Last night, we became trendsetters in our Annual Conference by voting to restructure how we organize the administrative and ministry life of the church. The Administrative Council approved a plan that will dramatically downsize the administrative structures of the church, streamlining decision making and reducing the number of meetings required of church members. At the same time, the plan will also establish a Ministries Council that will serve as an incubator and resourcing agency for ministries of the church. This conforms to what my listening has taught me over the last 90 days: there’s lots of energy, enthusiasm, and ideas for being about ministry as a church and that energy, enthusiasm, and those ideas need a space that can channel the energy and propel it in a particular direction. The Ministries Council will do that.

If you’d like details of the plan, please contact me and I’ll be happy to send those along. I’m grateful to Jason Cobb and Courtney Butler who will be chairing the two new councils, leading both into uncharted, but exciting, territory. I’m grateful to our District Superintendent, Rick Lanford, for approving our reorganization plan and believing in innovative ideas. I’m also grateful to the Administrative Council for taking the step to better align our organization with our priorities to share life together with Christ, each other, and Dodge County.

-Ted