Church Board Minutes 2022 02 03
Bethel College Mennonite Church Board Minutes
Pending approval at March 2022 Board Meeting
Our faith in a God of love leads us, by the power of the Spirit, to follow Jesus in doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God.
Board Members Present: Elizabeth Schmidt (moderator), Ada Schmidt-Tieszen (moderator elect), Glen Ediger, Judy Friesen, Cynthia LInscheid, Lois Preheim, Adam Robb, Dale Schrag, Bill Swartley, Margaret Toews
Staff Present: Mike Claassen (Finance Manager), Nathan Koontz (pastor), Renee Reimer (pastor), Todd Schlosser (Interim Pastor)
Others attending:
- Welcome and Centering Prayer – Moderator Elizabeth Schmidt opened the meeting with a reading of the centering statement above followed by a prayer.
- Consensus Approval – Consent Agenda – Minutes of the January 3 board meeting, the January 12 special meeting, and pastors’ reports were approved by consensus.
- Action – Financial Report – January 2022 – Michael Claassen, Finance Manager, reported no changes from the written report and that January, 2022, had the smallest short fall of the past few years. Adam Robb moved to accept the January 2022 Financial Report. Dale Schrag seconded. The motion carried.
- Action – Approve Financial Authorization Changes due to changes in officeholders. Michael Claassen, Finance Manager, reported that due to changes in officeholders the board needs to pass the following resolutions:
Union State Bank -Proposed action: That the following people at Bethel College Mennonite Church be authorized by the Church Board to sign checks on its behalf at Union State Bank, account xxx: Michael Claassen, Finance Manager (continuing), or Margaret Toews, Clerk (replacing Patricia Friesen), or Mary Ann Boschmann, Assistant Treasurer (replacing Lois Goertzen), or Monica Lichti, Office and Facilities Manager (continuing).
Everence Accounts identified below – Proposed Action: BE IT RESOLVED THAT Michael Claassen, Finance Manager (continuing), or Margaret Toews, Clerk (replacing Patricia Friesen), or Mary Ann Boschmann, Assistant Treasurer (replacing Lois
Goertzen) or Monica Lichti, Office and Facilities Manager (continuing), are authorized to open brokerage accounts including margin accounts for options trading, investment accounts, safekeeping accounts, checking accounts and saving accounts, and to execute related documents and transactions for Bethel College Mennonite Church, whether absolutely or as Trustee, and to purchase, sell, assign and endorse for transfer, certificates representing stocks, bonds, or other securities now registered or hereafter registered in the name of Bethel College Mennonite Church.
Everence Trust Investment Fund – account xxx
Everence Trust MSEF – account xxx
Everence Praxis Money Market – account xxx
The motion to pass these resolutions was made by Judy Friesen. Glen Ediger and Adam Robb seconded the motion. The motion carried.
5. Action – Additional Paid Holiday – SCRC recommends to the Church Board that Juneteenth (June 19) be added as a paid holiday in the Church Personnel Policies and that MOU’s for 2022 be amended to include this as a paid holiday for all applicable staff. Dale Schrag moved this policy be adopted and Ada Schmidt-Tieszen seconded. The motion carried.
6. Pastoral Transition Next Steps – Discussion centered on continuing pastoral changes and the questions these changes bring. What are the broader issues the congregation should address? What do we want to be doing as a church? Is discerning whether a pastoral team model works for our church the only question we need to be asking? Do we depend too much on pastors to make the church what we want it to be? Consensus formed around making revisions in the RFPs to include asking for guidance in addressing these questions. Elizabeth and Ada will work on these revisions which will be discussed in a special board meeting on February 15.
7. Executive Session: Entered at 8:27 pm. Closed at 8:40 pm.
8. Meeting adjourned at 8:45 pm. The next meeting is off schedule on February 15 at 7 pm via Zoom to further discuss revisions or additions to the RFP for the two consultants who responded to our initial request.
Submitted by Margaret Toews, Clerk
Draft -Church Board Minutes 2022 02 03.docx