02-05-2025-Executive Board Meeting Minutes

United Church of Ludlow
Executive Board Meeting
Wed., Feb. 5, 2025, at 5:00 PM EDT

Approved Minutes

United Church of Ludlow, 48 Pleasant St, Ludlow, VT 05149
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Present on Zoom: Bob Malecki, Dean Alexander, Lisa Hamm-Greenawalt, Laura Creaser, Loren Stolp, Andy Ohotnicky, Nancy Martel, Pastor Michelle Fountain
Present by phone: Bill Kneebone 
Absent:  No one

1. Call Meeting to Order - Laura called the meeting to order at 502 PM EDT
2. Opening Prayer - Michelle 
3. Review minutes from January 8, 2025 - Dean made a motion to approve the January meeting minutes. Laura seconded. The motion was approved unanimously.
4. Pastor’s Report - Michelle 
   1. Highlights - Michelle needs a boundary training course to keep her license. The church finished Faithful and Inclusive Bible Study, received 4 new members, conducted the first Baptism, and passed ONA. The disaster kits cost more than expected. Loren recommended we decide what kit we want to make, and then cost out what we need. Laura asked if Loren could spearhead. He hesitated because he was leaving. Nancy suggested we make a list of what goes in kits and then purchase the items. Michelle said we have a list and a team already working on this, which includes Loren, Penny, Stacy, Mary Jo, and Bill. Andy suggested not storing the kits in the garage because it doesn’t lock, and suggested the room next to Fellowship Hall. Michelle doesn’t want to give up the children’s room and suggested the closet that used to be a porch by Fellowship Hall. Dean likes Sunday School Room. Loren will send an email out with his thoughts on this and we’ll make the decision on storage and what to buy later.
   2. Michelle said Terry needs money for materials for prayer shawls, about $200. Bob said there’s room in the Programs budget.
      Motion: Nancy made a motion to take $200 from the Programs budget and give it to Terry for prayer shawls. Andy seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously..
   3. The Lenten studies program will be based on the Gospel of Luke. There will be a Maundy Thursday service and possibly Ash Wednesday. Michelle has an idea for a Fundraising dinner for California fire victims, it’s being discussed with Rotary.
   4. Parking. Our church attendees occasionally block the neighbor’s driveway. We need a sign that says No Parking at the White House. Andy asked if the street spots are owned by the town; if so, perhaps we could ask them to make signs. Michelle said the neighbors believe they own the spaces where it says no parking. Laura says she will remind the deacons to remind people at the services to tell people not to park in front of the garage. This discussion continues below in the Treasurer’s Report.
5. Deacon Report - Laura - Christine Boardman will cover the pulpit on Feb. 16 and Bruce Bishop on Feb. 23
6. Trustees Report - Dean - Nothing to report.
7. Communications - Lisa - Lisa said a press release was sent, and the website and social media were updated, with news of the ONA vote.
8. Treasurer's Report - Bob Malecki - Bob sent the Board the Treasurer’s Report in advance.
   1. Payroll set-up for Michelle. Bob discovered that VT has started a childcare contribution tax of 4.4%, payable by employers, so there will be a $90 shortfall.
      Motion: Lisa made a motion to increase the 2025 payroll budget for Michelle's salary package by $90 to cover the childcare contribution tax. Laura seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
   2. Hold Harmless Agreement for parking on neighbor’s property - Our neighbor, Sarah Burns, has complained that her renters sometimes find the garage and driveway blocked by church users' cars. Bob created a Hold Harmless agreement using Rocket Lawyer online software. Bob spoke with our insurance rep and she said these are common and there are no issues from the Insurance Board’s standpoint. Loren, an attorney, said this one is written to benefit them instead of us. He suggested it be narrowed, and offered to meet with Bob offline to hammer it out, making sure it also has a termination clause.  Then it will be given to Burns for her lawyer to look over. Dean mentioned that the medical center is not open on Sundays and that perhaps people could park there instead; we had prior permission. Andy said that would work on Sundays, but pointed out that outside groups use the church hall during the week and we can’t control where they park. Nancy said it’s hard to tell that it’s an active garage so people feel it’s okay to park there. The Board decided that we are going to ask people not to park there for now, and post a sign. So the deacons will make an announcement not to park there. Meanwhile, Andy will look into the ownership of parking spaces to see if the village of Ludlow actually owns the spaces and could create signage.
   3. Committee to clean up UCL Bylaws - Bob feels this is needed. Laura said she could help when she returns from Texas. Fra Devine also wants to help. She is available the week of Feb 24. Bob will reach out with a date.
   4. Use of Smith’s bequest funds - Checks from Talc Mining from the Smith Estate bequest  are coming in at $400-$700 per month, with a current total of $9,000. There are no strings on the bequest. He floated a recommendation that the funds go to the building fund.
      Motion: Laura made a motion to put the Smith bequest into the building fund. Loren seconded. Nancy asked what the building fund is for. Bob says it’s associated with the building property maintenance items. Lisa asked about other upcoming needs such as ONA signage; Michelle said that would come from the building fund. Bob said it could be changed by a future executive board vote. Dean called a question. The motion passed unanimously.
9. New Business 
   1. ONA next steps - Michelle gave an update on the positive ONA vote at the Annual Meeting on Jan. 26, saying the church is looking for anyone interested in joining the Building Inclusivity team to discuss the next steps for letting the community know the church’s new status over a 3-6 month time frame. Options include signage, advertising, and more. Dean, Laura, and Nancy volunteered to join the committee.
      Dean said he does not agree with ONA status since it focuses on LGBTQ+ people, and said he has spoken to other church members who feel that way as well. He didn’t realize that ONA strictly dealt with LGBTQ+ issues, with what Dean considers too much focus on sexuality. “I don't think our congregation is aware of the focus of the ONA program. I’m struggling with it, as is Bill (Kneebone),” he said. Dean added that he had planned to make a motion as follows, but decided not to, “I am 100 percent behind being an open and affirming church that welcomes everyone and supports the covenant that allowed us, but without any LGBTQ. Since the covenant approved by our congregation included identities not included in the statement of purpose of the ONA, I make a motion that any publicity shall include all the identities stated in our covenant, subject to the approval of the executive board.”
      
      Lisa said the expansion into other isolated groups was important to the Building Inclusivity Team, and thanked Dean for reminding us that we need to focus on all the isolated groups in addition to the LGBTQ+ community.
      Michelle pointed out that gender identity is separate from sexuality, and that the church statement added other groups to the ONA so that we could be even more welcoming. 
      
      Loren asked the question, what is the issue?
      
      Nancy said she thinks some people had in mind that LGBTQ means men dressing as women, and that there are fears that this is what the website will be, and people will come to our church dressed flamboyantly and treating our church as their playground.
      
      Laura said she doesn’t think anybody has a problem with our church welcoming people. We are a welcoming, loving caring church. She thinks the problem is that we’re not just going to love the LGBTQ+ community; we’re going to love everybody.
      
      Dean expressed concern about seeing rainbows on the website. Lisa explained that she used the official logos from ONA and Reconciling Congregation Network as graphics, and they do contain rainbows, which LGBTQ+ people recognize as a signal of a safe space and welcome. Dean explained that when he saw Facebook the rainbow was on top of their banner, and he needed things to slow down.
      
      Lisa said she understands that it’s crucial to make it comfortable for conservatives and the liberals to both feel comfortable in their church.
      Bill Kneebone said he has never felt we have made anyone feel unwelcome. He felt that we already were an ONA church. “But are we going to add Koreans, Chinese, this, that, and so forth. I don’t understand that.” He said he thinks “we should love everyone even if we don’t like what they do.”
      Michelle responded that we who are not a part of the LGBTQ+ community don’t know really what it’s like to not know if you’re welcome in a worship space. She said she has been contacted by a transgender woman wondering if she would be safe in our church, because despite our welcome, it wasn’t clear to her. “We say we’re welcome, but they don’t know it,” she said. Michelle also pointed out that the ONA/RMN was passed by 90% of the congregation, and that it’s unfortunate that people who are bringing these points up now didn’t take advantage of the opportunities presented by the Building Inclusivity Team over the past 2 ½ years to learn more about what ONA is and why it matters.
      
      Laura said she thinks we’re all in agreement that we’re moving on to the next step. Michelle said Christine Boardman, who has managed change in churches, is going to help plan the process. 
10. Old Business - Bill reported that he sent out 2024 tax letters to donors. 
11. Next meeting - Laura scheduled the next Executive Board meeting for Wed., April 2, at 5 PM EDT via Zoom.  
12. Adjournment. Laura Creaser adjourned the meeting at 623 PM. 

Minutes submitted by Lisa Hamm-Greenawalt, Clerk