Congregational Meeting 4/25/10

Meeting was called to order at 9:30am by President Bernie Orris.

Pastor Rust led congregation in prayer.

A quorum was present in 142 members signing in.

President Orris spoke of the “Interim Faith Statement” that had been approved by Council and mailed out to members. This statement is not intended to replace our constitution, its purpose is not to withdraw from the ELCA, it IS a statement of faith for St Andrew Lutheran Church.

Motion made by Johnnie Orris, 2^nd by Steve Herald to adopt the Faith Statement.

Pastor Rust asked Bernie to read through the statement, which she then did.

A Common Confession

Interim St Andrew Faith Statement

1. The Lord Jesus Christ: We are people who believe and confess our faith in the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We trust and believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

2. The Gospel of Salvation: We believe and confess that all human beings are sinners, and that sinners are redeemed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God alone justifies human beings by faith in Christ – a faith that God creates through the message of the Gospel. As ambassadors for Christ, God uses us to speak his Word and build his kingdom.

3. The Authority of Scripture: We believe and confess that the Bible is God’s revealed Word to us, spoken in Law and Gospel. The Bible is the final authority for us in all matters of our faith and life.

4. A Common Confession of Faith: We accept and uphold that the Lutheran Confessions reliable guide us as faithful interpretations of Scripture and that we share a unity and fellowship in faith with others among whom the Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached and the sacraments are administered in accordance with the Gospel.

5. The Priesthood of All Believers: We believe and confess that the Holy Spirit makes all who believe in Jesus Christ to be priests for service to others in Jesus’ name, and that God desires to make use of the spiritual gifts he has given through the priesthood of all believers.

6. Marriage and Family: We believe and confess that the marriage of male and female is an institution created and blessed by God. From marriage, God forms families to serve as the building blocks of all human civilization and community. We teach and practice that sexual activity belongs exclusively within the biblical boundaries of a faithful marriage between one man and one woman.

7. The Mission and Ministry of the Congregation: We believe and confess that the church is the assembly of believers called and gathered by God around Word and Sacrament, and that the mission and ministry of the church is carried out within the context of individual congregations, which are able to work together locally and globally.

Discussion:

Pete Schulz- opposed to adopting the statement for 2 reasons: 1) it is not under our constitutional right to do. He feels the constitution is important. The constitution states we should be aligned with that of the ELCA. 2) For social reasons, against all injustices; marriage puts aside homosexuals. He does not believe that this statement shows our acceptance of everyone.

Bob Buszka- We follow God’s justice, we should follow His rules in the Bible. Our doors should be open to those who seek change. The Bible states no. We don’t play society here. We are Christians here.

Bonnie Roach- I assume the council had reviewed the constitution and that the vote fell under parliamentary rule. Feels we are put on earth to love everyone, but as Christians we are put on earth to follow the Bible. Society has fallen toward cultural norms over a period of time and we are to follow the Bible’s instructions for Godly living. It is not up to us to judge someone’s soul.

Ballots were passed out and collected. Karen Ellenberger, Linda Bloomfield, Walter Reed went out to count the ballots.

Pete Schulz gave an update on the status of our financial situation.

Norm Kendall stated that some Columbarium Funds had been transferred to the operating fund.

Bob Buzska stated that the LMIM need 20 members show up to vote for use of LMIM funds.

Ollie Beall stated that by March, we were $4900 behind. The Finance Committee is worried that this trend will continue. If the auction does not bring in the $10,000 budgeted, there will be problems.

Pete Shulz thanked Arnie Peters for 13 years of service on the finance and auditing committees. Pete asked for volunteers.

Karen Ellenberger read the results of the ballot count: Results were 118 yes, and 24 no.

President Orris declared the statement has been adopted.

Walter Reed made an announcement that the Funeral Committee needs more people to volunteer to serve on it for funerals and memorials. Terry will train these individuals. They would only need to serve once every 6 months to a year.

Bernie announced that Vision Co-coordinator volunteers are needed.

Bernie thanked everyone for their presence.

Motion to adjourn made by John O’Shaughnessy, 2^nd by Wayne Bach.

President Orris closed the meeting with The Lord’s Prayer at 10:02am.

Respectfully submitted,

Karen Ellenberger