Annual Conference Council reviews plans for Annual Conferences.

The Annual Conference Council met Aug. 24-25 in Elgin, Ill. Jim Hardenbrook, past moderator of the Conference, will chair the council for 2005-06, reported secretary Fred Swartz in a summary of the meeting. Hardenbrook was chosen for the task by the members of the council in their annual reorganization meeting last month. The council also named Joan Daggett as vice chair, a position not designated before by the council.

Two new members were welcomed: Jim Myer was elected by Annual Conference to serve in the capacity of a past moderator, succeeding Earl Ziegler whose term expired with the 2005 Conference, and the new moderator-elect Belita Mitchell, who joined the council for the next three years. Myer will serve a four-year term.

The council reviewed the revisions to the Annual Conference Strategic Plan that were suggested by Standing Committee. It was decided that the Annual Conference Council shall be the group responsible for keeping the plan updated and implemented. The council will report annually to Standing Committee on the status of the plan's use and recommend any changes deemed necessary. Standing Committee will give final approval to changes in the Strategic Plan. The plan will be available on the Annual Conference website.

The council is drafting a contingency plan for Annual Conference, not only to deal with events that may interfere with the holding of a Conference, but also provision for handling a disaster that may bring destruction to the Annual Conference offices. The plan is considered to be good stewardship, rather than fear that a disaster may happen, reported secretary Fred Swartz.

Another plan in the making is a marketing plan for Annual Conference. A committee consisting of laypeople, a pastor, a district executive, a member of the Program and Arrangements Committee, and members of the business community is being recruited for the purpose of looking at the image and information about Annual Conference, and why only half of Brethren congregations send delegates.

Other items of business included a review of Annual Conference actions of the past two years and the progress of Conference committees that are currently working. The Council hopes to have an up-to-date draft of the Manual of Organization and Polity available this fall on the Conference website.

The council also is not yet satisfied that the 2003 query to Annual Conference entitled "Clarification of Confusion" has been completely answered. The council asked Hardenbrook to compile a document that chronicles all that the council has done in its attempts to get answers and/or clarification to the questions in the query. The council will review this document in December to see if it is sufficient to take back to the 2006 Annual Conference.

The council expressed appreciation to Lerry Fogle for his effective and efficient management of Annual Conference since coming to that position in 2002. The council's policy calls for a three-year review of the Conference executive director, and plans are underway to effect that review.

The Annual Conference Council acts as the executive committee for Annual Conference and Standing Committee. Council members are Ron Beachley, Belita Mitchell, Joan Daggett, Jim Myer, Jim Hardenbrook, Fred Swartz, and Lerry Fogle.

Source: 9/28/2005 Newsline
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