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Council of Elders Report: August 7-10, 2023

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Created Aug 14 2023 - 1:39pm

United Church of God, an International Association
Council of Elders Quarterly Meeting Report
Milford, Ohio
Monday, August 7, 2023

Chairman Len Martin called the morning session to order at 9 a.m. Eastern, and the meeting was opened with prayer by Deputy Chairman, Aaron Dean. Eleven Council of Elders (Council) members were present, Scott Ashley connected via Zoom.

Chairman Martin began with a few opening comments and welcomed the newly elected Council members. He then presented the last Council meetings minutes which were unanimously approved.

President’s Report: Rick Shabi

Mr. Shabi opened his report by warmly greeting those in attendance followed by a few personal thoughts. He then commented about how fast his time as president seems to be flying by. He pointed out that his first year was mainly spent at the Home Office. During this time, he has been getting to know the staff and understanding the worldwide operation, functions, and services provided from here, as well as discovering the many talents and skills of the people who work at the Home Office.

After citing Proverbs:27:23, “Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds.” He repeated that there is a lot of talent in the Home Office, and referring to Ephesians:4:16, pointed out that God has provided all the Church needs to accomplish the work God has given us to do.

Mr. Shabi reminded us that Jesus Christ is the Head of this Church, and that He is “the way, the truth, and life” (John:14:6). His will, direction, and guidance are sought every day, and we trust Him to provide the words and the works. With that, Mr. Shabi mentioned that his second year in “this role” seems to be one where he and his wife are out visiting various areas in the United States to which they’ve been invited, as well as some international areas. He commented that this time spent away from the Home Office has given him a different perspective concerning both our strengths and weaknesses as a Church.

He commented that we are a worldwide family, and that it has been wonderful to have the time in each place they’ve visited to spend time with the members and the ministry. His style welcomes questions and wherever they go, he tries to schedule time where the membership and ministry can ask any questions or make suggestions and comments. He gets to know them, they get to know him, and he has learned many things while listening to the many “joints” God has supplied (Ephesians:4:16).

With that, Mr. Shabi briefly recounted some of what he learned in the various areas in which he and his wife have had the opportunity to visit since the last Council meeting in May:

Mr. Shabi then commented on the importance of the international work and building the family of God; preaching the truth of God everywhere around the world. He also mentioned the trip that Darris McNeely and Ed Dowd made in June to Zambia, as well as God’s work and calling being so evident in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and other areas.

Mr. Shabi then proceeded to briefly give an overview of other areas of the work, commenting that the Operations Managers would provide further details:

Mr. Shabi ended his report by acknowledging God and thanking Him for what He has given and provided and asking that we all pray that He continues to lead and that we will please Him by the work He does through us. He then opened floor for comments and questions.

Operation Manager Reports:

Ministerial and Member Services (MMS)—Steve Myers

Mr. Myers began by mentioning that we are only five weeks into the new Operation plan and they have been working hard on implementing the new strategic directives. He then quoted Isaiah:40:31, “But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Mr. Myers commented that we have an ambitious plan and a lot of work ahead of us. To accomplish these goals, we will need strength. He added that we will look to God, because we know He will give us the strength for what He wants accomplished. Mr. Myers then presented a short rundown of the major events in MMS since the May meetings:

Mr. Myers ended his presentation by reading Philippians 1:27, “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” He once again emphasized that we have a large task at hand, but the vison of the Church can be accomplished if we work together, all doing our share (Ephesians:4:16). He then opened the floor for questions or comments.

Treasurers Report—Barry Korthuis

Mr. Korthuis began his presentation by saying, “I report good news – God continues to bless us.” He then quoted Proverbs:21:5, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.” After a few personal comments, Mr. Korthuis presented the Council with a handout outlining the latest financial statements; providing an update on fiscal year 2023 results as well as July 2024. As part of that update he mentioned that the annual audit planning is well underway. He also pointed out that July revenue was 50% over budget; that this was primarily due to a large coworker donation but also that other general contributions, as well as investment income, contributed to the overall increase as well. Mr. Korthuis commented that as far as our expenses are concerned, we remain in line with budgeted amounts. He then opened the floor for any comments and questions.

Media and Communications Services—Peter Eddington

Mr. Eddington began by passing out a Media and Communications Services Report. Before reviewing the document, Mr. Eddington informed the Council that the latest coworker/donor letter from the president was at the printer and due to be sent out within the next two weeks. He also stated that the members Holy Day offering envelopes will be mailed out soon and that inside each mailing will be a FOT/UCG window cling. He then played the three 30-second YouTube ads recently broadcast in 18 U.S. cities, before reviewing the results.

Mr. Eddington mentioned that a major portion of results are now tabulated for the Beyond Today television 30-second ads promoting our three, five-part video series: 1) Joseph’s Birthright, 2) Satan Unmasked and 3) The Unknown Jesus. The comprehensive advertising campaign launched April 23 and ran through July 30. Each series is advertised on YouTube, Google, Roku, The WORD Network and 18 broadcast TV stations. He added that there have been 20.4 million digital impressions of our 30-second YouTube ads, Google ads, and Roku ads. This resulted in more than 2 million views of the ads and the related episodes of the three TV series. More than 5,200 “likes” were logged on YouTube.

The 18 TV stations are now reporting their Nielsen GRPs (Gross Rating Points) to help us determine how many people have seen our ads running. The first 10 weeks of our 15-week TV campaign saw 5,446 of our spots run for an average cost of $18.58 per spot. (Of these, 105 spots per week are running on The WORD Network at $11.91 each.) We had an average of 3.9 million viewers per week see our 30-second ad approximately three times (excludes WORD). The average CPP (cost for 1 percent of the combined DMA [179,611 people] to see our ad) was $49.21 (excludes WORD).

The results for weeks 11 and 12 were 9 million and 8.8 million viewers who saw the ads approximately three times. The CPP was $27 and $32—way below the averages above. 522 spots ran for week 11 and 488 spots ran for week 12 at $21.32 and $18.84 each.

Mr. Eddington informed the Council that we are spending about $875 per week on Google/YouTube advertising, $2,200 per week on Roku advertising, and about $10,000 per week on these TV spots; $13,000 total per week.

Mr. Eddington reported that we are running monthly advertising campaigns on Roku devices with general advertising impressions by the thousand, or CPM. A variety of designs and program title graphics appear. After 56 months of advertising, which began on November 26, 2016, we are seeing the following total results through July 29, 2023:

For the past 12 months:

Mr. Eddington then presented the “Church Media Growth and Statistics” as of July 31, 2023:

Mr. Eddington made a few comments as to why we are seeing a decrease in donors and coworkers. He then presented an update on our social media efforts as well as the plans for moving forward with those efforts for 2023-2024.

Core Objective:

Boosting the visibility of the Church through inspiring content aligned with the Bible’s teachings, shared globally.

Execution:

3) Connect with the youth demographic through Instagram. Young people are highly mobile-centric, and Instagram’s mobile-first approach makes it easily accessible on smartphones and tablets. This convenience ensures that they can stay connected to Church updates, even on the go.

4) Stay connected with potential members through a marketing strategy to share sermon recaps, testimonials, Bible study livestreams, Good Works initiatives and Church updates through reels and lifts.

5) Facilitate volunteer opportunities to develop social media content and support international digital advertising. This can be executed through a media internship program. The internship will train young people seeking professional experience to help preach the gospel globally through Facebook and Instagram. This will also empower young people in the Church’s overall mission to proclaim the good news message.

6) Create engaging content, reels, lifts and increase social media advertising to promote educational resources such as the BT magazine, BT TV and UCG.org.

Mr. Eddington then opened the floor for any comments and questions.

Committee Chairman Reports:

Doctrine Committee (DC)—Mario Seiglie

Mr. Seiglie began by reading from the Scope and Responsibilities of the Doctrine Committee document. He then reported that the DC met on July 20 to review two projects that were remanded to the DC. One of the projects has been completed and will be presented to the Council: the statement on the use of remez with its background information. The other project that was discussed was concerning the term “forsaken” as found in Matthew:27:46. Mr. Seiglie also reported that the DC has two other projects at this time under review.

Members on the DC: Scott Ashley, Jorge de Campos, Darris McNeely, Mario Seiglie (chair) and Rex Sexton.

Education Committee (EC)—Brian Shaw

Mr. Shaw reported that EC has been working on the following projects:

Members on the EC: Jorge de Campos, Aaron Dean, Brian Shaw (chair), and Paul Wasilkoff.

Ethics Committee—Rex Sexton

Mr. Sexton began by reading the Code of Ethics of the members of the Council. He then reported that the Ethics Committee currently has two items remanded to it by the Council. Both items have been discussed over the past two months in video conference committee meetings, emails, and conversations with the administration. These items are as follows:

1. Violation of UCG Elders Forum

On May 19 an elder from an international area posted, in three separate locations on the forum, a message encouraging elders to listen to a sermon he had given, along with internet links to that message. The sermon concerned the meaning of the Day of Pentecost and was at considerable variance, and contrary, to our historical understanding and teaching on the subject. Objections were raised to the UCG Forum moderators who removed the postings and notified the elder who posted them. All three forum moderators agreed that this was a serious infraction and notified the administration and Council Chairman.

This is following the Forum Moderator Guidelines, bullet three, page two, which states, “When a major infraction occurs (as agreed upon by 3 or more moderators), the chairman of the GCE will take the matter to the Council of Elders for resolution and the user may be suspended or removed from the Forum.” This was followed and per the forum guidelines the offending elder has been suspended from using the forum for a period of one year.

All pertinent emails, messages, and documents were forwarded to the ministerial administration in the international area for appropriate action. The elder was advised of our standard doctrinal review procedure and informed that he could submit any subject he wished through the appropriate channels. The elder has submitted his paper to the Doctrine Committee.

2. Expelled Member Appeal -- (Read Policy for Member Appeal)

On May 30th, regional pastor Gary Petty received a Member Appeal Form from a member in the Southeast region. The form and additional documentation were forwarded to the Ethics Committee on June 19th.

On June 21st the Ethics committee met via internet and reviewed the material. The committee decided it warranted remanding to the Elder Appeal Committee according to the procedures in the Procedure for Member Appeal.

On June 22nd the appeal information was submitted to MAC chairman, Randy Schreiber. The Ethics Committee notified the appellant that the case had been submitted to the MAC.

The MAC has been reviewing the issue for five weeks and has requested some additional assistance from the administration. The Ethics committee is awaiting the report and recommendations from the MAC.

Members on the Ethics Committee: Aaron Dean, Dan Dowd, Mario Seiglie, Rex Sexton (chair) and Paul Wasilkoff.

Media Committee (MC)—Victor Kubik

Mr. Kubik began by giving some personal thoughts of being back on the Council. He then gave a brief history of the Media Committee and of each current member. Mr. Kubik reported that the MC met last week to address what will be presented to the Council this week. He then read the responsibilities of the MC and reported that these responsibilities have been fulfilled.
Members on the Media (MC): Scott Ashley, Jorge de Campos, Victor Kubik (chair), Tim Pebworth, and Paul Wasilkoff.

Roles and Rules Committee (RRC)—Dan Dowd

Mr. Dowd began by stating that the Roles and Rule Committee is a standing committee of the Council of Elders. Its overall responsibility is to monitor administrative policies and procedures so that organizational, constitutional, bylaw and legal requirements and standards are complied with. Mr. Dowd then reported the following updates on the work of the Roles and Rules Committee:

Members on the RRC: Scott Ashley, Dan Dowd (chair), Tim Pebworth

Strategic Planning and Finance Committee (SPFC)—Darris McNeely

Mr. McNeely reports that SPFC has spent time over the last two years putting together the Strategic Plan which was presented and approved at the last GCE. He then quoted Luke:12:42, “And the Lord said, ‘Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?’” He mentioned that this will serve as a guide as the plan is implemented. He mentioned that the SPFC held a meeting since with the President and the Operations Managers to discuss what has been implemented. These meetings and reviews will continue on a quarterly basis. He then quickly spoke about the SPFC’s current projects:

Members of the SPFC: Aaron Dean, Darris McNeely (chair), Victor Kubik, Tim Pebworth, and Brian Shaw

Executive Committee—Len Martin

Mr. Martin reported that the Executive Committee has no projects remanded to it at this time.
Members of the Executive Committee: Scott Ashley, Aaron Dean, Dan Dowd, Len Martin (chair) and Darris McNeely.
At 12:00 p.m. the Council to a break for lunch
Chairman Martin called the Council to order at 1:00 p.m. and immediately went into planned executive session.

At 6:00 p.m. the Council came out of executive session and adjourned for the day.

 

Tuesday, August 8, 2022

Chairman Len Martin called the morning session to order at 9 a.m. Eastern, and the meeting was opened with prayer by Deputy Chairman, Aaron Dean. Eleven Council of Elders (Council) members were present, Scott Ashley connected via Zoom. Darris McNeely had to leave after the morning session.

Chairman Martin turned the floor over to Brian Shaw to cover the first item on the day’s agenda, presentation of the study paper on the Sanctity of Marriage.

Mr. Shaw began by stating that the purpose of this presentation is to give an overview of what the Education Committee (EC) has put together so far. He explained that the paper is not a finished project, but still in the development stage and the EC is seeking input from the Council. Prior to reviewing the paper, Mr. Shaw gave a few personal thoughts of why this study paper is important document for the Church. He then presented the paper, pausing at the end of each section for comments and questions. Mr. Shaw thanked the Council for its input and stated that the suggestions will be considered as the EC continues working on this project.

Mr. Pebworth presented the next order of business, improving the process for the budgeting of unrestricted cash. He began by explaining why he feels this proposal needs to be addressed and considered. He stated that the purpose of this proposal is to create a well-defined, transparent budget process which conforms to the authority granted to the Council and administration by our governing documents. He added that this proposal is not about “what” we should spend our money on, but to identify the process of “how” we can improve the process in making those decisions.

Mr. Pebworth then discussed our current situation. He pointed out that although we have a robust and well-defined operating budget process whereby all departments and individuals worldwide are informed of deadlines for submission and the GCE ballots on whether to approve, we have a much less defined budgeting process for the use of previously accumulated cash that is in excess of required reserves (commonly referred to as “unrestricted cash”). He then presented four current issues/problem with our process. As he presented each issue/problem the Council and administration made comments and suggestions.

Mr. Pebworth stated that to properly address these four issues/problems with our current directive, he offered the following recommendations:

 

The floor was opened for comments, questions, and suggestions. It was decided that Mr. Pebworth would draft a resolution and present it to the Council later in the week for balloting.

At 11:55 p.m. the Council to a break for lunch
Chairman Martin called the Council to order at 1:00 p.m. and introduced Keith Wilson for the first presentation of the afternoon session, a report from the Nominating Committee. Mr. Wilson joined the session via Zoom.

Mr. Wilson began with a quick background of what this committee is and what it is not. He then gave a summary of how the committee came to be. He then shared why he personally volunteered to participate and introduced the members that were selected to fulfill the requirements set by the resolution to populate the committee:

 

Mr. Wilson then stated that the purpose of this presentation was to discuss some of the work that the committee has done since it was formed and first met in March 2023. He mentioned that everything presented today is to be considered a working document and can be adjusted when needed. He then reported that the committee met 10 times and put in over 80-man hours thus far.

Mr. Wilson pointed out that the committee has no authority to implement any of these ideas. They are presented in the spirit of opening discussion for the Council and the GCE to perform the functions they are required to perform by the governing documents. He added that the committee’s desire is that one or more of the ideas presented will serve to improve the overall effectiveness of the administration of the work of God through the United Church of God, an International Association.

Mr. Wilson then presented the following ideas that were submitted from the survey along with the recommendations from the committee. He answered questions and comments after each idea and recommendation was presented.

 

As he concluded, Mr. Wilson mentioned that although this has been a lot of work, it has been enjoyable and a great experience. He also stated that the ideas and recommendations presented here are not the complete work that the committee has performed over the last five months. A significant number of the other ideas collected have resulted in first draft position paper documents. Mr. Wilson then opened the floor up for comments, suggestions, and questions.

Chairman Martin then suggested that the committee stay intact, giving the Council time to review what has been presented and send the committee any thoughts and recommendation for further work.

Peter Eddington then presented the next item on the agenda, the Review of the new CRM Specialist position (Client Relationship Management). Mr. Eddington began by reminding the Council why the hiring of a CRM specialist was needed and clarified the purpose of this position. He then presented the proposed job posting along with the description and duties that will be published in the Home Office Update. The floor was opened for any questions, comments, and suggestions. The posting was then further discussed, and edits were made. It was decided to publish the post in this week’s Home Office Weekly Update as edited.

For the next item on the agenda, Mr. Pebworth led a discussion concerning a proposal for a Facilities Use Policy. This proposed policy would outline the use of our church-owned buildings by those individuals and or churches not affiliated with the COG or adhere to our doctrines and teachings. He then presented a first draft of the proposed policy and opened the floor for any suggestions and edits. It was decided that Mr. Pebworth would present a resolution on Thursday for approval.

Aaron Dean then presented a draft of the “Tithe of the Tithe/Festival Assistance” article that was remanded to the Education Committee during the last Council meetings. He then opened the floor for discussion and edits. Mr. Dean stated that he will take all the suggestions and create another draft of the article and present it to the Council at a later date for approval.

Chris Rowland then presented the latest updates and changes to the Church’s travel policies. Mr. Rowland explained that these changes and updates were necessary because many of the policies have not been updated for 20 years. He also noted that many questions and concerns have arisen over the last few weeks that need to be clarified as well. He stated that the goal was to bring our travel policies up to date with our current practices. Mr. Rowland then presented each document with the latest updates and changes. He then asked for any questions, comments, or suggestions.

Chairman Martin moved that the Council accepts all the Travel Policies as edited and it was unanimously passed.

Chairman Martin then read the COE travel policy resolution as way of reminder of what is required to coordinate the travel schedules and visit congregations that need help or are rarely visited. Pastors who would like a visit from a Council member can contact the COE or MMS to make the request. Council members, if contacted, will coordinate those requests with MMS.

Before adjourning for the day, Jorge de Campos presented a quick update on the Church in Angola. He mentioned that he had just returned from a visit and there has been a lot of progress. He reported how grateful the Angolan brethren are for the support they are receiving from the United Church of God and the COE. Mr. de Campos mentioned that they are very committed to the work of God. They now have their own administration and Council, which is very similar to the U.S. structure. He then gave a few details concerning his recent visit and mentioned a few challenges the Angolan brethren are facing. He ended his presentation by reporting that they are planning for six members from Angola (four elders and two wives) to attend the Feast of Tabernacles in Brazil.

At 4:55 p.m. the Council adjourned for the day.

 

Wednesday, August 9, 2022

Chairman Len Martin called the morning session to order at 9 a.m. Eastern, and the meeting was opened with prayer by Deputy Chairman, Aaron Dean. Ten Council of Elders (Council) members were present, Scott Ashley connected via Zoom and Darris McNeely was absent.

Chairman Martin introduced Mario Seiglie to present the first item on the agenda for the day, a doctrinal update concerning the subject of remez.

Mr. Seiglie began by handing out a proposed statement the DC drafted about the subject and use of remez. He then read through the statement and opened the floor for any comments and or questions. Many concerns were brought forth about the statement as well as concerns about the process of how this statement was drafted. These questions and concerns were further discussed in greater detail. Mr. Seiglie then asked the Council for a clear direction on what is expected of the DC going further with this remanded project.

It was determined that the proposed statement needed more clarification according to the directive that was given back in the May 2023 meetings. It was further determined that Rick Shabi, Steve Myers and the DC will work together on the statement and present it during a future meeting.

At 10:20 a.m. the Council went into the planned executive session to discuss the DC paper concerning the term “forsaken” as written in Matthew:27:46.

At 12:00 p.m. the Council took a break for lunch.
At 1:00 p.m. Chairman Martin called the Council to order and immediately went back into the planned executive session to discuss legal updates.

At 2:15 p.m. the planned executive session ended.

Brian Shaw led a discussion of the proposed paper, “Keeping a Holy Convocation.” Mr. Shaw commented that what is being presented in this meeting is a first draft only and looking for feedback so that the paper can be updated and presented for approval at a later meeting.

He then began by explaining how this paper came about. He stated that in August of 2022, the Council commissioned the Education Committee to review current practices during its Sabbath and Holy Day services and make recommendations that would enhance the effectiveness of these assemblies. He also pointed out that the paper intends to answer the question, “What is a holy convocation?”

Mr. Shaw then read through the paper, pausing after each section for open discussion. Many suggestions were made and will be included as a final draft is written. The final paper will be presented during the December meetings.

Victor Kubik then lead a discussion about the duties and work of the Media Committee (MC). He began by showing the first Plain Truth magazine that was printed back in February of 1934 in the Worldwide Church of God as an example of the early work of the church’s media department efforts. He then spent a few minutes reminiscing his years of experience in media. He also recounted how Herbert W. Armstrong began to carry forward that command of Jesus Christ to “Go into all the world, preaching the gospel” early on through radio, print, and eventually TV. This effort is what stirred him to move to southern California, the media capital of the world. He shared some of those early statistics and the challenges that came with reaching outside the United States.

Mr. Kubik stated that today we still face challenges with our media efforts. He asked, “Where do we go from here?” He then added, “We let God provide, follow Him, and He will bless our efforts.” Mr. Kubik mentioned that God has always provided an audience and there are those who will hear. Although the demographics has changed, we must adjust our efforts if we are to reach this new generation. Mr. Kubik stated that we need to know what they are thinking, how they think, and how to get them to respond. We must be aware of how we talk to them if we want a response. Mr. Kubik suggested that we may need to hire a Media Consultant to help us with this adjustment.

Mr. Kubik also stated that the MC does not want to interfere with anything that the Media Department is doing now. He said that the MC desires to be a service and to help the Media Department. He then asked fellow MC members, Tim Pebworth, Jorge de Campos, Paul Wasilkoff, and Scott Ashley to share their thoughts and suggestion of how the MC can assist in the Church’s as well as local congregations’ outreach efforts. Mr. Kubik shared a few more ideas and goals of the MC before opening the floor to comments and questions.

Chairman Martin shared some thoughts about tomorrow’s agenda and mentioned that he would email everyone an updated agenda this evening.

At 5:08 p.m. the Council adjourned for the day.

 

Thursday, August 10, 2022

Chairman Len Martin called the morning session to order at 9 a.m. Eastern, and the meeting was opened with prayer by Deputy Chairman, Aaron Dean. Ten Council of Elders (Council) members were present, Scott Ashley connected via Zoom and Darris McNeely was absent.

The Council immediately went into the scheduled executive session to discuss the following:

 

At 11:20 a.m. the Council came out of executive session

Mr. Pebworth presented a proposed resolution with respect to budgeting and spending of unrestricted cash. He then opened the floor for any suggestions and comments. After a short discussion, a few edits were made. After the edited resolution was presented, Chairman Martin moved that the proposed resolution be approved and accepted as edited. The resolution was unanimously passed.

Mr. Dean then presented a draft of the article concerning the festival fund (tithe of the tithe). The floor was opened for any suggestions or comments. A few edits were suggested and adopted. The article was approved and will be sent to Mr. Eddington for proofreading and publishing.

Chairman Martin then led a discussion to determine the dates and plans for the 2025 and 2026 General Conference of Elders (GCE) as well as confirm the dates for the upcoming COE meetings.

At 12:10 p.m. the Council adjourned the COE meetings.

-end-
Council Reporter
Ryan Hall

[These are not the official minutes from the Council meeting. Elders can find those at the Home Office with the Council Secretary. Video recordings are posted for the elders on the UCG Ministerial Resource Site.]
© 2023 United Church of God, an International Association

Source URL: http://coe.ucg.org/council-report/council-elders-report-august-7-10-2023-2023-08-11

Links:
[1] file:///Users/ryanhall/Desktop/www.youtube.com/user/BeyondTodayTV