2021 SPRING STATED MEETING HIGHLIGHTS |
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Spring Stated Meeting Highlights
May 4, 2021 via Zoom
Joe Albright, Moderator
by: Alexandra (Sandra) Hedrick, Stated Clerk
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Under the leadership of Moderator Joe Albright, the Presbytery of St. Augustine gathered on May 4 for its Spring Stated Meeting. There were about 125 in attendance, including voting members and guests. In the opening introductions, Joyce Lieberman, Executive/ Stated Clerk of the Synod of South Atlantic, offered greetings from the synod and expressed her gratitude for the presbytery’s support and sharing of office space.
Our worship together was centered around God’s word in Acts 4:32 (the believers were of “one heart and soul”). In the morning message, Holly Dillon Inglis challenged us to create a movement of unity and to invite others to join in. This movement begins with prayer and includes shared worship, study, mission and fellowship. As we courageously follow Christ’s way of love, we will find more ways to collaborate in mission and ministry, share our needs with one another, and respond with a generous spirit!
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The morning offering was designated for Montgomery Presbyterian Conference Center. The online donation button is still live and active - click here to add your gift to the $430 already collected. During their presentation, Executive Director Monica Williams and Treasurer Alan Cummings shared some of the ways that God has blessed Montgomery’s ministry and their gratitude for your gifts as Montgomery’s hopeful future unfolds.
The business of the meeting also focused on stories of mission, ministry and following God’s call. Oday Mickel (Woodlawn), a member of our Training Team, told a personal story about the way that God used his gift of compassion to develop his desire and commitment to serve people with needs. The Training Team has adopted the new curriculum Coming Alive in Christ for leadership training and will soon lead introductory sessions for church leaders. We are also excited about the book our presbytery will be reading together: God, Improv and the Art of Living (Mary Ann McKibben Dana).
We met our newest candidate for ministry, Rachael McNeal, who is a member at Memorial and its Director of Youth Ministry. We also welcomed Becca Putman, the new pastor of the Westminster church in Gainesville, and Jean Goodwin, chaplain at the Westminster retirement community in St. Augustine.
Erin Horne, recently examined and approved for ordination, shared highlights of her faith journey and call to the position of area relationship coordinator (Area 3). The presbytery will hold Erin’s ordination service on May 30, at 4:00 p.m., at St. Johns in Jacksonville. All of the church region area relationship coordinator positions are now staffed, with Jennifer Hallberg (First Jasper) assuming those duties in Area 1. The list of areas and the churches within them will be updated soon. In addition, the presbytery is currently seeking applications for a coordinator position that will serve minister members in validated ministries and or currently on the at-large roll. Visit our classifieds page for details.
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The rest of the meeting continued to highlight God’s goodness in our ministries. Bob Bell (First Perry) gave examples of the life-changing ministry of our Mutual Mission Team (Jamaica and Cuba). Geoff Spiegel (First Gainesville) told of the transformation of the property that once housed the Highlands (Gainesville) church into a regional ministry center. Daryl Mullee (Westminster) gave an inspiring update on the service and needs of the Presbyterian Women of our presbytery.
Coordinating Council member Suzi Lemen (St. Giles) presented a grant program that will help us to actively use our presbytery designated funds in the near future. Proposals may come from presbytery committees, commissions and teams and from our small congregations (defined in this case as 100 members or less). Click here for more information; a separate email will be sent to churches in care of their moderator and session clerk, based on the membership reported in the most recent statistical reporting (end of 2020).
On the recommendation of the Nominating Team, we elected several new and continuing volunteers who serve in roles in the presbytery and at Montgomery. We are also seeking volunteers to serve on a new Generosity Team within the presbytery. Contact Holly Dillon Inglis if you can serve or want to know more. This summer we will be seeking applications to serve as our presbytery’s commissioners at the 225th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) to be held in 2022 via a combination of electronic/in person meetings.
We thank Trustees Chair Ana Lugo-Berrios (minister member serving with the ELCA Foundation) for explaining a proposed corporate bylaws change that uses the language of G-3.0113 of the Book of Order (calling for an annual financial review). This will allow us the flexibility to have either a financial review or an audit on an annual basis. The change was approved. We also appreciate the news and updates provided by Clark Simmons of the Board of Pensions.
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As we moved into our closing worship, we paused to remember with gratitude the life of John Thompson, a retired minister member of our presbytery who died on February 24 at the age of 96. We then shared the Lord’s Supper and were adjourned with a beautiful benediction from our moderator.
We are grateful to those who provided the recorded music for our meeting: Dr. Charlie Tomer and Rene Johnson (Woodlawn), and Roman Testroet (Geneva). We also thank the many individuals who worked “behind the scenes” so that this electronic meeting could flow smoothly as we glorified God with our worship, work and fellowship. To God be the glory forever!
Submitted by:
Alexandra (Sandra) Hedrick
Stated Clerk
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