Allegheny Mennonite Conference (AMC)
Minutes
At AMC Office, Somerset
Leadership Council (LC)
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Present: J. Lorne Peachey (Moderator); Cathy Spory (Moderator Elect); Ken Litwiller
(Treasurer);
Donna Mast (Conference Minister); Joy Cotchen (Conference Minister of Children & Youth);
Kathy Holsopple (Administrative Assistant);
Karen Howard (Constituency Leadership Council Representative);
Wayne Yoder (Casselman Valley Regional Representative); T. J. Tennefoss (Eastern Regional
Representative); Carrie Eikler (Western Regional Representative);
Absent: Trevor Schrock (Youth Representative);
Chris Lehman (Johnstown Regional Representative ) (serving at International Guest House, DC)
Dwelling in the Word
Donna led the group in Dwelling in the Word from John 17:20-25, encouraging us to identify
words or phrases that we heard in the passage or were brought to mind by the passage. She
then led us in singing “Heart with Loving Heart United” including a verse that she had
composed.
Review of LC Minutes from our Retreat from January 11 to 13, 2013
The minutes were approved. Most of the actions have been taken or are underway.
ACTION: Ken will complete and distribute (email) a draft of the minutes for the current
meeting by Monday, June 17. Each meeting participant will respond with comments,
corrections, additions, or approval by Monday, June 24. Donna will post a final version of the
minutes on the web site by mid-July.
Review of the March 2 delegate meeting at Morgantown, WV.
Kathy drew our attention to a draft of the minutes for this meeting that had been posted under
Leadership Council on the website. We discussed what worked and what did not work so well
at the meeting. Everyone affirmed the skit that set the tone for the meeting and thanked
Carrie for her participation. Ken noted that no one contributed to the offering that consisted of
an offering plate placed in the aisle at the rear of the sanctuary where the delegates met in
session. One of his fellow delegates from UMC responded with compassion to his lament on
the way home in the car and chipped in $20. We decided that we either need to formally
receive an offering at delegate session by passing the plates or not have an offering at all.
The afternoon session on reconciliation worked well. People wanted a say but do not want to
invest an entire weekend. This was a non-threatening setting for a wide variety of opinions.
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There was considerable positive feedback afterwards. However, disappointment was
expressed that the promised open mike session at the end of the afternoon was omitted.
ACTION: LC members will provide suggested additions or corrections to the March 2 minutes
by the end of June so that Kathy can post them on the web site under Delegate meetings.
ACTION:
Leadership Council will reevaluate whether to return to having a formal
offering time at delegate sessions.
Staff Reports
Donna, Joy, and Kathy provided verbal reports. Some highlights:
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Donna led a challenging, Spirit-filled retreat at Morgantown COB
Pastors’ Retreat and Pastors’ Spring Bible Study proceeded smoothly as planned
Snow Camp and Jr. High retreat went well
Three youth visited EMU with Joy
The denominational Youth Minister has resigned; only 7 out of 30 conferences have
Conference Youth Ministers
Kathy has a new laptop that loads the latest version of QuickBooks
Tayllor Lehman is helping in the office for the summer
Kathy has posted the application for the August Celebration on the web site; she has
already received two completed registration forms
ACTION: The Leadership Council appreciates the work and commitment of the AMC staff.
Finances and Financial Trustees
Ken Litwiller presented the AMC Income and Expenditures to date for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.
After eleven months, our expenditures are close to budget, but the contribution from
congregations is at only about 80% of budget. However, $20,00 was received during May and
there have been some early contributions in June.
Two persons have agreed to serve as Financial Trustees: Dave Mishler and Jim Rosenberger.
Their immediate task is to call Treasurers of congregations to encourage end of year giving and
to give attention to how they include AMC in their budgets for next year. Dave will be calling
treasurers from congregations in the Johnstown and Western Regions. Jim will do the same for
the Eastern and Casselman Valley Regions.
Only twelve congregational treasurers are delegates to AMC; this could influence their
awareness of conference and commitment to including conference in their congregation’s
budget. We also observed that designated giving through AMC continues to increase (as
contributions to the general AMC budget plateau or decrease).
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ACTION: Kathy and Ken will continue to monitor AMC income and expenditures as the fiscal
year comes to a close. Ken will liaise with the Financial Trustees as they encourage
contributions from congregations.
Use of the funds from the sale of the AMC office building
We need to keep the funds generated by the sale of the building separate from other funds. A
portion of this money must be paid back to the mission’s trust fund to replace the loan last year
for the building renovation. The LC discussed whether to consider using any of the funds for
meeting shortfalls in our budgets in future years.
We noted that over the past few years we have been using rent generated by the building as an
income source for our annual budget. This could serve as a precedent for using sale funds for
the same purpose.
Ken used an example from East Africa where selling of oxen and eating seed are early warning
signs that famine is coming. When these signs are observed, interventions must be taken
before people become destitute and start showing up in feeding camps. In a similar way, our
conference assets are our oxen and seed. If we consume them for annual financial survival,
then the conference is headed for financial crisis in the future.
ACTION: Kathy will work with Clark Hostetter on creating a building sale trust fund through
the Quicken program. She will transfer the loan back to the Missions Trust Fund.
ACTION: Based on how we finish out the current fiscal year, Ken will make a projection of
possible future financial scenarios for conference.
Christian Workers Training Fund (CWTF)
The AMC has sold their six CWTF loans to Everence Federal Credit Union. Lorne presented a
draft of our understanding with Everence including an overview, qualifications for participants,
loans, repayment, conversion to grants and procedures for CWTF loans. The LC proposed
several amendments.
Lorne noted that most of the borrowers are attempting to repay the loans. However, one
person has not repaid and is not responding to letters and telephone calls. We discussed how
to respond to this situation, with various ideas presented. Jesus calls us to loan to those who
cannot repay. The money in the CWTF is not our personal money; it belongs to conference and
we are stewards. We need to balance accountability with compassion. As present or future
church leaders, the borrowers need to serve as good examples to others. How will a leader
advise on honesty when they have not repaying a loan that they promised to repay?
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ACTION: J. Lorne Peachey will update the CWTF agreement to reflect our discussion; we will
continue to pursue repayment of the loans up to calling for intervention of a collection
agency if necessary.
Reconciliation Discernment Committee (RDC)
The following persons have agreed to represent AMC on the RDC:
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Jeremy Earnest
Rosie Lehman
Barb Root
Marv Friesen
Hyattsville Mennonite Church has proposed six persons and will narrow the list to four.
We do not have a final selection for facilitator.
ACTION: Donna will continue to seek a facilitator for the RDC. Once a facilitator is in place
and HMC has submitted their list of four RDC members, the RDC can meet.
Expectations for credentialed persons in AMC
Donna has streamlined a denominational document to develop an “Annual Accountability and
Growth Plan for Credentialed Ministers Serving within Allegheny Mennonite Conference”. She
asked for feedback from pastors in AMC but only the pastor of Scottdale Mennonite Church
responded. She updated the document. Donna has personally filled the accountability plan for
herself and presented it to the LC at this meeting. The LC affirmed the presented accountability
plan and that the plan should be a requirement for AMC credentialed persons. Donna also
presented guidelines for “Continuing Education for Pastors” and “Signposts of a Missional
Church”.
ACTION: Donna will present the accountability plan to pastors using her plan as an example.
Next year the accountability plan will be a requirement for pastors.
Review of AMC structure/Conference Minister’s term
Lorne presented a proposed timetable for a review of the conference structure. He
superimposed a timetable for the reviews and term for the Conference Minister. Lorne
proposed a one year term extension for the CM so that the structure can be reviewed and
amended with lead time for deciding on the role of the CM in the revised structure. We
discussed whether we could commit to the CM term extension on a full time basis in light of the
financial situation of conference.
We have received both affirmation and critique of the new structure.
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ACTION: The LC recommends an extension of the CM’s term for an additional year (August
2014 to July 2015) with percentage time to be determined by available AMC resources and
congregational giving.
Mission Trust Fund opportunities
We have $37,000 in the AMC Missions Trust Fund plus the $15,000 loan that is to be repaid
from the funds from the sale of the Somerset AMC building. Several congregations have
submitted proposals for use of these funds. One has requested assistance with increasing their
pastor’s time from part time to full time. Another has designed a witness strategy for an area
of their city which requires assistance to provide support for a pastoral leader over a three year
period.
The LC is grateful to these congregations for prodding AMC to think about how to support
congregational mission. However, we are not prepared to provide financial support for
congregational staff for specific established congregations.
This discussion raised the question concerning the formation of a Missions and Service Ad Hoc
Committee to give attention to how conference can support and encourage mission at the
conference, regional, and congregational levels. However, people may be more willing to serve
on causes of their passion than on a general committee.
ACTION: The Conference Minister will continue to be in conversation with these two
congregations encouraging them in their congregational mission. The LC and AMC will
intentionally discern the role of conference in encouraging congregations and regional groups
in mission. Specifically, we need to develop guidelines for utilizing the mission trust fund for
micro project proposals by congregations. We will explore whether the time has come to
appoint a Missions and Service Ad Hoc Committee.
Review for the Conference Minister of Children and Youth
A performance review of the CMCY will be conducted in January so that a decision on possible
extension can be made at the March delegate session.
ACTION: The Executive Committee of AMC will conduct the review.
Planning for August 2 to 4 Celebration of Congregations and Conference
The 2013 annual gathering at Laurelville will include an AMC choir, a talent show, three
speakers from AMC, and communion.
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We are considering making the Sunday session optional for 2014; many pastors and delegates
have responsibilities at their local congregations on each Sunday morning and cannot attend a
Sunday AMC session.
ACTION: Donna, Kathy, Joy, with Cathy as chair will continue to plan for the August AMC
meeting.
Vision statement for AMC
Donna presented a list of vision statements for conferences in Mennonite Church USA. AMC
does not currently have a vision statement.
ACTION: The LC will reflect on this list and propose vision statements for AMC.
AMC LC Communications between meetings
The Moderator challenged the LC members to respond to emails within two or three days with
affirmations, alternative ideas, or request for more information.
ACTION: All AMC LC members committed themselves to responding to internal
communications in a timely manner.
AMC Delegate Meeting venue for November 2, 2013
Kauffman Mennonite Church, Johnstown has not hosted an AMC Delegate session in several
years and has the facilities we need for both plenary sessions and table discussions. Are there
other options?
ACTION: The Conference Minister will finalize the venue for the November AMC delegate
session.
[Note: Later, on June 6, 2013, Donna Mast, Conference Minister, confirmed that Kaufman
Mennonite Church has agreed to host the AMC Fall Faith and Life Gathering.]
AMC office and archives
Under the sale agreement with the new building owner, AMC has use of the office in Somerset
rent free through the end of January 2014. We have budgeted rent for the last five months of
the 2013 to 2014 fiscal year. We need to give the owner six months’ notice on moving the
office including the archives out of the building. Concerning the archives, we have a volunteer
but we lack a director.
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ACTION: LC will continue to seek alternative office and archive locations as well as a director
for the archives.
Schedule for AMC LC meetings
As a reminder, we have set the following dates and venues for future AMC LC meetings [AMC
Delegate Meetings shown for context]:
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August 2, 2013
AMC LC, at 5 pm over dinner at Laurelville Mennonite Church
Centre
[August 2 to 4, 2013 Celebration of Congregations and Conference, Laurelville
Mennonite Church Centre]
September 12, 2013 AMC LC, 3 pm to 8 pm, AMC Office, Somerset
[November 2, 2013 AMC Fall Delegate Meeting, Kaufman Mennonite Church
(As needed)
AMC LC, AMC Office, Somerset or by email or teleconference
January 17 to 19, 2014
AMC LC Retreat, 351 Randall Way, Oakland, MD
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Minutes submitted by Ken Litwiller, June 27, 2013
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