Minutes to Annual Meeting & Congregational Meetings

Annual Meeting

May 17, 2020 UNAPPROVED DRAFT

Council of Elders Chair Mark Taylor welcomed the members to the 2020 annual meeting via the Zoom webinar at 5:00 p.m. He thanked the tech team and technology director, Tim Hollinger. He made other introductory comments, including instructions on how the online voting would be handled.

Mr. Taylor read Psalm 103 and opened the meeting in prayer.

A quorum of 268 (20% of regular members) was required, and 706 members were present. Mr. Taylor officially called the Annual Meeting to order at 5:10 p.m.

Mr. Taylor read the following resolution to approve the minutes and called for members to submit their votes:

Resolution to approve minutes

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the following congregational meetings are approved as presented:

• Annual Meeting of May 19, 2019

• Congregational Meeting Sept. 22, 2019 (to appoint members to the Capital Campaign Committee)

• Congregational Meeting of Jan. 19, 2020 (to approve appointment of Cheryce Berg and Diane Jordan to Pastoral Staff positions

The resolution was approved by a vote of 662-2.

Mr. Taylor presented the 2020 Annual Report and encouraged members to send personal notes to the people who wrote reports. He gave an opportunity for questions, and there were no questions. The Annual Report was received as submitted.

Mr. Taylor invited Senior Pastor Josh Moody to the platform. Pastor Moody expressed his thanks to many in this year of blessing and challenge, including staff, the elders, deacons, deaconesses, and the board of missions. Pastor Moody read Psalm 1 as he concluded his remarks.

Mr. Taylor read the following resolution from the 2019-20 Nominating Committee to elect new leaders for 2020-21:

Resolution to elect new leaders in various capacities

RESOLVED: That the following groups of nominees, whose names have been printed on page 52 of the Annual Report, are hereby elected:

• Members of the Council of Elders for terms ending in 2024

• Members of the Board of Deacons, the Board of Deaconesses, and the Board of Missions for terms ending in 2023

• Members of various committees for terms as specified

• Elective positions for terms as specifiedThe resolution was approved by a vote of 669-2.

Outgoing Elder Steve Ivester prayed for the new leaders for 2020-21.

Regarding the election of members to the Nominating Committee for the new church year, Mr. Taylor explained the process of electing one man and three women. Members had been invited to submit names, and names of nine women and six men were submitted. Members had then been given an opportunity to vote online, and a total of 443 votes were cast in that process. Mr. Taylor further explained that the election of the Nominating Committee takes place at the Annual Meeting, but because the votes were cast prior to the meeting this year, members were now called to formally ratify the vote and affirm the election of the individuals to the 2020-2021 Nominating Committee.

Resolution to approve elected members of Nominating Committee for 2020-21

WHEREAS: The Regular Members have gone through the prescribed process of nominating individuals to be elected as members of the Nominating Committee for 2020-21; and

WHEREAS: The Regular Members have had an opportunity prior to this meeting to vote on the nominees, and three women and one man have received the most votes in that prior process:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That the Regular Members hereby affirm the election of the following individuals to serve on the Nominating Committee for 2020-21: Laurel Aulie, Barb Nussbaum, Lorraine Triggs and Chris Tews.

The resolution was approved by a vote of 674-8.

Dr. Ivester prayed for the new members of the Nominating Committee.

Mr. Taylor invited Board of Deacons Chair Anson Johnson to the platform to present the 2019-2020 financial report and the proposed budget for 2020-2021. Mr. Johnson showed the financial position and performance with a chart labeled “College Church Budget Basics.” It showed the financial growth pattern of the past ten years, with giving up 37% and spending up 35%. For the year ended April 30, 2020, giving to the Ministry/Missions Fund was $7,584,728, and expenditures were $7,531,251. The budget for both giving and expenditures had been $8,112,787.

With the challenge of COVID-19, the proposed budget for 2020-21 is a flat budget compared to the previous year. The deacons presented this 0% increase budget to the elders, who concurred with this approach.

The meeting was then opened for discussion. Nancy Singer addressed several questions about parity between missions and ministry.

Mr. Taylor addressed questions about the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The 2020-21 budget does not include any money from the PPP ($826,800), and if forgiven, the money becomes a grant. Mr. Taylor explained that we have a congregational form of government, so the elders will ask the members at a future meeting to decide whether the church should pay back the PPP loan or ask forgiveness of the loan. He also referred members to the half-hour video fireside chat he did about the PPP.

Resolution to approve the budget for 2020-21

WHEREAS: The Board of Deacons and the Council of Elders have evaluated numerous options as to how best to proceed in establishing the budget for 2020-21, and they have agreed together on the validity of the budget as presented:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That the Regular Members hereby approve of the budget as presented; and

FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Board of Deacons is requested to report back to the congregation on at least a quarterly basis as to the status of actual financial operations compared to the budget.

The resolution was approved by a vote of 648- 40, which is a 94% affirmative vote.

Mr. Taylor invited Pastor Moody to platform to pray for giving and finances.

Mr. Jeremy Taylor, chairman of the Capital Campaign Committee, was invited to the platform to give a report about the committee’s activities. Jeremy reported that the committee will not formally launch a capital campaign until the church resumes meeting together in person. He asked for prayer for wisdom with both significant needs and opportunities.

Council Chair Mark Taylor noted that the congregation had previously approved the option to purchase the two remaining properties west of the Sanctuary on Seminary Ave. The congregation needs to approve the actual purchase of the properties. The Council of Elders will call a special congregational meeting within the next few months to take action on approving the purchase of these two properties.

Mr. Taylor read the following resolution:

Resolution to approve Mathiesen, Moyski & Austin as auditors

RESOLVED: That the audit firm of Mathiesen, Moyski & Austin is hereby approved as the independent auditor for the year 2020-21.

The resolution was approved by a vote of 646-6.Mr. Taylor read the final resolution:

Resolution to approve borrowing facilities

RESOLVED: That the Church is hereby authorized to borrow up to $900,000 through a bank line of credit or through other loans to facilitate the Church’s cash-flow needs during the year.

The resolution was approved by a vote of 610- 27.

Mr. Taylor concluded the business of the meeting, and thanked members for participating in this unusual format. Instead of members singing “To God Be the Glory,” Mr. Taylor read the words to the hymn.

Mr. Taylor invited Pastor Moody to return to the platform to pray and give the benediction. The meeting was adjourned at 6:49 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Lorraine Triggs Recording Secretary

College Church in Wheaton Congregational Meeting via Zoom

June 28, 2020 UNAPPROVED DRAFT

Council of Elders Chair Mark Taylor opened in prayer and called the meeting to order at 5:03 p.m. The sole matter of business was to act on the resolution that came from the Council of Elders by their unanimous vote.

Mr. Taylor thanked the church’s Technical Team, Tim Hollinger, Joseph Abdelmelek and Tony Visconti for set up and control of the virtual meeting and Eric Channing/Wil Triggs for monitoring online questions in the Commons and providing them to Ben Panner in the sanctuary to communicate.

Determination of quorum – 20% of all regular members (i.e., 268 members) needed for quorum; actual members present: (as verified by an online sign-in process) 396. (Note: additional members joined the meeting after the quorum was determined.)

Resolution to Approve Purchase of the Properties at 319 and 323 E. Seminary Ave.

WHEREAS: The properties at 319 and 323 E. Seminary Ave. are seen as a strategic acquisition for College Church because they sit in the middle of the other church-owned properties along Seminary Ave.; and

WHEREAS: The Site and Facilities Committee and the Council of Elders agree that purchase of these properties would enhance our ability to plan for future expansion of the sanctuary building and/or parking facilities to the west; and

WHEREAS: On March 15, 2015, the Regular Members approved entering into a 5-year nonbinding option agreement to purchase these properties; and

WHEREAS: The church has entered into a purchase agreement contingent on approval by the members to exercise the option to purchase the properties at 319 and 323 E. Seminary Ave. on March 3, 2021, for a combined purchase price of $1,005,000:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That the Regular Members hereby approve of the purchase of the properties at 319 and 323 E. Seminary on or about March 3, 2021, per the terms of the purchase agreement; and

FURTHER RESOLVED: That the church will work at raising necessary funds through the capital campaign, but if such giving is insufficient, we hereby authorize the church to borrow up to 80% of the purchase price at reasonable commercial terms.

Mr. M. Taylor read the resolution, then displayed and discussed an online map of the properties the church owns on Seminary as well as the two properties being considered.

Mr. M. Taylor then invited Howard Costley, the Chair of the Site and Facilities Committee to speak about the committee’s findings. Mr. Costley stated that the committee has determined that the current Christian Education wing has serious security and space constraint issues. The Site and Facilities Committee also determined that the Narthex space is not sufficient for the number of people that use it on any given Sunday morning. The Site and Facilities Committee believes that the only viable option for Christian Education and Narthex expansion is to the west of the current sanctuary building; hence, the purchase of the two properties in the above resolution is key to College Church’s expansion. Therefore, it is essential to exercise these options and approve the purchase of the properties at 319 and 323 E. Seminary.

Mr. M. Taylor indicated a nearer term use for this property to the west of the sanctuary may be to use some of the space for an accessible parking lot.

Mr. Taylor then invited Jeremy Taylor, Chair of the Capital Campaign Committee to brief everyone on plans for the Capital Campaign in the near future. Mr. J. Taylor stated the plan to launch the actual Campaign had been delayed until the church was meeting together again after the coronavirus pandemic is under better control. Through generous early giving the church has already received 20% of the monies needed to purchase these properties and Mr. J. Taylor invited any who are ready to pledge to the Capital Campaign to contact him. Also, the online giving screen has a line for Capital Campaign contributions.

Mr. M. Taylor then opened the floor for discussion on the resolution under consideration.

There were multiple questions raised concerning such items as the church’s financial position, its current indebtedness, questioning the wisdom of taking on additional debt at this time, the PPP loan and potential for forgiveness of that loan, alternatives for paying for the purchases, expansion/growth plans, ministry direction, and cash flow from rental properties,

After a time of Q & A, Mr. M. Taylor directed members to the online ballot and requested that members cast their votes.

The vote required a 2/3 majority for passage. Via electronic ballot and absentee ballot counts, there were 389 affirmative votes and 66 negative votes., (There were also 14 abstentions, which do not count toward the vote ratio.)

Mr. M. Taylor announced that the resolution passed with 85.5% positive votes.

Recalling times in his parent’s home and his family’s tradition to sing hymns together, Mr. M. Taylor chose one of those songs appropriate for the meeting topic and sang/spoke the words of the children’s song “The Wise Man Built His House Upon The Rock”.

Pastor Moody closed the meeting with prayer. Meeting adjourned at 6:14 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Carol Schick Recording Secretary

College Church in Wheaton Congregational Meeting via Zoom

December 6, 2020 UNAPPROVED DRAFT

Council of Elders Chair Mark Taylor opened in prayer and called the meeting to order at 5:02 p.m. The Purpose of the meeting was to give an update on the overall plans for the Crossings building and then to vote on the resolution to approve the capital expenditures totaling $425,000 to build out the center portion for STARS Resale Shop.

Mr. Taylor thanked Tim Hollinger and Tony Visconti for set up and control of the virtual meeting and Eric Channing/Wil Triggs/Ben Panner for monitoring online questions.

Determination of quorum for this exceptional matter: 20% of all regular members (i.e., 260 members) needed for quorum; actual members present (as verified by an online sign-in process): 373.

Resolution to approve capital expenditures in Crossings building

WHEREAS: The STARS Resale Shop (SRS) needs to relocate within the next six months from their current location on College Avenue, and the Council of Elders has approved in concept a three-year space-sharing agreement for the SRS to be located in the center section of the Crossings building; and

WHEREAS: SRS is expected to pay the church $80,000 per year for use of its shared space; and

WHEREAS: The general contractor has provided an estimate of $425,000 for the build-out expense for the center section of the building; and

WHEREAS: This $425,000 would have to be spent even if the space were used for other ministry purposes, and it is also for the eventual use of the east end of the building for other ministry purposes; and

WHEREAS: The entire budget for this capital expenditure can be funded apart from the regular Ministry/Missions budget by:

• $250,000 that is available in the church’s Rental Funds

• $75,000 that will be provided by STARS Resale Shop

• $100,000 from a gift that has been designated specifically for this project

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That the Regular Members approve of this capital expenditure of approximately $425,000 for the initial Crossings build-out, which will allow the STARS Resale Shop to relocate to the Crossings building.

Mr. Taylor read the resolution, then displayed and discussed an online schematic drawing of the Crossings building formerly known as the Toms-Price building. On the west end of the property Clapham School will occupy 19,400 square feet. The center space of 7,100 square feet will be occupied by the SRS. The east end of the building, currently occupied by Toms- Price Furniture with a square footage of 18,200 plus 12,000 square feet on the second floor, will eventually be used for College Church ministry and/or offices. John Seward is putting together a task force to consider usage of the east side which is expected to be available for renovation after June 2021 when Toms-Price moves out of the space.

Mr. Taylor then provided background information on the SRS plans to utilize the center portion of the Crossings building. Mr. Taylor gave an overview of the SRS space on College Avenue and the issues with that location. SRS’s current lease is up at the end of March 2021, and they would like to relocate to the Crossings building to avoid entering into another multiyear lease with their current landlord. Mr. Taylor continued by stating that initially a threeyear lease agreement has been negotiated between College Church and SRS at an annual rate of $80,000. Mr. Taylor reminded the congregants that College Church owns two resale shops—SRS, which generates resources (so far about $500,000) for STARS Family Services, and Twice Is Nice, which has been operating for 25 years and benefits Outreach Community Center.

Mr. Taylor informed the congregation that the buildout of the Crossings building would need to be done before College Church uses the building for any purpose. The City of Wheaton has informed the church that firewalls need to be installed between each section of the building and plumbing must be installed to allow for adequate restroom facilities, as well as an outside door installed at the entrance to the space that the SRS will occupy.

Before entertaining questions, Mr. Taylor reminded everyone that this resolution is separate from the Capital Campaign which relates to the property on the north side of Seminary Avenue and is a totally different matter.

The Q and A session included various questions about the $425,000 expenditure. These questions included where funding will come from, confirmation that the donation was specifically designated for this purpose, was there a need to supplement the rental fees, and are the expenses expected to exceed $425,000? Additional questions related to SRS’s current/future rent payments, funding their insurance coverage, the timeframe for Toms-Price Furniture to move, what criteria will be used in three years to evaluate whether SRS’s lease is extended, and whether SRS is ok with only a three-year lease. Further questions related to the construction were: who the chosen contractor is, will restrooms be added for the SRS employees’ use, how long will the buildout take, and will there be a bookstore in the building? Finally, there was a question concerning whether the voting would be anonymous.

After the Q and A, Mr. Taylor asked that the voting by online ballot proceed. Including absentee ballots, the vote was as follows: Yes - 441, No – 16, Abstain – 8. The resolution passed with 96.5% affirmative votes.

Before Mr. Taylor closed the meeting, he provided comments relating to the PPP loan the church applied for and received thru Wheaton Bank and Trust in April of this year. He gave background on the Elders’ decision to apply for the loan, stating that there was concern at the time about the ability to keep staff employed since the giving dropped off dramatically in March and April. The Council of Elders has decided that the decision about whether to apply for forgiveness of the loan or repayment should be brought to the congregation. The portal to apply for forgiveness has been opened by Wheaton Bank and Trust and the timing for the meeting to vote on this decision will be sometime early next year, probably January 2021.

Ben Panner closed the meeting with prayer.

Meeting adjourned at 5:55 pm.

Respectfully submitted: Carol Schick Recording Secretary

College Church in Wheaton Congregational Meeting via Zoom

March 14, 2021 UNAPPROVED DRAFT

Council of Elders Chair Mark Taylor began by reading Proverbs 9:10 and James 1:5; both passages on wisdom. Mr. Taylor then opened in prayer asking the Lord to join the meeting and provide wisdom. Mr. Taylor called the meeting to order at 5:03 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is for the Regular Members to vote on whether the church should repay the government’s PPP loan or apply for forgiveness.

Mr. Taylor thanked Tim Hollinger, Tony Visconti, Eric Channing, Wil Triggs and Ben Panner for their assistance in the meeting.

Determination of Quorum – 5% of regular members (i.e., 65 members) needed for quorum; actual members present at first count: (as verified by an online sign-in process) 406. (Note: Additional members joined the meeting after the determination of quorum.)

Mr. Taylor gave a brief overview of the history of the decision-making process for the PPP loan. At the end of March, Nancy Singer recommended to Mr. Taylor that the church apply for the Paycheck Protection Plan loan. Mr. Taylor consulted with senior pastor Josh Moody and they agreed that the church should apply for the loan and authorized Nancy Singer to apply for the PPP loan thru Wheaton Bank and Trust. The PPP loan is part of the CARES Act that would enable small businesses with fewer than 500 employees both for profit and not for profit to pay their employees. The dollar amount of the loan was calculated to be equal to 2 ½ months of payroll expenses.

Mr. Taylor reported that last year’s giving went from being around $100,000 over budget in February 2020 to being about $600,000 under budget by end of April 2020. Our current fiscal year beginning May 1, 2020 giving has been up and down. Last December, the typical high month for giving, saw lower than traditional levels. Now, six weeks from our current fiscal year end we are again below budget about $600,000.

The Council of Elders has spent numerous hours discussing the question of whether to repay the loan or ask for forgiveness. On the one hand, the federal government has stated that it will not infringe on any church matters after receipt of the loan. The Council of Elders were not unanimous on whether apply for forgiveness or repay the loan.

Mr. Taylor and Nancy Singer reported that our current financial situation is in the black because of careful management of expenses. This means that many things did not occur, such as, no staff pay increases, routine capital expenditures were not undertaken, certain special missionary projects were not funded; although missionary support continued, 5-year replenishments for equipment like computers, servers, copy machines, needed sanctuary lighting upgrades were not done.

Mr. Taylor asked two of the current Elders to give their personal perspectives on this decision. Randy Jahns stated that he voted to repay the loan. He did not want to be beholden to the government. Despite promises that churches would be free from any obligation as a result of accepting these funds, other organizations have been shamed in the court of public opinion by the press and there are no guarantees that the government would not go back on their promises. Mr. Jahns made the point that in the future, someone will have to repay this enormous debt that has been added to the national debt figure. Mr. Jahns stated that, for him, it is a matter of principle. We are a faith-based body, God has been faithful in the past, without endowments and without support from outside grants. We should be dependent on no one, except God.

David Bea, another of the current Elders, then gave his perspective. Mr. Bea felt that we should ask for forgiveness and quoted Romans 13:3-4 and 1 Peter 2:14, making the point that our government is trying to do good for the people. Since we legally obtained the loan and qualify to ask for forgiveness, we should accept the help. Further, church employees do not qualify for unemployment benefits and therefore for the sake of our employees, we accepted the loan and should accept forgiveness. The government has stated there would be no strings attached and they would have no standing to interfere, since under contract law they cannot change the contract once it is made.

Mr. Taylor then ask for questions and comments from the members.

Comments offered included the following thoughts:

• By accepting the loan, we can be subject to the government changing the rules/promises made at any time;

• Proverbs warns against being in debt;

• With the recent change in government, new laws have been enacted that are completely against God’s will;

• To maintain unity, we should repay;

• Putting off needed expenses indefinitely is not sustainable for the long run;

• A report that STARS Family Services both received the PPP loan and asked for forgiveness;

• Matthew 10:16…about being as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves was quoted and was the basis of an opinion that we should apply for forgiveness and use the money for the furthering of the gospel

• A reminder was given that although the staff did not receive pay increases this past year, neither did many of the members and in fact some had their income reduced or lost their jobs

• And finally a comment was made that the Small Business Administration has already shown signs of changing their mind by asking businesses who borrowed more than two million dollars to fill out a questionnaire about how they used the money etc. and that this money would be subject to audit for the next seven years.

Questions asked and answered included:

• Are there any organizations known to have repaid the loan?

• Do we have enough cash on hand to repay the loan?

• If we voted not to repay the loan, would we be able to make a retroactive pay increase to the staff?

• What are the terms and timeframe for repaying the loan?

• Has the Council of Elders considered the enormous amount all of this is adding to the national debt?

• Is there any concern about the pending Equality Act and losing tax exempt status?

Tad Williams called for the question. Mr. Taylor said that since this meeting is via zoom and the meeting has already been an hour in length, he felt it appropriate to proceed with the vote.

BACKGROUND: College Church borrowed $826,800 under the Paycheck Protection Program on April 16, 2020. After thoroughly evaluating the spiritual, philosophical, and financial implications of the PPP loan, the Council of Elders was unable to achieve unanimity as to repaying the loan or applying for forgiveness. As a result, the Council agreed that the issue should be decided by a vote of the Regular Members. The elders themselves voted 8 to 4 to recommend to the Members that we should repay the loan.

After the Q and A, Mr. Taylor asked that the voting by online ballot proceed. Including absentee ballots (177), 382 members voted to repay the PPP loan, 220 members voted to ask for forgiveness of the loan and 11 members abstained. 63.5% of the votes favored repayment of the PPP loan.

Ben Panner closed the meeting in prayer. Meeting adjourned at 6:08 p.m.

Respectfully submitted: Carol Schick Recording Secretary

College Church in Wheaton Congregational Meeting via Zoom

April 18, 2021 UNAPPROVED DRAFT

Council of Elders Chair Mark Taylor began by reading 1 Timothy 3:1-7 regarding the qualifications for church leaders. Mr. Taylor opened in prayer, committing Baxter Helm, Zach Fallon, and Josh Stringer to the Lord and his leading. The meeting was called to order at 5:06 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is for the Regular Members to vote on two motions from the Council of Elders:

1. To approve Baxter Helm as Senior High School Pastor

2. To amend the College Church Bylaws

Mr. Taylor thanked Tim Hollinger, Tony Visconti, Wil Triggs, Dan Hiben, and John Seward for their assistance in the meeting.

Determination of Quorum for these exceptional matters: 20% of the regular members (i.e., 266 members) needed for quorum; actual members present: 289 (as verified by an online sign-in process). (Note: Additional members joined the meeting after determination of quorum.)

Mr. Taylor provided information on why the Senior High Pastor position is now open. Pastor Zach Fallon felt called to church planting and over a period of time, he felt the Lord’s leading to plant a church in the Atlanta, Georgia area. The Council of Elders approved this church plant and Pastor Fallon will be leaving soon to begin that effort.

Mr. Taylor asked John Seward to explain the process that was followed to find a replacement Senior High Pastor. Briefly; names are offered/solicited from current membership/staff and sister churches. After preliminary interviews with Mr. Seward; and other pastoral staff; top contenders are selected. More interviews are done with staff and parents; and in the end two candidates are asked to complete lengthy applications seeking information about their background, Christian walk, faith story, positions on current issues, etc. The top contender then interviews with the Senior Pastor. If the Senior Pastor concurs, he submits the candidate to the Council of Elders who interviews the individual. With the concurrence of the Council, the candidate’s profile and resume is made public and the candidate is invited to teach the high schoolers with the parents present. The candidate then is presented to the congregation for a vote.

Mr. Taylor then asked Senior Pastor Josh Moody to give his perspective on the candidate, Baxter Helm. Pastor Moody agreed that Baxter Helm accords with 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and agrees that he is a good fit with the pastoral staff, the church, and the high school ministry. Pastor Moody shared that Baxter is a good leader and has a fun element to his personality that is important to high school ministry.

Mr. Taylor asked for any questions or comments. One question was asked and answered about a potential conflict of interest for this candidate because of his relationship to others already on staff. A second question concerned the candidate’s theological training.

After the brief Q & A period, Mr. Taylor presented the resolution and the voting commenced.

RESOLUTION TO APPROVE BAXTER HELM AS SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PASTOR

WHEREAS: The Bylaws provide that “The Senior Pastor shall recommend to the Council for its approval those of his choice to serve as members of the Pastoral Staff”; and WHEREAS: Pastor Josh Moody has recommended Baxter Helm as the Senior High Pastor; and

WHEREAS: The Council of Elders has interviewed Mr. Helm on topics such as his sense of call to this position, his commitment to the Church’s Articles of Faith and Standards of the Christian Life, his personal habits of Christian maturity, and his views on key cultural issues, and the Council has recommended that he be approved as High School Pastor:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That Baxter Helm is hereby approved as the Senior High Pastor for a term beginning on May 2, 2021.

The resolution to approve Baxter Helm as Senior High Pastor was approved by 98.3% affirmative votes; with 342 members voting Yes, 6 members voting No, and 6 members abstaining.

Mr. Taylor then requested John Seward to lead in prayer for the three Pastors; Baxter Helm, Zach Fallon, and Josh Stringer as they move to their new leadership roles.

Mr. Taylor then turned attention to the second and final resolution; to amend the College Church Bylaws. Mr. Taylor highlighted each of the proposed amendments as they were posted online and provided detail for each amendment in the resolution. Mr. Taylor then asked if there were any questions or comments on these Bylaw changes.

The questions/comments that followed included:

• An expression of appreciation to hear about the Life Safety Team and the role they play in providing safety measures

• Discussion on why the Evangelism and

Culture Impact Committees were being recommended to merge into a single committee; concerns that their focus was not identical and something may be lost in combining them; and that the newly formed committee was not large enough

• Is there still a long range plan to add a pastor for local outreach?

• What practical changes would there be for the Head/Assistant Usher positions when moved under the Board of Deacons?

• A request for more information about the responsibilities of the Life Safety Team and the training they have received; and whether any of the Life Safety Team members are armed

• Does the church have a process to go after “lost sheep” who simply stopped attending church?

• Is anything being done to educate congregants about responding to gender issues/ critical race theory?

• Whether the bylaw changes could be voted on individually

Each question was addressed, and at the end of the Q & A period, Mr. Taylor asked the Regular Members to vote on the resolution to amend the bylaws.

For full details regarding amendments to the bylaws please see pages 55-57 of the annual report. https://issuu.com/collegechurchinwheaton/docs/annual_report_2021/55

The resolution to amend the bylaws was approved by 95.4% affirmative votes; with 310 members voting Yes, 15 members voting No, and 7 members abstaining.

Mr. Taylor invited Senior Pastor Josh Moody to close the meeting in prayer.

The meeting adjourned at 6:14 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Carol Schick Recording Secretary