FRLC Annual Meeting

Sunday September 22, 2019

The meeting opened at 3:11 PM, following the Addiction & Faith Conference and the conference debriefing session. The meeting opened with prayer.

Present: Ten members were present for the meeting.

Minutes from the 2018 Annual Meeting were approved.

Treasurer Report through August 30 was presented. The balance at that time was $816.83, although the August payment to the coordinator has not cleared. The cost of the mailing in August was $411. We received $500 in donations to the FRLC following the mailing, which will be transferred into the FRLC account following the conference. We hope to be able to transfer $3100 to our treasury from the conference proceeds but that is dependent on the ending financial balance of the conference.

Conference Finances: There was an appeal at the final session of the conference for $11,000 to cover expenses of the conference.  These are the preliminary numbers, we won’t have final ones until after all the bills are in and paid.  Ed will follow up with the RMEC regarding their financial participation in the event.

It was agreed that the FRLC needs to see the conference financial reports. The treasurer will obtain a copy of them.

Coordinator’s report: We have 216 members in the database, which still needs updating. There are about 70 on the email list. The Thursday morning recovery conference calls are strong. They are one of the best things we are doing. He would like to improve communication with the membership. The website needs updating. He intended to do it last year when we had a graphic designer but it has not been accomplished. He stated that the FRLC needs some TLC. Once and awhile, we hear anecdotes about the difference we are making. He would like to review the recommendations regarding the potential development of the FRLC made by the consultants at the retreat at Mt Olivet before the first Addiction & Faith Conference. Both the FRLC and Conference have potential for further development. The representative from Rosecranse, a large treatment organization, reported that they are quite interested in being a part of the Conference as treatment centers have been unsuccessful at reaching the clergy and churches and we have those people on board. Another comment was made by a person related to an ELCA organization encouraging us to explore working with non-church partners.

Conference Next steps: A poll was taken of those present and most are in support of doing it next year. Suggestions were made to hold the Conference every other year, to consider having it at a different time of year (there are a lot of recovery related events in this community at this time) and to explore other venues, including other hotels or a non-hotel setting. There are many churches in the Minneapolis area; however Sunday morning sessions make it difficult to hold the conference in a church. It was also noted that it is difficult to put on an event this size on an annual basis without paid staff.

Does the Addiction & Faith Conference need its own board and 501C3 status? If so, it will take time to develop it.

It was moved and seconded that the Addiction and Faith Conference be held in winter of 2021. After further discussion, the motion was withdrawn. It was felt that if we a separate board is established, they should be making those decisions.

Dan suggested that we consider naming the new organization “ the Addiction and Faith Ministry” to be broader than just the conference.

It was moved and seconded that the FRLC authorize Ed to pursue formation of an Addiction and Faith Ministry Board. It passed unanimously. The timing and location of the next conference will be determined by that board.

It was noted that the Addiction and Faith Ministry needs to operate under the FRLC financial umbrella until it forms its own 501C3. It was moved and seconded (Beth, Arthur) that we allow the Addiction & Faith Ministry to operate under auspices of FRLC until they form their own 501c3 organization, encouraging them to do so at earliest possible date. The motion passed.

FRLC next steps: The consensus was that continuity is valuable during this transition. A suggestion was made to do a search process for the coordinator should Ed decides to step down at some point. We all need to think and pray about what we want and expect the FRLC to be.

Should consider Zoom meetings for the board? It was moved and seconded (Beth, Tom) that board meetings will be held over Zoom. The motion passed. Beth offered to set up the meeting and took steps to do so.

Should have an FRLC Retreat if there is no Addiction and Faith Conference next year? A motion was made and withdrawn.

Ed has been asked to have a FRLC table at the ELCA Rostered Leaders Gathering in Phoenix next summer. He has also applied to lead a workshop. There was discussion about building a retreat around that Gathering, but there was limited enthusiasm for that.

Further conversation was held regarding the possibility of alternating between FRLC retreats and the Addiction & Faith Conference.

Board Election: The bylaws state that we can have up to 7 people on the board, serving 3 year terms. We have not often followed the principal of rotation on the board. Joel and Rob are going off the board. Roger would like to continue. Bohdan will ask Roger if he’d be willing to be the newsletter editor. We will strive to complete an annual budget this year. Karen T. was nominated and agreed to be on the board. Melanie nominated David C., who offered to serve on the board although he is not at this meeting. Karen and David were elected. The officers remain the same.

For the newsletter: Everyone is asked to write a brief reflection on conference, even just a paragraph or two.

It was moved, seconded and passed that the meeting be adjourned. Bohdan closed the meeting with the sharing of “highs and lows” around the room and prayer.