Presbytery of Wabash Valley COM report to Assembly Page 1 of 6 A.6.d.

Transcription

1 Presbytery of Wabash Valley COM report to Assembly Page 1 of 6 A.6.d. Commission on Ministry December 6, 2012 Meeting at Geneva Center Rochester, IN ACTION ITEMS: Approved minutes of November 1, Dismissed Teaching Elder Roger McDaniel as of December 31, 2012 to Whitewater Valley Presbytery. COM directed Stated Clerk to send letter concerning Covenant of Closure with former congregation, Trinity, West Lebanon. Approved minister-member of Great Lakes Association of Presbyterian Church Educators board of directors to serve communion when it meets at Pokagon in October After meeting with Rev. Nan Adams, acting head of staff at First-Elkhart, COM approved the proposed salary restructuring as equitable for transitional head of staff, temporary associate, and additional non-ordained staffing, and approved revised Covenant for Temporary Associate Minister for Emergent Ministry with Rev. David Lawrence, in effect until Jan. 31, After interview with session member Melissa Pace and ruling elder Ray Fulbright (member of First Presbyterian Church, Niles, MI, Lake Michigan Presbytery), he was approved to be commissioned to serve Memorial South Bend. Approved covenant with Ray Fulbright to serve as CRE, 20 hours week and authorized him to moderate session, serve Sacraments, perform marriages as authorized, and to have voice and vote in presbytery, and named Rev. Mary Ann Banning as mentor to provide guidance for moderating session and administering sacraments for January through March, 2013 all conditioned upon approval by Session. Referred Teaching Elder Heidi Vardeman and representative of St. John s to meet with COM leaders on December 20, 2012, as part-time transitional pastor for St. John s United Church (PCUSA and UCC). Approved First-Lebanon request for session to call a congregational meeting to move the call of Rev. Terri Thorn as its pastor from a designated term to an indefinite period, effective January 14, 2013 [G a] Approved request of session of Lake Village to develop its Congregational Information Form based upon the report of its self-study. Approved notice in God Calls of DMin student request for consultation with pastors concerning Eastern Orthodoxy. Approved broad distribution of information pieces from Presbytery Pastoral Care Network and report by Presbyterians Today; also of New Times, New Call, a Manual for Pastoral Options for Small Churches Directed General Presbyter to work closely with First-Rensselaer session and administrative commission to search for transitional pastor and reconsider

2 Presbytery of Wabash Valley COM report to Assembly Page 2 of 6 A.6.d. housing/manse arrangements to allow appropriate differentiation between pastor and church. Approved corrected terms of call for Teaching Elder Jody Noble and Immanuel- Schererville. Approved payment of $275 in support of a Teaching Elder requesting consultation with Midwest Ministry Counseling Center. Approved revised annual terms of call for CRE Ed Fabrici and First- Kouts, effective January 1, 2013, for 27 hours/week: INFORMATION ITEMS: Called to order at 10 am with prayer. Opened with study of December Scripture reading from Luke. Quorum was eventually present: Moderator Bill McLean, Vice Moderator Joe Huff, Terri Thorn, Stan Kessler, Mary Ann Banning, Joy Bailey, Jim Yackel, David Smith; staffed by Linda Long, Stated Clerk. Adjourned with prayer at 4:30 pm. Bill McLean has been accepted into Wabash Pastoral Leaders two-year program and resigned from Commission on Ministry effective December 31, 2012; Joe Hufford has agreed to be nominated as Moderator of COM for Referral of report concerning retired minister to Pastoral Care Committee Received reports from Rensselaer AC on pastoral matters; transitional reports concerning Avilla-Hopewell, Lima-Howe, Ligonier, Pierceton; concerns about appropriate boundaries between pastors and former congregations Report on meeting with six Presbyterian churches of Carroll County to discuss models of shared ministry and/or shared pastoral leadership; reports of congregations in two other regions with potential for shared pastoral leadership; directed Stated Clerk to send another letter and additional resources on shared ministry models to invite a second meeting Deferred consideration of meeting dates in 2013; consideration of revisions to Pulpit Supply List; revision of tools for assessment of joint ministry of session and pastor after first year; criteria for validating ministry; action on six requests expected at January meeting. Stan Kessler volunteered to prepare a list for consideration at January meeting of COM of those commissioned ruling elders serving in congregations in preparation for recognition and celebration of those ministries and recommissioning at the next Assembly. Discussion of need for training in transitional processes, both for COM and for additional transitional care consultants; changes in CLC call system. Commission on Ministry Report to Assembly January 10, 2013 ACTION ITEMS from Stated meeting rescheduled to January 10, 2013

3 Presbytery of Wabash Valley COM report to Assembly Page 3 of 6 A.6.d. Vice Moderator Joe Hufford called the meeting of COM to order by planning with COM revisions to the usual agenda for the day. With only seven members currently elected, a quorum was present: Jim Yackel, Joe Hufford, Mary Ann Banning, Terri Thorn, David Smith, and Stan Kessler; staff support Linda Long, Stated Clerk; Joy Bailey was excused. ACTIONS: Approved minutes of COM meeting held on December 6, 2012 Met with two members of Deer Creek mission study team in the morning and discussed the study and issues arising in the transitional process. After discussion, approved that the congregation may proceed to elect its Pastoral Nominating Committee to begin its work. Dismissed Rev. Bill Birch as minister member to Whitewater Valley who had voted to accept him in May Action taken and recorded in order to reconcile PC(USA) records. Approved that RE Ray Fulbright (Lake Michigan Presbytery) may be commissioned to pastoral leadership for Memorial-South Bend at a worship service at the church, with consensus that VM Joe Hufford will give preliminary approval to commission members and worship planning, to be reported and formally approved by COM at its next meeting. Adopted Guidelines for Installation and Ordination Commissions as general guidance for ACs to commission ruling elders to pastoral positions, to be edited and formally approved after COM review. Approved that TE Terri Thorn may moderate the congregational meeting that will consider change in her terms of call from designated term to indefinite term, with presentation by personnel committee and written ballot to be presented by Clerk of Session. Approved use of revised ministry assessment tools for trial run and any necessary editing before formally adopting. INFORMATION: Met with Rev. Ron Green, transitional pastor at Deer Creek, in the afternoon to discuss the transitional process and progress to date, with reminder that quarterly reports are expected and his covenant has expired and due for review and action by COM. Extensive discussion, planning and assignments made for transitions, covenants and other issues concerning several congregations and ministers. Training and annual retreat will be postponed until additional members are elected to COM. Discussed planning for second invitation and meeting with six Carroll County churches for the end of January to explore interest and models of sharing ministry and/or ministers, and agreed to include people with skills in transitional process we have been using in Missional Transformation.

4 Presbytery of Wabash Valley COM report to Assembly Page 4 of 6 A.6.d. Consensus to expect and require quarterly reports from transitional pastors as agreed in their covenants. Consensus to contact all current CRE s whose commissioning was previous to three years ago to discuss recommissioning and status of ministry. Consensus team will prepare materials for recruiting and training additional Transitional Care Consultants, and begin recruiting additional people to maintain contacts with COM during transitional times; 19 congregations are in transition or without approved pastoral care. Consensus for team to propose written criteria for validating non-parish ministries Consensus to assign review and propose revisions to pulpit supply list Assigned COM member to meet with Session and pastor following congregational vote refusing to approve revised terms of call. Received report that congregation PNC has invited a candidate to preach at a neutral pulpit in spite of report of reference check concerns sent to PNC by GP. Commission on Ministry Report to Assembly February 7, 2013 ACTIONS TAKEN: Minutes of January 10, 2013 were approved. Dissolved pastoral relationship of Teaching Elder Rebecca Kirkpatrick as associate pastor, Sunnyside, South Bend, effective January 7, Validated ministry and approved three-year team terms of call effective January 14, 2013 of pastor for Ministry of Relationship and Interpretation in partnership with spouse who will be Professor of New Testament at Evangelical Theological Seminary in the Middle East by appointment of the Presbyterian World Mission of the General Assembly Council of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Validated ministry as requested by: o Sue Babovec as chaplain, Peabody Retirement Community o Paul Myhre as Associate Director, Wabash Center o Les Johnson as chaplain, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center o Jessica Young-Brust, Other validated ministry o Marsha Smith Wood as Spiritual Director o Johanna Wagner as chaplain, Culver Military Academy o Michael Landon, Other validated ministry Dismissed Vanessa Syvertsen to Presbytery of Northern New York and instructed Stated Clerk to send letter concerning COM request for a ministry assessment. Confirmed approval of commission for Ray Fulbright as CRE for Memorial, South Bend, January 27, 2013, and received report of commissioning: o Teaching Elder Frank Vardeman, Moderator and General Presbyter

5 Presbytery of Wabash Valley COM report to Assembly Page 5 of 6 A.6.d. o Ruling Elder David Abbott, Westminster Presbyterian Church South Bend o Teaching Elder Mary Ann Banning, First Presbyterian Church, Mishawaka o Ruling Elder David Hankins, Memorial Presbyterian Church, South Bend o Teaching Elder David Lawrence, First Presbyterian Church, Elkhart o Teaching Elder Donald Neely, Honorably Retired Approved revised Pulpit Supply List and allowed one more opportunity for all listed to attend boundaries and ethics training, to be scheduled for this spring. Approved covenant with Teaching Elder David Lawrence as Transitional Associate Pastor, First Elkhart, full time for six months, effective February 1, Approved covenant with Nan Adams is Transitional Pastor and Head of Staff, First Elkhart, for one year, effective February 1, Approved covenant for Teaching Elder Steve Mullin as Transitional Pastor, with Ligonier, effective February 1, 2013, less than 20 hours/week. Provisionally approved Teaching Elder Nancy Becker, Honorably Retired, as Parish Associate for First, Valparaiso. After considering excptional cirsumstances of the congregation, approved convenant with CRE Martha Flora with First, Albion, for 10 hours per week preaching twice a month, effective January 1, Approved COM Guidelines for Commission to Commission Ruling Elder to a Congregation Directed Stated Clerk to send a letter to minister member of presbytery offering an opportunity to show cause why he should not be removed from the rolls of presbytery pursuant to G Approve endorsement of Teaching Elder Kevin Bowers, Bethany, Lafayette, for membership in the International Conference of Police Chaplains, in support of his volunteer ministry with the Lafayette Police Department. Approve annual request of Rev. Charles Scott Davis, member in good standing of Presbytery of Southeastern Illinois serving as Stated Supply at the First Presbyterian Church of Rossville, Illinois, and full time as chaplain at Home Hospital and St. Elizabeth East Hospital in Lafayette, Indiana, for the past twelve years. Approved Church Information Form (CIF) for Ligonier Presbyterian Church Approved request from Confirmation Retreat leaders to serve the Lord s Supper on Sunday of the retreat. Approved terms of call and second-year covenant for Teaching Elder Ron Green with Deer Creek, effective January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013.

6 Presbytery of Wabash Valley COM report to Assembly Page 6 of 6 A.6.d. INFORMATION: Vice Moderator Joe Hufford called meeting to order at 10 am EST with prayer and brief Bible study. Quorum of four was present: Joe Hufford, Stan Kessler, David Smith and Mary Ann Banning, plus nominees David Wood and Jeff Deardorff; Frank Vardeman and Linda Long provided staff support. Joy Bailey, Jim Yackel and Terri Thorn were excused. Jeff Deardorff closed with prayer after adjournment at 4:10 pm EST. Joe led COM in discussion identifying goals and immediate priorities, recorded for review in March. Heidi Vardeman, pendng Transitional Pastor for St. John s United Church, Chesterton, and session representative meet with COM in March. Met with pastor and two session members to discuss ministry and transitional staffing. Received congregational reports on Avilla, Hopewell; Howe, Lima, and Ligonier Received report on fourteen commissioned ruling elders serving congregations and recommendations for recommissioning due every three years; contemplated for the September Assembly Received congregational report from Faith, Kokomo on first year of ministry with CRE Jeff Brown. Received annual ministry report from CRE Judi Geistlinger for Marshfield Presbyterian Church Received information that a session has voted to recommend eilimination of a pastoral position. Session will be invited to consult with COM. Team (Frank, Stan, Terri, Jim, David) committed to draft for COM a dismissal policy that covers stages of separation, severance policies, and other matters. Stan Kessler agreed to lead next round of validation process for noncongregational ministry and to propose written criteria. Boundaries and ethics training will be scheduled for spring, 2013, with reminder letter sent to those who did not attend previous three sessions. Received report on second meeting with Carroll County churches to encourage collaboration in ministry, and their commitment to meet the next time in Rockfield. Reported that transitional pastor has been recommended to First, Rensselaer. LLL: