Leadership Council Minutes
10-24-22
Members Present: Rick Allison, Anne Atzinger, Valerie Blessing, Phil Brewer, Jeff Buck, Kathy
Heistand, Phil Howard, Mark Rich, John Thompson, Melissa Truelove, Mark Weatherman, Mike
Womack, Jeff Wright
Special Guest: Taylor Logsdon

1. Pastor Jeff opened the meeting with prayer.
2. Global Methodist Church Vision and Mission
   • Pastor Jeff presented the Vision and Mission Statements of the GMC.
   • Pastor Jeff made a motion for the Leadership Council to formally affirm the GMC
   Mission and Vision as the Mission and Vision of Mount Auburn Church. Valerie
   Blessing seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
3. Branding Guidelines—Presented by Taylor Logsdon, Director of Communications
   • Taylor Logsdon presented her recommendations for our church logo to be used
   for all branding and signage while explaining color philosophy, font philosophy
   and the importance of consistency.
   • Concerns were raised about the color of the swish on the logo, horizontal
   spacing of the word “church” and the capitalization of the word “church”.
   • A motion was made by Phil Howard to empower Taylor Logsdon and the staff to
   consider the feedback received by the Leadership Council and make the final
   design decision on the sign and logo, and to move forward with ordering the
   outdoor signage. Jeff Wright seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
4. Pastor Report
   • Pastor Jeff shared that we are now past the disaffiliation, and we have to decide
   what kind of church we want to be.
   • Attendance is down slightly following the vote.
5. 2023 Budget
   • Jeff Wright presented the first draft of the 2023 budget estimating a shortfall of
   $123,810, but pledge cards have not yet been turned in. The annualized budget
   is based on the budgets received from staff.
   • The budget includes an estimate of a 2% increase in the cell tower lease, a
   decrease in apportionments from 11.5% to 2%, and no increase in staff salaries
   across the board this year.
   • Jeff Wright recommends posting the 2023 budget in the newsletter for
   transparency.
   • Approximately $14,000 has been given towards the disaffiliation.
   • Concern was raised over the flat staff salaries for 2023.
6. Finance Update—September
   • The Stones Crossing Campus had a deficit of $(14,526) for the month and a
   deficit of $(44,265) year-to-date.
   • The Trafalgar Campus had a deficit of $(5,976) for the month and a deficit of
   $(23,400) year-to-date.
   • The Daycare had a net profit of $5,918 for the month and a net profit of $20,237
   year-to-date.
7. Financial Controls Gap Closure Plan
   • Jeff Wright presented a detailed plan of the resolutions to the audit
   recommendations.
   • After further thought, Jeff Wright does not recommend another audit in 2023.
   Instead, he recommends continuing to improve on the areas listed on the audit.
8. UMC Disaffiliation Action Plan
   • All necessary documents were submitted to the Conference by the end of
   September.
   • Our attorney found some easements were left out of the title work and
   resubmitted those to the Conference.
   • The Conference attorney requested a copy of the Endowment Charter, and it is
   still being reviewed. Even though this document is still under review, Mike
   Womack was assured in an email that the Conference has received everything it
   needs from us.
   • Phil Howard shared his “Working Check List” for moving forward as Mount
   Auburn Church in the Global Methodist Church.
9. November and December Leadership Council Meetings
   • Due to scheduling conflicts, the Leadership Council will not meet in November,
   but will meet on December 5 instead.
   • Mark Rich, Leadership Council Chair, will be rolling off the Leadership Council
   after December.
10. Cash Minimum Balances
    • Jeff Wright made a motion to temporarily suspend the rules for the minimum
    bank account balances for Mount Auburn Church. John Thompson seconded the
    motion which passed unanimously.
    • The Disaffiliation payment will be paid from the balances of the bank accounts.
11. Daycare Spending Plan for Grant #2
    • The Leadership Council continues to request a spending plan for Grant #2.
12. Approve Bylaws for Articles of Incorporation
    • Mike Womack clarified that all Leadership Council members must be lay
    members according to the Global Methodist Church bylaws.
    • Mike Womack made a motion to approve the bylaws for the Articles of
    Incorporation. Jeff Wright seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
13. Pastor Jeff closed the meeting with prayer.