Meeting Minutes List

Describe the item or answer the question so that site visitors who are interested get more information. You can emphasiGeneral Conference Commission (GCC)
March 24, 2026
9am EST
Voting Members Present: Sterling Allen, Shalom Azabe, Tim Beardsley, Mary Blagojevich, Elie Diko, César Gazza, Joy Griffin, James Kawadza, Chipau Audu Kilyobas, Bridget Kirk, Carol Loeb, Norma Morrison, Mack Parker, Charles Puno, Stacy Taylor, Jay Therrell, Molly Williams
Non-Voting Members Present: Laura Ballinger, Ginger Barbee, Rhonda Bourgeois, Dianne Burnett, Lyndsey Clark, Mike Grant, Tom Lambrecht, Lamar Oliver, Becci Wood
Not Present: Beth Ann Cook, Jeff Greenway, Tsvetan Iliev, Tesia Mallory, Nicolas Munongo, Davies Musigo, Bill Patrick, Mike Schafer
Opening Prayer: Laura
Minutes: Motion by Bridget, seconded by Mary to approve minutes from March 10 meeting. Approved 13-0; Motion by Bridget, seconded by Tim to approve minutes from March 19 meeting. Approved 13-0
Connectional Council Report, Mike Schafer:
• Via Tom - Connectional Council reviewed the Administrative Committee nominations report and from the Nominations committee removed Ben Bowman and replaced with Holly Joy and removed Kabah from DRC and replaced with Henriette Okele from DRC.
• Connectional Council had discussion about the nominations committee and its process. They will be appointing an advisory board (consisting of two additional staff persons including Mike S, two bishops and two conference superintendents) to be part of the nominations process for general commissions with voice, no vote. This may be submitted as a change to the plan of organization.
Event Project Manager, Becci:
• 180 more invitations went out. 82% have responded. Uniglobe has had about 50% of the registered persons make travel arrangements. Trouble shooting registration invitations: check junk mail, no sharing of email address.
• Team Leads - please get tickets for in person meeting at the end of May. Mike G will be working on the agenda for this meeting, which will include a walk through of GC timeline.
• Continuing to work with James on Logistics with vendors and suppliers in country.
Finance, Molly:
• Team Leads - please look at team budgets before April 9 and submit any changes. • Current contingency fund balance:
Total contingency: $310,192
Allocated to other items: $186,161.42
Unallocated: $124,030.58
• Recommendations:
• The Finance Team recommends we move $60,000 from the Translation/ Interpretation budget into the contingency. The cost of Kudo is much less than we budgeted for Wordly. We originally budgeted $110,000 for Wordly and recently approved Kudo for up to $40,000. Moving $60,000 from this line item still allows room for unexpected costs such as additional languages or hours. Bill Patrick agrees with this proposal. This would increase the unallocated contingency to $180,030.58. Approved 14-0-0
• The Finance Team recommends that we increase the registrant count to 1,100, with a total cost of $125,000 funded from the contingency. With the above recommendation, this would reduce the unallocated contingency to $59,030.58. Approved 16-0-0
• The Finance Team recommends that we limit meals on site to the following groups: Seated delegates, Non-US alternates, GMC staff, Volunteers (including General Conference Commission members), Episcopal leaders & spouses. This means meals would not be provided for general observers, US alternates who are not seated, or other groups not listed above.
• After much discussion, Motion by Carol, seconded by James to send this recommendation back to the Finance team for reconsideration. Not passed: 5-8-2
• Motion by Sterling, seconded by Mack to amend the recommendation to add to the list meals for all GMC paid attendees and sponsors.
Approved 13-0-0
• Motion by Stacy, seconded by Carol to add US Alternates to the list to receive paid for meals. Motion by Mack, seconded by Shalom to call the question (for this motion and Finance recommendation). Approved 11-1-0.
• Stacy motion not passed: 5 for, 6 against, 1abstain
• Vote on Finance Team recommendation as amended by the Sterling motion: Approved 12-2-0
Sponsorships, Mack:
• Mack presented the current exhibitor and sponsor list. 22 out of 25 exhibitor spaces have been filled.
Worship Team, Tesia and Charles:
• All selected speakers said yes.
Missions, Tim:
• Spirit and Truth Training on the morning of August 29, proposed site is Uncle Tom’s Community Center, Kumalo Street, in Orlando West, Soweto. This center holds up to 1000 persons. May require additional security and transportation. Approved 13-0-0
• Tim expressed concerns for those ME participants who have not been given the opportunity to register yet - including health professionals. A small group of Mike,
Becci, Stacy, Tim, Laura, James and Sterling will meet next week to discuss more fully and find a solution.
• Tim expressed concerns for persons for whom the expense of hotels will be too high. Some volunteers may have to find alternate accommodations.
Prayer, Laura:
• Use the prayer guides!
• 48 prayer positions filled - many coming on faith that they will be able to cover the costs. Continuing to pray for resources for all.
• 40 day prayer guide has good input from the majority of the conferences
Legislation, Tom:
• Reference committee and nominations administrative committees will start their work right away.
• Delegations are in place for almost all except Venezuela and Angola; All emerging areas are in, except maybe Pakistan (still unknown); government and ecumenical guests identified.
Agenda, Norma:
• No report
Petitions, Lamar:
• Reference committee is at work; petitions are flowing in.
• 242 Conference report for next meeting
Housing/Logistics, James:
• Will we open up for overflow for general observers? Observers will find their own lodging (with some assistance as needed); IVTM recommended using Gallagher room with livestream feed. Becci and James will have the cost for this by the next meeting. Will persons come all the way to Johannesburg to sit in a room and watch livestream? Are there alternate ways to allow persons in the room (wrist band colors/ alternate days, etc)
• Motion by Sterling, seconded by Tim, to have Becci look at the cost of Four Ways Boarding Hostel and transportation to this location as an option for observers/ volunteers. Approved 7-1-0
Communications, Dianne:
• No report
International Relations, Elie:
• No report
Credentialing/Registration, Carol:
• Presented the design for the name tags. Approved 10-0-0
Hospitality/Volunteers, Stacy:
• Please send names of special guests to Stacy so that volunteers can help support their hospitality.
Translation/Interpretation, Bill:
• No report
Assembly of Bishops, Bishop Greenway:
• No report
New Business:
• Mike G has been approached by someone wishing to give away books at GC. Sterling suggested that we have been strict about who is allowed gifts; Mike will run this by the Finance and Sponsorship teams.
• Note on other legislation coming to GC: Streamlining work of the commission, guidelines for who we fund, or don’t fund, moving out of our old world and into something new. Be praying about this!
Next meeting: Tuesday, April 14, 2026 at 9am EST
Motion to adjourn by Bridget, seconded by Jay. Approved 9-0-0
Meeting closed in prayer by Tim.
Minutes submitted by Stacy Taylorze this text with bullets, italics or bold, and add links.