• LGBTQ+ Advocacy questions for GB — Ms. Burch 

The LGBTQA+ Advocacy Team is working on our webpage and to create content for our church web page, we are asking the Governing Board if they would be willing to provide content and answer a few questions. One of the ideas we had was to have messages on our page from a variety of people from the church. We hope to show with these short testimonials that Asbury First is truly dedicated to being an inclusive community.

There are three questions, that serve as guideposts:

1. What does it mean to you that Asbury First is a Reconciling Church?
2. How does Asbury First make you feel welcome?
3. Why is it important to you that Asbury First is welcoming?

Action: Please send responses to Barb Nelson. They will be included on the LGBTQ webpage. 

• Revisit “3 big questions” for 2022 — ALL

Do we feel that these questions need to change? Discussion led by Valerie Benjamin: 

1. How are we going to emerge from the pandemic better, faster, stronger?
2. Diversity and Inclusion
3. Lawsuit affecting the church

Another question is re-invigorating the life of the congregation after COVID. How do we take action? How does the re-launch of the outreach center affect the church? 

Are we going to perform gay weddings? If yes, when do we start doing that?

Discussion: I wonder if we need to obtain feedback from the congregation to see if they have feedback or input on any of the questions. Should we ask if there are any more questions?

Action: Create game-plan for engaging congregation for our focus.

• Next Governing Board meeting is scheduled during Holy Week on April 11th. We will consider moving this meeting to account for Holy Week. Valerie will review dates and provide them to the Governing Board.
• Closing Prayer — Rev. Dr. Cady

Meeting adjourned at 6:10 pm

— Respectfully submitted, Cory Tylenda, Secretary, Governing Board

JANUARY 2022

The following are highlights from the 01/10/2022 Governance Board (GB) meeting:

• Preparation of the annual report from the Governance Board is in process and includes summaries from each of the six Governing Board committees. Valerie will send the collated report by email to board members, and it will be included in the Church’s Annual Report.
• Discussed feedback received from congregation since implementing new Board communication plan, including monthly executive summary on our website and a Board commitment to be physically present in the Gathering Center following worship each Sunday. Members of the Board have heard very positive feedback and plan to continue the practice moving forward.
• Approved a resolution from the Investment Committee for an update to our construction line of credit with Canandaigua National Bank which is about to expire.
• Had a report from the Nominations Committee who have been meeting every other week since October and are wrapping up their work filling open positions on the GB and its six committees as required by the UMC Discipline. The Nominations Report will be completed for a congregational vote at the January 30, 2022 Church Conference.
• Discussed establishing ‘Class year’ designations for current GB members (as well as for each of the six committees reporting to the GB). The intent is to have a couple of members rotating off the board each year. For 2022, Beth Rice’s term will end. Class years for each current GB member will be set and published in the upcoming Nominations report. New GB members will serve 3-year terms.
• GB members were asked to review the AFUMC Board Policy Book to identify any needed or desired changes for discussion at the next meeting.
• Discussed structure (in person only, hybrid or virtual) for January 30, 2022 Church Conference. According to the Upper NY Conference, in person only and hybrid structures only allow for voting from those present in person. If we hold a virtual conference, all voting can be done online. Our desire is to hold a virtual conference with voting online to maximize the number of members who can participate and vote. In addition, we will provide an opportunity for in person attendance, with those members voting using a mobile device along with those attending virtually. Stephen will consult with Ted Anderson, Genesee Valley District Associate, who will be presiding over our Church Conference on this proposal. 
• Continuing to recognize the trends of clergy and church staff burnout, conversation was had on ways to show staff appreciation for their hard work in the particularly challenging circumstances of the last two years. To that end, it was decided to create a kudo board on the website where compliments and praises for staff and clergy achievements/actions can be posted. The hope is this will help affirm staff and clergy. Also discussed ways to encourage healthier dialogue by members of the congregation with our staff. GB members committed to provide support to clergy and staff in having difficult discussions with members so they can help establish respectful boundaries and share in and lessen the burden on staff and clergy. 
• Chuck Hanrahan provided a 1010 construction update. Overall, it is going very well. Work is on schedule and budget, there is a good relationship with the contractor and the demolition and much of the excavation has been completed. 
• The Governing Board heartily thanked Beth Rice for her great work as a member of the Board and all of the hard work that she has done in the last few years as lay leader, church council chair, and member of the inaugural Governing Board, among other responsibilities. We wished her well as she takes on her new roles in the congregation as the co-chair of the Storehouse and a Class Meeting Leader.

NOVEMBER 2021

The following are highlights from the 11/8/2021 Governance Board (GB) meeting:

• Reviewed and debriefed the October Congregational Open Forum. The Board committed to continue to listen, be transparent and visible with the congregation. Questions and concerns can be raised by emailing governance@asburyfirst.org. As board Chair, Valerie Benjamin, monitors and responds to questions and issues raised via the mailbox and seeks input from the GB. Issues determined to be of interest to the broader congregation will be addressed in the FAQ section of the website. The GB agreed to have one member of the board available in person in the Gathering Space prior to and following the 11 am Sunday worship service for conversation and to answer any questions. Further, taking a suggestion from the congregation, the Board will commit to writing an executive summary of every meeting to be posted following every meeting. 
• Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady provided an update on the recent UMC Conference he attended in Kansas City in October. It was a gathering of about 700 clergy and lay persons from the 400 largest US UMCs that are likely to stay in the ‘post separation’ UMC. The pandemic caused a delay in holding the May 2020 General Conference where voting on the Protocol (Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation) which was announced in Jan. 2020 was to occur.  General Conference has been moved to Aug./Sept. of 2022 however Stephen anticipates further delay may occur. The Protocol needs to be passed for the separation process to begin. The situation is very complex, and an opportunity might exist for Asbury First to be part of leading and shaping what it means to stay in the post separation UMC. The Board asked Stephen to find ways to update the congregation on the status of the denomination over the next few months. 
• Reviewed and discussed the status of the 2021 AOP budget vs. projected actual income and expenses. The pandemic continues to impact assumptions made during the 2021 AOP process. The result is that some of the income assumptions (based upon a fuller return by June) are less in plate offerings, holiday offerings, and about $40k off in pledged income to date. Expenses are on target. Some of this will change in the next couple of months. The first pass on the 2022 budget is being drafted awaiting results of the 2022 Stewardship campaign, but the Board is aware that a larger gap than recent years may need to be overcome in order to balance the budget.
• Board approved a motion by the Investment Committee (IC) to place some monies being currently held in escrow into funds administered by the IC which can yield a return. 
• Discussed a request for the GB to support Foodlink employees, a longtime partner of our Dining & Caring Center in combating hunger in Rochester, as they are seeking to organize a union. More information was sought and no formal action by the board taken at this time.