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SYNOD OF THE SUN – ADJOURNED MEETING
October 27, 2006
The SYNOD OF THE SUN met in
Adjourned Meeting on Friday, October 27, 2006, at the
Presbyterian Mission Center in Irving, Texas.
Moderator Alan Ford called the meeting to
order at 10:05 a.m.
Stated Clerk Elizabeth Johnson Pense
announced that there was a sufficient number of commissioners
registered to constitute a quorum and Moderator Ford declared a
quorum to be present (attendance at Appendix A).
Morning Prayer was led by Commissioner
Terry Hart (Appendix B).
Commissioners then met in division meetings
until time for lunch recess.
Commissioners reconvened in plenary at 1:15
p.m. Stated Clerk Pense recommended that the docket be approved
with the addition of a report from the Personnel Committee and
that was approved by common consent.
Stated Clerk Pense introduced the following
to the Synod:
Alan Cutter, new Executive in
the Presbytery of South Louisiana
Jan and Pablo Feliciano who are in ministry in
Chiapas, Mexico
John Mills from the Hebron Foundation
Dawn Scarborough and Nancy Benson Nicol from the
University of the Ozarks
Lyn Whaley from Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Home &
Family Services
Kim Warner from the Texas Presbyterian Foundation
Phyllis Roush, Moderator of Synod’s Presbyterian
Women
Commissioner Sara Jean Jackson, Moderator
of the Operations Division, moved that the COVENANT
between the Synod of the Sun and Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Home &
Family Services be approved. Lyn Whaley spoke about the history
and ministry of this organization. It was approved (Appendix
C).
SYNOD EXECUTIVE Judy R. Fletcher
gave a verbal report on life in the Synod after the June General
Assembly meeting and an up-date on the issues related to Kirk of
the Hills, a congregation in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Eastern Oklahoma
Presbytery).
Fletcher then introduced a “fish bowl”
conversation based on the three questions that are guiding the
Synod’s “next right answer” thinking process.
Describe a time when Synod was
being effective and responsive, a time when
you appreciated Synod or were energized by its work.
What do you value in the Synod
of the Sun?
What would an effective Synod
look like for the future (be and do)?
After the “fish bowl,” commissioners were
dispersed among five small groups for further discussion.
The plenary reconvened at 2:45 p.m. and
brief verbal reports were given. Written comments were turned
in.
Commissioner Christianne Chase,
moderator-elect, presented the report from the EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE. These two items were reported:
1. Pursuant to the action of the Synod at
its April 2006 meeting, a task force is being appointed to
develop criteria for the establishment of covenant relationship
between the Synod and institutions within its bounds.
2.
The members of the EPForum (executives of the
presbyteries within the bounds of the Synod) will be asked
specifically for their input - any messages they wish to send -
to the Synod’s “next right answer” process.
Then Chase moved that the following
persons be elected to the Synod’s Nominating Committee: Joanne
Kirven (Eastern Oklahoma), David Duncan (Mission), Judia Foreman
(Tres Rios), and Richard Boson (At-Large). They were
approved. Chase also moved that Nominating Committee
member Marion Calvert (New Covenant) be elected as Moderator of
the Synod’s Nominating Committee for 2007. She was approved.
Chase then moved that the Moderator
of the Synod and the Executive be authorized to appoint person(s)
to research the titles to properties in the state of Louisiana,
owned by the Synod and previously used for campus ministry; and
that the Executive Committee be authorized to act on information
and recommendations that grow out of this search. The
background on this matter is that there are four properties in
the state of Louisiana that the Synod owns, a legacy from the
Synod of Red River (PCUS). We hope to assure clear title and
see if the property can be given/sold to presbyteries or
churches close by for use in campus ministry work.
It was moved and seconded that the
motion be amended by the addition of the property in Lubbock,
Texas that was at one time used for campus ministry. It was
then moved and seconded that the amendment be amended by
the addition of the phrase “any property owned by the Synod.”
After discussion, the amendment to the amendment failed.
Then the first amendment failed. Then the main motion in
unamended form was approved.
Then there was a motion and a second
from the floor that a task group be appointed to investigate the
title and related issues of the property in Lubbock, Texas,
previously used for campus ministry. That motion was
approved.
Stated Clerk Pense presented the report of
the NOMINATING COMMITTEE in the absence of Moderator
Calvert (Appendix
D). All persons were elected.
Stated Clerk Pense presented the report of
the COMMITTEE ON REPRESEN-TATION in the absence of
Moderator Sharon Oler (Appendix E). The report was received.
Note: The statistical report
prepared by the Committee on Representation was not
ready in time to be presented to the Synod. It was, however,
prepared and submitted to the General Assembly
(Appendix F).
Stated Clerk Pense presented the report of
the STATED CLERK (full text in
Appendix G). Among the announcements were the itineration
of Moderator of the General Assembly Joan Gray in February 2007
and the decision of the Synod’s Permanent Judicial Commission in
the case of Stewart v. Mission Presbytery (Appendix
G). The Clerk announced that this matter has now been
appealed to the General Assembly PJC.
The Clerk also announced that the Synod’s
Stated Meeting in 2007 would be held on April 26-28 and that an
Adjourned Meeting would be held on October 26.
It was moved, seconded, and passed
that the review of the 2005 minutes from Cimarron Presbytery be
approved with the following exceptions: 3, 9, 16, 21 (see
Appendix H for review guidelines). It was noted that minutes
of all presbyteries have been properly reviewed except the 2004
and 2005 minutes from New Covenant Presbytery. Presbytery
Stated Clerks will meet in April 2007 to review the minutes from
2006 meetings.
It
was moved, seconded, and passed to approve the Alternate
Plan for Certifying Candidates ready for ordination presented by
New Covenant Presbytery (Appendix I).
It was moved, seconded, and passed
that the Synod’s Bylaws be amended by the addition of the
following assignment to the Synod’s Executive Committee (to be
added at the end of 5.0):
“to appoint a
Committee of Counsel, should such entity be needed (see
D-6.0302). (This may be done by a telephone conference call or
by e-mail responses to a list of names suggested by the Stated
Clerk, the Synod Executive, and/or the Synod Moderator.)”
It was moved, seconded, and passed
that the Rev. Mona Bailey (H.R.-Grace Presbytery) be elected as
Assistant Stated Clerk for a three-year term, January 1, 2007
through December 31, 2009.
Mary Carter presented the PERSONNEL
COMMITTEE report. She thanks Executive Judy Fletcher for
her fine leadership. She announced that the non-exempt staff
would receive 3% raises, the money to come from the 2006 budget
without any changes required.
Sara Jean Jackson gave the rest of the
OPERATIONS DIVISION report. It was moved and approved
that up to $40,000 from unrestricted reserves be used to
cover the 2006 budget shortfall.
It was also moved and approved that
pending the positive action of the Synod of the Sun Foundation
to the request for a $160,000 grant, and if the way be clear,
the budget designated as Plan A be adopted, with the provision
that Plan B be the alternative approved budget, with reserve
funds being used up to $160,000 to balance the budget (Appendix
J).
Note: On November 8, 2006, the
Synod of the Sun Foundation did approve the Synod’s request for
a $160,000 grant for 2007. Appendix J reflects Plan A.
Judye Pistole gave the HIGHER EDUCATION
DIVISION report. She highlighted work done by various campus
ministries in the Synod, including the greater Houston area,
Texas A & M, and Texas State.
Mort McPhail gave the MULTICULTURAL
DIVISION report.
Timothy Davenport-Herbst gave the
RESOURCING PRESBYTERIES DIVISION report. He lifted up the
continuing ministry of mission initiative grants, the Synod-wide
Jubilee ’07 event to be held in June 07 and the exploration of a
work camp in 2009.
Meg Garver gave the COMMUNICATIONS
DIVISION report. Thank-you notes are being sent to
presbytery page editors.
It was moved, seconded, and passed
that the meeting be adjourned. Moderator Ford offered the
closing prayer.
These minutes were approved by
Commissioners Sara Jean Jackson and Mary Carter (elected by the
Executive Committee for this purpose) on November 15, 2006.
Elizabeth Johnson Pense
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Adjourned Meeting of the Synod of the Sun