Executive Board Message

On behalf of the Executive Board, I wish to provide you with an update on some important initiatives.

As you know Rev Martha has been our supply minister since the summer of 2024 and in the spring of 2025, as noted in her Advent message, she kindly agreed to extend her stay and accepted our request to assist with addressing several concerns which had been identified by the Congregational Survey affiliated with the Living Faith Study endorsed in January 2025. The key areas were:

1) a review of Governance,

2) reinvigorating Stewardship,

3) reaching out to younger generations, and

4) reviewing pastoral care models.

This was an ambitious ask and we thank Martha for her tremendous leadership and ongoing effort but also, we thank you, the congregation, for participating with us by providing input through your committees and governance groups as well as attending interactive sessions.

We do, however, need to address our ministerial needs for when Rev Martha completes her time with us and so at our last executive meeting discussion was held that the time has come to proceed with organizing a Search process. This requires forming a Search team, revising the Community of Faith Profile and having guidance from the Bermuda-Nova Scotia region.

We have been successful in forming a Search team and thank you to those who have chosen to undertake this task but also thank you to those who were asked to participate but after prayerful consideration felt that they could not commit at this time.

Brian Jay has once again taken responsibility for updating the Community of Faith Profile and revised Position Description. He has been receiving assistance from many of you with this editing process and again thank you to Brian and everyone for this effort.

These preliminary tasks are not complete but will continue to be addressed in January at which point we will probably need a Congregational meeting to endorse the Search Team and Revised Community of Faith Profile.

Once that has been done, Rev David Hewitt of the Bermuda-NS region will review our status and if there are no issues, the Community of Faith Profile will be uploaded to the UCC HUB which will indicate that our Search is active.

On another note, the early new year is normally when Jim Musgrave prepared his Nomination slate of members for key Boards. We thank Jim for his many years of Service but at our last AGM he indicated that he would not be able to continue in that role.

At the last Executive meeting it was decided to revert to the way Bethany previously formed a Nomination Committee by having some members of the Governance groups get together for this task. We are not forming a Committee, but a limited term Task Oriented team to do the Nomination duties in January and February. Already a Team has been formed but if anyone wishes to help them by volunteering for a limited time in the New Year, please speak to me about this.

On behalf of the Executive Board, we wish all of you a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year but especially we want to thank everyone for generously offering their time, talents and treasure to Bethany United Church.

Blessings to all,

Chuck Maxner

Glen Knapp

Executive Board Co-Chairs