|
SYNOD OF THE SUN
Stated Meeting – April 27-29, 2006
Highland Park Presbyterian Church – Dallas, Texas
Appendix G
Higher Education Division
Synod of the Sun Stated Meeting
April 2006-04-28
Present:
Robert Street, chair; Michael Miller,
staff; Angie Hare; Michael Waschevski; Kelly Yeager Chadwick;
Judye Pistole; Greg Hagelstein; Bob Leslie; Aaron Carland;
Guinn Blackwell-Eagleson, (co-opt) UCMGreater Houston; Frank
Seaman, Schreiner University; Kyle Walker, UCM of Aggieland;
David Elton, Board member of UCM of Aggieland; Priscilla Abbott
(multicultural division liaison), David Evans, Austin
Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
Absent and Excused: Malcolm Hall; R.B.
Reynolds; Patricia Snyder
The meeting was opened with prayer and
devotions by Mike Miller.
Members of the Division introduced
themselves to one another.
The minutes for the meeting of the
Higher Education Division on October 28, 2005 were reviewed and
approved.
Moderator Bob Street reported on the
Synod’s projected possible deficit for 2006 and our ‘negative’
reserve as a division.
Synod Higher Education Consultant Mike
Miller reported on his consultation in Pines Presbytery,
presenting a workshop on Presbyterian Higher Education; the UCMT
consultation, and the Micah Mission proposal growing out of that
which will be reported on later in the agenda; the Chaplains and
Presidents Conference , with the theme: “The President as
Spiritual Leader of the University,” at which all 6 colleges and
universities were represented. He reported on meetings at
Schreiner University; with Sam Junkin, representatives from the
Lilly Foundation and met with 20 students from central Texas who
have some interest in seminary; and the College Connection in
May at Mo-Ranch.
Angie Hare reported on the campus
ministry outreach in her area.
Mike Miller reported that we have
chaplains at each of our 6 universities who are extraordinary.
Including those, we have nine Presbyterian campus ministers in
the entire Synod – and that is up from this time last year.
He reported on the ecumenical programs
state by state.
We need to invite ex-officio members
from the DOC and UCC to participate in the budgeting process as
it regards their contribution to ecumenical program funding.
Kyle Walker from UCM at A&M reported
about the genesis of the promotional materials that the local
television station agreed to produce at cost, introduced several
of the speakers featured on the video, and then showed the video
to the division.
Guinn Blackwell-Eagleson from UCM
Greater Houston gave a presentation about the program UCMGH has
on 4 campuses in Houston.
Kyle Walker reported from the Higher
Education Division strategy meeting January 4-5, 2006, sharing
the proposal of a Micah Mission Project to revolutionize our
mission on college campuses and how the Synod of the Sun can be
effectively active in this mission field.
The Higher Education Division approved
the appointment of three work groups to report at the October
meeting with proposals that can be communicated to the Synod for
decision in Spring 2007:
1. Kyle and Judye will continue
to work on the theology of, language about, and presentation of
the Micah Mission project.
2. Greg, Frank, and Michael
Waschevski will work with the Foundation to propose the details
of an endowment and a capital campaign to launch in 2008.
3. Angie and Kelly will consider strategies for
implementation.
The Higher Education Division
moves: that the Synod of the Sun invite the Texas
regional governing bodies of the Disciples of Christ and United
Church of Christ to each appoint two representatives to meet
with the Higher Education Division each Fall for the purposes of
allocating their funding contributions to ecumenical campus
ministries for the following year.
Michael Miller reported about the
status of previously funded programs:
Three did not respond to our request
for reports about their ongoing programs:
El Paso – where there is no
longer a ministry
Denton – where the new ministry
was not yet effective
Arkansas -
In Oklahoma, there was a meeting
scheduled in April to decide whether Ok. Ecumenical Campus
Ministry will continue.
The meeting was closed in prayer.
|
