APPROVED VESTRY MINUTES

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2004

REALTY BUILDING

VESTRY PRESENT: Father Peter Courtney, Lee Albright, Joe Napoli, Butch Bush, Allison Clements, Laura Cofer, David Woodruff, Brian Tison, Terri Tillman, Jay Shinn, Naomi Norman, Lee Gaby, David Gossett, Debra Harden, David Kidd and Larry McLeod.

OTHERS PRESENT: Mother Mandy Brady, Dee Forester.

PRAYER, PRAISE AND SONG

Father Courtney opened the meeting with prayer at 7:00 p.m. He lead the Vestry in the Lord’s Prayer and welcomed everyone.

DEVOTION

Debra Harden gave the devotional stressing the importance of practicing making room for God. She closed with the New Zealand night prayer.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Father Courtney passed out bumper stickers "Blessed to be an Episcopalian”. He asked for approval of the Agenda and it was unanimously approved.

RECTOR’S REPORT

Father Courtney asked if there were any questions regarding the Rector’s Report. He reported that his surgery for melanoma had gone well.

FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT

Butch Bush, Chair, brought to the Vestry an amended Budget. He commended Duncan Krause for his great job as past Chair. The 2004 Budget with Reduction Options was discussed. An X in column F of the report denotes possible cuts to the budget if revenue does not pick up. There is a Budget shortfall of 51,000.00. The reductions in the 2004 Budget Reduction Options is 57,030.00. However, since this report was prepared pledges have gone from 452,000.00 to 462,000.00 with 218 units pledging. These proposed cuts are all to Parish programs. The Vestry feels they should notify the Diocese of the possible reduction in the pledge to the Diocese of 13.25%. Brian Tison asked if Emmanuel shops for the best rates for insurance, ground maintenance. Jay Shinn responded yes, these items are shopped. Mother Mandy Brady asked why the cut in Line 650-115 Adult Christian Education. Butch responded that Bob Wood had recommended that cut and he would find out why and get back with Mandy. Butch emphasized that this is a temporary budget that Karen Holland is comfortable continuing for another 30 days in hopes of receiving more pledge money. This Budget will be voted on at next month’s Vestry meeting. David Woodruff asked for information regarding Line 530-200 Former Sexton’s Medical Insurance and Line 530-300 Former Secretary’s Medical Insurance. Since no Pension Plan had been in place for these past employees this was what the past Vestry’s and Rector felt was fair to give to these employees. Larry McLeod noted that if pledges are increased by a substantial amount that money will be restored to the budget. However, even if the pledges were to increase to 530,000.00 it would not cover the budget. Debra Harden noted that the Cathedral Times had an article regarding their struggle with their shortfall in their budget. Emmanuel is not the only church wrestling with this problem.

Those Vestry members calling Parish members who have not yet pledged were asked to check with Brian Tison or Karen Holland to make sure that those pledges have not come in.

ARCHITECTURE, GIFTS AND MEMORIALS COMMITTEE REPORT

Larry McLeod reported that AGM will meet tomorrow and that he had nothing to report. Larry will not be at the March Vestry meeting but will have someone bring the report to the Vestry.

BYLAWS STUDY COMMITTEE REPORT

Naomi Norman reported that she will e-mail the revised Bylaws. They are posted on the web site and she advised if you look there to be sure to review them on the monitor or print with a color printer as the revisions are in color.

COMMUNICATION COMMISSION REPORT

Terri Tillman brought an informational report to the Vestry. Welcoming Newcomers seems to have fallen by the wayside and Terri is anxious to revitalize this Outreach program. She will hold a meeting March 17th at a time to be determined to get a Newcomers group up and functional. She encouraged everyone on the Vestry to be a part of this group. Allison Clements feels that it is vital to get this group going again.

DAY SCHOOL COMMISSION REPORT

Laura Cofer announced that the Day School will be holding camps this summer and is very excited about doing this. The camps will be the weeks of June7th, June 14th and August 9th. More information will be forthcoming.

EXTENDED MINISTRIES COMMISSION REPORT

Lee Gaby reported that the Commission has not scheduled a meeting yet. Lee helped organize a meeting at Milledge Avenue Baptist Church between a group of our parish leaders and Pastor Edward Bolen to learn more about the Interfaith Hospitality Network.

FACILITIES COMMITTEE REPORT

Jay Shinn offered to answer any questions. There were no questions regarding his report.

ACTION ITEMS

Lee Gaby recommends the approval of the following action items with one vote. 1) Approval of the January 18, 2004 Vestry meeting minutes, 2)the approval of the Williams Rhodes Screening Committee recommendations and 3)the approval of the Bylaws Study Committee recommendation to create a Finance Commission. Father Courtney called for the question and all three action items were unanimously approved. Taken as a separate item was the issue of the removal or relocation of the cottages. The Executive Committee recommended the approval of the following resolution: Whereas, after giving many years of careful and prayerful consideration to the use of church property, the Vestry has determined that the two cottages located on Pope Street, known as the Meeting House and the Youth House, are not suitable for future use by the church in their present location: therefore it is resolved that each such house be removed from, or relocated on, the campus of the church as promptly as possible and the Senior Warden, wih the approval of the Rector, is directed to appoint a special committee, consisting of no more than nine members of the church, to form a plan for, implement, and carry out such removal or relocation of these houses subject to oversight and final approval by the Vestry of the plan and prior allocation by the Vestry of any funds of the church that may be required for such purposes. Father Courtney called for the question. The vote was 12 in favor of the resolution and 3 opposed (Naomi Norman, David Kidd and Terri Tillman.)

GOOD OF THE ORDER

Butch Bush announced that the first monies to come in from pledges are to be used to fund all Parish Programs. Since $10,000.00 has just been pledged all Parish programs will be fully funded.

Joe Napoli passed out invitations to "Go For Baroque”, an Athens community music festival, to be presented on Friday, March 19 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday, March 20, 2004 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church, Athens. Everyone is invited.

Terri Tillman, on behalf of the youth, thanked everyone for coming to the Shrove Tuesday Pancake supper and applauded Lee Gaby and Andy Simmons for being great pancake runners.

The youth will be talking about their participation in a 30 Hour Famine. More information will be forthcoming from Kat Ballard.

Lee Gaby asked everyone to keep Pere Bruno in their prayers. He congratulated Joe Napoli for being selected "Distinquished Professional of the Year” by the Georgia Green Industry Association. Debra Harden announced that Andy Simmons has been named Star Teacher of the Year at Athens Academy.

DEVOTION

Jay Shinn volunteered to give the Devotional at the March Vestry Meeting.

Father Courtney adjourned the meeting at 7:50 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Dee Forester

Secretary to the Vestry