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        The Synod of the Mid-Atlantic

     Located at Ginter Park Presbyterian Church

    3601 Seminary Avenue

    Richmond, Virginia 23227

       804-342-0016

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Synod of the Mid-Atlantic

Summary Digest of the 228th Stated Assembly Meeting

The 228th Stated Meeting of the Synod of the Mid-Atlantic was held at Ginter Park Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Virginia on September 26 & 27, 2011.  The following is a summary digest of its actions and decisions.

 Administration and Personnel

Personnel – In light of impending changes in staffing due to a retirement, and to the completion and/or discontinuation of certain long-range staff functions, the synod authorized the elimination of the position of Office Manager and the position of Archivist and Special Projects Manager.  The creation of a new part-time (30 hours per week) position of Synod Administrator was approved.  The new position has been advertised; more than fifty resumes have been received and winnowed down to a group of six to be interviewed on September 29th.   (NOTE:  A new person was hired for this position, and is to begin in mid-October).

Review of Presbytery Minutes – The first year of a new procedure for reviewing Presbytery Minutes is nearing completion, and will be reassessed after an initial two-year trial.

Sale of Office Building – The Administration Committee continues to work with the Synod Executive on the sale of the office building at 3218 Chamberlayne Avenue.

Dates for 2012 Synod meetings – The following dates have been set for the Synod’s 2012 Stated Meetings, pending confirmation of housing availability at Union Seminary: March 19-20 and September 17-18.

Finance

Repurposing of Funds – Upon recommendation from the Finance Committee, some of the Synod’s investment funds have been repurposed in order to put the funding for the Synod’s operational costs on a more stable and sustainable basis, and also to lessen the per capita impact on our presbyteries.  This action came in response to a meeting of several presbytery and synod leaders held in August.  The changes include renaming of the Emergent Ministries Fund as the Synod Governance Fund.  Other measures to combine and enhance funds in support of mission initiatives will be developed by the Grants & Awards and Presbytery Initiatives Committees.

Baltimore Presbytery Re-designation – In order to assist with the per capita situation, Baltimore Presbytery acted to re-designate its shared ministry contribution to be applied toward the overall operating expenses of synod, with attendant adjustments to the per capita askings of all Mid-Atlantic presbyteries.  The net result is a reduction of $.05 in the per capita rate for 2012. 

2012 Budget and Per capita Askings – The Synod Assembly adopted a governance operating budget of $306,715 for 2012, with the following implications:

·       That the per capita rate for 2012 – preliminarily set at $.85 – be reduced by $.05, thus resulting in a 2012 per capita rate of $.80.

·       That the newly repurposed “governance fund” be used to balance any 2012 budget shortfall – presently estimated at $60,000.

Funds Administration Costs – Upon recommendation by the Finance Committee, the Synod Assembly took action to allocate the costs of administering the synod investment funds to those funds, to the extent allowed by the donors of restricted funds.  That cost is estimated at $30,000 for 2012.

 Presbytery Initiatives

Change in maximum Grant Amount – Synod acted to change the usual grant amount from a maximum of $2,500 to a range of $2,500 to $10,000, depending upon the funds available and the needs of the initiative request.

Grants Approved – Synod approved the following Initiative grants:

·       $2,500 for the 2012 Synod Presbyterian Men’s Conference  (National Capital and Shenandoah).

·       Synod Presbyterian Men’s outreach trip to Kenya, for $5,500 total: $1,500 for chapel furnishings and $4,000 designated for scholarships, with no more than $1,000 going to any one presbytery (Shenandoah and Peaks).

·       $5,000 for the 2012 Multicultural Conference (Charlotte and Salem).

 Grants & Awards

New and Small Church Grant Fund – Synod approved the following grants from this fund:

  • $2,500 to Stanley White Presbyterian Church, Roanoke Rapids, NC, for a capital improvement project, pending New Hope Presbytery approval.
  • $2,500 to repair major storm damage at the Dickey Memorial Presbyterian Church, Baltimore, MD, pending Baltimore Presbytery’s approval
  • Two grants in the amount of $2,500 each to Canton Presbyterian Church and $2,500 to Marshall Presbyterian Church, in support of the GA program “Such a Time as This” aimed at transformation of small churches with potential for growth.

Visionary Fund – Synod approved the following grants from this fund:

  • 2,500 to the Presbytery of Western North Carolina for a one day Christian Education training event, subject to the grantee affirming the racially inclusive nature of this event.
  • $1,200 to the Resource Center for paying the Synod’s annual Resource Center Subscription Fee ($600/year) for 2011 and 2012.

Peacemaking Fund – $2,500 to the Presbytery of Western NC to hold a 2-3 day “Conflict/Mediation in the Church” training event for Committee on Ministry members and Presbytery staff.

200th Anniversary of Union Seminary – Authority was given to the Executive Committee and Grants/Awards Committee jointly to consider the request for scholarship funding for Union Presbyterian Seminary in honor of its 200th anniversary.

 Recognition of Commissioners Completing Terms in 2011

Moderator Sylvester Bullock (James) read the names of, and offered an expression of gratitude to, the following commissioners who are completing their terms of service: Barton Bacon (PEVA); Miriam Dewhurst (National Capital); John Gilmore (New Castle); Michael Hickman (Peaks); Bumsoo Kim (AKAP); Bill Parish (Abingdon); Jim Schroll (Baltimore); Becky Stanley (WNC); and George Wilson (Coastal Carolina).

Also completing terms of service are: Bill Staples as Treasurer, and Barbara Willis and Jeff Porter as advisory members of the Finance Committee).

Sylvester Bullock (James) officially passed on the Moderator’s cross and gavel and to newly elected Bill Kantonen (WNC).  Stephany Graham (Baltimore) was installed as Vice- Moderator/Moderator Elect.

 Presentation on “Becoming the Beloved Community”

Sandawna Ashley of the Office of Racial, Ethnic and Women’s Ministry of the General Assembly Mission Council led the Assembly in a workshop entitled “Becoming the Beloved Community.”  This program on anti-racism training and overcoming biased stereotypes is offered to presbyteries and synods throughout the PC(USA).

 NOMINATING COMMITTEE

The following persons were nominated and elected to the positions indicated:

Committee on Representation: Hilda Peacock (Baltimore), Addie Peterson (PEVA) and Hyun So Bae (AKAP).

Permanent Judicial Commission: John Goodman (Coastal Carolina).

Speer Fund Committee: Veronica Thomas (PEVA); Jon Martin (Abingdon); Bill Sitterly (Baltimore); Sandy Irving (New Hope); Kent Berry (Salem).

Jubilee Fund Committee:  Phyllis Canter (Abingdon); Lawrence Willis (PEVA).

Nominating Committee:  Robert Osborne (Shenandoah); Marlene Butler (Baltimore).

 

 

 

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OVERVIEW OF SYNOD OF THE MID-ATLANTIC

 

Over the past ten or more years, our synod – and indeed all synods throughout the PC(USA)- have undergone major and significant changes. Whereas for many years our synods were quite similar in most respects, now each one is working to adapt its life and work to realities that continue relentlessly changing. In the Mid-Atlantic, through the work of several task forces, we have intentionally down-sized the staff, rearranged programmatic responsibilities, and altered the organizational structure of synod.

All work on restructuring is intended to allow us to listen for, discern together and then respond to God’s specific and very particular call to faithful service in this part of God’s kingdom.

Among the many facts and bits of data about our Synod, here are several that may be helpful in gaining perspective about who we are and what we do:

  • A synod is one of the two Middle Governing Bodies in our Presbyterian Church (USA) structure (the other "MGB" is the presbytery). There are 16 synods altogether in our denomination.
  • Our synod is made up of 14 presbyteries in five states (Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and several counties in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia). There are some 1,450 congregations with approximately 300,000 confirmed members within that area.
  • Each of those presbyteries elects two commissioners – one clergy and one laity – to serve three-year terms. Every reasonable effort is made to maintain, among the 28 commissioners, good balance in terms of gender, age, racial and ethnic identity, etc.
  • A Stated Synod Assembly meeting is held twice each year. These are held in different places across the synod (e.g., Union Seminary, Montreat, Massanetta Springs), and are overnight meetings, in part to allow for both working and fellowship times.
  • Each commissioner is asked to serve on one of four Designated Committees: Administration, Finance, Grants & Awards, and Presbytery Initiatives. Much of the synod’s actual work is done by these committees; they meet in person during the two Synod Assemblies, and at other times via telephone conference calls.
  • There is an Executive Committee which functions as a planning and coordinating body. It is authorized to conduct any necessary synod business between assemblies, and consists of the Synod Moderator, Vice-moderator, Designated Committee moderators, and one member-at-large.
  • There are also three Permanent Committees: Committee on Representation, Nominating Committee, and Permanent Judicial Commission. These are mandated by the Book of Order; their members are non-Commissioners from different presbyteries.

                                              

 

 

 

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