HIGHLIGHTS OF THE STATED MEETING OF
THE PRESBYTERY OF CAYUGA-SYRACUSE
28 November 2006
The First Presbyterian Church of Mexico and the Parish-Hastings Presbyterian Church co-hosted the stated meeting of Presbytery. Moderator Gail Banks called the meeting to order with prayer. A combined choir from Mexico and Parish-Hastings sang a rousing spiritual. The Rev. Susan Alloway welcomed presbyters to the church, and elders Dorothy Chambers and Lillian Harter gave brief historical summaries about the two churches.
The Presbytery:
= Viewed a visual presentation on Per Capita funds, exploring the pros and cons of the Presbytery's current unified budget vs. a budget that separates administrative expenses funded through Per Capita from mission endeavors that are funded through Mission Giving;
= Voted to increase Per Capita to cover Operational Expenses and allow Mission Giving to solely fund Mission endeavors, setting the Presbytery portion of Per Capita for 2007 at $29.51. With General Assembly and Synod Per Capitas, the total Per Capita rate for 2007 will be $39.00;
= Heard the report of the work the Administrative Commission is doing with the Clay Presbyterian Church and a request to hold that congregation in our prayers;
= Received a report on the dollar figures for minimum pastoral salaries, which are $42,178 without a manse and $31,444 with a manse;
= Was introduced to the Rev. Clint McCoy, who is the new Executive for Partnerships for the Synod of the Northeast;
= Voted to concur in the request of the Rev. Joseph Tagliaferre to terminate his relationship with the First Presbyterian Church of Auburn; Rev. Tagliaferre will remain in the Auburn area as an employee of Unity House;
= Heard a report from the Rev Philip Gehman, regional representative of the Board of Pensions;
= Celebrated with the Rev. Lorrie Day Anson and the Presbyterian Church of Otisco on their use of Clark Grant funds to purchase audio-visual equipment to enhance their worship service;
= Celebrated with Elder Jodi Gallagher (Clay), who has applied to become an Inquirer as a preliminary step in moving toward ordination as a Minister of Word and Sacrament.
= Recognized Elder Mary Lou Guindon (Parish/ Hastings), who has completed lay preacher training.
= Received a summary of the discussions of the small groups that met during the Special Meeting on October 28 to consider the Mission Action Plan (MAP) that is being prepared by the Coordinating Council;
= Thanked Onondaga Valley Presbyterian Church for hosting that Special Meeting on October 28;
= Approved a new Staffing Model for the Presbytery, effective January 1, 2007, involving combining the positions of Administrator and Bookkeeper into a single full-time position, and discontinuing the position of Mission Coordinator until the mission objectives of the Presbytery are clearer as the Mission Action Plan is developed and adopted;
= Approved the appointment of W. Renee Perry, the current bookkeeper, as Administrator/Bookkeeper;
= Approved the Staffing Budget, setting salaries for all Presbytery employees for 2007;
= Elected the Rev. Earl Arnold to a one-year term as Stated Clerk;
= Elected the Rev. Tracie Martin as Moderator and elder Dan DeBrucker (Syracuse, Park Central) as Vice-Moderator for 2007;
= Celebrated with the Rev. Craig Lindsey and the First Presbyterian Church of Skaneateles on their participation with other churches in the community in an ecumenical Alternative Christmas Fair;
= Heard from elder Gail Banks (Howlett Hill) about her visit as Moderator to Pyongyang Presbytery in Korea and from elder Robert Chambers (Mexico) about the plans for a delegation or Korean War Veterans and a Peacemaking delegation to travel to Korea in April 2007, sponsored through the Korean Partnership M&M Team; elder Linda Russell (Auburn, Westminster) illustrated the presentations with slides;
= Heard from Evelyn Williams (Syracuse, South) and Claudia Varacelli about the work of the Reading Education at Church and Home (REACH) program conducted by members of the REACH M&M Team;
= Heard from Kim Dungey (Auburn, Westminster) about the October 2006 mission trip to New Orleans sponsored by the Southern Comfort M&M Team; elder Paul Dungey (Auburn, Westminster) showed slides of the hurricane devastation that confronted the Team; another trip to the Gulf of Mexico area damaged by Hurricane Katrina is planned for March 2007;
= Heard from former NYS Senator Nancy Lorraine Hoffmann (Syracuse, Park Central) about the work of the newly-formed Civil Rights Connection M&M Team that will support an on-going program acquainting young people with the struggle for civil rights America in the last half of the 20th century;
= Heard from the Rev. Gerry Platz on a conference in November 2006 celebrating women in ministry attended by six members of the M&M Team for an Inclusive Church;
= Approved funding, when it is available, for the REACH M&M Team ($3,000) and the Civil Rights Connection M&M Team ($4,500).
submitted by Earl Arnold, Stated Clerk
