Update on

Regional Church

Staff Transition

3.10.23

As the Regional Church continues into a season of transition, we will keep you posted of mileposts along the way so that you can be in prayer with one another and those working on the process.

Calling an Interim Regional Minister

Our Personnel Committee met on March 2 Here is a new report from our Regional Personnel Chair, Rev. Sandy Berry, member of Portland First Christian Church.

Over the past few years...........

the regional church has been preparing for the retirement of our Regional Ministers. We have reduced the footprint of the position over time from 2 full time to 1 1/3, with an Interim Regional Minister to be one full time position.

We have expanded our staff over the past few years, adding a part time Communications Associate (Stacy Shelton), a part time New Church and Leadership Associate (Bernice Rivera) and an 8 hour a week Administrative Assistant (Renee Windsor-White). These staff members, along with our one day a week bookkeeper (Liz Cronin) have absorbed some of the tasks previously in the RM portfolios, and some tasks are no longer being done due to smaller staffing.

Other steps taken before the retirement announcement include:

1. In 2019 our Regional Board studied and then adopted the Executive Search Model to govern the upcoming search. This is a document used by our wider church to ensure equity in search processes for Executive Positions.
2. In 2019-20 the Regional Board discussed the advantages and disadvantages of three transition models 1)Interim between RMs, 2)overlap of current RM and new RM for several months/weeks, 3) having one RM finish and new RM come on board back to back without interim. After discussion at one meeting and time to think about it between meetings, the Regional Board voted to have an Interim Regional Minister when the time came for staff transition.
3. This choice for Interim required a change of the governing documents of the Regional Church. That was done over two meetings and was completed last year.
4. An updated Personnel Manual was done with the help of an attorney and was received and adopted by the Regional Board in 2021.
5. A review of the titles of all congregational buildings owned by the region was undertaken and titles were returned to two congregations and one church building was put up for sale.
6. Our 2022 Regional Assembly was intentionally planned with all of our General Church partners present: Monica Myers Greenburg (Christian Church Foundation), Rod Witte (Pension Fund -- since retired), Rosario Ibarra (Disciples Church Extension) with General Church Staff with us, Vy Nguyen (Week of Compassion), Dean Phelps (Office of General Minister and President), and Blanca Puma (FEDICE Ecuador), Raiza Spratt (Week of Compassion). Having all of our partners present was to assist people to make relationships with these leaders that can help with multiple services during the Interim season. More on this closer to the transition.

Other Steps Along the Way (repeated from last mailing FYI)

Various committees/boards will have work to do during our transition.

• The College of Regional Ministers has assigned a coach for our search. This is done in all regions when a Regional Church changes RM. Our coach is Rev. Bill Spangler-Dunning, Regional Minister of Virginia. Learn more about Bill above.
• The Personnel Committee will seek and suggest to the Regional Board a candidate for the Interim Regional Minister position.(see above)
• A Transition Committee will be formed by the Executive Committee of the Regional Board and will be under the leadership of Regional Vice-Moderator, Rev. Eric Eide, Pastor of Silverton FCC, and will work with our coach to do a series of listening events/processes within the regional church during the interim period to create a profile of the regional church to be used by the Search Committee.
• The Regional Board will continue to meet 3 times a year to oversee the finances of the regional church and receive reports of the program life and provide oversight that the priorities of the Region and the policies of the Region are being maintained and will support the work of the Interim Regional Minister. Our Regional Moderator and Board Chair is Pam Knight, member of Lynchwood Christian Church in Portland.
• Regional Minister Search Committee will be formed during the interim season and use the material and profile gathered by the Transition Team to review candidates for Regional Minister and will present a name to the Regional Board for consideration.
• The Regional Elders are expanding in number and work to assist in creating. deepening connections between congregations within our 5 districts. The Elders have Co-Chairs in leadership: Rev. David DeBow in Oregon and Rev. Larry Crist in Idaho.
• Governing Documents Task Force has been formed by our Executive Committee, and they will do a review of the Governing Documents of the Regional Church with recommendations to the June Board meeting. The Task Force has representatives from all five districts.
• Regional Gathering Task Force has been formed by our Executive Committee to determine the way the regional church will gather in 2024 and determine how this gathering will upgrade/recalculate the model of Regional Assembly we have in place.
• A task force will be formed of women from the western districts to plan a Women's Retreat in October 2023.

Our current Regional Ministers will finish their service to the region June 30, 2023.

For any questions you might have, please contact the regional church office and we will send you to the person that can answer your individual questions.

We will be fully transparent in this process as decisions are coming and in all the ways that people can participate in the process as it moves forward.