Wednesday, December 13, 2000
Episcopal House, Newark, New Jersey
Approved Minutes of Regular Monthly Meeting
Present: The Rt. Rev. John P. Croneberger;
President; Mr. Robert Simmons, Vice President; Mr. Michael
Francaviglia, Secretary ; Mr. John Zinn, Treasurer; Michael
F. Rehill, Esq., Chancellor
Bishop's Appointments: Mr. Alan Bowen; The Rev. Geoffrey Curtiss; The Rev. John
G. Hartnett
Elected by Convention: Mr. Leonard Glenn; Ms. Bonnie Magnuson; The Rev. Dr. Robert
A. Schiesler; Ms. Joyce Skipper
Elected by Districts: The Rev. David Badgely; The Rev. Martin Bagay; Mr. Steven
Boston; The Rev. Canon Gervais Clarke; The Rev. Kevin P.J. Coffey; The Rev. Susan
Fortunato; Ms. Kathy Ganim; Mr. Gerald Harvey; Ms. Ann Hirsch; Ms. Naomi Horsky;
Ms. Claudette Lewis; Mrs. Doris Mardirosian; Ms. Elizabeth Moss; The Rev. William
Parnell; Ms. Diane Rhodes; Ms. Susan Schink; Mr. Robert Simmons; The Rev. Mildred
J. Solomon; Ms. Lynn Tyler; The Rev. Paul Walker; Ms. Patty Watts; The Rev. Denise
Yarbrough
Absent: The Rev. Dr. Ellen Barrett; Mr. Richard Fifield; The Rev. William Lantz;
The Rev. Kenneth Near
Others: Mr. George Hayman, the Voice; Mr. Dean Weber, Chancellor-designate.
Staff: The Rev. Canon Paul Hunt, Ms. Susan Robinson; The Right Reverend Rufus
T. Brome
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Bishop Croneberger.
AGENDA
It was moved and seconded to adopt the agenda with the addition of the moratorium
of the death penalty. The motion was adopted.
MINUTES
It was moved and seconded to accept the minutes for the November 8, 2000. The
motion to accept the minutes was adopted.
EPISCOPAL COMMUNICATIONS:
THE RT. REV. JOHN P. CRONEBERGER
Reported on the second Diocesan Confirmation service held last Sunday. The preceding
Saturday the confirmands met with the bishops, the youth minister and several
others which raised expectations and sights for both the youth and the adults
about confirmation. Parents of the confirmands were much pleased and appreciative
of the time the bishops spent with the youth. The day provided a time of building
relationship between the bishops and the confirmands.
Commented on the inventory forms returned from the congregations and the organizations
in preparation for the Visioning Convocation. A team of thirty consultants will
work on the event. Many, if not all, were coming at their own expense because
of the opportunity of working with a large crowd.
The Rev. Canon Paul Hunt announced that the Rev. Richard Lampert will leave the
diocese for a call to Florida.
Introduced Bishop Brome to the Council who spoke briefly to the members. He expressed
how gratified he was for the warm reception and hospitality given him and his
wife. He shared how meaningful he found the regional confirmations with the opportunity
to meet the confirmands in advance.
TREASURER'S REPORT
Mr. John Zinn presented the report. After Council last month and until this past
week, the finance department was focusing on the 2001 budget, and there was nothing
new to add to the cover memo with the report. The year of 2000 should end with
a positive bottom line. There will be no financial statement in the mailed packet
in January, but will be distributed at the meeting. It was moved and seconded
to accept the report, subject to audit. The motion was adopted.
EPISCOPAL CAPITAL LOAN FUND
Mr. John Zinn moved the following for ratification:
By a mail vote, the ECLF Board approved a $8,500 loan to Christ Church, Teaneck.
The loan will partially fund the purchase of an organ. The interest rate is 6%
and the term of the loan is three years.
The motion was adopted.
It was moved, seconded and adopted to temporarily adjourn the meeting of Council.
The President called the membership of the Apostles House Board to order.
APOSTLES' HOUSE BOARD ELECTIONS
Mr. John Zinn moved the following resolution:
RESOLVED, That the following be elected to the Board of Apostles House until
the December 2001 meeting of the Diocesan Council: Mr. Andrew Alt, St. John's,
Ramsey; Mr. Robert O'Brien, Grace, Nutley; Mr. Frank Culleny, St. Paul's, Chatham;
Mr. Okecchuwu Okuzu, Christ, Bloomfield/Glen Ridge; Ms. Gloria Grosso, St. James',
Upper Montclair; Mr. Cesar Torres; Mr. David Weiner; Mr. Vic Albetta; Ms. Adrienne
Lockette, Trinity + St. Philip's Cathedral; Mr.Tom McCrann, St. Peter's, Essex
Fells; The Rev. John Ryan; and, Ms. Patricia Shumaker, Christ Church, Short Hills.
The motion was seconded and adopted.
It was moved, seconded and adopted to adjourn the meeting of the membership of
Apostles House Board.
The President called the membership of the Jersey City Episcopal Community Development
Corporation to order.
JERSEY CITY CDC BOARD ELECTIONS
Mr. John Zinn moved the following resolution:
RESOLVED, That the following be elected to the Board of Jersey City Episcopal
Community Development Corporation, Class of 2003: Ms. Eugenia Suthern, Incarnation,
Jersey City; Ms. Carol DeJesus, Corpus Christi representative; The Rev. Geoffrey
Curtiss, All Saints', Hoboken; and Ms. Barbara Davey, Christ Hospital, Jersey
City.
Supporting Information: The by-laws of the Jersey City Episcopal Community Development
Corporation provide for a board of 17 members with at least nine of the members
to be residents of Jersey City. The by-laws also provide for the rectors/vicars
of the Episcopal Churches in Jersey City, the Chaplain of Christ Hospital and
the executive director to be ex-officio members of the board with seat, voice
and vote. After this election nine of the sixteen board positions will be filled
by residents of Jersey City. The officers will be elected at the CDC's annual
meeting in January.
The motion was seconded and adopted.
It was moved, seconded and adopted to adjourn the meeting of the membership of
the Jersey City CDC.
The Diocesan Council was called back into session.
ACTS/VIM BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS
It was moved by Mr. Robert Simmons and seconded that the recommendations presented
last month be ratified. The motion was adopted.
AV-00-14: Union City, Grace - Multi-cultural & Inner City Ministry,
$9,000
AV-00-15: Boonton, St. John's - St. John's CDC After School Program, $12,000
AV-00-16: Paterson, St. Paul's - St. Paul's CDC Emergency Shelter, $10,000
AV-00-17: Fort Lee, Good Shepherd - Friends for Life,$6,000
AV-00-18: Harrington Park, St. Andrew's - Food Pantry, $5,000
AV-00-19: Hackensack, Christ Church - CDC/Peter's Place expanded services, $8,000
AV-00-20: Belleville, Christ Church - The Care Closet, $4,500
AV-00-21: Hoboken, All Saints' - All Clean Care, no funding
AV-00-23: Newark, Grace - Homework Club at Grace Church, $3,500
AV-00-24: Newark, The Oasis - The Wellspring Educational Project, no funding
AV-00-25: Jersey City, JC Episcopal CDC - Outreach Extension Project, $7,000
AV-00-26: Newark, St. James CDC - Employment Initiative Program, $10,000
AV-00-27: Newark, Episcopal ECD Corp. - The Samaritan Project, $10,000
Total recommendation to Diocesan Council: $85,000
WARD J. HERBERT FUND BOARD
RECOMMENDATIONS
It was moved by Mr. Robert Simmons and seconded that the recommendations presented
last month be ratified. The motion was adopted.
It was reported that the Ward J. Herbert Fund Board and its Executive Committee
had met to review the appeal brought by Messiah, Chester. After further deliberations
and conversations, the request was funded, with funds coming from both the Ward
J. Herbert monies to cover the vicarage garage roof and the monies transferred
to the WJH Fund from DOM to cover the security lights and tree trimming.
WJH-00-18: Montclair, St. Luke's - Repair to Assembly Hall windows, $5,000
WJH-00-19: Belvidere, St. Mary's - Vicarage roof replacement, $1,100
WJH-00-20: Hackensack, St. Cyprian's - Heating system replacement, $4,640
WJH-00-21: Union City, St. John's-Sidewalks, electrical upgrade, basement ceiling,$13,000
WJH-00-22: Mendham, St. Mark's - Parish hall repairs,15,000
WJH-00-23: Boonton, St. John's - Bell tower repairs,$1,250
WJH-00-24: Teaneck, Christ Church - Capital improvements continued,$3,400.
WJH-00-25: Chester, Messiah - Security light, tree removal, new roof,$3,440
WJH-00-26: Clifton, St. Peter's Haven - Bathroom,$5,000
WJH-00-27: Newton, Christ Church -Front gable wall, chimney, $33,725
WJH-00-28: North Bergen, Transfiguration - Vicarage and garage roofs, $4,900
Total Recommendation to Diocesan Council: $87,015.
BUDGET COMMITTEE REPORT
Mr. John Zinn presented the proposed budget on behalf of the Budget Committee
and moved its adoption. The motion was seconded.
In terms of income, the largest amount comes from the pledges. 59 churches increased
their percentage pledge for 2001;only two reduced their percentage; 74 projected
that they would give more; and only 11 will give less in 2001. There was a realization
of an increase of 5.5% in pledges, the second highest increase in the ten years
of the 50-50 giving program.
The budget honors the 25% giving to the national church and continued the increase
in outreach and outreach to international ministries as called for by the 1998
Lambeth Conference. The Gertrude Butts Fund will assist again with the Cross
Roads Ministry and youth ministry work. A more recent priority had been congregational
development. The budget permits funding a congregational development officer
for ten months, starting in March. The requests from programs that work on congregational
development work, like Anand Center, Planned Giving, Commission on Aging, etc.,
were fully funded. Regarding group medical insurance, some creative financing
was used to control the costs of medicare supplement payments. $120,000 in the
20001 budget goes to that supplemental cost. The Church Pension Fund may take
over those costs in the future, saving the diocese a considerable amount of money
that can be shifted elsewhere.
Almost $700,000 will be given to the national church; and probably by year's
end the amount will be over that amount. Almost $250,000 goes to other outreach.
One-third of our budget goes to outreach.
One of the premises for 50-50 giving is that you make giving outside yourself
as the priority. This budget funds 96% of requested funds, even with giving away
30% of the income. This demonstrates that 50-50 giving works.
The national church formula is based on % of income after a $100,000 deductible.
The requested percentage was 21%. They really want the dioceses who can pay higher
to do so and to model proportional giving for the rest of the church by giving
at the 25% level (which can be higher than the church formula). Right now, the
Diocese of Newark is the second highest diocese giving to the national church.
Mr. John Zinn moved the following resolution:
RESOLVED, That the Budget Committee of the Diocesan Council is authorized to
make changes in the proposed 2001 Diocesan Budget between the January Council
meeting and the Diocesan Convention.
Supporting Information: The proposed 2001 Budget has been prepared so that Convention
deputies might have the budget at an earlier date. The earlier process necessitated
using less complete data than has been the case in the past. As a result the
Budget Committee will make a final review of the budget the week before Convention
when all of the data is available. Since the Convention approves the budget,
this resolution simply gives the committee authorization to modify the proposals
made to Convention.
VISIONING CONVOCATION PREPARATION
Ms. Diane Rhodes and the Rev. Bill Parnell led the members through the preparation
for the Visioning Convocation, using the Interview Guide and sharing stories
and expectations.
DISTRICT DESIGN GROUP REPORT
The Rev. John Hartnett, chair of the committee, reviewed the process to determine
what structure would best support the work of our diocese, and to enhance the
work of the church on the community and local level. What structure would enable
community? The committee was offering a community model, rather than a government
model; moving away from the bureaucratic model.
At the clergy conference, clergy were asked to select district partners. They
were approached because the time line was to conclude the process before the
convention. The committee recognized that not everyone would be pleased with
the groupings. The committee had determined eleven districts. After their review,
staff suggested a break down of ten districts. He reviewed the congregational
membership to the district.
The Council will vote on the recommendation at the January meeting.
CHURCH PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENTS
Mr. Michael F. Rehill reported on the recent tax exemption provision decisions
regarding taxation of church property when used by any profit making entity;
the focus was on the user, not the property use, such as the situation at St.
Mary's, Sparta. Sparta was hit with a $42,000 property tax assessment when they
rented space to a profit day care center. The law had been interpreted in prior
years on the use of the property, not on the user, and thus the property was
never taxed. When property was used for commercial purposes, then the property
was taxed on a proportional basis (i.e. if ten percent of the property was used
for ten percent of the time for profit purposes, then the tax assessment was
levied at ten percent). The Standing Committee had requested that leases require
a clause that the leasee will be responsible for taxes if that became an issue.
The recent court case had to do with a Roman Catholic church renting to a commercial
entity - a restaurant; the property was used entirely by the commercial vendor.
The opinion had been broadly interpreted and brought us to where we were now.
The NJCCC quickly approached the state legislature when it became evident that
the court decision was being broadly interpreted and implemented. Proposed legislation
will amend the exemption statutes, whereby the use of the property will be reviewed,
not the user. The legislation had passed the Assembly and was now before the
Senate and the governor had promised to sign it. The legislation will be retroactive
to October 31, the deadline for tax exempt status filing. If the legislation
isn't passed, then contingency plans will be determined, such as a flood of tax
appeals. The tax assessors don't necessarily want to impose the taxes, but have
no other choice.
EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMEN
Ms. Doris Mardirosian reported that Honoring Women will be March 31, 2001, at
The Saviour, Denville. This event was an opportunity to honor the elderly in
our churches. Over 300 women were honored at the last event.
DEATH PENALTY MORATORIUM
The Rev. David Badgely reported on the Death Penalty Moratorium program held
in Trenton earlier this week. An article would be in the next issue of the Voice
about the event.
He also reported on the recent article regarding the Vatican document Dominus
Jesus, about ecumenical relations.
STEERING COMMITTEE - PARSONAGE
ALLOWANCE RESOLUTIONS
Mr. Robert Simmons moved the following resolutions:
RESOLVED, That of the compensation paid to The Reverend Paul Hunt in the calendar
year of 2000, the sum designated as parsonage allowance be increased to $47,000
from $40,000, because of a recent United States Tax Court decision (R.D. Warren,
Dec.53,880) that an ordained minister is entitled to exclude from his or her
gross income for Federal Income taxes the total rental (Housing) allowance that
he/she received as compensation and that he/she used to provide a home for his/her
family.
RESOLVED, That of the compensation paid to The Right Reverend John Palmer Croneberger
in the calendar year of 2001, the sum of $40,000 be designated as parsonage allowance.
RESOLVED, That of the compensation paid to The Reverend Paul Hunt in the calendar
year 2001, the sum of $47,000 be designated as parsonage allowance.
The motions were seconded and adopted.
STEERING COMMITTEE - CONGREGATIONAL VISITS
Mr. Robert Simmons reminded members to get the follow up sheets back to Susan
Schink who will make a final report at the January meeting.
STEERING COMMITTEE - ARE YOU A DIOCESAN CONVENTION
DEPUTY
The Rev. Bill Parnell requested that lay Council members who were not elected
deputies from their churches to the Annual Convention tell the Secretary of Convention
so that packages of convention information could be mailed to them.
STEERING COMMITTEE - ARE YOU A VISIONING CONVOCATION
REPRESENTATIVE?
The Rev. Bill Parnell sought the names of those members who might be interested
in representing the Diocesan Council at the Visioning Convocation in January,
if they were not representing their congregation or other organization. All members
of Council were invited and encouraged to attend the Convocation.
The benediction was pronounced by The Rev. Canon Gervais Clarke.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Michael Francaviglia,
Secretary
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday,
January 10, 2001 at Apostles House, Newark.
Consider car pooling to the meeting.
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