Annual Report 2003-2004
At the Spring Association
meeting last year, I was elected by you to serve as the President
of the Board of Directors amidst one of the most challenging
years of my life.
As you may be aware, I am the Senior Pastor of
Union Congregational Church, a High School Principal for the
New York City Department of Education as well as a reserve navel
Chaplain. As if the three jobs are not enough, last year I also
enrolled in a doctoral program at United Theological Seminary.
I bring up this background information to emphasize that I am
a busy person, and also to clearly articulate my time constraints.
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I
am grateful to God for all of the blessings and challenges of the
past year. The work and ministry of the Board of Directors is yet
evolving. The work and ministry of the Board of Directors would
not be possible without the Metropolitan Association staff:
- Christopher Ponnuraj, our registrar, who keeps track of clergy
records and congregations. Thank you, Christopher, for your
labor of love.
- Hector Henrique, our sexton, your job is often a thankless
one. However, on behalf of the Board and the Association, I
applaud your efforts. Thank you for your labor of love.
- Louise Manigault, Executive Administrator, Extraordinaire!
Thank
you, Louise, for managing the office and effectively handling
all of the day-to-day operations of the office and for also attempting
to keep Michael on point! Thank you for your labor of love.
- The Reverend Michael Caine, Regional Conference Minister.
Michael, I do not know how you are capable of maintaining the
daily pace of 16 - 18 hours a day. I also do not know how your
wife and sons put up with your work schedule either. However,
on behalf of the Board of Directors and the Association we
thank Miriam and your sons for sharing you with us. Michael,
we also deeply appreciate your significant gifts and talents
for the incredible ministry that you perform daily! Thank you
for your labor of love!
We are also blessed to have four volunteers:
- Phoebe Lesesne,
the single person who possesses the entire institutional
corporate memory of all of the Association's money, all of
the Association's loans, all of the restricted and unrestricted
funds. Thank you for your labor of love.
- Richard (Dick) Adams, we thank you for the countless hours
that you give to the Association. Thank you for your labor
of love.
- Sylvia White, we thank you for the countless hours that you
give to the Association. Thank you for your labor of love
- Katherine Bulbocoa, we thank you for the countless hours
that you give to the Association. Thank you for your labor
of love
- The Rev. Sally Norris has provided vital coverage of the
office during Louise's vacation and we also thank Sally for
her support and labor of love.
The entire board owes a debt of gratitude to the Vice President
of the Board of Directors, Lucy Werner. Lucy has single-handedly
and tirelessly prepared packets for members at each board meeting,
provided mountains of e-mails, developed an efficient tickler
system to ensure we all had our assignments and reminded us when
we drifted off course. Thank you, Lucy, for your tireless efforts
and profound labor of love. We will miss you.
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During 2003-2004
the Board of Directors have accomplished the following:
- Developed an evolving covenant to govern and foster a stronger
Board of Directors.
- Agreed to meet at least once monthly.
- Empowered the Executive Board to review all items to be presented
to the Full Board.
- Met via monthly conference calls approximately once a week
before all board meetings to develop the agenda and review
all major issues and recommendations for action (for three
to four hours)
- Developed plans for the Fall Association meeting and carefully
reviewed the feedback to plan a better Spring Association meeting.
- Ensured that a budget was approved with a clear understanding
that the budget includes invading the principle.
- Recommended and hired a Coordinator for Hispanic Ministries
to develop viable and consistent outreach to the Latino community.
- Developed smaller learning communities to assist the regional
conference minister to continue reshaping, redesigning and
revitalizing the Metropolitan Association.
In addition to losing Lucy, we are also going to lose the following
board members:
- Geraldine Dudley - Moderator
- Alan Mc Lean - Vice Moderator
- David Tucker - Chair, Ordination and Standing Committee
- Bonnie Miller - Chair, Congregation Development
On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Metropolitan Association
we applaud your significant accomplishments and thank you for
your labor of love. We will miss you and wish you well. Thank
you!
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I would be remiss if I did not thank the other members of
the Executive Board:
- Fanny Davis, our treasurer,
who ensured that we had monthly treasurer's reports and
insightful recommendations. Fanny, thank you for your tireless
efforts and labor of love.
- Edwina Nelbett, our secretary,
who ensured that all meetings of the Board and of the Association
were accurately recorded. Thank you, Edwina, for your labor
of love.
- The Rev. Linda Terry Chad, the at-large
member of the Executive Board, we especially thank you
for your willingness to host and feed us at Riverside Church.
The accomplishments of the past year are a foretaste of what
we anticipate accomplishing next year. We look forward to the
coming year with a great deal of hope. To God Be the Glory!
Respectfully
and Lovingly Submitted,
Reverend Ronald J. Williams
Wells
April 2004
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