Diocese of Rhode Island
Commission on Finance
Minutes, December 14, 2010
Higgins Room
Present: Robert Batchelor; Robert Bergstrand; Brian Ehlers; The Rev. Dcn. Edwin Hallenbeck; Scott Nicholson; The Rev. John Pallard; The Rt. Rev. Geralyn Wolf.
Also present: Canon Ty Creason; Canon Betsy Fornal; Ronald Turnbull.
Guest: The Rev. David Lucey, Chair, Committee on Program and Budget.
The meeting was called to order at 10:00 am by Chair Nicholson.
Bishop Wolf offered an opening prayer.
The Chair welcomed Fr. Pallard, new member elected at Convention.
The Minutes of the meeting of November 9, 2010 were approved as distributed.
The Treasurer’s Report through 11/30/10 was presented by Mr. Batchelor, noting that Apportionment receipts continue to run ahead of prior years, despite issues in some parishes. Expenses appear reasonable with some lines running over and some under. It may be close to a balance at year end.
Apportionment Report. There are five parishes three or more months behind in apportionment payments. Three are two months in arrears. All are stated below:
| # | Months in Arr | Parish / Location | Comments | |
| 2009 | 2010 | |||
| 6 | 3 | Spec | St. Michael’s, Bristol | Negotiation in process |
| 10 | 0 | 6 | St. Alban’s, Centredale | S. Nicholson following |
| 19 | 2 | 2 | St. David’s, Cranston | |
| 43 | 4 | 3 | St. Columba’s, Middletown | |
| 78 | 3 | 2 | St. Mark’s, Riverside | E. Fornal follow up |
| 83 | 2 | 5 | Ascension, Wakefield | S. Nicholson following |
| 89 | 0 | 2 | St. Mark’s, Warwick | New Rector |
| 93 | 3 | 3 | Christ Church, Westerly | S. Nicholson following |
Mr. Nicholson distributed an email before the meeting summarizing his contacts made with parishes in arrears or with missing reports. Each parish was reviewed in detail. It was agreed the Bishop with Mr. Creason and Mr. Nicholson will meet with leadership of St. John’s, Newport. Mr. Batchelor reported on contacts with parishes missing reports.
St. Mark’s, Warren, property. Mr. Creason stated that the two property assessments received were viewed as inadequate and incomplete. It was agreed to request a third assessment. Messr’s Creason and Nicholson will follow up.
Insurance Retention Fund. Reference 11/9/10 minutes, p. 2. Suggestions from staff for disposition of the fund were not accepted at this time. It was agreed to carry the matter forward to the May 2011 meeting and to review it in conjunction with the 2012 budget.
New Business:
Clergy Housing Allowance. It was Moved, Seconded and Voted, to recommend that the Diocesan Council designate the following amounts of cash compensation to be clergy housing allowances for 2011, in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code (Section 107):
The Rev. Mercedes Julian $28,214.50
The Rev. Sean Manchester $8,684.00
The Rev. Joyce Penfield $15,395.00
The Rev. Jose Roberts $30,000.00
The Rev. Michael Tuck $8,700.00
The Rt. Rev. Geralyn Wolf 52,000.00
St. Mark’s, Riverside. Mr. Turnbull provided a copy of a letter to Lee Amore, Treasurer calling attention to a discrepancy in reporting parish income and expenses. This makes it impossible to accurately determine 2011 apportionment due. There has been no acceptable response to this September request, noting the Treasurer is new in the role. Canon Fornal will follow up with the parish.
Update from Committee on Program and Budget. Chair David Lucey reviewed work to date, largely focused on gathering metrics and information on Diocesan programs and activities. He stated, we also need to consider income assumptions for 2012. It is clear there are troubled parishes. Such parishes are either small or well endowed with changing patterns of how the endowment is supporting the parish. P&B sees significant problems ahead. There was a lengthy discussion of data available to describe the issue, and the extent to which leadership in parishes are aware of the emerging problems. The COF should be aware of this. The matter will be discussed further at a P&B meeting immediately following.
Personnel Matter. Mr. Creason referred to the September 20, 2010 letter from the Compensation Committee, to parish leaders regarding Clergy Salaries for 2011 with no increase in minimum salaries. Parishes were encouraged to provide additional vacation/personal days in lieu of a salary increase. There are no salary adjustments for Diocesan staff. Following discussion of the matter it was Moved, Seconded and Voted to recommend to Diocesan Council to add three (3) personal days for Diocesan Staff for 2011 (do not carry over to 2012) following the similar instruction given to parishes.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:45 am.
Respectfully submitted
Edwin F Hallenbeck, Secretary
Next Meeting: January 11, 2011 at 10:00 am
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