Annual Report 2024-2025 - Flipbook - Page 20
CHURCH COUNCIL & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Moderator: Darreil Mullins
Committees under Executive Committee:
Moderator-Elect: Rachel Boon
The Human Resources Committee (HRC) rightly takes pride in
hiring Ted Brimeyer as Director for Children, Teens, and Families.
Similarly, the HRC was pleased to bring back Barb Goodwin
as interim director until Ted’s posting in June. It completed a
two-year effort to modernize the Employee Handbook. HRC also
reviewed Senior Pastor Wortman’s performance.
Members-at-Large: Judy Stark and Sid Ramsey
Church Secretary: Amy Elbert
Executive Committee: Pam Duffy, Christine Woods,
Elaine Van Dyck, and Wade DeWald
Staff Liaison: Jared Wortman, Senior Pastor, Connie Broich,
Director of Operations and Technology, and Jim Denman,
Director of Finance
Mission from Bylaws:
The Church Council represents the full congregation as
expressed in the bylaws and strategic plan. It consists of the
chairs of all boards, Moderators, and Senior Pastor.
The Executive Committee acts on behalf of the Church
Council. It consists of the chairs of Deacons, Membership,
Trustees; Moderators, and Senior Pastor.
The Pastoral Search Committee (PRC) celebrated a unanimous
call for Pastor John Tyson as pastor for faith formation and
children, teens, and families. The PRC currently is searching for
a pastor for congregational care. (In the meantime, the HRC was
pleased Bill Parrott accepted a role as interim pastor in this arena.)
Finally, true to Plymouth’s reverence for history, the Executive
Committee has recommended establishment of an Archives
Oversight Committee in the proposed bylaw amendments to
come before the congregation. If you’ve heard Pastor Jared’s
references to sermons from hinge-points in history, you’ve
benefited from this committee’s work.
Major Events/Achievements in 2024-2025:
Finances and the Building:
The Policies:
Each year we pass a budget. The product of many hands, it
reflects our priorities. This year’s budget shows us spending where
we can and saving where we must. It reflects the generosity of our
members and the Plymouth Foundation.
Plymouth’s ministries and missions often reside in its policies.
This year, several boards and committees wrote down or
revised their most frequently used policies. With the help of
a Governance team, we approved policies for fundraising,
gift and art acceptance, weddings and funerals, youth safety,
confidentiality and conflicts of interest, whistleblower protection,
document retention and others.
Bylaws Review:
Plymouth governs itself through bylaws. From time to time,
we revise, envision, or retire them. This year, the Executive
Committee’s Bylaws Review team collated and
evaluated numerous proposed changes to the
bylaws. You can find them by clicking here or
by scanning the QR code and selecting "2025
Proposed Bylaws Changes". Some are editorial,
others improve board or committee function.
Adjacent to this, the Church Council and Executive
Committee recognized some realignments in committees. For
example, the Youth Executive Committee went from the Board
of Music to the Board of Children, Teens, and Families. And the
Memorials and Bequests Committee was retired with thanks for
completing their work.
Previous generations bequeathed us an inspiring place of
worship, one that enables contemplation of the divine and
facilitates service. But the time has come to remedy what we
cannot maintain in the roof, kitchen, and organ. To that end,
the leadership—with Foundation support—selected Generis, a
financial consulting firm, to guide us through a capital campaign.
In the meantime, the dedicated folks in the Building and
Grounds Committee have recommended—and the leadership
agreed—that we must address the flat roof over Greenwood,
Burling, and the Art corridor. At the Trustees’ recommendation,
we selected OPN Architects to coordinate the work.
The Ties that Bind:
Sometimes, happily, the dry work of contracts reveals human
connection. For example, this year, we increased our connection
to the broader UCC by expanding the space sharing with the
Iowa Conference of the UCC. And last winter, we renewed
our memorandum of understanding with our sister church in
Havana, Cuba, Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Open Meetings:
Church Council and the Executive Committee welcome members
to any meeting. The Executive Committee meets on the second
Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Greenwood Room.
The Church Council also meets in the Greenwood Room, but
at 7 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of June, September, October,
January, March, and April.
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