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Conference prepares for staffing changes

June/July 2006

In his nearly 35 years of ordained ministry, Steve Sterner, the Massachusetts Conference Interim Minister and President, can think of no communication that gave him more sadness than the one that he had to send in early April.

In that letter, Sterner broke the news that the Conference Board of Directors received and acted upon his recommendations for reductions in staff and other expenses to be effective at the end of 2006.  According to Sterner, the reductions – though painful to those affected – are required because of the projection of deficits of $117,000 for 2006 and over $200,000 for 2007.

Sterner outlined the process of how he arrived at these recommendations.  “Every position was evaluated as it related to the Conference mission of nurturing vital local congregations and the covenant among our churches. Each position was assessed related to its relevance to the current Conference size in terms of churches and members. Each staff person was reviewed based on the history of performance reviews, as well as demonstrated willingness both to support the mission of the Massachusetts Conference, and to work as part of a staff team.

“Even with all of that examination I found no staff

person or position an obvious candidate for reduction,” he remarked.

Sterner continued, “I then did an analysis based on what work we might now be doing that is a vestige of larger membership and more affluent times. I checked with procedures used in a few other larger UCC Conferences. I re-viewed the information shared by staff and Board members in retreats and staff meetings. Out of all that, I came up with my recommendations, which went through much iteration before being presented.”

All recommendations were then reviewed by the staff team leaders and the Conference Board of Directors. Dr. Jim Antal, candidate for the Minister and President position, was aware of the recommendations, but did not actively participate in making them.

“It became clear through this process that any staff reductions meant losing staff who are capable, gifted, hard working, and well liked around the Conference,” stated Sterner.  “In that painful and difficult reality, recommendations were accepted by the Board of Directors after a prayerful and serious period of deliberation.”

Reductions

As a result of these recommendations, The Rev. Laura Lee Kent, Associate Conference Minister serving in the Central Area, Joanna Bickford, Associate for Administration, Fran Lajoie, Administrative Assistant in the Northeast office, and Marlene Bryant, part-time Administrative Assistant in the Framingham office, have received the news that their positions are being eliminated. All have been offered severance schedules that will provide full salary and benefits through 2006.  Additionally, Carl McDonald, Associate for Youth Ministries and Christian Education, has been informed that his position will be reduced to half-time in 2007. However, funding for the other half of the position is being sought outside of the Conference budget.

“I want to assure those with a special interest in Christian Education and Youth Ministry that there will be staff support for these significant areas of local church vitality,” says Sterner.  “We will work with staff, local church educators, youth workers, and other appropriate parties to develop an acceptable plan for going forward.”

Also, the position of Administrative Assistant in the Central office, currently being filled on a temporary basis, will not be extended. There will be a new full-time administrative assistant position added in Framingham. There will be an open search and any staff person whose position has been eliminated may apply.

According to Sterner, it is expected that the Conference will maintain offices throughout the state; however, the Central office in Worcester and the Northeast office in Haverhill will close at the end of 2006. The work of those offices will be moved to other Conference office locations. These two were chosen because they were found to be the least functional in terms of space and usage of all Conference offices.

Sterner met with the Central, Essex, and Andover Associations and discussed the changes and planning for how the Conference will move forward. The Executive Committee of the MACUCC Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of Central Association (along with the current Chair and Vice-Chair of the Association’s Committee on Ministry) also gathered for an open, candid, sometimes spirited, conversation about the immediate future of Central Association.  Both Sterner and the members of the Board of Directors expressed regret for the pain experienced by staff and churches on account of these staff reductions.  At the Central Association Day of Covenant Sterner offered an apology for both the hurt and the failure to communicate clearly and covenantally.

Transition Plan

Nancy J. Lawrence, Chair of MACUCC Board of Directors, reports that since that meeting, much work has been done to formulate the “Central Association Transition Plan.”  This transition plan is only to bridge the gap between the time of staff reductions and the implementation of a new staff and structure plan to be voted on by the Conference, likely sometime in 2007.

Andy Gustafson, presently the Associate Conference Minister for Stewardship and Financial Develop-ment, will serve as the liaison to Central Association.  He will be in the Worcester Office  several days a week until the office closes, tentatively in September, 2006. After that, he can be reached at the Framingham office. He will work with the Association Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, and he will be relating to the churches and pastors of Central Association.

Mike Penn-Strah, currently Associate Conference Minister in the Northeast Area, will be coordinating Search and Call for Central Association.  He will work with other Associate Conference Ministers to provide staff support to churches in transition.  At the present time, seven of the Conference staff are assigned the responsibility of working with churches in transition in Central Association:  Tom Clough, Mike Penn-Strah, Andy Gustafson, Paul Nickerson, Dale Hempen, Peter Wells, and Steve Sterner.  All of these people will be working on building relationships with churches and clergy in Central Association.  This is not unique to Central Association.  The model of having multiple Associate Conference Ministers working with Search and Call will apply to all Associations. 

Mike Penn-Strah and Dale Hempen (current Associate Confer-ence Minister in the Southeast Area) will both be working on Central Association Committee on Ministry matters.  They will provide staff support to the committee.  Other Associate Conference Ministers will be called on to staff aspects of COM work as well. 

“As the process for developing a staffing plan and structure for the Conference Annual Meeting in 2007 moves forward, there might be some different models of staffing tested in some or all Associations,” explains the Rev. Harold “Skip” Lloyd, Central Association Moderator.  “Apart from those opportunities, the transitional staffing plan will continue for Central Association until a decision is reached and implementation begun on a new plan for the entire Conference during 2007.”

Restructure Process

At its meeting on May 6th, the Conference Board of Directors approved  a process for developing a proposed new structure for the Conference. The process will begin with a listening campaign in the fall of 2006, which will be designed to discern the key needs and priorities of the major constituencies of the Conference – laity, clergy, congregations, Associations, Conference volunteers, and Conference staff – in the primary, shared goal of nurturing local church vitality, as well as the covenant among the churches. An online survey will also be part of the listening campaign.

Using the results of the listening campaign, the Board of Directors will recommend a new Conference structure to a Conference meeting in 2007 for a one year trial period to begin in January 2008.

According to the Board’s vote, the listening campaign will be designed and directed by a 12-15 member Steering Committee appointed by the Chair of the Board of Directors. The Steering Committee will recruit, train and coordinate Listening Teams to seek responses from as many stakeholder groups (constituents with passions and concerns around specific issues, needs and ministries) as possible.

Discussion Opportunities

At the Annual Meeting of Central Association held in Worcester, representatives from the MACUCC Board of Directors were present to answer questions and share updates concerning the Central Association Transition Plan. In addition, laity are invited to a special forum on the Friday morning of Annual Meeting to have conversations about these reductions and about the process for developing a new staffing pattern and structure for the Massachusetts Conference.

This need for reduction of expenses is not unique to the Massachusetts Conference.  At board meetings of the UCC’s four national Covenanted Ministries, the UCC’s five-member Collegium of Officers proposed sweeping changes, including eventual staff reconfigurations, in order to streamline and stabilize the church’s national offices based in Cleveland.

“This has been an incredibly stressful time for our staff,” comments Sterner.  “All of them have acted professionally and with faithfulness. I ask your prayers for all of them, especially for those whose positions have been eliminated. As we move forward, staff, Associations, clergy, churches, and commissions of the Conference will work together to provide a staffing plan and structure that continue to support vital local churches and the covenant among our churches. May God’s tender mercy hold us all in this moment.”