Navigation

Council of Elders Report - February 26-29, 2024

Submitted by admin on March 1, 2024 - 12:32pm

United Church of God, an International Association

Council of Elders Quarterly Meeting Report

Milford, Ohio

Monday, Feb. 26, 2024

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. There were 10 Council of Elders (Council, COE) members present, with Tim Pebworth connected via Zoom. Jorge de Campos was teaching a class for ABC and joined the meetings later in the morning.

Chairman Martin began with a few opening comments and then presented the last Council meetings minutes, which were unanimously approved. He then reviewed the week’s agenda and discussed the changes; the updated agenda was unanimously approved. He then turned the floor over to Rick Shabi for the president’s report.

President’s Report: Rick Shabi

Mr. Shabi began his report by highlighting the mission Jesus Christ gave the Church: Preaching the gospel to the world. He then gave some personal thoughts about how his travels this past year has broadened his view of what it will take to carry out this mission in this modern era of the Church. He said, “This is a worldwide work, and it’s a big work.”

Mr. Shabi mentioned that along with this broader vision, he continues to learn the scope and scale of what it will take to accomplish this work. He added, “Christ said it will be done and it’s incumbent upon us to do our part. The apostle Paul had to learn, others that followed him had to learn, and it’s now our turn to learn how this work is to be caried out.”

He then spoke about the importance of understanding the people of the international areas, because every area is different and diverse. Although these differences may present some challenges in how we reach them, the gospel Jesus gave us to preach will always stay the same.

Mr. Shabi then went on to share some personal thoughts about his recent international travels to the Philippines, Hong Kong and Italy. He mentioned that what he witnessed was eye-opening. Despite the many challenges, he found brethren across this earth with an energy, a great excitement, a desire for unity and a zeal to further the gospel. This attitude moved him and he added that we need to stir that zeal here in the United States and encourage others to participate.

He said that the words written in 1 Peter:2:9 struck him while in the Philippines, where church leaders from 7 different nations—Bangladesh, Pakistan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and of course the Philippines—were gathered for the week-long training conference conducted by Darris McNeely, Steve Myers and him in late December 2023. While observing the groups working and planning together after hours, and how they were interacting with each other, he observed, “They were a people created by God and were brought together by God.” He then reminded us that God has given us the resources—human, financial and spiritual—and we must now learn and seek to understand how to come together and work together for that common purpose of fulfilling the mission God has given us. He said, “God is at work. He will lead, our job is to follow.”

As he continued his presentation, Mr. Shabi emphasized the importance of allowing God to lead us in this work. He added, “In all that we do, we are looking to God for direction. Christ knows what we need to do. We need to get aligned with Him. Jesus could do it Himself, but He desires us to engage and work hard at doing our part.”

He then shared his upcoming travel plans and other updates:

In March he, Steve Myers and Darris McNeely will be headed to the United Kingdom for a four-day conference. The focus will be on preaching the gospel to the people of Great Britain
In May they will be headed to Mexico for a conference
YouTube content
The need of a focus on congregational care and developing that sense of urgency
BT (video presences) & BT magazine (Written Word)
New website to be ready go live by summer
Seeking new ways to gather data/metrics
Local initiatives, congregational projects, utilizing local talents

Mr. Shabi paused his updates to share some personal thoughts about unity. He said, “As we get closer to Passover, we need to live up to our name—be united.” He mentioned that we must be a people who desire to focus on the work, a Church committed to the same thing, putting away the differences and focused on what God wants, following Him as one unified people.

Mr. Shabi then continued his updates and mentioned a few things happening around the home office.

ABC going well; 18 applications received so far for next year
Joe Green is now up and running in the HR department
Pastor performance evaluations
Regional pastor’s conferences
Finances

Mr. Shabi ended his report by saying, “Christ said He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. I think about this daily. He has the answers and we find the greatest joy when we yield to him. We have a big work to do, with His strength and guidance we can get it done.” Mr. Shabi then opened the floor for any comments or questions.

Operation Manager Reports:

Ministerial and Member Services (MMS)—Steve Myers

Mr. Myers began by quoting Psalm:90:17: “And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.” As he shared this scripture Mr. Myers added, “We certainly want God’s favor. As we face the challenges to do the work, we can’t do it without God. We must look to God.”

Mr. Myers pointed out that we are already three quarters through the fiscal year, operations plan and strategic plan. He then presented a few statistics as well as updates on progress.

Ministerial manpower statistics
The United Church of God has 400 elders around the world

New ordinations
Leighton Forsythe (Gladstone, Queensland, Australia)
Patrice Sinyenga (Isoka, Zambia)
Rob Wood (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

Deceased Wives of Elders
Lee Chovan (widow of Milan Chovan, North Canton, Ohio)
Martha Clement (wife of Harold Clement, Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Emmie Lucas (widow of Garry Lucas, Barrie, Ontario, Canada)
Jacque Smith (wife of Paul Smith, San Diego, California)

Changes in assignment
Greg Musgrove has been appointed pastor of South Alabama

Congregations
The Manhattan congregation has combined with New York City, New York
The Tallahassee and DeFuniak Springs congregations have combined as the Marianna, Florida, congregation

Baptisms
25 since December 2023 COE meetings

Dashboard updates and additions
International attendance tracking active.
Congregational directory for both U.S. and International
Travel and vacation requests now online
Regional pastor reporting
International senior pastor reporting (coming soon)

Pastor performance reviews are now in progress

2023 Winter Family Weekend
1,231 Sabbath attendance
Social activities, dances and sport activities contributed to an overall huge success

All-Asia conference (Manila, Philippines)
Representatives from Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar

U.S. Regional Pastor’s Conferences
Theme: “Speak the Same Thing”
Half have been completed, the remainder will be completed by summer
Format: Interactive discussions on various topics that included doctrine, ethics, policy and pastoral responsibilities.
Mr. Myers then shared comments and feedback from the pastors and wives who attended the conferences.

Feast of Tabernacles planning
U.S. sites mostly under contract
Registration will begin soon

2024-25 Strategic & Operation Plan is complete and will be presented to the Council for review later this week.

Mr. Myers ended his presentation by repeating Psalm:90:17. He then answered and responded to a few questions and comments.

Treasurer’s Report—Barry Korthuis

Mr. Korthuis began his presentation by saying that God continues to bless the United Church of God financially and then quoted Psalm:103:2: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” He added that the Treasurer’s report will be a reminder of those benefits.

He then presented a handout of the Jan. 31, 2024, report and gave a quick overview of the financial details. As he concluded, Mr. Korthuis commented that God has provided just under an 8 percent increase in income over budget so far, this fiscal year-to-date, which more than covered some unexpected expenses that were not contemplated as part of the budget. He then opened the floor for any questions or comments.

Media and Communications Services—Peter Eddington

Mr. Eddington began by passing out a Media and Communications Services Report. He mentioned that we have a lot to be thankful for. He then quoted and shared some personal thoughts about the current work and what’s written in Mark:16:14-15, “Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’” And that we have a big God to preach this gospel to every creature.

Mr. Eddington then presented the media statistics concerning the public proclamation figures as of Jan. 31:

2023-2024 Operation Plan annual results:
Unique UCG.org av. users per month. = 517,000
Magnified (videos and shorts) av. views per month = 7,065
Roku video views = 64,660
UCG.org annual returning visitors = 914,000
BT TV YouTube and Roku views = 4,164, 200
30-Second TV spot responses = 33,000 visits to UCG.org
2023 reader and viewer engagement:
Letters and questions (mail) = 40,629
Internet hard-copy literature requests = 257,910
Beyond Today magazines printed = 1.96 million
Home office mailroom outgoing mail = 226,217
Donation mail pieces received = 50,735
Social media results:
Beyond Today on Facebook, last 90 days = 68.3K post reach with 6.1K post engagements
Beyond Today on Instagram, last 90 days = 1.4K post reach with 369 post engagements
United Church of God, an International Association, on Facebook, last 90 days = 27K post reach with 9.9K post engagements
United Church of God, an International Association, on Instagram, last 90 days = 1.6K post reach with 1.4K post engagements

Mr. Eddington explained the increase in reach on Facebook for Beyond Today can be attributed to running a Facebook ad.

U.S. Beyond Today magazine subscribers for the March/April issue is at 311,421. Worldwide circulation stands at 360,208.
The November-December 2023 subscriber development letter from Rick Shabi was mailed to a total of 196,775 subscribers. To date, 6,375 responses have been received, along with donations to help further the work of the Church.
The number of people listed on our U.S. database as members, youth and those who consider themselves associated with the United Church of God stands at 11,742.
United News circulation stands at 18,947
Our coworker count is at 7,097
Our donor list now includes 6,874 people. NOTE: Total income from donors and coworkers remains consistent each year (higher donations per person).
The Church’s Beyond Today YouTube channel has had 21.1 million video views since 2006 and has 81,425 subscribers. 4.09 million videos were watched in 2023, with 236,800 hours of watch time.
The Church’s Sermon YouTube channel has had 1.33 million video views with 7,841 subscribers. 260,545 sermons were watched in 2023 with 85,500 hours of watch time.
A new initiative has begun to advertise certain Beyond Today TV programs on YouTube through 30- to 45-second ads. So far there have been 1.87 million impressions of these ads, resulting in 172,199 un-skipped views,14,868 clicks through to our website to watch the full episode, and 107 requests for the booklet as a result.
Google advertising for our 30-second ads on YouTube is mostly responsible for the spike in the past 365 days with 4,424,883 views.

Mr. Eddington then presented the average watch time metrics on YouTube for a recent Biblical Worldview presentation by Rick Shabi and a Beyond Today TV program by Darris McNeely. He then opened the floor for any comments and questions.

Committee Chairman Reports:

Doctrine Committee (DC)—Mario Seiglie

Mr. Seiglie began by quoting 1 Timothy:3:15: “I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” He stated that this depicts a fortress and the world is trying to destroy it. He added that it’s important for those inside to keep those pillars strong. He then addressed a few questions that have arisen lately concerning the process of doctrinal and prophecy papers are generated and how they are handled.

Mr. Seiglie then mentioned that the DC met on Dec. 15, 2023 with two members of the Administration to discuss the topic of “Remez.” He then informed the Council that the DC will present the following projects later in the week:

“Remez”
The term “forsaken” as used in Matthew:27:46.

As Mr. Seiglie concluded his presentation, he stated that the DC has four more papers that are being reviewed.

Voting and Involvement in Politics
Defense of Innocent Life
Pentecost
Canaan’s curse

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

Education Committee (EC)—Brian Shaw

Mr. Shaw began by correlating the instruction spoken by Jesus Christ to “teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you” as recorded in Matthew:28:20 with the responsibilities of the Education Committee. He made a few personal comments about this continued effort, then reported that EC has been working on the following projects since last December:

Study paper “Sanctity of Marriage”
Study paper “The Holy Convocation”

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

Ethics Committee—Rex Sexton

Mr. Sexton began by clarifying that the Ethics Committee is a function of the Council of Elders and does not address local congregational issues. He then reported that the Ethics committee currently has two items remanded to it by the COE. He then provided updates as to developments since the December meetings.

Violation of UCG Elders Forum—The elder has submitted a doctrinal review request on the subject of the sermon in question. That review is currently in process by the Doctrinal Review Committee.
Member Appeal Committee (MAC)—The revisions to the Scopes and Responsibilities of the MAC and the Procedure for the MAC, have been completed and will be on the agenda for approval on Wednesday.

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 stating that the Media department has been a vital component of carrying out the commission of the Church and shared some personal thoughts of the early years of the work. He then reported that the MC has not had any new projects remanded to them at this time.

He reported that the MC met on Feb. 14 to discuss new initiatives, Beyond Today and its future. He then shared a few thoughts about the recent visit to the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, that that he, Beverly, Gary and Kim Petty attended.

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 reported the following updates on the work of the Roles and Rules Committee since the December meetings as well as the plans for the week:

Potential policy revision to 1.8.5 (Appeal for Removed Website Content)
4.4.3 (Sexual Misconduct and Related Policies)
Lead several discussions on the following later in the week:
- Select alternate for the Member Appeal Committee
- Filling vacancy on the Fundamental Belief Amendment Committee
- Repopulate the Amendment Committee
- Repopulate the Employment Committee

Proposed change to the Scopes & Responsibilities for the Doctrine 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 met once since the December COE meetings. He mentioned that they spent time reviewing the progress as well as the adherence to the Strategic Plan with the administration. He concluded his presentation by informing the Council that the Strategic Plan, Operations Plan and Budget will be presented for review and balloting later in the week.

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

At 12:13 p.m. the Council to a break for lunch

Chairman Martin called the Council to order at 1:15 p.m. He then turned the floor over to Joe Green, HR manager, to discuss the proposed update to HR Policy 5.10—Reimbursement for Serving Local Congregation.

Mr. Green began by clarifying that this is not a change to the policy, just editing the current verbiage. He then presented the document with the proposed edits and opened the floor for any comments, questions or suggestions. After a thorough discussion, additional edits were made. Chairman Martin moved that the section of the policy that was presented be accepted as edited. Dan Dowd seconded; Aaron Dean abstained. The updated policy was accepted.

Brian Shaw then moved that Human Resources policies related to travel and reimbursement, and the additional recommendations that were discussed for amending the policies be remanded to the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee in conjunction with the administration for review. Tim Pebworth seconded. Council unanimously passed.

At 2:13 p.m. the Council went into planned executive session to discuss the following:

Ordination/credentialing requests
Populate members and alternates to FBAC (Fundamental Beliefs Amendment Committee)
President updates

At 5:05 p.m. the Council to a break for dinner

At 7:10 p.m. the Council came out of executive session and adjourned for the day

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Chairman Len Martin called the morning session to order at 9 a.m. Eastern, and the meeting was opened with prayer by Paul Wasilkoff. There were 10 Council of Elders (Council) members present, with Tim Pebworth connected via Zoom. Jorge de Campos was teaching ABC and joined the meetings later in the morning.

Chairman Martin then turned the floor over to Brian Shaw to present the first item on the agenda, presentation of the proposed Holy Convocation paper.

Mr. Shaw reviewed the purpose of the paper and thanked all the GCE for their input, comments, and suggestions. He then read the paper in its entirety before opening the floor for addition comments, questions, and suggestions. After a thorough discussion, it was decided that the EC take the suggestions and recommendations and then present the updated Study Paper to the Council by April 1, 2024.

Chairman Martin introduced Rex Sexton to present the next item on the agenda, the proposed change to the Scopes and Responsibilities of Media Committee.

Mr. Sexton began by reading Titus:2:7: “in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility” as well as mentioning Article 8 of United Church of God’s Constitution. Mr. Sexton then presented the document and explained the purpose of this prosed change as it pertains to a possible “conflict of interest” of those serving on the Media Committee as well as being employed by the Media Department simultaneously. He then opened the floor for questions, comments and concerns. After addressing the comments and concerns, Mr. Sexton gave some closing comments then turned the floor back over to the Chairman.

In light of the previous discussion, Chairman Martin moves that the Roles and Rules Committee working in conjunction with the Ethics Committee, review every Council committee for matters concerning a conflict of interest and then report any recommendations to the Council by the May COE meetings. Dan Dowd seconds and the Council unanimously approves.

Secretary Frank Dunkle then read the proposed Resolution. After a quick discussion, Chairman Martin moved that the resolution be accepted as edited. Aaron Dean seconded the motion. The Council unanimously approves. Resolution is as follows:

Whereas the Council of Elders recognizes that some may see a conflict of interest in

Membership of our standing committees,

Now, therefore, The Council remands to the Roles and Rules Committee, working in conjunction with the Ethics Committee to conduct a review of all the standing committee’s Scopes and Responsibilities for matters of conflict of interest, and bring back to Council by the May 2024 Council meeting any recommendations.

Dan Dowd then presented the next item on the agenda, a proposed change to the Scopes and Responsibilities of Doctrine Committee.

Mr. Dowd began by explaining and clarifying the purpose of the proposed change and edits. He then presented the document and opened the floor for discussion. After a few questions, suggestions and comments, concerns were addressed and edits were made to the document.

Chairman Martin then moved to remand to the Roles and Rules Committee, to work in conjunction with the Doctrine Committee, a review of the Scope and Responsibilities of the Doctrine Committee as it pertains to authors of papers who serve on the Doctrine Committee or sub committees. Dan Dowd seconds and Council unanimously approves.

At 12 p.m. the Council took a break for lunch.

Chairman Martin called the Council to order at 1:00 p.m. and introduced Darris McNeely to lead the discussion for the next item on the agenda, the review of the Strategic Plan, Operation Plan and Budget. Note: The balloting for approval will take place on Thursday.

Mr. McNeely began by giving a background of the Strategic & Operation Plan and the Budget. He quickly reviewed the plan and talked about the progress between the administration and council. He then presented a slight revision to the order of the of the directives as it pertains the Strategic Plan. After presenting the document, the floor was opened for questions and comments. After a few comments were made, Mr. McNeely turned the floor over to President Shabi to present the Operation Plan.

President Shabi presented the Organizational Stewardship portion of the Operation Plan. He began by informing the COE that they have meet often to put together this new plan which is based on the old plan. He quickly explained what Organizational Stewardship is and who is responsible of those specific areas. After reviewing this section, he turned the floor over to Steve Myers to present the Congregational Care portion of the Operation Plan.

Mr. Myers then proceeded to present the plan line by line with comments and questions addressed throughout the presentation. The Council presented comments and questions as Mr. Myers explained the proposed plan.

Peter Eddington then presented the Public Proclamation portion of the Operation Plan. He noted that it is very similar to last year with an addition of a couple of items. He then highlighted the changes. He opened the floor for any questions or comments as he presented the plan.

Barry Korthuis then presented the budget portion of the plan. He began by handing out a copy of the proposed Budget. He then explained the budget and what’s driving these figures. As he presented the Budget, Mr. Korthuis answered questions and responded to any comments for clarity of what is being presented. After all the comments and questions were addressed, He turned the floor back over to Chairman Martin.

Chairman Martin then led a discussion of any updates or changes the Council would like to see updated on the Operation Plan document. After a straw poll was taken, it was decided that the “Staff” column be added back to the portions of the document that had been previously removed.

Dan Dowd then presented the next item on the agenda, Proposed revisions to Policy 1.8.5 (Appeal Policy for Removed Website Content). Mr. Dowd gave a short review of when this revision began and why this update was needed. He then presented the proposed edits/changes. He then opened the floor for any questions or comments. After a thorough discussion it was determined to send this back to the Roles and Rules Committee in conjunction with MMS and HR so that the entire process of removing content and the appeal of removed content be reviewed.

Jorge de Campos then presented the next item on the agenda, an update on the Angola registration. Mr. de Campos gave a quick overview of the history of what has taken place and the challenges the government have imposed upon the Angolan brethren. He then updated the Council of the steps taken up to this point as well as a letter requesting financial help to proceed with these recent requirements imposed by the government.

Mr. de Campos informed the Council that he has advised the Angolan brethren that there would be no assistance without the Angolan church also putting forth an effort to help with the financial need. He then presented the proposed letter to the Council for their approval and support.

After a short discussion, the Council approved a resolution for the financial assistance requested.

At 4:56 p.m. the Council went into Executive Session for unfinished business

At 5:30 p.m. the Council adjourned for the day.

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Chairman Len Martin called the morning session to order at 9 a.m. Eastern, and the meeting was opened with prayer by Frank Dunkle. There were 10 Council of Elders (Council) members present, with Tim Pebworth connected via Zoom. Jorge de Campos was teaching ABC and joined the meetings later in the morning.

The Council went immediately into the planned Executive Session to discuss the following:

Legal Updates

At 10 a.m. the executive session ended.

Chairman Martin then introduced Rex Sexton, Chair of the Ethics Committee, to present the next item on the agenda, Proposed revisions to Member Appeal Committee (MAC) procedure.

Mr. Sexton gave a quick background of why the two documents are be revised and edited. He then presented each document with the suggested edits and revisions, then opened the floor for any questions, comments and suggestions. After a thorough discussion, edits were made to the second document. It was determined that this needed more time to review and be addressed at a later time.

At 11 a.m. Chairman Martin moved to go into executive session. A short discussion followed. It was determined to remain in open session.

Chairman Martin introduced Mario Seiglie to present the next item on the agenda, the Doctrine Committee’s update on the Remez paper. He began by stating the purpose of this update and presented the proposed document “Statement about Remez from the Doctrinal Committee” for approval as the Church’s official stance on the subject of Remez. He then opened the floor for any questions or comments. A thorough discussion followed expressing concerns and or support. Note: During the discussion a power breaker tripped, resulting in the loss of video for a few minutes during the presentation.

The Council moved to ballot on the proposed document “Statement about Remez from the Doctrinal Committee.”

The first motion to reject the document “Statement about Remez from the Doctrinal Committee.” Council by vote of six in favor (Dowd, Martin, Seiglie, Sexton, Shaw Wasilkoff) four against (Ashley Kubik, McNeely, Pebworth) and two abstentions (de Campos, Dean)—does not approve.

The second motion to approve the document “Statement about Remez from the Doctrinal Committee.” Council, by vote of four in favor (Ashley, Kubik, McNeely, Pebworth), six against ((Dowd, Martin, Seiglie, Sexton, Shaw, Wasilkoff), and two abstentions (de Campos, Dean)—does not approve.

The document “Statement about Remez from the Doctrinal Committee” was not accepted by the Council.

At 12:20 p.m. the Council took a break for lunch.

Chairman Martin called the Council to order at 1:00 p.m. He then moved to go into executive session. Dan Dowd seconded. A short discussion followed and at 1:05 p.m. the Council went into executive session to discuss the Doctrine Committees update on the paper, “Forsaken” as used in Matthew:27:46.

At 5:15 p.m. the Council to a break for dinner.

At 6 p.m. Chairman Martin called the Council to order and continued in executive session.

At 7:55 p.m. the executive session ended and the Council adjourned for the day.

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Chairman Len Martin called the morning session to order at 9 a.m. Eastern, and the meeting was opened with prayer by Joe Green. There were 10 Council of Elders (Council) members present, with Tim Pebworth connected via Zoom. Jorge de Campos was teaching ABC and joined the meetings later in the morning.

The Council immediately went into the planned executive session.

At 9:30 a.m. the executive session ended.

Chairman Martin introduced the next item on the agenda, Council directives to the Nominating Committee. He explained that the committee has completed the project that was remanded to them and has reached out for further direction. Mr. Martin then opened the floor for a discussion for items that the Council may want to remand to the Nominating Committee. After the discussion, it was decided that the Roles and Rules Committee will reach out the Nominating Committee Chair, Keith Wilson with further direction.

Chairman Martin then lead a discussion on the next item on the agenda, the GCE annual meeting agenda. He presented the proposed schedule and opened the floor for discussion for any suggested revisions. Additions, and or comments.

Chairman Martin presented the next item on the agenda, balloting on the Strategic Plan, Operation Plan and Budget. He presented each document with all the earlier suggestions and edits. He then led a discussion to answer any questions or comments for clarification. Chairman Martin then moved in succession to approve the 2024 Strategic plan, 2024 Operation Plan, and the 2024-25 Budget. All three passed.

Rex Sexton then presented the proposed revisions to the Member Appeal Committee procedure, the Committee Decision form, and Scope and Responsibilities document with all suggested edits from earlier in the week. After a short discussion, additional edits were made. Rex Sexton then moved to accept the documents as edited. Documents accepted.

At 11:05 p.m. the Council went into executive session to fill the vacancy of Employment Committee.

At 11:32 p.m. the executive session ended and 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.]

Council of Elders - United Church of God