Greetings,
On Saturday evening and Sunday, the 5th and 6th of December, 2015, the Council of Elders held a conference together with the members of the Business Management Team. This was our first full meeting since we became newly incorporated in September. Brian Orchard called the meeting for the purpose of defining roles and developing strategies for moving forward. Since we were in the San Francisco area where two of our top technical people reside, we took the opportunity to have them update us. Ulysses Ronquillo and John Prohs gave presentations which included information on current video streaming and possible future strategies we could implement, all with an eye to improving the quality of our presence on the web.
We all agreed that, for the present, our activities on the web will constitute our main thrust for connecting with those whom God is calling as well as with the world at large. Currently the web has mostly been serving as a repository for recorded messages. We are looking at ways to better leverage the material that we already have and new items that could be introduced to enhance our message.
From the beginning of our discussions on Church governance, it was agreed that normal business and related administrative functions would be delegated to a business management team. This group provides for the roles and titles required by California corporate law, namely, president – Matt King, secretary – Mike McKinney, and treasurer – Bill Welch. The business management team was intended to be appointed by and provide support in financial and administrative matters to the governing Council of Elders. The Council of Elders consists of Brian Orchard, Marshall Stiver, Bill Hutchinson, and Cliff Veal. The Council provides spiritual guidance and direction for the Church. These respective roles and responsibilities were reiterated and agreed upon during the conference.
Our form of Church government will continue to be patterned on the biblical model of hierarchical structure but with a family emphasis. Brian Orchard serves in the role of senior pastor and overseer. We all agreed that we must be careful not to create a layer of government which would separate the members from God the Father and from the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ. However, we recognize that clear structure is necessary for the orderly functioning of the Church. Family style governance refers to a biblical form of governance with emphasis on how we work together within the structure. A vital element is the attitude with which we approach working together as brothers in a family, under the guidance of Jesus Christ our Elder Brother and following the example of the physical family as created by God the Father.
These are very exciting times in which we live and we thank you for your prayers. We went away excited about the opportunity God is giving us in working together seeking to stay close to the Father and Jesus Christ so that we may continue to follow their lead.
By Cliff Veal
