Wednesday, June 13, 2001
St. Agnes' Episcopal Church, Little Falls, New Jersey
Approved Minutes of Regular Monthly Meeting

Present: The Rt. Rev. John P. Croneberger; President; Mr. Michael Francaviglia, Secretary;

Elected by Districts: The Rev. Martin Bagay, Ms. Kathleen Ballard, The Rev. Michel Belt The Rev. Kim Capwell, The Rev. Randall Day, Ms. Ann Hirsch, The Rev. Briggett J. Keith, Ms. Elizabeth Moss, Mr. Nat Nelson, Ms. Nancy Read, Mr. Jack Reade, Mr. Don Roberts, The Rev. John F. Stanton, The Rev. Gordon H. Tremaine, The Rev. Paul Walker, Ms. Patty Watts, Ms. Pat Yankus.

Bishop's Appointments: Mr. Sidney King

Absent: Mr. John Zinn, The Rev. E. Bevan Stanley, Ms. Margaret Tuttle, Mr. Michael Rehill, Mr. Leonard Glenn

Others: The Rev. Maggie Gat; Mr. Thomas Nickerson; Mr. Dean Weber, Mr. Peter Van Brunt

Staff: The Rev. Canon Paul Hunt, Ms. Susan Robinson, Mr. Tim Russo

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Bishop Croneberger.

AGENDA

It was moved and seconded to adopt the agenda. The motion was adopted.

MINUTES

It was moved and seconded to accept the minutes for the meeting of May 9, 2001 with a correction to the report from District 10. The representative, Pat Yankus, had requested advisory information on the rental of church halls to for-profit organizations. The Chancellor responded that a one page memorandum was available and could be circulated to churches. The motion to accept the minutes as corrected was adopted.

EPISCOPAL COMMUNICATIONS

Announced that the next diocesan confirmation was scheduled for later in the month at St. Clement's, Hawthorne. Any problems experienced to date had provided useful information to improve the services.

Reported that he would like conversation to occur in Council this autumn regarding the annual diocesan convention and for that conversation to include: a review of the purpose and intent of the annual diocesan convention and how best to do the business and canonical requirements; the date of the convention; possible adoption of the budget by the Council rather than Convention to allow for flexibility on scheduling the date of the convention; the resolutions process; and how could the time together be experienced differently?

TREASURER'S REPORT

In the absence of the treasurer, the written report was distributed.

It was moved and seconded to accept the report, subject to audit. The motion was adopted.

EMPLOYEE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The revised Employee Policies and Procedures were introduced at the May meeting for first reading and discussion. In response to comments from Diocesan Council members and staff employees, the following revisions were made to the policies and procedures:

- change in the description of exempt staff; new text reads "Administrative, Professional and Executive Positions";
- clarification under the section detailing the vacation policy, that the maximum that may be carried over was one year's worth of vacation time;
- revised the section entitled Paydays to read, "All employees are paid weekly every Thursday, except where other pay cycles are in effect."

It was moved and seconded to adopt the revised policies and procedures. The motion was adopted.

DISTRICT REPORTS

District 1: Mr. Jack Read reported on the May 20 meeting when presentations were made by The Rev. Rich Bardush, Youth Ministries Office, and Ms. Pat Sisco from Episcopal Relief and Development Fund. A pulpit exchange program was under consideration.

District 2: The Rev. Martin Bagay reported the meeting on June 6 was held at St. Thomas', Vernon. Anti-racism training within the district was scheduled for September 21 and 22. Youth group continued to meet regularly. A summer event will be held on August 19 with a picnic and prayer service at St. Gabriel's, Milton/Oak Ridge. Christian education was becoming a focus of discussions and joint efforts, especially among the teen aged youths. The conversations were enriching and enlivening. The next meeting will be September 11. A representative to the Commission on Aging was identified.

District 3: The Rev. Michel Belt and Ms. Liz Moss reported that last meeting was May 23. Three distinct groups were working: worship, retreats/spiritual hunger, and arts and education. Several quiet days were scheduled over the next year. The district will next meet in September. Much of the focus had been on getting to know one another within the district. A district wide retreat in the fall of 2002 will bring many of the people together.

District 5: Ms. Kathleen Ballard reported that during the last meeting the group heard from the ERD Fund and were led through an exercise on church perception by The Rev. Orion Davis, district convener. A representative was appointed to the Commission on Aging. The district youth will participate in the Heifer Project. Work was ongoing toward building relationships among the churches in the district.

The President announced that the Voice was looking for photos of district events.

JERSEY CITY AREA MINISTRY

Mr. Tom Nickerson, Jersey City CDC Executive Director, and Mr. Peter Van Brunt, CDC member, presented a draft report and sought comments on the CDC's plan to acquire and redevelop St. John's Church and Rectory, Jersey City, as part of the Jersey City Strategy for the purpose of creating permanent JCECDC administrative and program space, as well as housing and program space for the Jersey City Area Ministry.

A full proposal will be brought to the September meeting which will include:
- The Diocese transfer ownership of the St. John's property to Jersey City CDC for $1;
- The Diocese approve the transfer of $200,000 from the Jersey City Area Ministry Fund to the St. Augustine's Building Fund; and,
- The Diocese approve the release of the planned $100,000 share of the sale of St. John's property due the Jersey City Area Ministry.

The draft resolutions for consideration at the September meeting will be:

RESOLVED, that the Diocesan Council accepts the recommendation of the Jersey City Area Council and agrees to enter into an agreement with Jersey City Episcopal CC for repayment of a $300,000 loan to purchase St. John's property using DIT funds designated fro the Jersey City Area Ministry. The loan will be paid back over 20 years at an annualized interest rate of 6%; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the Diocesan Council approves the transfer of $200,000 from the Jersey City Area Ministry Fund to the St. Augustine's Building Fund, thus releasing the planned St. Augustine's share of any future sale of the St. John's property; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the Diocesan Council approves the release by the Jersey City Area Ministry of its planned $100,000 share of any future sale of the St. John's property.

Mr. Nickerson reviewed the history of the Jersey City Area Strategy, since the closing of St. John's through the founding of St. Augustine's when the three congregations of St. Matthew's, St. Stephen's and Incarnation joined ministries. St. Augustine's had $2 million in assets, Jersey City Area Strategy has $1 million; these holdings were with the DIT. St. John's was the final asset for disposition.

ACTS/VIM BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS

It was moved by The Rev. Michel Belt and seconded that the recommendations presented last month be ratified. The motion was adopted with one abstention.

AV-01-01: Boonton, St. John's CDC - After School Program, $8,000
AV-01-02: Newton, Christ Church - Operation After School (OAS), $3,500
AV-01-03: Newark, Newark School of Theology, $8,000
AV-01-04: Chester, Messiah, Messiah CDC Community Education, $7,000
AV-01-05: Paterson, St. Paul's CDC, Case Management, $7,000
AV-01-06: Newark, AIDS Resource Ctr CDC, Dependent Children Program, $9,000
AV-01-07: Hackensack, Christ Church CDC, Peter's Place, $7,000
AV-01-08: Jersey City CDC, Corpus Christi Ministry Housing, $5,000
AV-01-09: Newark, Episcopal Community Development, The Samaritan Project, $6,000
AV-01-10: Newark, Apostles' House, Case Management Staff, $7,000
AV-01-11: W. Milford, Highlands CDC, Microenterprise Dvlpmnt Pgm for Native Americans, $6,000
AV-01-12: East Orange, Christ Church, L.I.A.C. Summer Program, $9,000
AV-01-13: Newark, Diocese of Newark,Hispanic/Latino Pgm for Seminary Education, $3,000

Total recommendation to Diocesan Council: $85,500

The changes to the form and evaluation procedures were adopted as presented at last month's meeting with one abstention.

DIOCESAN OUTREACH COMMITTEE

It was moved by The Rev. Gordon Tremaine and seconded that the recommendations presented last month be ratified. The motion was adopted.

International category:
Diocese of Lebombo - $14,500
Pastors for Peace - $5,000

Domestic category:
Outreach Ministries Survey and Conference - $2,000
Care Closet, Christ Church, Belleville -$4,000
The AIDS Resource Center CDC at St. Barnabas Church - $16,000
St. John's CDC, Boonton - $9,000
LISC - $5,000
Epiphany Food Pantry, Epiphany, Orange - $2,000
Friends for Life - $1,000
Women meet at the Well - No funding is recommended
Messiah Community Resource Corporation - No funding is recommended
Highlands CDC - $5,000 for the organization's revolving microenterprise loan fund.
Christ Church, Newton, Operation After School - $5,000
Jersey City Episcopal CDC - $8,000
Apostles' House - $15,000
BALC - $7,500
St. John's, Dover - No funding is recommended
Roots and Wings - No funding is recommended
St. James CDC- $12,000
St. Paul's CDC - $7,500
Metropolitan Japanese Ministry - $1,000
Camp Shining Star - $1,000
Our Whole Lives - No funding is recommended

WARD J. HERBERT FUND RECOMMENDATIONS

It was moved by Ms. Liz Moss and seconded that the recommendations presented last month be ratified. The motion was adopted.

WJH-01-01: Little Falls, St. Agnes', Church roof replacement, $2,500
WJH-01-02: Jersey City, St. Paul's, Boiler replacement, $2,250
WJH-01-03: Kearny, Trinity, Rectory boiler replacement. $3,663
WJH-01-04: Mendham, St. Mark's, Church steeple replacement, $2,500
WJH-01-05: East Orange, Christ Church, Handicapped accessibility ramp, No funding
WJH-01-06: Milton/Oak Ridge, St. Gabriel's, Church furnace replacement, $1,240
WJH-01-07: Towaco, Transfiguration, Concrete steps replacement, $2,825
WJH-01-08: Montclair, St. Luke's, Slate roof, internal gutter maintenance, $2,500 abstention.
WJH-01-09: Washington, St. Peter's, Repair work, $2,610
WJH-01-10 Parsippany, St. Gregory's, Roof repair work, $5,755
WJH-01-11: Maplewood, St. George's, Church repairs; parish hall roof, $14,413
WJH-01-12: Orange, Epiphany: Abestos abatement, boiler room/basement, $9,000
WJH-01-13: Jersey City, Grace, Repair heating system, recore locks, $3,185
WJH-01-14: Newark, St. Andrew's, Rectory repairs $7,500
WJH-01-15: Montclair, Trinity, Rectory & church boiler replacements - withdrawn
WJH-01-16: Union City, St. John's, Stained glass window restoration, $5,000
WJH-01-17: North Bergen, Transfiguration: Rectory Repairs, $2,725

Total recommendation to Diocesan Council: $67,666

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS/SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION COMMITTEE

The Rev. Maggie Gat, Chair of the Domestic Violence Awareness/Sexual Abuse Prevention Committee, reported to Council on plans for developing resources for clergy when dealing with instances of domestic violence and abuse. Awareness and response training would be useful for clergy and lay. She stressed the importance to raise awareness for the need of effective tools and responses to domestic violence in our congregations.

BOY SCOUT RESOLUTION COMMITTEE

The President announced that in response to the convention resolution to review the policies of the Boy Scouts of America the committee had been formed and would report later in the fall.

EPISCOPAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP. BOARD ELECTIONS

It was moved by Ms. Nancy Read and seconded that the following persons be elected to the board of Episcopal Community Development Corporation until the December 2001 meeting of the Diocesan Council. The motion was adopted.

Mr. Stuart Christie, St. Luke's, Montclair; The Rev. Stephanie Wethered, St. John's, Boonton; The Rev. David Wolf, St. Paul's, Paterson; The Rev. William C. Parnell, Christ Church, Hackensack.

These nominees supplemented those who were elected at the May meeting of Diocesan Council. All members were elected until December when the board members will be placed into rotating classes.

EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMEN

Ms. Doris Mardirosian reported that the annual UTO Ingathering went well. She was especially delighted that three new people joined the board. She displayed the ECW gavel that has been in use by the since 1927. It was a gift to the Women's Auxiliary of the Diocese of Newark from The Rev. Lloyd R. Craighill of St. Matthew's Church, in Nanchang, Kiangsi, China in 1927 for the Auxiliary's support of the church. She presented a gift to the discretionary fund on behalf of the ECW.

The benediction was pronounced by The Rev. Jack Stanton.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Michael Francaviglia,
Secretary



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