The past two weeks have been full of meetings for members of the Standing Committee, who are serving as liaisons to the various bodies of the Diocese. To date we have met over 75 people working on a variety of diocesan committees, councils and boards, and we are very impressed by the work that is being done by these groups. We hope our brief review of these meetings will give you a greater understanding of the work of the Diocese which we all share.
Commission on Ministry (COM): On April 6 Ms. Joanna Shreve, Standing Committee liaison to COM, attended its monthly meeting. COM’s main responsibility is to shepherd individuals through the process for receiving Holy Orders. At its April meeting, the COM spent some time discussing what needed to be done to make sure that no one currently in the process, or anyone wanting to start the ordination process, is held up because of the lack of a bishop in our diocese. The COM works closely with the Standing Committee and both groups are determined to do whatever is necessary to be sure the ordination process continues to work smoothly. The COM will also work with the Corporation Board to assess which funds have monies to support seminarians and others in the ordination process
Strategic Planning: On April 13 Ms. Ann Wright, Standing Committee liaison to Strategic Planning, met with both the Strategic Planning and the Lay Conference Planning groups to begin developing plans for both the Clergy and Lay conferences to be held in May. The Rev. Al Bamsey will be facilitating the Clergy Conference which will last from Monday to Wednesday, May 24-26. There will be ample time for discussion and planning for the future. The Lay Conference on May 22 will learn more about and discuss the situation in our diocese and help plan for its future and the call of a new bishop. This conference will be facilitated by the Rev. Ron Reed and Mr. Dale Simison. We are urging all clergy and lay members to come together at their respective conferences for a time of healing and discernment.
Finance Committee: On April 13 Ms. Joanna Shreve, Standing Committee Liaison to the Finance Committee, attended its April meeting. The Finance Committee, composed of seven people plus the Diocesan Administrator, is responsible for oversight of the finances of the diocese, making recommendations to both the Diocesan Council and the Corporation. These individuals bring considerable skills and experience from the business world to do this work for our diocese.
At its April meeting, after assessing the financial situation of the diocese (which could be considered somewhat precarious due to some financial mismanagement in the past year and some Fair Share shortfalls for this year), the Committee prepared some recommendations for the Council to consider at its monthly meeting on April 15. Committee members also agreed to do an internal audit of the 2003 accounts themselves, in preparation for the July audit to done by an outside firm. This internal audit will entail considerable time and energy, but will enable the diocesan accounts to be in excellent shape for the outside auditors. Last year, the cost of the audit was considerably more than budgeted because the accounts for the previous year were not in good shape for the auditors to do their work. The Finance Committee is aware of some of the sloppy bookkeeping that occurred in years past. The Committee is working with Diocesan Administrator Brian Nordwick to set up practices and procedures which are resulting in a much more reliable and sound way of maintaining our financial records.
Diocesan Council: On April 15 the Rev. Donna Ross attended Council’s monthly meeting as the Standing Committee liaison. On behalf of the Standing Committee, Donna Ross outlined three major goals for the interim period. (1) The Standing Committee is aware that Council is responsible for oversight of the budget and programs approved and adopted by Convention, and wants to work with Council to support the mission and ministry of the church. (2) In times when we struggle to balance the diocesan budget, it is also important to find ways to continue supporting important ministry programs. (3) The Standing Committee is working to improve communication in the Diocese, and hopes that participation in Council meetings will help us achieve that goal.
Donna Ross told Council members that the Presiding Bishop’s office can help the diocese to find an Assisting Bishop to serve until the election of the third bishop of El Camino Real. Council passed a resolution that could provide for the hiring of an Assisting Bishop as soon as next fall, by excluding that position from the temporary hiring freeze prompted by Fair Share shortfalls. This Council resolution paves the way for the Joint Process Committee and Standing Committee to consult on the hiring of an Assisting Bishop.
(The Diocesan Council has six members elected by Convention, seven members elected by Deaneries, and three members appointed by the Bishop. Representatives of DIEM, Finance and Stewardship, ECW, and Diocesan staff also attend.. In addition, the Secretary of the Diocese serves as Secretary of Council, the Treasurer of the Diocese serves as Treasurer, and normally the Bishop is the President of Council; during the transition, the Rev. Donna Ross will represent the Ecclesiastical Authority on Council. The Council’s elected Chair, the Rev. Maly Adams, will continue to lead all meetings.)
Board of Directors of the Diocesan Corporation: On April 19 seven members of the Standing Committee attended a Special Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Corporation. The Board is made up of eight members elected by Diocesan Convention; the Secretary of the Diocese serves as Secretary of the Board, the Treasurer of the Diocese is the CFO of the Board, and normally the Bishop is the President of the Board. The special meeting was called to consider the composition of the Board, now that Bishop Shimpfky has resigned.
The Standing Committee, acting as the Ecclesiastical Authority, designated the Rev. Christopher Creed to serve as President of the Board during the period of transition to the next bishop. The By-laws of the Corporation state that the President should preside at the meetings of the Board. However, when Bishop Shimpfky was President of the Board, he chose to delegate this task to an elected Chair. The members of the Board agreed that Rev. Creed should preside at the meetings and so voted to eliminate the position of Vice President and Chair. The incumbent Chair, Rev. Robert Seifert, resumed his position as a Director on the Board.
The Corporation's main tasks are to oversee the financial assets of the diocese, including its investments and real property. At the April 19 meeting, the Board approved the signing of a lease for a community service center in Nipomo, to be run by the organizing congregation Todos los Santos. The community center will include a thrift shop for the community and a chapel for the congregation, which is led by the Rev. Ricardo Gonzales. The Board of Directors meets on a quarterly basis, calling for special meetings only when there are urgent issues to be discussed and acted upon.
Standing Committee: On April 24 the Standing Committee met in Salinas. Members reported on their attendance at the various meetings listed above. In addition to reviewing the ongoing work of the Diocese, the Standing Committee ratified the following appointments, which were made by email or telephone votes since April 1: (1) The Rev. Donna Ross has been appointed Diocesan Deployment Officer (DDO). (When there is no Bishop, this function becomes the duty of the President of the Standing Committee.) (2) The Rev. James Thomas has been appointed Assistant Diocesan Deployment Officer. Jim Thomas and Donna Ross will work together on deployment issues (congregations in the search process, clergy seeking new positions, clergy-vestry conflicts, etc.) (3) The Rev. James Thomas has also been appointed as Convener for DIEM. Ms. Katy Dickinson remains DIEM’s Co-Convener. (4) The Rev. Harriet Linville has been appointed Ecumenical Officer for the diocese.
The Standing Committee's regular meetings are on the second Thursday of each month. We invite you to join us for the first hour of each meeting, when we share in Bible study and Eucharist. Following the Eucharist there will be a period in which you can ask questions or make comments and suggestions. Our next meeting is on Thursday, May 13, at Mission House in Seaside. The meeting begins at 10 a.m. If you would like to join us, please contact Susan Altig, saltig@redshift.com, for directions to Mission House.
If you have any questions, or comments and suggestions for the Standing Committee, please write us c/o Donna Ross,
donnaross@charter.net.
