Board of Elders (“BoE”) Meeting Minutes

August 9, 2014

Date/time: 9:00 a.m. – 13:15 p.m., 8/9/2014

Location: CBCGB church office

Attendees: Liqin Chen, KC Chu, Ming-Chih Ho, Timothy Lu, Ming-Jer Tsai, Yuguang He, Caleb Chang

Absentees: Terry Yang

Opening prayer: Liqin Chen

Elders’ Sharing:

• For the purpose of church vision process, Pastor Lowe recommended three books by Lyle E. Schaller for the BoE as references for various aspects. Elders would share more during the vision prayer meeting.
• It was recommended that speakers such as Pastor Steve Chin from BCEC be invited to share the experience in church unity among church leaders.
• Pastor Caleb shared the experience in CEC Portland retreat, and in visiting the churches in Vancouver in the recent trip to Canada.

Senior Pastor’s report

• Brother Yuegang Zhang has accepted the invitation as the Chinese Fellowship Minister.
• CM revival meeting was successful
• Six-turtle choir had a successful presentation with over 500 attendees
• The main hall poster had been missing but returned mysteriously
• CM 2015 retreat is pending for Rodger William Univ.’s response
• Parking lot trailer issue

BoD Report (none)

Policy review and approval

In general, para-church support may be handled by functional committees in the future, while policy making should be reviewed by BoE. Funding such as scholarship should be accounted for under certain criteria, as defined in the policy, but records are requested. Individual cases may be delegated to individual elders to review to make BoE approval process more effective. .

• Seminary scholarship

• Rates of support may be adjusted per  pastor’s proposal
• Internship may belong to a separate policy
• Approval process in the "church endorsement" section should change to “Subject to BoE’s approval”  to be consistent with the section "guiding principles"
• More review may be needed to clean up the inconsistencies
• Resources need to be clarified, e.g., budget items
• More suggestions may be forwarded to the senior pastor

• Vocational Christian ministry (Para church) support

• Funding for this ministry has been increased for FY2015 due to increasing needs.   The number of applicants to be approved each year will be determined by the general fund budget allocated for this ministry.
• This policy and the Scholarship policy are all related.  Therefore, these two policies should be reviewed as a whole.
• Under section I item 2,  the  applicant’s personal/spiritual qualifications need to be clarified, such as the requirements for formal training, mentorship, et al
• The administrative process, such as application review/approval may be better handled by a to-be-established local mission committee, per BOE decision in the July meeting.
• Wording cleanup on Section II item 7
• Need to include requirements for accountability.
• Tabled for pastoral review

• Outside speaker invitation (postponed to the next meeting)

Approval of "para church" support candidates, Michelle Yi and ChenChen Liu

• Concerns

• Better equipping may be necessary.
• Mentorship is required
• Long-term commitment uncertain
• Unfamiliar to most of the congregants

• Requirements (action items)

• Accountability is needed, e.g., routine reports
• Proper mentorship in our church

• ChenChen Liu

• Ming-Chih Ho has volunteered himself and his wife Kathy to be her mentors
• Approved

• Michelle Yi

• Mentorship from EM (English Ministry) expected
• Approved

Church annual meeting preparation

• Annual report needs to be on time, per senior pastor supervision, with ministry reports submitted one month ahead of the meeting, and final copies three days prior to the meeting
• Action item:

•  Changes to the bylaws in order to clarify the “quorum” definition will be reviewed and proposed by Elder Terry Yang.

Church vision development update

• Encourage more prayers across the church

• Tuesday 8/12 night in CM vision prayer meeting
• Promote church concert of prayer meeting
• Promote on Sunday worships

• BoE  will actively take the lead in the process
• More involvement of the congregants
• Utility of Survey

Metro South building fund

• Initial support may be needed from Lexington campus to encourage Metro South church planting, and promote better ministry relations
• BoE proposed that seed fund can be allocated specific to Metro South church planting from the general fund surplus at Lexington, pending church council’s approval

CEA Issue

• No CBCGB agreement on co-sponsorship raised some concerns about event promotions
• Proper church procedure should be established and followed in sponsoring the church-wide events, per reference to the policy of “Outside speaker invitation”

Quincy church support

As a good testimony for joint ministries among churches and also out of gratitude, BOE agreed to support the loss at the Quincy Community United Methodist Church, whose facilities are used by our Quincy fellowship monthly, due to recent vandalism, up to $1000.00.

Deacon candidates approval

• Approved all the candidates the DNC nominated once the last candidate agrees to accept the invitation based on the contingency on the proposed candidate list

CBE project update

• Demolition permit requirements submitted, expected to receive the permit soon
• The foundation permit will be approved soon after demolition permit approval.  The building permit will be approved soon after the foundation permit approval.
• Church Facility Usage Survey and analysis have been completed.  This will be used for Phases II and III design consideration.
• At the end of July, CBE fund donation reached about 71% of the $1 million goal. Discussed the proposal of transferring part of the FY2014 general fund surplus to the CBE fund according to the capital fund policy.  This is to help reducing the amount of church bond need to be issued and thus to save some interest payment in the future.
• Onsite joint EM and CM prayer and ceremony for the 151 rebuild construction were proposed and discussed

Elder nomination

• Nomination and re-nomination of elders were discussed.  The Church Council will be informed of the candidates before the annual meeting.

Ceremony for installation of New Chinese Minister

• Proposed date, Sunday, 9/9, in between the Chinese and English worships

Closing Prayer: KC Chu

長老團會議紀要

時間：8/9/2014 上午9點到下午1點15分

地點：CBCGB教會辦公室

出席：陳利欽，朱克潔，何明治，盧忠信，蔡明哲，何煜光，章開第

缺席：楊德禮

會前禱告：陳利欽

長老們分享：

• 為了教會尋求異像過程，盧植德牧師推薦了Lyle E. Schaller的三本書給長老團作為參考。長老們將在禱告會中有更多的分享。

• 建議邀請諸如BCEC的Steve Chin牧師來分享教會領袖合一的經驗。

• 章開第牧師分享波特蘭CEC退修會，以及最近去加拿大溫哥華訪問一些教會的經歷。

主任牧師報告：

• 張越剛弟兄已經接受作華語部團契事工傳到的邀請。

• 華語部研經培靈會成功舉行。

• 台灣六龜原住兒童合唱團為超過500觀眾的演出成功。

• 教會大廳海報神秘地失而復得。

• 華語部2015退修會等待Roger William 大學的回音。

• 停車場拖車問題。

執事會報告（無）

規章審查與批准

通常，對para-church的支持今後將由相關事工負責，相關規則的製定需交由長老會審批。諸如獎學金等財務支持將遵照有關規則執行，並記錄在案。個案將由相關長老處理是的長老團審批過程更有效。

• Seminary 獎學金

1. 資助的比率將根據牧師的建議進行調整。

2. 實習將由另外的細則處理。

3. “教會認可”部分的審批過程應改為“待長老團批准”與“指導原則”相符。

4. 需要進一步審查以清除更多不一致的地方。

5. 資源需要澄清，如預算項目。

6. 可能會有更多的建議轉發給主任牧師。

• 職業基督徒事工（Para church）支持

1. 由於不斷增長的需求，2015財務年度對這項事工的資助已經增加。每年獲得批准的申請人的數量將由常費基金分配給該項事工的預算決定。

2. 這項政策與獎學金政策相互關聯。因此這兩項政策將相互對照執行。

3. 在第一節項目2，申請人的個人/屬靈的資格需要澄清，如正規的訓練，師友等人的要求等。

4. 行政程序，如申請審核/審批可以更好地通過待建立本地宣教委員會處理，參照長老團在7月的會議的決定。

5. 第二節項目7 的措辭清理。

6. 需要包括問責制的要求。

7. 將牧師評估做成表格。

• 邀請外來講員（延遲到下次會議）

 批准“para church” 資助候選人，Michelle Yi 和劉晨晨

• 關注事項

1. 需要更好的裝備
2. 需要導師
3. 長期委身不確定
4. 大部分會友不熟悉

• 要求 (執行項目)

1. 規定責任, 如，定期報告
2. 在本教會適當的導師關係

• 劉晨晨

1. 何明治和他太太薛悅悅自願作她的導師
2. 批准

• Michelle Yi

1. 需要英語部的導師
2. 批准

教會年會準備事項：

• 在主任牧師的領導下，各事工報告在會議之前一個月寄出，年度報告按時在會議三天前定稿出刊。
• 跟進事項：

•  為闡明教會憲章中”法定人數”的定義並加以修正，將由楊德禮長老審察後提出。

教會異象發展近況：

• 鼓勵全教會有更多的禱告

• 8/12晚間華語部禱告會特別為異象禱告。
• 在合奏禱告會中宣導。
• 在主日敬拜中宣導。

• 長老團在各項過程中主動領導。
• 更加融入會眾
• 調查工具。

南區植堂建堂基金：

• Lexington母堂需要及早支持，鼓勵南區植堂，提升良好的事工關係。
• 長老團建議，可在Lexington母堂的經常費結餘中，特別提撥一筆錢作為南區植堂的種子基金，本項有待教會聯會決議。

職場講座問題

• 本教會並未同意贊助該項活動，該講座的宣傳方式引起一些關切。
• 教會應建立適當的流程，並根據 “邀請外來講員” 的規定，按步就班地做好有關全教會活動的贊助工作。

幫助昆西教會：

為了跟其他教會的聯合事工有好的見證及行善，長老團同意撥款1000元幫助最近遭破壞的昆西社區聯合衛理教會，因為我們的昆西團契每月使用該教會場地。

同意執事候選人：

• 等到執事提名委員會所預擬名單裡的最後一位候選人同意接受呼召後，將通過提議的所有候選人。

教會擴建近況：

• 拆除許可的申請已遞交，盼望很快收到同意函。
• 在拆除許可通過後，地基許可將會很快通過，地基許可通過後，樓房許可將會很快通過。
• 教會設備使用調查及分析已經完成，將作為第二和第三階段設計考量。
• 七月底，教會擴建奉獻達到一百萬目標的71%。根據資產基金規章，討論擬將2014會計年度經常費結餘的一部份，轉移到教會擴建基金的建議，是為要減少發行教會債券所需的數字，以節省將來支付利息的負擔。
• 討論中,英文部聯合禱告及151重建開工典禮事宜。

長老提名：

• 討論新任和連任的長老候選人，年會以前，將提交名單給教會聯會。

新任華語部傳道就職禮：

• 建議9/9主日舉行，介於中文堂及英文堂崇拜之間。

結束禱告：朱克潔