SESSION MINUTES
STATED MEETING
MAY 18, 2006
The Session of the First Presbyterian Church met in a Stated Meeting on Thursday, May 18, 2006, at 5:00 p.m. in the Library/Session Room.
Elders
present were Fran Keasler, Billie Ford, Carla Lacy, Sheila Moore, Don Johnson,
Lynn Jackson, Dean Ransdell, Lil McClerkin, Dr. Cordell Klein, Clerk Stacy
Cogbill, and Moderator Reverend Dianne Brown. Also present were Diaconate
Moderator John McDowell, Treasurer Lary Walker, and Office Manager Patricia
Thomas. Elders Richard Sexton and Dr.
David Williams had excused absences.
Reverend Brown called the meeting to order, declared a quorum present, and asked Dean Ransdell to give the opening prayer. Reverend Brown then gave a short devotional.
MINUTES
The Session reviewed minutes from a Stated Meeting of April 20, 2006, and Special Meetings of April 23, 2006, and May 14, 2006.
MOTION - was made by Cordell Klein and seconded by Lil McClerkin to approve the
minutes as presented. The motion passed.
DIACONATE REPORT – John McDowell
Mr. McDowell made the following announcements:
*The Dinners for Eight Program is going well with several groups already meeting.
*The church facilities and volunteers are ready for the Presbytery Meeting at our church this
coming weekend.
*The Four Church Ice Cream Social is set for June 25, 2006.
*Family Camp arrangements are being made and the date for that activity is July 28-30, 2006.
*Work is still in progress on getting “Care Packages” to members located great distances from the
church.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Mr. Walker gave the Session financial reports through the period ending April 30, 2006. The various cash accounts showed the following balances: Operating Account - $66,524.00; Money Market Account -
$170,772.00; Music Account - $7,169.00. The total of all accounts was $244,465.00. The profit and loss statement recorded a net loss of $4,933.71. Through the same period last year the net loss was $13,937.95. .
CORRESPONDENCE TO THE CLERK – Stacy Cogbill
Mr. Cogbill read a letter from Reverend Brown addressed to the clerk of the First Presbyterian Church of Ashdown, Arkansas requesting a transfer of membership for Judy Hawkins from the Ashdown church to our church. This request was done upon the instruction of the Presbytery.
MOTION - was made by Stacy Cogbill and seconded by Cordell Klein to accept Judy Hawkins
as a member of the First
Presbyterian Church,
The clerk presented a request for use of the church for the wedding of Kari Reid and Chad Brown. The dates requested are June 1, 2007, for the rehearsal and June 2, 2007, for the wedding. Mr. Cogbill said the church calendar is clear for those dates and the request/application was in order.
MOTION - was made by Stacy Cogbill and seconded by Billie Ford to approve the request
as set out above. The motion passed.
Mr. Cogbill presented a second request for use of the church for a wedding. The dates would be April13, 2007, for the rehearsal and April 14, 2007, for the wedding of Natalie Lindholm and Cody Peek. The church calendar is clear for those dates and the request/application was in order.
MOTION - was made by Stacy Cogbill and seconded by Lil McClerkin to approve the request
as set out above. The motion passed.
The clerk read a letter from Beth Morgan, President of the
Angel Fund Foundation, Inc., requesting use of office space and a meeting room
for their organization in the
MOTION - was made by Lil McClerkin and seconded by Sheila Moore to approve the request.
The motion passed.
PASTOR’S REPORT – Reverend Dianne Brown
Reverend Brown said that she would like to recommend that the time for the Annual Four Church Ice Cream Social be changed to 6:00 p.m. and for the event to take place on Pecan Street between our church and the Beech Street Church. She said that she and Reverend Steeger of Beech Street First Baptist Church had discussed the fact that the time and change of location would be better in order to have more shade.
MOTION - was made by Cordell Klein and seconded by Don Johnson to change the time and
location of the ice cream social as set out above. The motion passed.
Reverend Brown said that member Charlotte Cobb had expressed a desire to enter the Commissioned Lay Pastor Program. She explained that Ms. Cobb would have to be ordained as an elder in order to enter the program.
MOTION - was made by Stacy Cogbill and seconded by Billie Ford to call a Congregational
Meeting to elect Charlotte Cobb as an elder for the purpose of participating in the
Lay Pastor Program and that she would not serve on the Session of the church.
The motion passed.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE – Lil McClerkin
Ms. McClerkin reported that her committee had been working on officer nominations for next year and that they would meet again on May 31, 2006. She asked the Session for recommendations and suggestions for officer candidates.
STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE – Dr. Cordell Klein
No Report
EVANGELISM COMMITTEE – Lynn Jackson
No Report
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION COMMITTEE – Sheila Moore
Ms. Moore reported the following:
*A new teacher is needed for the Adult IV (Dr. Street’s class) Sunday School Class.
*The inJoy staff met on May 17, 2006, and worked on plans for the fall semester.
*Youth and Senior Sunday will be May 21, 2006.
PROPERTY COMMITTEE – Don Johnson
Mr. Johnson reported that the ice machine had been repaired and was now functioning properly.
He also said that the roof on the Echo Building was leaking and that it had already been repaired several times. He said that he had discussed the situation with Mr. John Wright of Wright Brothers Sheet Metal & Roofing Company, Inc. who recommends a new roof for that building.
MOTION - was made by Don Johnson to contract with Wright Brothers Sheet Metal &
Roof, Inc. to install a new roof on the Echo Building at a maximum
total cost of $17,091.00. The motion passed.
WORSHIP COMMITTEE – Billie Ford
No Report
PERSONNEL COMMITTEE – Dean Ransdell
Ms. Ransdell reported that all the individual staff evaluations had been completed to their satisfaction.
She said her committee had two recommendations for continuing education programs for two members of the church staff.
MOTION - was made by Dean Ransdell to approve an expenditure of $1,064.00 for Office
Manager, Patricia Thomas, to attend training on the Church Data Master Program
in Knoxville, Tennessee in October of this year. In addition, Ms. Ransdell asked for
approval of an expenditure of $500.00 for Youth/Education Director, Jane
Thompson, to attend additional continuing education classes (for mission work) at Princeton Seminary. The motion passed.
ACCEPTANCE OF
REPORTS
MOTION - was made by Dean Ransdell and seconded by Cordell Klein to accept all committee
reports. The motion passed.
ADJOURNMENT
Reverend Brown closed the meeting with prayer.
Reverend Dianne Brown, Moderator
Stacy Cogbill, Clerk of Session