At its March 28 meeting, the Church Council, acting as a Charge Conference, voted to affirm Grace Rogers as a candidate for ordained ministry. Grace grew up in our church, and it was a joy to hear her discuss her call to ministry.

We approved a new slate of leadership for 2023. We say an appreciative goodbye to those rolling off for their service, and extend a warm welcome to those new members who have stepped up. We give thanks to all who served this past year guiding us through a difficult season and bringing us to this new season of stability and growth. We especially give thanks to Mike Overton for his faithful and strong leadership as our Lay leader for the past 4 years.

We also extend a warm welcome to our new Co-Leaders Elaine Goleski and Jeff Hayes.

Please click here to familiarize yourself to our lay leadership team. Please keep them in your prayers.

The Council heard a presentation from the Finance Committee on anticipated budget deficits in 2024. Also on the agenda was a presentation from a representative of a charter school company that was interested in leasing space on our Mandarin campus. After the presentation, the Council voted on whether to continue negotiations with the company. The Council vote was almost evenly split between those who favored continuing negotiations and those who favored ending them.

After additional discussion, the Council voted again and endorsed a motion to end negotiations. It was the Council’s position that, with strong feelings on both sides, continuing negotiations would not be in the best interests of our church community. The Council expressed its belief that we should move ahead in ways that bring us together to fulfill our church’s mission.

The Church Council will work to identify other potential income sources to help offset revenue shortfalls.