Meeting Minutes

Board of Elders (“BoE”)

May 9, 2015

Present: Liqin Chen (Chair), Ke-Chieh Chu, Yuguang He, David Ho, Timothy Lu, Xinwen Wang (Board of Deacons [“BoD”] Representative), Haiguo Wu (Head Deacon), Terry Yang (Secretary), Minister Yuegang Zhang

Present for English Ministry (“EM”) Identity Discussion: Bryan Che, Beata Shih, Loren Shih

Present for City Outreach Ministry (“COM”) Building Fund Discussion: Elder Chaw-Bing Chang, Steven Chung, Chunyi Hu, Pastor JuTa Pan

Absent: Pastor Caleb Chang

Elder Liqin opened meeting with prayer at 9:10 am.

  1. Brief Sharing

Elder Liqin shared about the recent sudden passing of his mother.

  1. Update on State of CBCGB

Minister Yuegang gave a quick update on past events:

Minister Yuegang gave a quick update on upcoming events:

  1. BoD Update

Deacon Haiguo provided update on:

  1. EM Identity

Representatives from EM Core presented recently completed EM identity document, including process by which document came about and background on why document was drafted: to update BoE on EM direction and focus in order to provide input as BoE considers church-wide vision and how EM will fit into that vision.

EM Core answered questions from BoE and proposes next steps:

EM Core requests assistance from BoE with:

BoE is supportive of EM identity document, and approves EM Core proposal.

  1. COM Building Fund Proposal

Elder Chaw-Bing presented rationale for establishment of COM Building Fund, as maturing congregation coupled with current space constraints impeding potential COM growth:

Elder Chaw-Bing outline three proposed options for obtaining dedicated COM facility:

  1. Buy existing church building; although COM already established facility search committee, this option will be very expensive given current Boston real estate market;
  2. Buy smaller facility near Ruggles Baptist Church for use as permanent office, meeting and overflow space when necessary;
  3. Take control of a “below market” church, as Grace Chapel Watertown did when donor sold facility to Grace Chapel for $1; this option will likely also be expensive given likely need for significant renovations in “below market” churches.

Elder Chaw-Bing, on behalf of the COM Planning Committee, proposed that CBCGB pursue option #2, and in preparation, proposed that the Finance Committee establish a COM Building Fund and designate a portion of COM offering surplus to seed Fund.

BoE reviewed COM Planning Committee proposals in light of: 1) probability of securing additional, low-cost facilities from local academic institutions; 2) potential impact on church-wide financial situation; and 3) justification for separate COM Building Fund based on current CBCGB strategic direction and priorities.

BoE concludes that an administrative account within the General Fund that tracks funds designated for COM facility expenses will both address CBCGB’s existing strategic and financial needs as well as prepare CBCGB for the potential future purchase of property to address COM’s anticipated space constraints, regardless of option CBCGB chooses to pursue based on future circumstances. BoE also agrees to seed administrative account with a portion of COM offering surplus. BoE tables implementation of administrative account pending further discussion with COM Planning Committee.

  1. Ordination of Ministers

BoE discussed ordination of ministers as proposed by pastoral staff; BoE approves pastoral staff proposal.

  1. Church Building Expansion (“CBE”) Update

Elder Ke-Chieh addressed BoE questions regarding status of and next steps for CBE project, primarily related to shortfall in reaching fundraising goal of one million dollars and the delay in initiation of Phases II & III as a result.

  1. MSM Plan for Independence

Elder Liqin solicited input from BoE on MSM’s plan for independence, and asked any concerns be relayed to Chair of MSM Core Co-Worker Team, Ida Shaw.

  1. Ministry Review Schedule

Web ministry review tentatively scheduled for July 2015 BoE meeting. Logistics for proposed review of baptismal candidate approval process in progress.

  1. June BoE/Church Council Meetings

Elder Ke-Chieh to chair BoE meeting and Elder Terry to chair Church Council meeting due to BoE Chair travel schedule.

Elder Ke-Chieh closed meeting with prayer at 1:37 pm.

2015年五月長老團會議記要

2015年5月9日

出席：陳利欽（主席）， 朱克潔，何煜光，何明治，盧忠信，汪新文（執事會代表），吳海國（執事會主席），楊德禮（秘書），張越剛傳道

英文部出席（討論身份認同議案）：車文建，尹思瑩，施志寧

城區代表（討論城區建堂基金）：張召斌長老，Steven Chung，胡中義，潘儒達牧師

缺席：章開第牧師                      

上午九點十分利欽長老做會議開始禱告。

  1. 簡短分享

利欽長老分享了他母親突然去世的情況。

  1. 教會近況報告

越剛傳道對教會已完成的事務做簡短報告

越剛傳道報告即將開始的教會事工

  1. 執事會報告

海國執事報告

  1. 英語事工身份認同

最近英文部事工同工代表完成了身份認同文稿，包括文稿的來源和起草：為了將來考慮融入全教會的異象，英文部事工代表彙報長老團英文部對身份認同的方向和做法。

英文部事工同工回答了長老團的問題和提出下一步的打算：

英文事工同工要求長老團幫助：

長老團支持英文部同工身份認同文稿，同意英文部同工的提案。

5. 城區事工建堂基金提案

召斌長老提出建立城區事工建堂基金意向。作為成熟的會眾加上空間的限制阻礙了城區事工潛在的增長：

召斌長老簡報了三種解決城區事工場地問題的方案：

  1. 購買目前已存在的教會建築。雖然城區事工已經建立了產業尋索委員會，基於現在波士頓市區物業市場狀況，這個方案將非常昂貴；
  2. 在羅格斯浸信會教會附近購買一個小的場地作為永久的辦公、會議的附加場地。
  3. 購買“低於市場價”的教會建築。譬如Grace Chapel曾在Watertown以一美元從捐獻者買下的物業。這個方案也有可能牽涉大的花費，因為“低於市場價”的教會建築會需要昂貴的裝修費用。

召斌長老代表城區事工計劃委員會，提議CBCGB採納上述第二種方案。作為準備，提議財務委員會設立城區事工建堂基金，並將指定城區事工奉獻盈餘的一部分來啟動這個基金。

長老團審查了城區事工規劃委員會的提案，並且注意到：1）在附近學校園區得到較便宜場地的可能性；2）對整個教會財務狀況的影響；3）基於目前本教會總體規劃及優先次序對城區事工建堂基金做出調整。

長老團決定在普通基金中設立管理賬戶用來跟踪城區事工場地花費，涉及教會現有的策略和財務需求，以及為將來為解決場地問題購買物業作準備，無論教會基於將來的情況選擇何種方案。長老團也同意使用城區事工奉獻盈餘的一部分來啟動這個管理戶頭。長老團將延遲這個管理戶頭的實施，有待於與城區事工計劃委員會的進一步討論。

6. 按牧傳道人

長老團討論了有牧師團提出的關於按牧傳道人的提案；長老團通過了這個提案。

7. 教堂擴建（“CBE”）進展

克潔長老回答了長老團關於教堂擴建事工下一步的進行，主要是關於一百萬募捐目標尚未達到以及由此將造成的第二期第三期工程開工的延遲。

8. 南區事工獨立計劃

利欽長老徵求長老團對南區獨立計劃的意見，以及對南區核心同工團隊主席邵利方的意見。

9. 事工評審時間安排

網絡事工評審安排在七月份長老團會議。對受洗候選人的審查程序的制定正在進行。

10. 六月份長老團/教會牧長執聯會會議

由於長老團主席的旅行計劃，克潔長老將主持六月份長老團會議，德禮長老將主持牧長執聯會會議。

克潔長老下午1：37分以禱告結束會議。