New ACT looks toward future as face-to-face work completed
Written: 5/3/2010
Looking toward the future, the New Area Conference Team met on April 10 for their last face-to-face time of discernment before presenting their completed work to the new Upper New York Area Conference in June.
Bishop Susan Hassinger, shared selected readings from Joshua 3 and 4 noting in particular that stones were collected and placed in a pillar to remember the crossing of the Jordan River.
A worship center with a flickering candle and small piles of stones which can fit in the palm of a closed home provided a visual center to this time of reflection. New ACT members were invited to take a stone from the worship center table to remember what we carry forward into the new conference and asked to share those reflections.
Studying the stone selected - its texture, shape, and appearance - some members of New ACT shared the following thoughts on how it spoke about the creation of a new conference and what we bring to it:
Still some roughness to it that in time will get smoothed out
Privilege to have the stone - constantly aware as I talk to people that because we have been around this table we are much further along – we are emotionally spiritually, organizationally further along than anyone else in our conferences.
Stones are different colors, sizes and shapes speaks strongly of value and diversity along this journey.
Reminded of the Stone of Resurrection that was moved that there would be new life - May there be new life
Large chip out – think about parts we will and must leave behind
Chunk out and noticed different, somewhat like a heart without a piece of it, reminder of parts of Troy and Wyoming that will be parts of other conferences – dark spot made me think of blood – reminder of touching the heart of God and sharing the love of God which is what we are about.
Reminded of Jesus’s - challenge - exhortation - rebuke – you without sin cast the first stone – we will not be able to cast a stone.
Connection with all of you, I’m outsider from PA – share all the information of this team and visioning team PA – the connection of different varieties, shapes, and sizes - that is how we are in the new conferences that will be formed.
Following a time of reflection and prayer, the team moved into a full agenda in the spirit of discernment which has permeated each meeting of this body over the last eighteen months.
Budget
A six-month budget for the new Conference was presented for review. Discussions led to a consensus to support the $5,003,068 budget as presented and to bring it to the June 19 Uniting Conference session for consideration. Development of the 2011 budget will take place after the new Conference is formed and will be presented at the September 11, 2010 adjourned session for consideration.
Initial structure
The Plan of Union presented to the June 19, 2010 Uniting Conference will offer enabling legislation to create essential conference structures (offices, committees, agencies and teams, staff positions and necessary policies and operating procedures) necessary to fulfill the mandates of the 2008 Book of Discipline.
New ACT affirmed a Draft Initial Structure by consensus at their April meeting, noting awareness that flexibility is built in, some structure is based on Disciplinary requirements, and other structures will evolve as needed.
The Leadership team is expected to begin meeting immediately after the Uniting Conference on June 19 to work on initial structure using the Discipline as well as 4 Foci of The United Methodist Church to guide their work.
Required to be in place in the new structure are the: Board of Ordained Ministry (¶635); Administrative Review(¶636); Episcopacy (¶637); Board of Pensions and Health Benefits (¶639); Archives and History(¶641); United Methodist Women (¶647); United Methodist Men (¶648); Trustees (¶640); Defined nominating process; and Committee on Investigation.
Those structures which are included to enable the Upper New York Conference to begin to fulfill its vision and purpose during its first year of existence are: Senior Executive Conference Staff as well as other Offices, Committees, Agencies and Teams: Connectional Table, Leadership Team, Conference Council on Finance and Administration (¶ 611), Camps, Conferences, and Retreat Ministries, Conference Personnel Committee, UNY Annual Conference Sessions, Leadership (Nominations), Conference Statistician, and Conference Secretary.
Committees listed below will not necessarily form as a standing team, but the functions will be handled in some way determined by the Leadership Team, possibly by Task Forces, with structure developed at a later time.
The Leadership team will bring recommendations on how to care for those functions.
Those committees include: Equitable Compensation, Board of Church and Society (¶629); Board of Discipleship (¶630); Board of Laity (¶631); Commission on Ethnic Local Church Concern (¶632) Board of Global Ministries (¶633); Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry (¶634); Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns (¶642); Commission on Religion and Race (¶643); Commission of the Status and Role of Women (¶644); Commission on the Small Membership Local Church (¶645); Communications (¶646); Council on Youth Ministry (¶649); Council on Young Adult Ministry (¶650); Disability Concerns (¶653); Commission on Native American Ministry (¶654) Other encouraged but non-mandatory ministries will be referred to Leadership Team for future consideration: Older Adult Ministry (¶651); Joint Committee on Incapacity (however a procedure must be established if no such committee is formed) (¶652); Conference Advance Specials (¶655); Criminal Justice and Mercy (¶656)
There are other “encouraged” teams such as Lay Speaking Ministries. (Note: Book of Discipline makes permissible the creation of this team (¶631.6) but in ¶631.6d states “There will be a conference director of Lay Speaking Ministries.”)
Emerging Ministries: As the Upper New York Conference begins new ministries may develop. There may also be programs of nurture, outreach, and witness from the antecedent conferences where the call and passion in the hearts of God’s people persists. The Emerging Ministries Fund will be administered by the Leadership Table members of which will review applications for financial support of ministry not funded by the 2010 budget.
The full Plan of Union, including all of the actions New ACT, is recommending to the new Upper New York Area Conference, will be available at uppernewyork.org as soon as it is complete.
Safe Sanctuaries
New ACT referred formation of a Safe Sanctuaries Task Force to Leadership Committee and affirmed a policy by consensus pending review of council and possible revision before it comes before the Uniting Conference.
Districting Task Force
Following a report from the Districting Task Force, New ACT affirmed by Consensus to bring the following recommendation to the Uniting Conference. “Where there are district ministries and missions presently supported through district apportionments, and where those District Conferences vote affirmatively for those line items, we recommend that these be continued through December 31, 2010 allowing appropriate time for the new conference (Leadership Team) to examine the merit of these ministries and determine whether or not they be continued beyond January 1, 2011.”
Also affirmed by consensus was: “Pending recommendation of the Leadership team, we recommend the new conference CF&A bring to the September 11, 2010 session of the Annual Conference a proposal to continue this funding of district ministries at current levels through June 2011, at which point different district configurations would be taking shape. Funding beyond June 2011 based on evaluation of ministry in relation to new conference mission and purpose.”
“This a bridge as district apportionments end,” Cornerstone District Superintendent Larry Baird explained.
New ACT also moved by consensus bringing the following recommendation to the new Conference for action.
“We strongly recommend further study and discernment regarding how district lines may be delineated, new models for superintending, new roles for administrative assistants, funding for local mission and ministry, and locations of resource centers. The task force realizes that this further study and discernment may result in a recommendation for even fewer districts. Recommendations to come to the June 2011 Annual Conference session.”
New ACT also asked that the body to conduct this study receive the guiding principals developed by the Task Force.
Support of an Annual Conference with 12 districts was affirmed by consensus.
Items still on the New ACT’s agenda will be handled by conference call.
The meeting was closed with worship and Holy Communion.
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