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Historic Moment at Central Conference Meeting
By Stan Friedman
CHICAGO, IL (May 3, 2005) - Historic votes were made during the Central
Conference 2005 Annual Meeting on Saturday, when delegates elected the
denomination's first African American superintendent and approved a new
constitution. Delegates also approved a new budget.
Following his election, Supt. Jerome Nelson told the delegates, "I can't
tell you how grateful I am to be standing here and for you to believe
that I can do this." Nelson said that when the history of the conference
is discussed, he hopes the current delegates will be proud to say, "I
was there at that meeting."
Nelson has been acting superintendent following the retirement of
Herbert Freedholm at the end of December. Nelson had been an associate
pastor at the Church of Gary Covenant Church in Gary, Indiana, and
associate pastor at Cuyler Covenant Church in Chicago. For the past five
years, Nelson has worked at the conference office as director of Church
and Society Ministries and has been an adjunct professor at North Park
Theological Seminary, teaching spiritual formation as part of the
Covenant External Orientation Program.
Nelson has degrees in finance and worked extensively in the banking
industry, serving as vice president of a large international bank. His
wife, Joanne, works in the Department of Church Growth and Evangelism of
the Evangelical Covenant Church. The couple has three children.
The new constitution incorporates some language found in the
denomination's constitution and clarifies certain issues that were
considered to be vague by definition. However, the new document also
addresses and makes provision for conditions that often change rapidly,
said Herb Hedstrom, who served on the committee that wrote the new
constitution.
Delegates approved the budget, which reflects a projected deficit of
$113,865 as the result of the conference's strengthened commitment to
church planting. The conference was able to balance the budget by using
some of the reserve funds that have accumulated over the years.
Conference leaders describe the budget as an expression of faith in
church planting. Leaders are optimistic that the deficit can be overcome
in the years to come through growth in giving from new churches as well
as increased support from established churches as they engage even
deeper in conference ministries. Church giving increased 2.6 percent in
2004.
The meeting finished early, even before lunch, leading conference chair
Doug Johnson to quip, "This is historic."
In other news from the meeting:
- Marilee Backstrand, Janet Borggren and Edward Coleman were elected
to the Conference Executive Board. Janet Muzatko and Peter Frisk were
elected to the Harbor Point Ministries Board.
- It was reported that 15 churches participated in the Natural Church
Development program, an assessment and development tool designed to help
revitalize established churches.
- Delegates approved the conference's long-range plan.
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