Present: Bishop Spong, President; Bishop
McKelvey, Vice President; Mr. Michael F. Rehill, Chancellor;
Mr. John Zinn, Treasurer; Mr. Michael Francaviglia, Secretary
Bishop's Appointments: Mr. Steven Boston; The Rev. Margaret Gunness;
The Rev. Scott Hoogerhyde; Mr. Michael James; Mr. Russell Murphy; The Rev.
Dr. Franklin Vilas
Elected by Convention: Mr. E. Kim Byham; The Rev. Emory Byrum; Ms.
Peg Dengel; Ms. Kathy Ganim; Mr. William Heick; The Rev. Canon Angela Ifill;
The Rev. Scott Kallstrom; The Rev. Harry Smith
Elected by Districts: Mrs. Patricia Cumberbatch; The Rev. Lawrence
Falkowski; The Rev. John Hartnett; The Rev. Rose Hassan; Mr. Scott Helsel;
Ms. Diane Kaczmarek; The Rev. Mark Lewis; Ms. Pamela Lindquist; Ms. Dagi
Murphy; The Rev. Ashley Neal; Ms. Cheryl Notari; The Rev. William Parnell;
The Rev. Isaac Persaud; The Rev. William Potter; Mr. Junius Powell; Mr. Robert
Simmons; The Rev. Steven Steele; Ms. Mary Sunden; The Rev. Gordon Tremaine;
Ms. Nancy Weidbrauk; Mrs. Virginia Whitehouse
Absent: The Rev. Caroline Bruschi; Ms. Jean Wadnik
Others present: Mrs. Marjorie Christie; The Rev. Geoffrey Curtiss.
The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. by Bishop Spong.
AGENDA
It was moved and seconded to adopt the agenda with additions for a report from
the Mission to Dismantle Racism Committee and an Oasis announcement. The motion
was adopted.
MINUTES
It was moved and seconded to accept the minutes for the December 10, 1997,
meeting. Mr. William Heick moved to amend the minutes to increase the parsonage
allowance for the Rt. Rev. John S. Spong to $40,000 from $35,000. The motion
to accept the minutes as amended was adopted.
EPISCOPAL COMMUNICATIONS: THE RT. REV. JOHN S. SPONG
- Reported that in 1997 the stewardship programs of our churches enabled
pledges to the Diocese of Newark to be in amounts higher than ever before.
More money was pledged for 1998 than in previous years which meant, in
turn, that the proposed budget was the largest ever. Only four churches
did not get pledges in by the December service. All pledges were now in.
Only two churches cut their percentage pledge. Both had episcopal visits
and were in consultation with the Standing Committee. A budget will be
adopted that comes as close to accommodating requests as possible. Our
diocese had always paid its pledge and share to the national church.
TREASURER'S REPORT
Mr. Zinn presented the Treasurer's Report. (Copies were distributed at the
meeting.) On the income side, the key line was the pledge line. This year an
accrual of the minimum of pledges not received was $123,000; last year that
amount was double. On the disbursement side, the national church payment of
$100,000 was made in December and an accrual of $89,000 was recorded. Negative
variances were offset by the positive ones. Bottom line -- there was a surplus
of $6,000+; the actual surplus was just under $4,000, but to realize that accrual
fully we will need to collect the accrued pledge amount. If the pledges were
received and there were no outstanding expenses, then 25% would be paid to
the national church and the surplus applied to the 1999 budget. It was moved
and seconded to accept the report, subject to audit. The motion was adopted.
BUDGET COMMITTEE
The Rev. Gordon Tremaine, Chair of the Budget Committee, moved the following
resolution:
Resolved, that beginning with the 1999 budget process all requests
for funding for new diocesan staff positions are to be submitted to the Diocesan
Bishop prior to the submission of a budget request.
The motion was seconded and adopted.
In his remarks, Mr. Tremaine stated that the level of giving needs to be
celebrated. There was an increase of 6%. There were $200,000 more in requests
than funds available. There were three staff positions requested: aging,
racism and an interim position on the bishop's staff. The latter was funded
at half the request with the remaining funds to be raised from other sources.
The former two were not recommended, even though there are commitments to
their work. It was felt that the additions of ongoing staff positions should
wait until the election of a bishop coadjutor.
A surplus in 1997 funds for COM would be carried over into 1998. For the
transition period the costs of salaries for a coadjutor and secretary would
be funded from the sale proceeds of Advent, Bloomfield.
There was discussion on the level of funding for the Mission to Dismantle
Racism program and the staff position for the Mission to Dismantle Racism.
The committee recommended $5000 for the program component and no funding
for the staff position.
Mr. Rehill suggested that the Mission to Dismantle Racism committee submit
a proposal to the Outreach Committee of Council for funding a position.
The Rev. Steven Steele moved a resolution that it was the sense of Council
that the outreach request would meet the needs of the Mission to Dismantle
Racism.
The Rev. Gordon Tremaine moved the budget. It was seconded and adopted.
Mr. Michael James moved that a new line in Outreach be created for the
outreach work of dismantling racism (Mission to Dismantle Racism - Outreach)
funded at $14,500 and reduce line 5 to $55,160. The motion was seconded.
Hartnett moved that such funds be released by vote of the diocesan council.
The motion was seconded. Discussion followed. The motion was defeated.
The funds would be available for any group working on dismantling racism,
but the disbursal would still need to be approved by Council. The sense was
that the Mission to Dismantle Racism would be the body to receive the funds.
The James motion was adopted.
The budget as amended was adopted.
COMMITTEE TO NOMINATE A BISHOP COADJUTOR
Mrs. Marge Christie and The Rev. Geoffrey Curtiss, Co- chairs of the Committee,
reported on the status of the nomination process. A committee of 24 persons,
13 lay and 11 clergy had been meeting weekly. There were eight candidates under
consideration. Five will be nominated by the committee on April 1. A document
with the names, pictures, statements and answers to specific questions will
be circulated to convention deputies. The candidates will be introduced to
the diocese during the weekend of May 15 to 18. The Standing Committee established
a subcommittee to work with the Nominations Committee. A resolution on nominations
by petition will be presented to Convention. If there are more than two names
by petition, the process to introduce the nominees to the diocese will be different.
If two or less, the candidates will be included in the activities planned for
the weekend in May.
The location of the convention will be selected by the bishop. The day
will be formatted as a liturgy, with Eucharist after the election. Edmund
Browning had agreed to serve as chaplain at the convention in June. The consecration
date of November 21 was placed on the new PB's schedule. An outside firm
had been contracted to conduct the election and the counting of the ballots.
JERSEY CITY MINISTRY
Bishop McKelvey reported on the status of the Jersey City Ministry and outlined
the report that was submitted to Convention. There were commitments to build
a church, develop an area ministry council and establish an economic development
corporation. Property on Cator Avenue was purchased; a deposit was made and
environmental studies were underwayup and an executive director was hired.
The area ministry was underway with the newly established Jersey City Area
Ministry Council. There was agreement on the division of the three million
dollars to build a church and an area ministry. Diocesan Council will have
the opportunity to ratify that agreement after the Convention.
MISSION TO DISMANTLE RACISM
Ms. Dagi Murphy reported that a dialogue on racism will be held at the March
meeting. Prior to tonight's meeting, the district representatives to Council
met to discuss how best to disseminate the information and how to begin a dialogue
on dismantling racism on the district level. A mechanism will be established
to pair churches to dialogue together, view the film Color of Fear and report
back to the districts.
Canon Ifill reported that during the year people had been meeting to plan
the discussions for churches on dismantling racism. The work being done on
racism was important and it impacted deeply many people. She related the
situation of a former Council member who was black and his discomfort going
to meetings in white areas.
EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMEN
Mrs. Marge Christie reported that the signage for North Porch in Newark was
set up. ECW encouraged congregations to select locally two women to honor,
one under 40 years of age, one over that age. These people will gather in Denville
on March 28 for an honoring service.
VESTRIES/EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES VISITS
The Rev. John Hartnett stressed that the goals of the visits were to establish
a line of communication with the churches and the council and discuss how the
diocesan structure can support the local church efforts. He urged that the
visits be made.
STEERING COMMITTEE- WARD HERBERT BOARD INITIATIVE
Mr. William Heick reported that members of the Ward Herbert Board will make
a presentation to Convention and offer a resolution requiring annual property
inspections by a warden and a member of the vestry or executive committee.
STEERING COMMITTEE - AUTHORIZATION RESOLUTION
Mr. William Heick moved the following resolution:
Resolved, that the Bishops or their designee and the Steering Committee
be given the authority to act on behalf of the Diocesan Council during the
month of February 1998 in the event that a decision must be made during the
recess. Any such actions will be reported to the Council at its March meeting.
The motion was seconded and adopted.
EPISCOPAL ANNOUNCEMENTS - THE RT. REV. JACK M. MCKELVEY
- Welcomed Steven Steele back to Council.
- Reported on the investiture of the new presiding bishop held on Saturday,
January 10, 1998.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Ms. Kathy Ganim announced two future Oasis events: the Episco Disco at the
Convention, and February 10th service at St. George's, Maplewood, with The
Rev. Dennis Winslow, to celebrate relationships.
The benediction was pronounced by Bishop McKelvey.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 p.m.
