Highlights of the meeting of the sub-Executive of Toronto Conference
April 6, 2006
and the Executive meeting held April 19, 2006

1.  sub-Executive:  In a brief meeting April 6, the sub-Executive conducted the following business:

• Made two appointments on the recommendation of the nominations committee

• Heard reports on two on-going reviews of Ministry Personnel

• Agreed to conduct a review of Ministry Personnel on behalf of a Presbytery

• Granted sacramental privileges to Heather McCarrell, Student Supply at the Maxwell-Badjeros Pastoral Charge in Grey Presbytery

• Gave instruction to the Trustees of the former Guthrie United Church in Simcoe Presbytery to explore final options for the use of the property.  If other uses cannot be found for the building by May 15, 2006, the Trustees are to move toward demolition of the building and disposition of the property.

2.  social ministry/experimental ministry funds:  At its January meeting the Executive had asked Executive Secretary David Allen to develop some administrative procedures for disbursing particular funds received from the sale of church property.  As decided by the Executive, 15 percent of the total funds received will go to social ministries and 10 percent to experimental ministries.  The executive secretary’s report generated considerable conversation.  The Executive agreed to send the options to three committees and the Toronto United Church Council for their advice before taking action.  The advice is to be received by the end of September.

3.  NUC-TUCT extra appeal:  The Executive approved a further extra appeal to provide things like window coverings, appliances and other amenities at Lester B. Pearson Place, the non-profit housing development at Newtonbrook United Church-Taiwanese United Church of Toronto (NUC-TUCT) in Toronto Don Valley Presbytery.  The multi-million dollar project requires an extra $150,000.

4.  audited financial statements:  The Executive received and approved the financial statements for the 2005 fiscal year (available upon request).

5.  2007 proposed budget:  The Executive reviewed the budget requests for 2007 and the recommendations of the finance committee.  It agreed to forward to the Conference’s annual meeting at the end of May a budget with $1,000,000 of expenditures and an assessment of $14.75 per resident member, up from $12.50 per resident member; this would be the first increase in three years.  Because of the visioning process which is underway, the Executive named the 2007 budget as a transitional budget, anticipating that any changes resulting from the visioning process will impact the 2008 budget (draft budget available upon request).

6.  travel rate:  With gas prices bouncing up and down, the Executive agreed to change the travel rate to 39 cents per kilometer.  The finance committee was asked to recommend a travel rate policy which would not require the Executive to take action each time gasoline prices change.

7.  next meeting:  The next meeting of the Executive will be June 14;  emergent concerns will be handled by the sub-Executive.

To receive excerpts from the minutes as noted above, please contact Larysa Kazyeva at lkazyeva@torontoconference.ca.