by Cindy Carrol
President of the Congregation
How things have changed! We were very fortunate to be able to convince Sydney and Dennis that they needed to be with us for a while, and my mindset has changed considerably. I think all of us have been impressed with their abilities and delighted by their warmth and style. One responsibility they have taken very seriously is somewhat out of the ordinary ministerial line of duty: helping us to be ready for a new, settled minister.
They have been diligent and forthright in their appraisal of our church. Last month they presented the Board with a document which outlined their initial impressions of eight different aspects of church life, and the Board has been looking at a different one of those at each meeting since. In addition, that same memo is being reprinted in our monthly and "Second Sunday" newsletters as space has permitted. I urge you to read their very perceptive comments.
To me, and to the Board, one of the most urgent items we need to examine is our committee structure. We have the structure and systems of a church twice our size. Many of our active members serve on more than one committee, and we are stretched thin. We must, I believe, take a long, hard look at how we accomplish things. To that end, Norman Hines has agreed to make that the main work of the Committee on Congregational Participation for the next few months, and several Board members have agreed to work with him on this project. He will also be seeking out a few other members of the congregation for this task force. They will be looking at committee and council structure, making some recommendations, and addressing what changes might be needed to our by-laws in order to affect the changes we need.
If we are to be ready to welcome a new Senior Minister we need to do this work now. If and when we grow to be a much larger congregation we can rethink our structure again. But I believe that if we are to have a vision, if we are to make our vision a reality, we must see our present situation clearly. Our structures and systems must suit us now, while allowing for growth in the future. This "housecleaning" is a gift we can give ourselves. I hope you are as eager to begin as I am.
At the December meeting, the Board… heard reports from all the ministers, as well as the Interim Advisory Group…Heard from our treasurer that things are going well financially…Set the Annual Meeting date for Friday, May 21, 1999, and authorized Winston Kennedy to finish negotiations for a new Fenn House lease with U.C.