Members of the Mid-America Union Conference Executive Committee met for the first time in-person since the COVID pandemic on April 21 for the purpose of receiving updates and voting the 2022 budget, recommendations for ordinations and other business. The committee, elected by constituents during the MAUC session last September, consists of 38 members representing the six conferences in Mid-America territory.
Following a devotional thought presented by Tyrone Douglas, MAUC church ministries director based on Rev. 3:20 and focusing on the privilege of listening to God’s voice and being in relationship with Him, MAUC president Gary Thurber shared an overview of priorities for 2022 and events happening around the union this year.
During the vice president for administration’s report given by Hubert J. Morel Jr., several committee members commented
on the shortage of teachers and pastors and the challenges of attracting qualified candidates to the more rural areas of the midwest. Another item of concern was the need for an in-depth discussion on geographical “alignment issues” for local churches conferences. The committee voted unanimously to request that the North American Division inc
lude this item on its agenda for either NAD Year End meetings or conference presidents’ council.
Eight ordination requests were approved, along with four ministerial scholarship/internship applications and four emeritus/honorary ministerial/commissioned credentials.
David VandeVere, vice president for finance, presented the financial report from 2021 and Darin Gottfried, vice president of finance for the Rocky Mountain Conference, presented the audit committee’s report which showed that the General Conference Audit Service issued an unmodified “clean” opinion, the best opinion possible, for the union’s 2021 financial statements. VandeVere, who joined the MAUC team last September, expressed appreciation to MAUC’s associate treasurer, Garrett Holmes, and the rest of the treasury department for their diligent work during his transition. Roger Bernard, president of the Central States Conference, presented the 2020 and 2021 Compensation Review Committee report.
Due to an 11.17% increase in tithe in 2021, the Executive Committee voted that several “set-asides for mission/vision” projects receive funding this year, including Union College’s capital campaign for the AdventHealth Complex construction, development of its degree certificate program, an AV studio in the lower level of MAUC’s headquarters, training events for staff/conferences, the upcoming General Conference Session and evangelism events for St Louis. Additionally, funds were provided for increased cyber-security measures for the protection of kingdom online work.
