Meeting Minutes List

Describe the item or answer the question so that site visitors who are interested get more information. You can emphasiCommission on Finance, Administration, Pension, & Benefits AGENDA NOTES – THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2026
ATTENDING:
1 Harrison Bell
2 Sam Gregory
3 Vivian Kinnear
4 Bishop Auta (NT) OUT
5 Luvo Thwethwa (SAT)
6 Sung-Soo Kim
7 Jennifer Lineberry OUT
13 MEMBERS; 3 STAFF ATTENDING
8 Sherry Austin
9 Chris Akers
10 Jim Noble
11 Joy Perry
12 Matt Seel
13 Rhonda Bourgeois 14 Richard Croll
15 Olandor Boyce (LT) STAFF:
1 Molly Williams
2 Mike Schafer
3 Matt Conover
WELCOME AND PRAYER –HARRISON
NEW MEMBER – Joy Perry, CFO/Treasurer from the Allegheny West conference, joins us, replacing Herman Dick.
APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES FROM IN-PERSON MEETING – VIVIAN
• Commission approved February 5th meeting minutes with edits. Vivian will revise the minutes to include these edits.
CONNECTIONAL COUNCIL UPDATE – SAM
• The Connectional Council
o finalized delegate allocations for General Conference
o approved addition to brand book currently on the website
o approved Joy Perry as a member of this commission
STRATEGIC PLANNING UPDATE – HARRISON
• A task force was appointed to develop a strategic plan for the denomination that will impact the commission, particularly staffing. The commission might see some elements by summer for feedback, with a goal to have something tangible by October 31. Budget impacts would likely affect new budgets rather than current ones.
NEW BUSINESS
• CREDIT CARD RECEIPT POLICY
o Molly presented a draft policy requiring itemized receipts for all credit card transactions. After discussion, the policy was unanimously approved (Matt made the motion, Vivian seconded) with the addition of a section specifying that exceptions up to $2500 can be approved by Molly or Matthew; anything above requires Mike’s approval.
OLD BUSINESS
• CONTRACTOR POLICY
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o The commission extensively discussed the development of a policy for contractors and employment classifications. They voted to send the draft policy shared by Matthew to a law firm for review and recommendations. This firm will be asked to help define terms and develop appropriate procedures. The timeline is to review their recommendation before the end of March 31, 2026.
o Matthew and Mike will send the contractor policy draft to the law firm for review, arranging a meeting with them to discuss the policy needs.
• CONNECTIONAL FUNDING FOR NON-US CONFERENCES
o The commission briefly discussed strategies for helping non-US global conferences pay connectional funding. They recognized that the Grain Coast Conference is trailblazing the payment process. A task force was formed, including Rhonda, Matthew, Jim, and Olandor, to address the issue. Harrison will send an email to organize it.
• LEGAL FEE FUND FOR PROPERTY DISPUTES
o A $200,000 legal fee fund for conferences struggling with asset transfers was never officially approved by the Connectional Council. The Operations staff shared that they have received a $55,000 legal bill from Nigeria and a $6,000 request from Angola. The issue needs to be approved as soon as possible by the Connectional Council, and a more detailed breakdown of legal expenses is needed before approval. Olandor provided context about the process of legal proceedings in Africa and how they differ from those in the US. They often involve flat fees rather than hourly rates and “notes of thanks”.
o Sam and Harrison will bring the legal fee fund issue to the Connectional Council for formal approval.
• HEALTH INSURANCE TASK GROUP UPDATE
o Chris will send an email update to the commission after their next meeting. • BOY SCOUTS
o Chris will send an email update to the commission.
CLOSING PRAYER – Mike
Next meeting: MARCH 5, 2026
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