Present: about 45 members
Marco Helles, Chairman of the Board, prayed for the meeting.
§ 1 Agenda
The agenda was approved and the Chairman declared the meeting open.
§ 2 Election of verifiers
Maud Ackeberg and Alison James were elected to verify the minutes.
§ 3 Supplementary election to the Nominating committee
The congregation decided to elect Susanna Böling from Immanuel 153 as an additional member of the Nominating committee that will propose the Election committee for the Annual meeting 2017.
§ 4 Short report from the Church conference of the Uniting church
The Chairman reported on some points that had been discussed at the Church conference;
a) The agreement between the Uniting church and the Swedish church, where a formulation caused debate as the word “rebaptism” was regarded offensive by those members of the Uniting church who have a Baptist background.
b) The issue regarding the statement in the Palestinian question and the motion suggesting that the Uniting church should support the proposal of the World Council of churches to pray for peace. The Church conference decided to postpone this question to the conference in 2017. Several people reacted to this and thought it was a strange decision to postpone prayer for peace. Marco Helles said that the Board will look into this and see what Immanuel church can do even before the next Church conference. The Board will come back to this matter.
c) A new decision-making structure for the conferences of the Uniting church has been decided. It is based on consensus and not on the majority principle. The delegates of Immanuel church think that this will create inertia and that opponents to change will get too much power. Consensus will give large space to theologians and to those who can express themselves. At the same time it is important to strengthen the democratic process. The decision about consensus was taken with a majority decision of about 60/40 at the conference. The decision-making structure will be tested for three years and then be evaluated.
d) Immanuel church also submitted comments on the ministry plan of the Uniting church where diaconal work today is hidden in the part which is called mission. The delegates of Immanuel church think that diaconal work should be raised as its own point in the ministry plan, but were outvoted. At least Immanuel church has marked its position in this matter.
Otherwise the Chairman noted that there had been good worship services at the conference and that we can be happy for the successful children’s conference where leaders from Immanuel participated and for the ushers who served from our church.
§ 5 Report on personnel matters
Stephen James, Chairman of the Personnel committee, gave the following information:
a) A substitute is underway for Pastor Tobias Frelin, who has been granted leave of absence for two years, and the committee hopes to be able to present a solution soon.
b) Interviews are underway for a new Intern Youth Pastor for one year, instead of Amanda Detchman who will leave us this summer in order to return to her studies in the USA.
c) On Saturday 11 June at 17.00 there will be a farewell party for Steve Armfield and Amanda Detchman with a potluck for the whole church.
d) Chris Peterson, Pastor of the International fellowship, will begin his post at the end of August. He will be installed in a joint service on 16 October.
e) Church musician Martin Åsander will come back from his parental leave at the beginning of September.
§ 6 Report regarding publication about the dismounted mural in the café
Two persons have been asked to form an editorial group around the publication about the mural which used to be in the café. There will also be interviews with former missionaries in the church. The mural has been carefully photographed by Johan Bohman. In June representatives of the Board will have a meeting with the two persons in order to go through what the assignment means and to create guidelines for the work before they will give their definite answers.
The matter was opened to the floor and there was a question regarding the book Golden light, where there is already a description of the mural. The Chairman answered that this description is a good basis for the work, but that the new publication will also highlight the missionary history.
§ 7 Information about the work on a ministry plan
A ministry plan for Immanuel church is a new way of working. The Ministry and Organization committee, together with the leadership, has got the task to start developing the plan, which will take place in early autumn.
The goal is that the work with the plan will be processed, for instance by small groups in the church, already before the Annual meeting 2017 so that most of the preparations will be ready by then. The aim of the ministry plan is to clearly show for future budget work where priorities and resources should be added. The four focus areas are: Fellowship between the different language groups of the church; Children, young people and families; Diaconal work; Leadership development.
There will also be a change in the accounting plan so that it will be easier to find out what the costs are for different parts and ministries.
§ 8 Information about the committees of the Board
The Board has three committees and from this year also a Communication committee. Everyone is welcome to address their questions to the committees.
Financial committee: Patrick Amofah, Hans-Olof Hagén, Mats Bernö
Personnel committee: Stephen James, Kristina Gustafsson, Malin Emmoth
Ministry and Organization committee: Vida Afua Attah, Margoth Sonnebo, Rachel Norborg Jerkeby
Communication committee: Lina Mattebo, Peter Dobers, Gunilla Hjelmåker
The Board has appointed Stephen James as Vice Chairman.
§ 9 Information about the church square and the activities during the summer
Ulla Marie Gunner informed about the renovation and that, with a few exceptions, there will not be any activities during the weeks organized by the church on the church square or in our premises. The kitchen is now demolished and the ceiling is being taken down. They will try to make the big entry to the church square work as an entry on the weekends also during the renovation. On Sunday 2 October there will be an inauguration of the new church square.
Håkan Andersson from Probitas was present at the meeting and showed some textile samples and interior details which are ready. The furnishing will be in blue tones.
Ulla Marie reminded everyone to sign up to receive the e-letter. This is done on the website, www.node232.myfcloud.com/~immanuel. In the e-letter matters are presented which are not reported elsewhere, so in order to take part of all the interesting information from the church she encouraged everyone to sign up.
Today only 365 of the church’s almost 1,500 members have joined the church fee system. The church fee is a good and efficient way to give money to the church. A group consisting of, among others, Gunilla Hjelmåker (new Board member) and Anette Engkvist, administrative leader, will now look at how the information about the church fee can be presented before the autumn. The members who have already joined the church fee system are encouraged to talk to their friends and ask them to join.
During the summer many activities are down, but a lot is still happening. Ulla Marie informed about the seniors’ trip to Dalarna in June and the confirmation camp in the same month. In July the teens from the International fellowship will go to Holsbybrunn for a camp and in August a group from last year’s confirmands will go to a camp in Taizé. Ulla Marie encouraged the congregation to pray for these trips and camps. There are also three concerts to enjoy in June.
On 3 September the autumn term will start with a joint potluck for the whole church. There will also be a so called “silent auction”, this time in favour of the nutrition work in the N’djili church in Kongo Kinshasa.
§ 10 Any other business
There were no other questions.
§ 11 Conclusion
Ulla Marie Gunner ended the meeting with prayer and the Chairman thanked those present and declared the meeting closed.
Secretary Cathrin Sjöström
Minutes approved by
Marco Helles , Chairman
Alison James
Maud Ackeberg