COM Annual Meeting Report

The annual meeting of the Council on Ministry was held January 23-24, 2010 in Janesville, WI at the SDB Center. Here are some highlights of the meeting:

Two Persons admitted to the Seminary Education Program bringing the total to 12

• Joshua Michaels of the Berlin, NY, SDB Church is attending Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, MA. Josh has taken three courses already and is registering as a full-time student for the spring semester.
• Johnmark Camenga of the Salem, WV SDB Church will complete his bachelor’s degree in May and plans to start seminary this fall. He is applying to Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY. He plans to be a full-time student.

This will bring our full-time students to five (5) this fall. David Fox is currently full time at Reformed Theological Seminary in Atlanta, GA, and Charles Meathrell is on campus at Columbia International University in Columbia, SC, and is ramping up to be full time in the fall. David Stall has been full time at Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, NY and may complete in May 2011. From May 2007 until the fall of 2008 we had no full-time seminary students.

Two persons admitted to the training in ministry by extension (TIME) program

• Saul Alonzo of the Central SDB Church, Mitchellville, MD.
• Haywood Floyd of the White Cloud, MI, SDB Church.

These students will be taking Bible and ministry courses by distance from Columbia International University in SC, and Taylor University in IN. These two additions bring the number of persons in the TIME Program to four (4).

One College Summer Intern

College Students who are in their junior or senior years of college are eligible for this program, which is set in a local SDB Church and gives a summer of ministry experience and an opportunity to explore and test a sense of call to ministry. A local SDB church provides the setting, and the Pastor provides the direction and supervision for this exploration. These summer internships are jointly funded by the local church and the SDB Memorial Fund Trustees. Philip Lawton will be spending 15 weeks with the White Cloud, MI, SDB Church under the supervision of Pastor Bernie Wethington.

Values, Purpose and Goals

The Council has worked on listing our values which will inform our purpose and goals. Between Conference 2009 and our annual meeting the Council created a values statement and revised our purpose statement. At the annual meeting goals were set for 2010 and 2011. This has been a growing experience under the direction of Ron Ochs from the first Ad Hoc committee created at Conference 2008.

These goals include:

• Increasing awareness of the financial need of COM as the number of Seminary Education and TIME students increases (projected Seminary assistance to students for 2010 has doubled since August 2009. Tuition rates vary, but each full time seminary student is aided $15-20 thousand dollars per year and part timers are aided $4-9 thousand dollars per year depending on the number of courses taken. COM reserves are being depleted quickly. Without increased giving our reserve of about $130,000.00 will be gone in just over one year.)
• Revising the Summer Institute on Sabbath Theology for 2011 so as to reduce the time in class at the SDB Center from two weeks to one while not reducing the content to be learned. If successful, the SDB History will be considered followed by SDB Polity.
• Continuing to support of the three Ministry Staff Development projects (North Loup’s branch in Lincoln, NE and Pastor Steven Graffius, Berlin New York’s staff assistant, David Stall, and White Cloud Michigan’s staff assistant Haywood Floyd) with the financial aid of the SDB Memorial Fund Trustees
• Exploring the possibility of having regional Pastor’s Retreats in even numbered years, alternating with the Pastor’s Conference which is in odd numbered years

God is at work among us. Praise Him.