APPROVED VESTRY MINUTES

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2001

THE MEETING HOUSE

VESTRY PRESENT: Father Peter Courtney, Carol Winthrop, Walter Jarrett, Phillip Cofer, Susan Galis, Jan Wheeler, Duncan Krause, Patrick Skutch, Nancy McDuff, Paul Anderson, Chris Saye, Peg Wood, Cindy McAlister, John Waters, Clay Gilbert, Bob Wood, Lisa Yarn.

NON-VESTRY PRESENT: Mother Mandy Brady and Dee Forester.

WELCOME

Father Courtney welcomed everyone and lead the Vestry in song. A The Servant Song.@

DEVOTION

Jan Wheeler read from C.S. Lewis AThe Business of Heaven@. She shared with the Vestry that she takes time to remember what she is thankful for each month as she [[[submits her offering]]]. She reminded everyone to remember that miracles are gifts.

FINANCIAL REPORT

[[[ Nancy McDuff summarized the chart Bob Wood had compiled. The current projection is a deficit of $31,000 but in the original budget, the vestry approved a deficit of $44,000. As of August the actual expenditures are down, projecting a year end surplus of about $43,000.00. However, pledges and contributions are not coming in as expected, and the year end will show a deficit, but perhaps not as much as had been approved in the budget for the year. There is an accumulated reserve but the hope when the budget was approved was to not to have to use it. It would not support an ongoing structural deficit in the church operations.

The Finance Committee suggests to all who are in charge of a Line Item expense and to the Rector to curtail spending even it has been budgeted. Phillip Cofer pointed out that the phone bill should have fallen. * Phillip will work with Karen Holland to see if we are being charged for services not needed, as well as check the cost of advertising in the Yellow Pages.

The Finance Committee has obtained a figure that places a value on the space the Day School uses. The space used by the Day School is currently valued at $9.00 a square foot. The Day School uses 9,727 square feet of the Emmanuel property. The cost to use a similar space would be $77,816.00 per year. * Nancy McDuff will communicate with the Day School Commission and Director and explain how to show this figure on the yearly balance sheets.

Bob Wood and the Finance Committee discussed overspending on two Line Items. Line Item 750100 and Line Item 750450. This will be presented to the Vestry at next month's meeting. ]]]

AMENDMENT TO THE BYLAWS: OLD BUSINESS

SOP: DUNCAN KRAUSE

CHANGE IN THE COMMISSION STRUCTURE: BOB WOOD

The Vestry agreed to look at these three Vestry Agenda items together. The Amendment to the Bylaws has been under discussion for the last two months. The Vestry discussed these three agenda items. The SOP is not an action item at this Vestry meeting. Friendly amendments were made as follows: 1) Section 3: Committees: The Rector and /or Vestry shall assign such committees to one of the [[[seven]]] commissions defined in these bylaws. 2) Section 4: The Power of Commissions and Committees: No commission or committee shall obligate church funds without the prior approval and/ or direction from the Vestry. 3) Section 6: Operating Procedures, The Rector and Vestry shall maintain a list [[[of]]] all commissions,....., 4) ARTICLE V: COMMISSION AND COMMITTEES, Section 1: The Commission System, The parish is organized so that all committees and ministries are subsumed under seven commissions: (except for the Executive Committee). Section 2: Commission Membership (e) At least one Vestry member shall serve on each of the [[[seven]]] commissions. Nancy McDuff and Walter Jarrett moved that the Bylaws be amended with the friendly amendments noted. Paul Anderson and Cindy McAlister seconded. The vote was unanimous. *Duncan Krause and Lisa Yarn will report on the SOP at next month's Vestry meeting.

FORMATION OF THE VESTRY NOMINATING COMMITTEE

Lisa Yarn presented the following slate:

The outgoing five members of the Vestry are: Lisa Yarn, Paul Anderson, Nancy McDuff, John Waters and Susan Galis.

The following parishioners have agreed to serve on the committee with the outgoing vestry members: Debra Lassiter, Penny McLanahan, Jay Shinn and Carol Downs. Before the October meeting, the committee will solicit nominations from the parish, select a slate of vestry nominees for approval at the October Vestry meeting, formulate the information we would like nominees to provide to the parish, and plan the dissemination of information through the "Tower", "Prince and Pope" and the church bulletins.

Carol Winthrop moved to accept the slate, Jan Wheeler seconded and the vote carried unanimously.

STEWARDSHIP

Jan Wheeler, Stewardship Chair, distributed a schedule for 2001 Stewardship and a rough draft of a letter to the Parish regarding pledges. The Vestry discussed the letter. *Jan will e-mail a revised letter and hopes for input from the Vestry. The letter needs to be sent out to the Parish by October 10th.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Lisa Yarn distributed a brochure [[[based upon information on the parish website and with input from Peter Courtney, Bob Wood and Lisa Yarn, ]]] describing Emmanuel Church Parish Programs. Duncan Krause wrote the brochure and Lisa Yarn contributed the cost of the printing.

The Special Needs Committee has met with Rob Fisher and the master time line is expected to be completed by November.

Bob Wood outlined the 2002 Budget process as follows: a rough draft will be presented to the Vestry at the October meeting- those responsible for Line Items are asked to gather their data and submit it. The Vestry will vote on the draft budget at their November meeting.

FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER

Father Courtney met with the Downtown Clergy today and met with several church leaders including Wael Doukmak, a leader of the Islamic community in Athens. Peter invited Wael to be the guest speaker at the Rector's Forum at Emmanuel on October 7th. Wael will talk about Islam.

Nancy McDuff applauded Peter on his sermon last Sunday regarding "Terrorism". Peter expounded.

Lisa reminded all of the Master Chorale performance this Sunday at 4:00 p.m.

Susan Galis stated that she is grateful for this Vestry and all the work they do.

DEVOTION AT THE OCTOBER MEETING

Cindy McAlister

Father Courtney closed the meeting with a prayer.

Respectfully submitted,

Dee Forester

Secretary to the Vestry